View Information on How You Can Get Involved
On October 24, 2007, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) was joined by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in introducing the Senate version of "Success in the Middle" S. 2227, a bill that would authorize grants to states and school districts to help improve middle grades education and turnaround low-performing middle schools. Senator Obama will be urging other Senators to join him in cosponsoring the legislation. A companion bill HR 3406 was introduced in the House by Representative Grijalva (D-AZ) and currently has 22 co-sponsors. Representative Grijalva will offer "Success in the Middle" as an amendment when NCLB is marked up by the House Education and Workforce Committee. Senator Obama will work to get the bill included in the Senate HELP Committee's NCLB proposal.
NMSA will continue to lead the effort to make middle grades a national priority and help get needed support and technical assistance to the schools that are falling behind. By organizing the Middle Grades Coalition on NCLB, NMSA is working with eight other founding member organizations to strengthen support for federal middle grades policy as part of the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. We encourage you to take the time to explain to your elected leaders why middle grades students deserve their help. Write or call your Senators and Representatives urging them to support and co-sponsor S. 2227 and HR 3406 today!
Key Components of Success in the Middle Bills
Both the House and Senate bills provide not only federal funding for States and school districts to improve the middle grades but also the flexibility to implement strategies that specifically address the needs of schools being left behind.
The key components of the Act are:
-
Authorizing $1 billion per year for formula grants to states to provide grants to local school districts for the improvement of low-performing schools that contain middle grades.
-
States receiving the grants would implement a plan to improve student achievement. The plan would describe what students are required to know and do to successfully complete the middle grades and make a successful transition to an academically rigorous high school that prepares students for post-secondary education and the workplace. This would include the development of early warning data systems to identify those students most at risk of dropping out and intervening to help them succeed.
-
States and districts would invest in proven strategies such as:
- Providing professional development to school leaders, teachers, and other school personnel, addressing the needs of diverse learners and using challenging and relevant, research-based best practices and curriculum;
- Developing and implementing comprehensive, school-wide improvement efforts in our nation's lowest performing schools; and
- Implementing student supports, such as extended learning time, personal graduation plans, and coaching that enable all students to stay on the path to graduation.
-
Authorizing an additional $100 million to facilitate the generation, dissemination, and application of research needed to identify and implement effective practices that lead to continual student learning and high academic achievement at the middle level.
Senate Bill S. 2227
View the Success in the Middle Senate bill. Find contact information for your Senators. List of Senators
View Middle Grades Coalition Letter to Senator Obama Supporting Senate Bill
House Bill HR 3406
PDF Version
View the Success in the Middle House bill. Follow this link to a list of Representatives who serve on the House Education and Labor Committee (http://edlabor.house.gov/about/members.shtml).
View Middle Grades Coalition House Support Letter
| House Bill Co-Sponsors |
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. (NY)
Rep Davis, Danny K. (IL)
Rep Davis, Susan A. (CA)
Rep Filner, Bob (CA)
Rep Green, Gene (TX)
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. (IL)
Rep Hare, Phil (IL)
Rep Hinojosa, Ruben (TX)
Rep Holden, Tim (PA)
Rep Holt, Rush D. (NJ)
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn (NY) | Rep Moran, James P. (VA)
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. (CA)
Rep Pastor, Ed (AZ)
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. (CA)
Rep Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" (VA)
Rep Sestak, Joe (PA)
Rep Solis, Hilda L. (CA)
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. (MS)
Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. (NY)
Rep Welch, Peter (VT)
Rep Yarmuth, John A. (KY) |
Quotes from NMSA Leaders in Support of Success in the Middle Bills
"A quality K-12 education is based upon a strong program at each step along the way, and middle level education is an essential part of a student's educational journey. The "Success in the Middle" legislation offers much needed support to struggling middle level students and the schools that serve them."
Betty Edwards
Executive Director, NMSA
"Though the middle grades are a crucial link in the education continuum, they have been overlooked for many years. The Success in the Middle Act changes this by bringing much needed federal support and attention to low performing middle schools. The interventions proposed in this act can make success in the middle a reality for every student."
Theresa Hinkle
President, NMSA