Rep. Chu, Sen. Booker Introduce DIPLOMA Act to Support Students and Strengthen Collaboration Between Schools and Community Partners

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Sen. Cory Booker (NJ) introduced the DIPLOMA Act, legislation that would provide federal grants to states to encourage and support Community Schools, which are collaborations between schools and community partners to address students' holistic needs through evidence-based practices. States can also use a portion of the planning grants to design their strategies, ensuring thoughtful and effective implementation.

Grant funds awarded under the DIPLOMA Actwill enable schools to integrate services addressing students' academic, health, and social challenges into a chain of support. Schools can use these funds to expand early childhood programs, provide academic enrichment opportunities like tutoring and summer learning, and develop alternative pathways to graduation, such as dual enrollment and dropout recovery programs. The Act also stresses the importance of youth development through mentoring, leadership training, and career counseling, while expanding access to critical health services, including primary care, mental health, and nutrition programs. In addition to directly supporting students, the Act aims to strengthen family engagement in their students' education and to support teacher recruitment and retention efforts.

"I know as a former educator the countless opportunities a good education can unlock, but too many children face challenges that even the best teachers can't address in the classroom-like hunger, mental health struggles, or problems with guardians at home," said Rep. Chu. "The DIPLOMA Act that Sen. Booker and I are introducing today will provide school districts grants to partner with local non-profits, businesses, nearby universities, local governments, and more to help schools become full-service community hubs for students and their families. Setting students up for success in school and life means making certain they have the services and support they need at school."

"Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, but still too many continue to face barriers that hinder their potential," said Senator Booker. "The DIPLOMA Actwill help schools and educators better address the challenges students face and provide comprehensive support that goes beyond the classroom. Working with community partners like non-profits, local businesses, and agencies will help alleviate pressure off of our academic institutions while also ensuring that every young person has the tools they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally."

Children and youth today face significant challenges that hinder their ability to succeed. Educational disparities remain stark, with the U.S. ranking 21st globally in high school graduation rates and 14th in college graduation rates. Many students face additional barriers rooted in poverty, housing instability, and limited access to essential health services. At the same time, teacher shortages have reached critical levels, with nearly half of U.S. schools reporting vacant teaching positions. High resignation rates among educators are compounding these issues, threatening the quality of education and student outcomes.

The DIPLOMA ACT would support state-led grants to local partnerships between public schools and at least one community partner. An eligible community partner can be a local government, institution of higher education, nonprofit, business, foundation. Grant recipients could use funds to:

• Integrate services: Build a continuum of academic and social support by coordinating public and private services in a collaborative framework.
• Enhance early childhood and family programs: Support early reading initiatives, child care, home visitation, and parental education programs.
• Provide academic enrichment and remediation: Offer tutoring, afterschool programs, and summer learning to close achievement gaps and reduce absenteeism.
• Expand pathways to graduation: Establish programs such as dual enrollment, early college high schools, and dropout recovery initiatives.
• Promote youth development: Facilitate mentoring, leadership training, civic engagement, and career counseling opportunities.
• Improve health services: Provide primary care, mental health, dental care, and nutrition services to address students' physical and emotional well-being.
• Strengthen teacher support: Invest in professional development and training for educators and staff to enhance recruitment and retention.
• Engage families and communities: Develop programs to educate families, encourage parental involvement, and foster strong community connections.

The DIPLOMA Act is endorsed by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), the Coalition for Community Schools, the National Education Association (NEA), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

"We are thrilled that Representative Chu and Senator Booker are reintroducing this important bill. The DIPLOMA Act will provide states with the federal funding needed to help build strong state coalitions that are organized to implement and scale the Community Schools we know they want, and strengthen school-community partnerships around comprehensive, evidence-based goals for continuous improvement with respect to children and youth, particularly under-resourced children and youth. Since these funds go directly towards the desired outcomes of the Community School strategy, we are confident that this legislation will bring about more equitable practices and systems in more communities across the country. Another important update to this bill is allowing states to use this funding for teacher recruitment and retention, which is key in an environment where Districts are reporting an all-time high rate of teacher turnover. At IEL, we know that in order to build resiliency in our education system, we need innovation - innovation born of research, strength-building, and robust public policy that is informed by the needs and interests of those most affected by policy decisions - youth, families, and communities. We believe this bill provides just that and are excited to see the continued expansion of Community Schools through this state-level support," said Eddie Koen, President, Institute for Educational Leadership.

Click hereto read the full text of the bill.