Secondary School Reform Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive, matching, five-year grants to high-need local educational agencies that partner with public or private nonprofit organizations to assist schools in implementing innovative secondary school reform strategies.
Requires grantees to use up to 25% of their grant funds to: (1) implement an early warning indicator and intervention system to identify and assist struggling middle and secondary school students; (2) provide support and credit recovery opportunities for struggling secondary school students; (3) establish secondary school dropout recovery or reentry programs; (4) establish grade and school transition programs and supports from kindergarten through high school graduation; and (5) keep school staff, students, and families apprised of certain education requirements, processes, and opportunities.
Requires grantees to use at least 75% of their grant funds on certain efforts to: (1) reform secondary schools that have a graduation rate below 75% and they identify as needing improvement, and (2) improve the academic performance of students who attend middle schools that feed a majority of their students to those secondary schools.
Requires those secondary school reforms to include: (1) personalized learning environments attuned to the needs of each student; (2) student engagement through service, experiential, and work-based learning; (3) flexible budget and hiring authority for school leaders; (4) training and collaborative opportunities for school staff; (5) improved curriculum and instruction; (6) an individual graduation plan for each student; and (7) Graduation Promise Academies, Career Academies, or Early College Schools which represent specified strategies that have proven effective in preparing students for graduation, college, and a career.
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