Sec. 6. State planning grants

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From amounts made available under section 5(a)(1)(B), the Secretary may award planning grants to State educational agencies to enable the State educational agencies to complete comprehensive planning to carry out activities that improve literacy for children from birth through grade 12. A planning grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than 1 year. The Secretary shall not award a State educational agency more than 1 planning grant under this section.

Each State educational agency desiring a planning grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require. Each application submitted under this subsection shall, at a minimum, include a description of how the State educational agency will develop a plan for improving State efforts to develop, coordinate, implement, and assess comprehensive literacy activities that ensure high-quality instruction and effective strategies in reading and writing for all children in early learning programs and kindergarten through grade 12 programs.

Such plan shall— describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought, demonstrating a particular focus on children who are reading or writing below grade level and children whose early literacy skills are below the appropriate age or developmental level; provide a budget for the use of the planning grant funds to complete the required activities described in subsection (c); include an analysis of data on child literacy and language and student academic achievement in reading to identify and establish baseline and benchmark levels against which to monitor child progress and improvement in literacy; and provide an assurance that all State agencies responsible for administering early learning programs and services (including the State Head Start Collaboration Office and the State agency responsible for administering child care) and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care collaborated with the State educational agency to write the early learning portion of the grant application submitted under this subsection.

The Secretary shall evaluate applications under this subsection based on the responsiveness of the applications to the requirements under this subsection. A State educational agency receiving planning grant funds under this section shall carry out each of the following activities: Reviewing reading, writing, or other language and literacy resources and programs, such as school library programs, and data across the State to identify any literacy needs and gaps in the State. Forming or designating a State literacy leadership team which shall execute the following functions:

Creating a comprehensive State literacy plan that— is designed to improve language development, reading, writing, and academic achievement for children, especially children reading below grade level and children whose literacy skills are below the appropriate age or developmental level; includes— a needs assessment and an implementation plan, including an analysis of data on child literacy and student academic achievement in reading and writing to identify baseline and benchmark levels of literacy and early literacy skills in order to monitor progress and improvement; and a plan to improve reading and writing achievement among all children; ensures high-quality instruction, consistent with the characteristics of effective literacy instruction and strategies, in early learning programs and kindergarten through grade 12 programs; and provides for activities designed to improve literacy achievement for children who read or write below grade level, including such children who— attend schools that are identified for school improvement under section 1116(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6316(b) ); or are counted under section 1124(c).

Providing recommendations to guide the State educational agency in the State educational agency's process of strengthening State literacy standards and embedding State literacy standards with the State’s college and career ready academic content standards and college and career ready student academic achievement standards, and early learning and development standards. Providing recommendations to guide the State educational agency in the State educational agency's process of measuring, assessing, and monitoring progress in literacy at the school, local educational agency, and State levels.

Identifying criteria for high-quality professional development providers, which providers may include qualified teachers within the State, for the State educational agency and local educational agencies. Advising the State educational agency on how to help ensure that local educational agencies and schools provide timely and appropriate data to teachers to inform and improve instruction. Providing recommendations to guide the State educational agency in the State educational agency's planning process of building educators’ capacity to provide high-quality comprehensive literacy instruction.

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20 USC 6316(b)

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Sec. 6

State planning grants

Cite20 USC 6316(b)

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