The TRUE EQUITY Act is a federal education bill designed to help reduce educational inequality by giving money to states that commit to improving schools for disadvantaged students. The bill creates four separate grant programs focused on early childhood education, recruiting and supporting high-quality teachers and school leaders, preparing students for college and careers, and providing extra resources for at-risk students.

To receive this federal funding, each state must set up an independent oversight board that tracks whether the state and its local schools are actually meeting educational equity goals. This board acts as a watchdog, holding schools accountable if they fall short. The federal government can keep funding a state only if this board confirms the state is making real progress toward its equity goals.

The bill also includes new flexibility for how states can distribute school funding. Instead of giving all schools equal money per student, states can now use a weighted system that gives more funding to schools serving low-income and disadvantaged students—recognizing that these students often need more resources to succeed. Overall, this bill aims to direct federal education dollars specifically toward closing achievement gaps and supporting the students who need help the most.

TRUE EQUITY Act

Cardin, Benjamin L.

Transformational Reforms and Updates to Ensure Educational Quality and Urgent Investments in Today's Youth Act of 2023 or the TRUE EQUITY Act of 2023 This bill establishes various grant programs to address educational inequities in elementary and secondary schools. Specifically, the bill creates grant programs related to (1) early childhood education, (2) high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders, (3) college and career readiness pathways, and (4) additional resources for at-risk students. For each grant program, the Department of Education (ED) must award a single grant to an eligible state. To be eligible for a grant, a state must establish an independent state oversight board. The oversight board must, among other duties (1) determine whether the state and its local educational agencies (LEAs) have met state educational equity goals, and (2) hold them accountable for failing to meet those goals. ED may renew a grant if the oversight board determines the state has met its goals. In addition, for each grant program, the bill outlines the activities authorized under the program, maintenance-of-effort requirements, and matching fund requirements. Finally, the bill permits ED to enter into a local flexibility demonstration agreement, through which a state educational agency may use funds to develop and implement a school funding system based on weighted per-pupil allocations for low-income and disadvantaged students. (Currently, ED may enter into these agreements with LEAs.)