Sec. 5010. Early learning alignment and improvement grants
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Title V ( 20 U.S.C. 7201 et seq. ), as amended by section 5001, is further amended by inserting after part H, as added by section 5009, the following: The purposes of this part are to assist States with— more efficiently using existing Federal resources to improve, strengthen, and expand existing high-quality early childhood education, as determined by the State; coordinating existing funding streams and delivery models to promote— program quality, while maintaining services; parental choice among high-quality early childhood education program providers; and early care and learning access for children from birth to kindergarten entry; and improving access for children from low-income families to high-quality early childhood education programs in order to enhance school readiness.
In this part: The term Center of Excellence means a local public or private nonprofit agency, including a community-based or faith-based organization, or a for-profit agency, within a community, that provides early learning and care services in the State, including the use of best practices for— achieving school readiness, including the development of early literacy and mathematics skills; acquisition of English language skills; and providing high-quality comprehensive services for eligible children and their families.
The term eligible child means an individual— who is less than 6 years of age; and whose family income does not exceed— 200 percent of the poverty line; 85 percent of the State median income for a family of the same size, and whose family assets do not exceed $1,000,000 (as certified by a member of such family); or a State-determined threshold for eligibility that does not exceed the thresholds in clauses
(i)and (ii). The term eligible partnership means a partnership that, at a minimum, includes, as applicable and appropriate, the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care established under section 642B(b) of the Head Start Act, and all of the following partners, which may be represented on the Council: One or more public and private (including nonprofit or for-profit) providers of early childhood education that serve eligible children residing in the State and meet applicable standards of licensing and quality as determined by the State. One or more Head Start agencies, which may include Early Head Start, migrant and seasonal Head Start, and Indian Head Start agencies that serve eligible children residing in the State. The State educational agency. Other relevant State agencies with oversight of preschool, early education, and child care in the State. One or more local educational agencies in the State. One or more institutions of higher education in the State. One or more representatives of business in the State. The term institution of higher education has the meanings given the term in section 101 and subparagraphs
(A)and
(B)of section 102(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The term State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. From amounts made available under section 5903, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to States to enable the States to carry out the activities described in subsection (d). From the amounts appropriated under section 5903 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 30 percent for grants to States that propose to carry out the activities described in subsection
(d)for eligible children living in rural areas. The Secretary shall reduce the amount described in the preceding sentence if the Secretary does not receive a sufficient number of applications that are deserving of a grant under this part for such purpose. In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to a State that will use funds under this grant to focus on eligible children— who are 3 and 4 years of age; and whose family income does not exceed 130 percent of the poverty line. A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than 3 years and may not be renewed by the Secretary. Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a State may receive a grant under this section only once. Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a State may receive more than 1 grant under this section only— if the State is proposing, for such additional grants, to carry out activities for eligible children living in rural areas; or after all States, which meet the requirements and have submitted an application under this section, have received a grant, to the extent that funds for a grant are still available. To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure an equitable geographic distribution of grants under this section. A State desiring a grant under this section shall designate an agency (which may be an appropriate collaborative agency) or establish a joint interagency office, that complies with the requirements of subparagraph (B), to serve as a lead agency for the State under this section. The lead agency designated under subparagraph
(A)shall— administer, directly or through other governmental or nongovernmental agencies, the Federal assistance received under this section by the State; develop the application submitted to the Secretary under subsection (c); and coordinate the provision of activities under this section with existing Federal, State, and local early childhood education programs. In order to be eligible for a grant under this section, a State shall partner with an eligible partnership. Each State that receives a grant under this part shall provide from Federal or non-Federal sources (which may be provided in cash or in-kind) to carry out the activities supported by the grant, an amount equal to— 30 percent of the amount of the grant in the first year of such grant; and not less than 30 percent of the amount of the grant in the second and third year of such grant, respectively. A State desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. The application shall include— an identification of the lead agency that the Governor of the State has appointed to be responsible for the grant under this section; a description of the eligible partnership required under subsection (b)(2), which will assist the State in developing the plan and implementing the activities under this part; to the extent practicable, the unduplicated counts of the number of eligible children served using existing Federal, State, and local resources and programs that the State will coordinate to meet the purposes of this part, including— programs carried out under the Head Start Act, including the Early Head Start programs carried out under such Act; programs carried out under section 619 and parts B and C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; child care programs carried out under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq. ) or section 418 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 618 ); other Federal, State, local, and Indian tribe or tribal organization programs of early learning, childhood education, child care, and development in the State; and as applicable— programs carried out under other provisions of this Act; programs carried out under subtitle A of title XX of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq. ); programs carried out under the Community Services Block Grant Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq. ); programs serving homeless children and services of local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths designated under section 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii) ); State agencies and programs serving children in foster care and the foster families of such children; and child care programs funded through State veterans affairs offices; a description of how the State proposes to coordinate such resources and programs identified under paragraph
(3)in order to meet the purposes of this part; a description of how the State will identify early childhood education program providers that demonstrate a high level of quality; a description of how the State will define eligible children, in accordance with section 5901(b)(2); a description of how the State will expand access to existing high-quality early learning and care for eligible children in the State, or if no high-quality early learning and care is accessible for eligible children, expand access to high-quality early learning and care for such children; in the case of a State that has elected to use funds under this section to designate Centers of Excellence— assurances that the State will designate an entity, such as an agency, an institution of higher education, a consortium of local educational agencies or Head Start centers, or another entity, to designate early childhood education programs as Centers of Excellence; assurances that the designee will meet the definition of a Center of Excellence; descriptions of the process by which an entity that carries out an early childhood education program would be designated as a Center of Excellence, including evidence that the early childhood education program involved has demonstrated excellence in program delivery in a manner designed to improve the school readiness of children who have participated in the program; and descriptions of how the State will assist Centers of Excellence in the dissemination of best practices; an assurance that the State will provide technical assistance to partners on methods by which Federal and State early learning and care funding can be coordinated and lead to cost-saving and efficiencies strategies, and other methods that will enhance the quality of the early childhood education programs in the State; a description of how the State will sustain early learning and care activities coordinated under this section, including for rural areas in the State, if applicable, once grant funding is no longer available under this section; a description of the process that the State proposes to use to collect and disseminate, to parents and the general public, consumer information that will promote informed early learning and care choices in the State; a description of how the State will serve eligible children residing in rural areas, if applicable; and an assurance that funds made available under this part shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State, or local funds that would otherwise be available to carry out the activities assisted under this part. A State that receives a grant under this part shall use the grant funds to develop, implement, or improve a coordinated statewide or locally implemented system of voluntary early care and learning, which includes a plan— for coordinating funding available through existing Federal, State, and local sources; and which is designed in collaboration with an eligible partnership. Grant funds under this section may be used for the following: Aligning existing Federal, State, and local funding and resources with a statewide or locally designed system for delivering high-quality early learning and care for eligible children in the State, including developing evidence-based practices to improve staff quality, instructional programming, and time in program. Analyzing needs for expanded access to existing high-quality early childhood education programs in the State, including child care, preschool, and Early Head Start, Head Start, and special education for all children, particularly low-income children. Developing or expanding eligible partnerships to— expand access for eligible children to existing high-quality providers or programs or, if no high-quality early learning and care is accessible for eligible children, expand access to high-quality early learning and care for eligible children; share best practices; and ensure that parents have maximum choices in selecting the providers that meet their individual needs, consistent with State and local laws. Developing or expanding Centers of Excellence for the purposes of— disseminating best practices for achieving early academic success in the State, including best practices for— achieving school readiness, including developing early literacy and mathematics skills; the acquisition of the English language for English learners; or providing high-quality comprehensive services to low-income and at-risk children and their families; coordinating early education, child care, and other social services available in the State and local communities for low-income and at-risk children and families; or providing effective transitions between preschool programs and elementary schools, including by facilitating ongoing communication between early education and elementary school teachers and by improving the ability of teachers to work effectively with low-income and at-risk children and their families. Expanding existing high-quality early education and care for infants and toddlers, or if no high-quality early education and care is accessible for infants and toddlers, expand access to high quality education and care. Carrying out other strategies determined by the State to improve access to and expand the overall quality of a coordinated State or locally designed system of voluntary early learning and care services in the State. The activities implemented by a State under this subsection shall prioritize parental choice of providers and evidence-based practices for improving early learning program quality and access to the extent permitted under State and local law. A State that receives a grant under this part shall submit to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require, an annual report that includes— the number and percentage of children who are served in high-quality early childhood education programs, as identified by the State, during each year of the grant duration using funds from— only this part, as applicable; the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq. ) or section 418 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 618 ); the Head Start Act; and other public and private providers, as applicable; the quality improvements undertaken at the State level; the extent to which funds are being blended with other public and private funding; and any other ways in which funds are used to meet the purposes of this part. The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives a biennial report containing the information described in subsection
(e)for all States receiving funds under this part. Nothing in this part shall be construed to authorize the Secretary to establish any criterion that specifies, defines, or prescribes— early learning and development guidelines, standards, or specific assessments, including the standards or measures that States use to develop, implement, or improve such guidelines, standards, or assessments; specific measures or indicators of quality early learning and care, including— the systems that States use to assess the quality of early childhood education programs and providers, school readiness, and achievement; and the term high-quality early learning or care; early learning or preschool curriculum, program of instruction, or instructional content; teacher and staff qualifications and salaries; class sizes and child-to-instructional staff ratios; and any aspect or parameter of a teacher, principal, other school leader, or staff evaluation system within a State or local educational agency. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2021. .
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- 20 USC 7201
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Sec. 5010
Early learning alignment and improvement grants
Cite20 USC 7201
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