H.R. 9570

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9570 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9570

To provide grants to local educational agencies to help public schools 
reduce class size in the early elementary grades, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 12, 2024

Mrs. McBath (for herself and Ms. Brown) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To provide grants to local educational agencies to help public schools 
reduce class size in the early elementary grades, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Smaller Class Sizes for Students and 
Educators Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local 
educational agency'', ``poverty line'', ``professional 
development'', and ``State'' have the meanings given the terms 
in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Early elementary grades.--The term ``early elementary 
grades'' means kindergarten through grade 3.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of Education.
(4) Targeted school.--The term ``targeted school'' means a 
public elementary school served by a local educational agency 
that is in the highest quartile of all public elementary 
schools served by the local educational agency based on the 
number of students enrolled in the school who are eligible for 
a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell 
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).

SEC. 3. REDUCING CLASS SIZE IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 3 CLASSROOMS.

(a) Program Authorized.--
(1) In general.--From amounts made available under 
subsection (g), the Secretary shall award grants, on a 
competitive basis, to local educational agencies to enable the 
local educational agencies to reduce class sizes in the early 
elementary grades.
(2) Duration of grant.--A grant awarded under this section 
shall be for a period of 5 years.
(b) Application.--A local educational agency that desires a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require, including the local educational agency's evidence-based 
plan to reduce class sizes in the early elementary grades that includes 
the following:
(1) A description of--
(A) how the local educational agency will reduce 
the class sizes in the early elementary grades in the 
targeted schools served by the local educational agency 
to not more than 18 students per class, including--
(i) the early elementary grade levels that 
will be supported under the grant;
(ii) how the agency will take into 
consideration the needs of subgroups of 
students (as defined in section 1111(c)(2) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(c)(2))), grade level, 
subject area, physical facilities, and workload 
maximums for educators when determining class 
size maximums; and
(iii) how the local educational agency will 
determine or define class size; and
(B) the continuum of small class sizes based on 
grade level the local educational agency will provide 
for students in the early elementary grades in the 
targeted schools served by the local educational 
agency.
(2) A description of how the local educational agency will 
recruit, hire, prepare, and retain educators, including 
educators from populations underrepresented in the teaching 
profession (including by racial, ethnic, or linguistic group), 
as teachers in the early elementary grades.
(3) A description of how the local educational agency will 
provide professional development and training for teachers in 
the early elementary grades to improve students' academic, 
social, emotional, and mental health outcomes.
(4) A description of how the local educational agency will 
provide educators with sufficient preparation time during the 
school year for activities such as analyzing student work, 
instruction and assessment planning, or curriculum and 
instruction-specific professional development.
(5) A description of how the local educational agency will 
ensure that any new teachers hired using grant funds meet all 
applicable State certification and licensure requirements.
(6) In the case of a local educational agency that is using 
funds available under part A of title II of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6611 et seq.) for 
class size reduction, information regarding the extent to which 
the funds are being used to reduce class size in the early 
elementary grades in targeted schools.
(7) The average class size, by grade, in the early 
elementary grades of the public schools served by the local 
educational agency at the time the application is submitted and 
during the prior 2 academic years, and the goals for the class 
size, by grade, in the early elementary grades of the public 
schools served by the local educational agency.
(c) Award Basis.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to local educational agencies serving the 
greatest number or percentage of students who are from families with 
incomes at or below the poverty line.
(d) Use of Funds.--
(1) Administrative expenses.--A local educational agency 
receiving a grant under this section may use not more than 3 
percent of the grant funds for the administrative expenses of 
the grant.
(2) Reducing class size.--
(A) In general.--A local educational agency shall 
use not less than 97 percent of the grant funds to 
reduce class sizes in the early elementary grades at 
targeted schools served by the local educational agency 
by--
(i) recruiting, hiring, and supporting 
fully certified and qualified teachers, both 
general education teachers and teachers of 
children with disabilities, for the early 
elementary grades at the targeted schools;
(ii) obtaining additional space, or 
renovating school buildings, to provide more 
classroom space, except that not more than 15 
percent of the funds provided under the grant 
may be used for this purpose;
(iii) providing professional development 
for teachers of the early elementary grades at 
the targeted schools, except that not more than 
15 percent of the funds provided under the 
grant may be used for this purpose; and
(iv) developing feedback mechanisms to 
improve school working conditions, including 
through periodically and publicly reporting 
results of educator support and working 
conditions feedback.
(B) Highest need.--In carrying out activities under 
the grant, the local educational agency shall first 
prioritize targeted schools that serve the highest 
percentage of students from families with incomes at or 
below the poverty line, and then prioritize such 
schools with the highest average class sizes in the 
early elementary grades.
(e) Reporting.--
(1) Annual reports.--
(A) Local educational agencies.--Each local 
educational agency receiving a grant under this section 
shall prepare and submit to the State in which the 
agency is located an annual report on activities 
carried out under grant, including progress in reaching 
the goals in reducing class size described in the 
application under subsection (b)(7).
(B) States.--A State that receives a report under 
subparagraph (A) shall submit such report to the 
Secretary.
(2) Evaluation.--The Secretary, acting through the Director 
of the Institute of Education Sciences, shall conduct an 
evaluation of the activities carried out under grants awarded 
under this section, including an evaluation of--
(A) the progress of the local educational agency in 
reducing class size in the early elementary grades at 
the targeted schools served by the local educational 
agency;
(B) student academic achievement in the early 
elementary grades of the targeted schools receiving 
support through the local educational agency under the 
grant where pre- and post-assessment data is available;
(C) a climate study of--
(i) teachers in such targeted schools that 
addresses working conditions, job satisfaction, 
and teacher stress; and
(ii) students, and parents of students, 
enrolled in such targeted schools;
(D) teacher qualifications for newly hired teachers 
in such targeted schools for class size reduction;
(E) targeted professional development and training 
provided to newly hired teachers in targeted schools 
for class size reduction;
(F) the time added to be used for teachers to 
collaborate in targeted schools;
(G) teacher chronic absenteeism and retention and 
turnover rates pre- and post-class size reduction 
efforts; and
(H) rates of student discipline and chronic student 
absenteeism.
(3) Annual reports by the secretary.--By not later than 90 
days after the date by which the reports under paragraph (1) 
are first due, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
prepare and submit a report to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives 
regarding the grants awarded under this section.
(f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--A local educational agency receiving 
funds under this section shall use such funds to supplement, and not 
supplant, any other funds available to the local educational agency for 
the purposes of reducing class size in the early elementary grades.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000,000 for the first 
fiscal year after the date of enactment of this Act and such sums as 
are necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.
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