Sec. 103. Application requirements
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To be eligible to receive a grant under this title, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. At a minimum, an application described in subsection
(a)shall include the following: A description of a plan to significantly improve the academic outcomes of children living in an identified neighborhood by providing a pipeline that addresses the neighborhood’s needs, as identified by the needs analysis described in paragraph
(4)and supported by evidence-based practices. A description of the neighborhood that the eligible entity will serve. Measurable annual goals for the outcomes of the grant, including— performance goals, in accordance with the metrics described in section 106(a), for each year of the grant; and projected participation rates and any plans to expand the number of children served or the neighborhood proposed to be served by the grant program. An analysis of the needs and assets of the neighborhood identified in paragraph (2), including— a description of the process through which the needs analysis was produced, including a description of how family and community members were engaged in such analysis; an analysis of community assets within, or accessible to, the neighborhood, including, at a minimum— early learning programs, including high-quality child care, Early Head Start programs, Head Start programs, and prekindergarten programs; the availability of healthy food options and opportunities for physical activity; existing family and student supports; locally owned businesses and employers; and institutions of higher education; evidence of successful direct services and collaboration within the neighborhood; the steps that the eligible entity is taking, at the time of the application, to meet the needs identified in the needs analysis; and any barriers the eligible entity, public agencies, and other community-based organizations have faced in meeting such needs. A description of the data and evidence base used to identify the pipeline services to be provided, including data regarding— school readiness; academic achievement and college and career readiness; secondary school graduation rates; health indicators, such as rates of childhood obesity or other health and developmental risk factors; college enrollment, persistence, and completion rates; and conditions for learning, including school climate surveys, discipline rates, and student attendance and incident data. A description of the process used to develop the application, including the involvement of family and community members. An estimate of— the number of children, by age, who will be served by each pipeline service over time; and for each age group, the percentage of children (of such age group), within the neighborhood, who the eligible entity proposes to serve, disaggregated by each service, and the goals for increasing such percentage over time. A description of how the pipeline services will include the following activities: Providing high-quality early learning opportunities for children, beginning prenatally and extending through grade 3, by— establishing or supporting high-quality early learning opportunities that provide children with full-day, full-year access to programs that support the cognitive and developmental skills, including social and emotional skills, needed for success in elementary school; providing for opportunities, through parenting classes, baby academies, home visits, or other evidence-based strategies, for families and expectant parents to— acquire the skills to promote early learning, development, and health and safety, including learning about child development and positive discipline strategies (such as through the use of technology and public media programming); learn about the role of families and expectant parents in their child’s education; and become informed about educational opportunities for their children, including differences in quality among early learning opportunities; ensuring successful transitions between early learning programs and elementary school, including through the establishment of memoranda of understanding between early learning providers and local educational agencies serving young children and families; ensuring appropriate screening, diagnostic assessments, and referrals for children with disabilities, developmental delays, or other special needs; improving the early learning workforce in the community, including through— investments in the recruitment, retention, distribution, and support of high-quality professionals, especially those with certification and experience in child development; the provision of high-quality teacher preparation and professional development; the use of joint professional development for early learning providers and elementary school teachers and administrators; or efforts to increase the pay and benefits of early learning professionals; and enhancing data systems and data sharing among the eligible entity, partners, early learning providers, schools, and local educational agencies operating in the neighborhood. Supporting, enhancing, operating, or expanding ambitious, rigorous, and comprehensive education reforms designed to significantly improve educational outcomes for children and youth in early learning programs through grade 12, which may include— operating schools or working in close collaboration with local schools to provide high-quality academic programs, curricula, and integrated student supports; the provision of expanded learning time; and the provision of programs and activities that ensure that students— are prepared for the college admissions, scholarship, and financial aid application processes; and graduate college and career ready. Supporting access to a healthy lifestyle, which may include— the provision of high-quality and nutritious meals; access to programs that promote physical activity, physical education, and fitness; and education to promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image. Providing social, health, and mental health services and supports, including referrals for essential care and preventative screenings, for children, family, and community members, which may include— dental services; vision care; and oral and auditory screenings and referrals. Supporting students and family members as they transition from early learning programs into elementary school, from elementary school to middle school, from middle school to high school, from high school into and through college and into the workforce, including through specialized resources to address challenges that students may face as they transition, such as the following: Early college high schools. Dual enrollment programs. Career academies. Counseling and support services. Dropout prevention and recovery strategies. Collaboration with the juvenile justice system and reentry counseling for adjudicated youth. Advanced Placement
(AP)or International Baccalaureate
(IB)programs. Teen parent classrooms. Graduation and career coaches. A description of the strategies that will be used to provide pipeline services (including a description of the process used to identify such strategies and the outcomes expected, and a description of which programs and services will be provided to children, family members, community members, and children not attending schools or programs operated by the eligible entity or its partner providers) to support the purpose of this Act. An explanation of the process the eligible entity will use to establish and maintain family and community engagement. An explanation of how the eligible entity will continuously evaluate and improve the pipeline, including— a description of the metrics, consistent with section 106(a), that will be used to inform each component of the pipeline; and the processes for using data to improve instruction, optimize integrated student supports, provide for continuous program improvement, and hold staff and partner organizations accountable. An identification of the fiscal agent, which may be any entity described in section 102. A list of Federal and non-Federal sources of funding that the eligible entity will secure to comply with the matching-funds requirement described in section 101(d), including other programs funded by the Department of Education, or programs in the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Justice, or the Department of Labor. An eligible entity, as part of the application described in this section, shall submit a preliminary memorandum of understanding, signed by each partner entity or agency. The preliminary memorandum of understanding shall describe, at a minimum— each partner’s financial and programmatic commitment with respect to the strategies described in the application, including an identification of the fiscal agent; each partner’s long-term commitment to providing pipeline services that, at a minimum, accounts for the cost of supporting the pipeline (including after grant funds are no longer available) and potential changes in local government; each partner’s mission and plan that will govern the work that partners do together; each partner’s long-term commitment to supporting the pipeline through data collection, monitoring, reporting, and sharing; and each partner’s commitment to ensure sound fiscal management and controls, including evidence of a system of supports and personnel.