| 47 | | - | SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to require the department of education to provide grants for the planning and implementation of community schools to: (1) Ensure high-quality educational opportunities and improved educational outcomes for all students through investment in full-service community schools; (2) Support and fund the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of sustainable community schools; (3) Elevate community schools as a comprehensive solution to problems facing public schools, especially in low-income, rural, and Native Hawaiian communities; (4) Document and evaluate lessons learned from community school programs to develop a set of best practices to be shared locally, statewide, and nationwide; (5) Elevate community schools as an important component of a viable long-term equity strategy that accelerates learning, addresses students' social-emotional and mental health needs, and builds resilience among families and communities; and (6) Support learners, educators, families āina, and communities by nurturing networks that promote reciprocity. SECTION 2. Definitions. As used in this Act: "Applicant" means a school or consortium and lead partner agency that proposes to work with one another to plan or implement, or both, community school programming pursuant to section 4 of this Act. "Community organization" means a nonprofit organization that has been in existence for three or more years and serves individuals within the community surrounding the school site on education and other issues. "Community school consortium" means a group, consisting of one or more schools and community partners or community organizations, or both, including government agencies, that propose to work with one another to plan or implement, or both, community school programming. "Community school coordinator" means an individual who is responsible for aligning programming with the needs of the school site identified in the baseline analysis. "Community school programming" means the services, activities, and opportunities as described under subsection (e) of section 3 of this Act. "Consortium" means a group consisting of one or more schools. "Department" means the department of education. "Lead partner agency" means the organization that joins a school to manage and lead the work of developing and sustaining the community school. "School site" means a school site at which an applicant has proposed or has been funded to provide community school programming. SECTION 3. Sustainable community school pilot program; grants; planning. (a) The department shall establish a two-year sustainable community school pilot program and make grants available to plan for sustainable community schools. The pilot program shall terminate on June 30, 2025. (b) A request-for-proposal process shall be used in awarding grants. Proposals submitted shall be evaluated and scored on the basis of criteria consistent with this section. (c) Proposals may be submitted by applicants; provided that each school site referenced in the proposal is: (1) A Title I school that is among the lowest-achieving fifteen per cent of Title I schools in the State; (2) A public intermediate or middle school or public high school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that is among the lowest-achieving fifteen per cent of secondary schools in the State; (3) A public high school that has had a graduation rate that is less than sixty per cent over the past three years; or (4) Any public school in a low-income community that would benefit from community school programming. (d) Each applicant shall demonstrate how it plans to implement: (1) The Nā Hopena Ao framework; (2) Curricula that is engaging, culturally and socially relevant, and academically rigorous; (3) Wraparound supports, including physical and mental health services, social services, and academic enrichment programs; (4) Out-of-school time programming; (5) An emphasis on high-quality teaching, not on high-stakes testing; and (6) Parent and community engagement plans so the full community actively participates in decision-making processes. (e) Each applicant shall propose to arrange for the provision of at least two of the following types of community school programming at each covered school site: (1) Early childhood: (A) Early childhood education; (B) Programs under the federal Head Start Act of 1981, as amended, including Early Head Start programs; or (C) Childcare services; (2) Academic: (A) Academic support and enrichment activities, including expanded learning time; (B) Summer or after-school enrichment and learning experiences; (C) Job training, internship, and apprenticeship opportunities, including building trades apprenticeship or industry certification programs, and career counseling services; (D) Programs that provide assistance to students who have been truant, suspended, or expelled; (E) General education development programs for youth and community members; (F) Specialized instructional support services; (G) College classes and early college high school model; (H) Culturally-based, āina-based, and project-based programming; or (I) Social-emotional learning; (3) Family engagement: (A) Programs that promote parental involvement and family literacy; (B) Parent leadership development activities; or (C) Parenting education activities; (4) Mental and physical health: (A) Mentoring and other youth development programs, including peer mentoring and conflict mediation; (B) Youth leadership development opportunities; (C) Juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation programs; (D) Home visitation services by teachers and other professionals; (E) Developmentally appropriate physical education; (F) Nutrition services; (G) Primary health and dental care; (H) Mental health counseling services; or (I) Trauma-informed care; or (5) Community involvement: (A) Service and service-learning opportunities; (B) Adult education, including instruction in English as a second language; (C) Homeless prevention services, affordable housing, and mortgage revision services; (D) Community development and organizing training and opportunities; or (E) Other programming designed to meet school and community needs and community development opportunities identified through the school leadership team analysis described in section subsection (c) of section 4 of this Act. (f) Community school planning grants may be awarded up to $ . Grantees unready to implement programming immediately shall use their grant funds for up to one year of planning. At the end of the one-year period, the grantee shall submit a sustainable community school plan to the department as described in subsection (f) of section 4 of this Act. If the grantee decides not to use planning funds, the sustainable community school plan shall be submitted with the application. (g) A grantee shall establish a school leadership team responsible for developing school-specific programming goals and baseline analyses, assessing program needs, and overseeing the process of implementing expanded programming at each covered school site. The school leadership team shall have twelve to fifteen members and shall meet the following requirements: (1) At least thirty per cent of members are parents; (2) At least thirty per cent of members are teachers at the school site; and (3) Two students, the school principal, and representatives from partner agencies and community organizations are included. (h) The school leadership team shall have ongoing responsibility for monitoring the development and implementation of sustainable community school operations and programming at the school site and shall issue recommendations on a regular basis that are summarized in an annual report to the department. The reports shall also be made available to the public at the school site and on school and district websites. (i) Upon award of a sustainable community school operational grant, each grantee shall hire a full-time community school coordinator to coordinate services at each school site. If proposing to serve three or more school sites, the eligible district shall also hire a program director to coordinate activities across school sites. Program directors and community school coordinators shall work collaboratively with school leadership and school leadership teams to provide the services and programs that meet school and community needs and priorities. (j) Grantees shall integrate into their operations funding and services accessed from among the following provisions of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015: (1) Section 4625 full-service community schools grants, eligible recipients of which include consortia consisting of a local educational agency and one or more community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, or other public or private entities; (2) Title I, of which at least one per cent of funds shall be used to support parent engagement activities and research-based practices, including: (A) A community-wide needs assessment and plan for community schools; (B) Professional development on family and community engagement for school personnel; (C) Curriculum development and implementation that connects students to community problems; (D) Hiring a community school coordinator; and (E) Out-of-school-time programs; (3) 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which promote academic enrichment and tutoring for students after school hours; and (4) Promise Neighborhood Grants, which provide a continuum of coordinated services in neighborhoods with high poverty and multiple signs of distress and schools in comprehensive or targeted improvement status receiving one hundred per cent matching funds, including at least one school with wraparound services. SECTION 4. Sustainable community school pilot program; grants; implementation. (a) The department shall make sustainable community schools operational grants of up to $ a year available to implement a sustainable community school's strategy. (b) A request-for-proposal process shall be used in awarding grants. Proposals shall be evaluated on the basis of criteria consistent with this section and other factors adopted by the department. Grants shall be made for a term of five years and shall be renewable at the discretion of the department. Grantees can begin implementation immediately or use up to a year of the grant for planning purposes. Prior to the use of grant funding for implementation, grantees shall submit a sustainable community school plan, as described in subsection (f), to the department. (c) An application for a grant under this section shall include the following: (1) A baseline analysis of needs at the school site, to be led by the lead partner agency or school leadership team in collaboration with relevant experts as appropriate, which shall include the following elements: (A) Identification of challenges facing the school; (B) An analysis of the student body, including: (i) The number and percentage of students with disabilities and the needs of these students; (ii) The number and percentage of students who are English learners and the needs of these students; and (iii) The number and percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and the needs of these students; (C) An analysis of enrollment and retention rates for students with disabilities, English learners, and students receiving free or reduced-price lunch; (D) An analysis of suspension and expulsion data, including the justification for such disciplinary actions and the degree to which particular populations, including but not limited to students with disabilities, students who are English learners, and students receiving free or reduced-price lunch are represented among students subject to such actions; (E) An analysis of school achievement data disaggregated by major demographic categories, including but not limited to race and ethnicity, English learner status, disability status, and receipt of free or reduced-priced lunch; (F) An analysis of current family engagement strategies and their success; (G) An evaluation of the need for and availability of wraparound services, including but not limited to: (i) Mechanisms for meeting students' social, emotional, and physical health needs, which may include coordination of existing services and the development of new services based on student needs; and (ii) Strategies to create safe and secure school environments and improve school climate and discipline, including implementation of a system of positive behavioral supports and taking additional steps to eliminate bullying; and (H) Solicitation and analysis of input from parents, the principal, teachers, classified staff, and students on potential improvements to the curriculum, including but not limited to ensuring the curriculum's cultural appropriateness, aimed at helping all students progress towards attaining academic standards and deriving other benefits from their schooling, along with a description of how this information will be used; (2) A baseline analysis of community assets and a strategic plan for utilizing and aligning identified assets; provided that the analysis shall include but not be limited to documentation of individuals in the community, faith-based organizations, community and neighborhood associations, colleges, hospitals, libraries, businesses, and social service agencies that may be able to provide support and resources; (3) A baseline analysis of needs in the community surrounding the school, to be led by the lead partner agency or the school leadership team, in collaboration with relevant experts, as appropriate, including but not limited to: (A) The need for high-quality, full-day childcare and early childhood education programs; (B) The need for physical and mental health care services for children and adults; (C) The need for job training and other adult education programming; and (D) The need for before- and after-school programs and summer learning opportunities; and (4) A sustainable community school plan as described in subsection (f). (d) Grants awarded under this section shall be available to support the following activities: (1) Up to a year of grant funds may be used to create a comprehensive community school implementation plan; (2) Where the lead partner agency has received funding to provide community school programming at multiple school sites, selection and compensation of a program director to oversee and coordinate programming across multiple covered school sites; (3) Selection and compensation of a resource coordinator at each covered school site; (4) Ongoing convening and consultation of institutional partners; (5) General coordination of programs within and between covered school sites; (6) Professional development for school staff that engages them as full partners in the community school; (7) Ongoing monitoring of the impact of the community school on participating children and adults; (8) Development of alternative funding strategies to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the community school; (9) Ongoing operation of the school leadership team; and (10) Other activities, both operational and programmatic, which shall assist in the implementation of the plan required under subsection (f). (e) At the conclusion of each grant term, each community schools operational grant grantee, led by the lead partner agency and supported by the school leadership team, shall submit to the department, and make available at the school site and online, a report describing efforts to integrate community school programming at each school site and the impact of the transition to a sustainable community school on participating children and adults. The report shall include but shall not be limited to discussion of the following: (1) An assessment of the effectiveness of the grantee in implementing the sustainable community school plan; (2) Problems encountered in the design and execution of the sustainable community school plan, including identification of any federal, state, or county laws or rules impeding program implementation; (3) The operation of the school leadership team and its contribution to successful execution of the sustainable community school plan; (4) Recommendations for improving delivery of community school programming to students; (5) The number and percentage of students receiving community school programming who had not previously been served; (6) The number and percentage of non-student community members receiving community school programming who had not previously been served; (7) Any improvement in retention among students who receive community school programming; (8) Any improvement in academic achievement among students who receive community school programming; (9) Any changes in students' readiness to enter school and active involvement in learning and in their community; physical, social and emotional health; and students' relationship with the school and community environment; (10) An accounting of anticipated budget savings, if any, resulting from the implementation of the program; (11) Any improvements to the frequency or depth of a family's involvement with their children's education; (12) An assessment of community stakeholder satisfaction; (13) An assessment of institutional partner satisfaction; (14) The ability, or anticipated ability, of the grantee and partners to continue to provide services in the absence of future funding under this section; (15) Increases in access to services for students and their families; and (16) The degree of increased collaboration among participating agencies and private partners. (f) Prior to using grant funding awarded pursuant to this section, the grantee shall provide the department a sustainable community school plan. For schools that opt to use their first year of grant funding to plan community school programming and implementation, the sustainable community school plan shall be submitted at the end of the first year. The sustainable community school plan shall detail the steps the grantee and partners shall take to integrate community school programming at the school site and include plans for: (1) Establishing programming that meets the needs indicated by the baseline analyses required under subsection (c); (2) Timely establishment and consistent operation of the school leadership team; (3) Maintenance of attendance records in all programming components; (4) Maintenance of measurable data showing annual participation and the impact of programming on the participating children and adults; (5) Documentation of meaningful and sustained collaboration between the school and community stakeholders, including local governmental units, civic engagement organizations, businesses, and social service providers; (6) Professional development, the goal of which is to ensure the integration of the principal, teachers, and classified staff into the sustainable community school model and of community school resources into academic and other school planning and activities promoting student success; (7) Establishment and maintenance of partnerships with institutions, such as universities, hospitals, museums, corporations, not-for-profit community organizations, or other community partners, to further the development and implementation of community school programming; (8) A plan for school leadership team development; (9) Annual evaluation and public reporting on the impact of programming on participating children and adults; and (10) Ensuring the continuation of the sustainable community school after the grant period ends. SECTION 5. Sustainable community school pilot program; evaluation; report. (a) Reports shall be submitted by schools participating in the community school pilot program for planning and in the operational grant program to the department and shall be evaluated by the department based on criteria to be developed by the department; provided that the criteria shall include, but not be limited to, the following, as applicable to each type of grant: (1) The effectiveness of the school or community school consortium in implementing the sustainable community school plan, including the degree to which the grantee navigated difficulties encountered in the design and operation of the sustainable community school plan and identification of any federal, state, or county laws or rules impeding program implementation; (2) The extent to which the recommendations of the school leadership team are reflected in the sustainable community school plan and the degree to which the school leadership team has been engaged in discussion and decision-making; (3) The extent to which the program has yielded lessons about ways to improve delivery of community school programming to students; (4) The degree to which there has been an increase in the number or percentage of students and non-students receiving community school programming; (5) The degree to which there has been improvement in retention of students and academic achievement among students receiving community school programming; (6) Budget savings, if any, resulting from the implementation of the program; (7) The degree of community stakeholder and institutional partner engagement; (8) Increases in access to services for students and their families; and (9) The degree of increased collaboration among participating agencies and private partners. (b) The department shall report to the governor and the legislature on the impact of each sustainable community school's strategy no later than twenty days prior to the regular session of 2024. The report shall also be made publicly available on the school's website and on the department's website. All data featured in the report shall be made available in machine-readable formats. (c) The report required under subsection (b) shall: (1) Draw upon the following data sources to provide analysis of the sustainable community schools program's success, the impact of funded initiatives, and recommendations for enhancing the program's effectiveness: (A) Aggregate data from required reports; (B) Interviews and other consultation with students, parents, community members, program directors, and resource coordinators; and (C) Consultation with school leadership teams; (2) Include analysis and recommendations related to the potential to replicate the best practices of eligible schools in non-grantee public schools; and (3) Include a calculation or estimate of cost savings, including budget savings at the state, county, and federal levels in areas such as public health, public safety, and public education resulting from investment in community school programming. (d) The department shall submit a final report to the governor and legislature on the pilot program, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the regular session of 2026. SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on June 30, 3000. |
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| 47 | + | SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to require the department of education to provide grants for the planning and implementation of community schools to: (1) Ensure high-quality educational opportunities and improved educational outcomes for all students through investment in full-service community schools; (2) Support and fund the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of sustainable community schools; (3) Elevate community schools as a comprehensive solution to problems facing public schools, especially in low-income, rural, and Native Hawaiian communities; (4) Document and evaluate lessons learned from community school programs to develop a set of best practices to be shared locally, statewide, and nationwide; (5) Elevate community schools as an important component of a viable long-term equity strategy that accelerates learning, addresses students' social-emotional and mental health needs, and builds resilience among families and communities; and (6) Support learners, educators, families āina, and communities by nurturing networks that promote reciprocity. SECTION 2. Definitions. As used in this Act: "Applicant" means a school or consortium and lead partner agency that proposes to work with one another to plan or implement, or both, community school programming pursuant to section 4 of this Act. "Community organization" means a nonprofit organization that has been in existence for three or more years and serves individuals within the community surrounding the school site on education and other issues. "Community school consortium" means a group, consisting of one or more schools and community partners or community organizations, or both, including government agencies, that propose to work with one another to plan or implement, or both, community school programming. "Community school coordinator" means an individual who is responsible for aligning programming with the needs of the school site identified in the baseline analysis. "Community school programming" means the services, activities, and opportunities as described under subsection (e) of section 3 of this Act. "Consortium" means a group consisting of one or more schools. "Department" means the department of education. "Lead partner agency" means the organization that joins a school to manage and lead the work of developing and sustaining the community school. "School site" means a school site at which an applicant has proposed or has been funded to provide community school programming. SECTION 3. Sustainable community school pilot program; grants; planning. (a) The department shall establish a two-year sustainable community school pilot program and make grants available to plan for sustainable community schools. The pilot program shall terminate on June 30, 2025. (b) A request-for-proposal process shall be used in awarding grants. Proposals submitted shall be evaluated and scored on the basis of criteria consistent with this section. (c) Proposals may be submitted by applicants; provided that each school site referenced in the proposal is: (1) A Title I school that is among the lowest-achieving fifteen per cent of Title I schools in the State; (2) A public intermediate or middle school or public high school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that is among the lowest-achieving fifteen per cent of secondary schools in the State; (3) A public high school that has had a graduation rate that is less than sixty per cent over the past three years; or (4) Any public school in a low-income community that would benefit from community school programming. (d) Each applicant shall demonstrate how it plans to implement: (1) The Nā Hopena Ao framework; (2) Curricula that is engaging, culturally and socially relevant, and academically rigorous; (3) Wraparound supports, such as physical and mental health services, social services, and academic enrichment programs; (4) Out-of-school time programming; (5) An emphasis on high-quality teaching, not on high-stakes testing; and (6) Parent and community engagement plans so the full community actively participates in decision-making processes. (e) Each applicant shall propose to arrange for the provision of at least two of the following types of community school programming at each covered school site: (1) Early childhood: (A) Early childhood education; (B) Programs under the federal Head Start Act of 1981, as amended, including Early Head Start programs; or (C) Childcare services; (2) Academic: (A) Academic support and enrichment activities, including expanded learning time; (B) Summer or after-school enrichment and learning experiences; (C) Job training, internship, and apprenticeship opportunities, including building trades apprenticeship or industry certification programs, and career counseling services; (D) Programs that provide assistance to students who have been truant, suspended, or expelled; (E) General education development programs for youth and community members; (F) Specialized instructional support services; (G) College classes and early college high school model; (H) Culturally-based, āina-based, and project-based programming; or (I) Social-emotional learning; (3) Family engagement: (A) Programs that promote parental involvement and family literacy; (B) Parent leadership development activities; or (C) Parenting education activities; (4) Mental and physical health: (A) Mentoring and other youth development programs, including peer mentoring and conflict mediation; (B) Youth leadership development opportunities; (C) Juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation programs; (D) Home visitation services by teachers and other professionals; (E) Developmentally appropriate physical education; (F) Nutrition services; (G) Primary health and dental care; (H) Mental health counseling services; or (I) Trauma-informed care; or (5) Community involvement: (A) Service and service-learning opportunities; (B) Adult education, including instruction in English as a second language; (C) Homeless prevention services, affordable housing, and mortgage revision services; (D) Community development and organizing training and opportunities; or (E) Other programming designed to meet school and community needs and community development opportunities identified through the school leadership team analysis described in section subsection (c) of section 4 of this Act. (f) Community school planning grants may be awarded up to $ . Grantees unready to implement programming immediately shall use their grant funds for up to one year of planning. At the end of the one-year period, the grantee shall submit a sustainable community school plan to the department as described in subsection (f) of section 4 of this Act. If the grantee decides not to use planning funds, the sustainable community school plan shall be submitted with the application. (g) A grantee shall establish a school leadership team responsible for developing school-specific programming goals and baseline analyses, assessing program needs, and overseeing the process of implementing expanded programming at each covered school site. The school leadership team shall have from twelve to fifteen members and shall meet the following requirements: (1) At least thirty per cent of members are parents; (2) At least thirty per cent of members are teachers at the school site; and (3) Two students, the school principal, and representatives from partner agencies and community organizations are included. (h) The school leadership team shall have ongoing responsibility for monitoring the development and implementation of sustainable community school operations and programming at the school site and shall issue recommendations on a regular basis that are summarized in an annual report to the department. The reports shall also be made available to the public at the school site and on school and district websites. (i) Upon award of a sustainable community school operational grant, each grantee shall hire a full-time community school coordinator to coordinate services at each school site. If proposing to serve three or more school sites, the eligible district shall also hire a program director to coordinate activities across school sites. Program directors and community school coordinators shall work collaboratively with school leadership and school leadership teams to provide the services and programs that meet school and community needs and priorities. (j) Grantees shall integrate into their operations funding and services accessed from among the following provisions of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015: (1) Section 4625 full-service community schools grants, eligible recipients of which include consortia consisting of a local educational agency and one or more community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, or other public or private entities; (2) Title I, of which at least one per cent of funds shall be used to support parent engagement activities and research-based practices, including: (A) A community-wide needs assessment and plan for community schools; (B) Professional development on family and community engagement for school personnel; (C) Curriculum development and implementation that connects students to community problems; (D) Hiring a community school coordinator; and (E) Out-of-school-time programs; (3) 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which promote academic enrichment and tutoring for students after school hours; and (4) Promise Neighborhood Grants, which provide a continuum of coordinated services in neighborhoods with high poverty and multiple signs of distress as well as schools in comprehensive or targeted improvement status receiving one hundred per cent matching funds, including at least one school with wraparound services. SECTION 4. Sustainable community school pilot program; grants; implementation. (a) The department shall make sustainable community schools operational grants of up to $ a year available to implement a sustainable community school's strategy. (b) A request-for-proposal process shall be used in awarding grants. Proposals shall be evaluated on the basis of criteria consistent with this section and other factors adopted by the department. Grants shall be made for a term of five years and shall be renewable at the discretion of the department. Grantees can begin implementation immediately or use up to a year of the grant for planning purposes. Prior to the use of grant funding for implementation, grantees shall submit a sustainable community school plan, as described in subsection (f), to the department. (c) An application for a grant under this section shall include the following: (1) A baseline analysis of needs at the school site, to be led by the lead partner agency or school leadership team in collaboration with relevant experts as appropriate, which shall include the following elements: (A) Identification of challenges facing the school; (B) An analysis of the student body, including: (i) The number and percentage of students with disabilities and the needs of these students; (ii) The number and percentage of students who are English learners and the needs of these students; and (iii) The number and percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and the needs of these students; (C) An analysis of enrollment and retention rates for students with disabilities, English learners, and students receiving free or reduced-price lunch; (D) An analysis of suspension and expulsion data, including the justification for such disciplinary actions and the degree to which particular populations, including but not limited to students with disabilities, students who are English learners, and students receiving free or reduced-price lunch are represented among students subject to such actions; (E) An analysis of school achievement data disaggregated by major demographic categories, including but not limited to race and ethnicity, English learner status, disability status, and receipt of free or reduced-priced lunch; (F) An analysis of current family engagement strategies and their success; (G) An evaluation of the need for and availability of wraparound services, including but not limited to: (i) Mechanisms for meeting students' social, emotional, and physical health needs, which may include coordination of existing services and the development of new services based on student needs; and (ii) Strategies to create safe and secure school environments and improve school climate and discipline, including implementation of a system of positive behavioral supports and taking additional steps to eliminate bullying; and (H) Solicitation and analysis of input from parents, the principal, teachers, classified staff, and students on potential improvements to the curriculum, including but not limited to ensuring its cultural appropriateness, aimed at helping all students progress towards attaining academic standards and deriving other benefits from their schooling, along with a description of how this information will be used; (2) A baseline analysis of community assets and a strategic plan for utilizing and aligning identified assets; provided that the analysis shall include but not be limited to documentation of individuals in the community, faith-based organizations, community and neighborhood associations, colleges, hospitals, libraries, businesses, and social service agencies that may be able to provide support and resources; (3) A baseline analysis of needs in the community surrounding the school, to be led by the lead partner agency or the school leadership team, in collaboration with relevant experts, as appropriate, including but not limited to: (A) The need for high-quality, full-day childcare and early childhood education programs; (B) The need for physical and mental health care services for children and adults; (C) The need for job training and other adult education programming; and (D) The need for before- and after-school programs and summer learning opportunities; and (4) A sustainable community school plan as described in subsection (f). (d) Grants awarded under this section shall be available to support the following activities: (1) Up to a year of grant funds may be used to create a comprehensive community school implementation plan; (2) Where the lead partner agency has received funding to provide community school programming at multiple school sites, selection and compensation of a program director to oversee and coordinate programming across multiple covered school sites; (3) Selection and compensation of a resource coordinator at each covered school site; (4) Ongoing convening and consultation of institutional partners; (5) General coordination of programs within and between covered school sites; (6) Professional development for school staff that engages them as full partners in the community school; (7) Ongoing monitoring of the impact of the community school on participating children and adults; (8) Development of alternative funding strategies to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the community school; (9) Ongoing operation of the school leadership team; and (10) Other activities, both operational and programmatic, which shall assist in the implementation of the plan required under subsection (f). (e) At the conclusion of each grant term, each community schools operational grant grantee, led by the lead partner agency and supported by the school leadership team, shall submit to the department, and make available at the school site and online, a report describing efforts to integrate community school programming at each school site and the impact of the transition to a sustainable community school on participating children and adults. The report shall include but shall not be limited to discussion of the following: (1) An assessment of the effectiveness of the grantee in implementing the sustainable community school plan; (2) Problems encountered in the design and execution of the sustainable community school plan, including identification of any federal, state, or county laws or rules impeding program implementation; (3) The operation of the school leadership team and its contribution to successful execution of the sustainable community school plan; (4) Recommendations for improving delivery of community school programming to students; (5) The number and percentage of students receiving community school programming who had not previously been served; (6) The number and percentage of non-student community members receiving community school programming who had not previously been served; (7) Any improvement in retention among students who receive community school programming; (8) Any improvement in academic achievement among students who receive community school programming; (9) Any changes in students' readiness to enter school, active involvement in learning and in their community; physical, social and emotional health; and students' relationship with the school and community environment; (10) An accounting of anticipated budget savings, if any, resulting from the implementation of the program; (11) Any improvements to the frequency or depth of a family's involvement with their children's education; (12) An assessment of community stakeholder satisfaction; (13) An assessment of institutional partner satisfaction; (14) The ability, or anticipated ability, of the grantee and partners to continue to provide services in the absence of future funding under this section; (15) Increases in access to services for students and their families; and (16) The degree of increased collaboration among participating agencies and private partners. (f) Prior to using grant funding awarded pursuant to this section, the grantee shall provide the department a sustainable community school plan. For schools that opt to use their first year of grant funding to plan community school programming and implementation, the sustainable community school plan shall be submitted at the end of the first year. The sustainable community school plan shall detail the steps the grantee and partners shall take to integrate community school programming at the school site and include plans for: (1) Establishing programming that meets the needs indicated by the baseline analyses required under subsection (c); (2) Timely establishment and consistent operation of the school leadership team; (3) Maintenance of attendance records in all programming components; (4) Maintenance of measurable data showing annual participation and the impact of programming on the participating children and adults; (5) Documentation of meaningful and sustained collaboration between the school and community stakeholders, including local governmental units, civic engagement organizations, businesses, and social service providers; (6) Professional development, the goal of which is to ensure the integration of the principal, teachers, and classified staff into the sustainable community school model and of community school resources into academic and other school planning and activities promoting student success; (7) Establishment and maintenance of partnerships with institutions, such as universities, hospitals, museums, corporations, not-for-profit community organizations, or other community partners, to further the development and implementation of community school programming; (8) A plan for school leadership team development; (9) Annual evaluation and public reporting on the impact of programming on participating children and adults; and (10) Ensuring the continuation of the sustainable community school after the grant period ends. SECTION 5. Sustainable community school pilot program; evaluation; report. (a) Reports shall be submitted by schools participating in the community school pilot program to the department and shall be evaluated by the department based on criteria to be developed by the department; provided that the criteria shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) The effectiveness of the school or community school consortium in implementing the sustainable community school plan, including the degree to which the grantee navigated difficulties encountered in the design and operation of the sustainable community school plan and identification of any federal, state, or county laws or rules impeding program implementation; (2) The extent to which the recommendations of the school leadership team are reflected in the sustainable community school plan and the degree to which the school leadership team has been engaged in discussion and decision-making; (3) The extent to which the program has yielded lessons about ways to improve delivery of community school programming to students; (4) The degree to which there has been an increase in the number or percentage of students and non-students receiving community school programming; (5) The degree to which there has been improvement in retention of students and academic achievement among students receiving community school programming; (6) Budget savings, if any, resulting from the implementation of the program; (7) The degree of community stakeholder and institutional partner engagement; (8) Increases in access to services for students and their families; and (9) The degree of increased collaboration among participating agencies and private partners. (b) The department shall report to the governor and the legislature on the impact of each sustainable community school's strategy no later than twenty days prior to the regular session of 2024. The report shall also be made publicly available on the school's website and on the department's website. All data featured in the report shall be made available in machine-readable formats. (c) The report required under subsection (b) shall: (1) Draw upon the following data sources to provide analysis of the sustainable community schools program's success, the impact of funded initiatives, and recommendations for enhancing the program's effectiveness: (A) Aggregate data from required reports; (B) Interviews and other consultation with students, parents, community members, program directors, and resource coordinators; and (C) Consultation with school leadership teams; (2) Include analysis and recommendations related to the potential to replicate the best practices of eligible schools in non-grantee public schools; and (3) Include a calculation or estimate of cost savings, including budget savings at the state, county, and federal levels in areas such as public health, public safety, and public education resulting from investment in community school programming. (d) The department shall submit a final report to the governor and legislature on the pilot program, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the regular session of 2026. SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ |
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