 CHAPTER 70--STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                                 SCHOOLS
 
  SUBCHAPTER II--DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
 
                   Part C--Reading and Literacy Grants
 
Sec. 6661b. Reading and literacy grants to State educational 
        agencies
        

(a) Program authorized

                           (1) In general

        Subject to the provisions of this part, the Secretary shall 
    award grants to State educational agencies to carry out the reading 
    and literacy activities authorized under this section and sections 
    6661c through 6661e of this title.

                           (2) Limitations

        (A) Single grant per State

            A State educational agency may not receive more than one 
        grant under paragraph (1).

        (B) 3-year term

            A State educational agency that receives a grant under 
        paragraph (1) may expend the funds provided under the grant only 
        during the 3-year period beginning on the date on which the 
        grant is made.

(b) Application

                           (1) In general

        A State educational agency that desires to receive a grant under 
    this part shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time 
    and in such form as the Secretary may require. The application shall 
    contain the information described in paragraph (2).

                            (2) Contents

        An application under this subsection shall contain the 
    following:
            (A) An assurance that the Governor of the State, in 
        consultation with the State educational agency, has established 
        a reading and literacy partnership described in subsection (d) 
        of this section, and a description of how such partnership--
                (i) assisted in the development of the State plan;
                (ii) will be involved in advising on the selection of 
            subgrantees under sections 6661d and 6661e of this title; 
            and
                (iii) will assist in the oversight and evaluation of 
            such subgrantees.

            (B) A description of the following:
                (i) How the State educational agency will ensure that 
            professional development activities related to reading 
            instruction and provided under this part are--
                    (I) coordinated with other State and local level 
                funds and used effectively to improve instructional 
                practices for reading; and
                    (II) based on scientifically based reading research.

                (ii) How the activities assisted under this part will 
            address the needs of teachers and other instructional staff, 
            and will effectively teach students to read, in schools 
            receiving assistance under section \1\ 6661d and 6661e of 
            this title.
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    \1\ So in original. Probably should be ``sections''.
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                (iii) The extent to which the activities will prepare 
            teachers in all the major components of reading instruction 
            (including phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, 
            and reading comprehension).
                (iv) How the State educational agency will use 
            technology to enhance reading and literacy professional 
            development activities for teachers, as appropriate.
                (v) How parents can participate in literacy-related 
            activities assisted under this part to enhance their 
            children's reading.
                (vi) How subgrants made by the State educational agency 
            under sections 6661d and 6661e of this title will meet the 
            requirements of this part, including how the State 
            educational agency will ensure that subgrantees will use 
            practices based on scientifically based reading research.
                (vii) How the State educational agency will, to the 
            extent practicable, make grants to subgrantees in both rural 
            and urban areas.
                (viii) The process that the State used to establish the 
            reading and literacy partnership described in subsection (d) 
            of this section.

            (C) An assurance that each local educational agency to which 
        the State educational agency makes a subgrant--
                (i) will provide professional development for the 
            classroom teacher and other appropriate instructional staff 
            on the teaching of reading based on scientifically based 
            reading research;
                (ii) will provide family literacy services based on 
            programs such as the Even Start family literacy model 
            authorized under part B of subchapter I of this chapter, to 
            enable parents to be their child's first and most important 
            teacher;
                (iii) will carry out programs to assist those 
            kindergarten students who are not ready for the transition 
            to first grade, particularly students experiencing 
            difficulty with reading skills; and
                (iv) will use supervised individuals (including tutors), 
            who have been appropriately trained using scientifically 
            based reading research, to provide additional support, 
            before school, after school, on weekends, during 
            noninstructional periods of the school day, or during the 
            summer, for children preparing to enter kindergarten and 
            students in kindergarten through grade 3 who are 
            experiencing difficulty reading.

            (D) An assurance that instruction in reading will be 
        provided to children with reading difficulties who--
                (i) are at risk of being referred to special education 
            based on these difficulties; or
                (ii) have been evaluated under section 614 of the 
            Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1414] 
            but, in accordance with section 614(b)(5) of such Act, have 
            not been identified as being a child with a disability (as 
            defined in section 602 of the such \2\ Act [20 U.S.C. 
            1401]).
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    \2\ So in original.

            (E) A description of how the State educational agency--
                (i) will build on, and promote coordination among, 
            literacy programs in the State (including federally funded 
            programs such as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 
            [20 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.] and the Individuals with 
            Disabilities Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.]), in 
            order to increase the effectiveness of the programs in 
            improving reading for adults and children and to avoid 
            duplication of the efforts of the programs;
                (ii) will promote reading and library programs that 
            provide access to engaging reading material;
                (iii) will make local educational agencies described in 
            sections 6661d(a)(1) and 6661e(a)(1) of this title aware of 
            the availability of subgrants under sections 6661d and 6661e 
            of this title; and
                (iv) will assess and evaluate, on a regular basis, local 
            educational agency activities assisted under this part, with 
            respect to whether they have been effective in achieving the 
            purposes of this part.

            (F) A description of the evaluation instrument the State 
        educational agency will use for purposes of the assessments and 
        evaluations under subparagraph (E)(iv).

(c) Approval of applications

                           (1) In general

        The Secretary shall approve an application of a State 
    educational agency under this section only--
            (A) if such application meets the requirement of this 
        section; and
            (B) after taking into account the extent to which the 
        application furthers the purposes of this part and the overall 
        quality of the application.

                           (2) Peer review

        (A) In general

            The Secretary, in consultation with the National Institute 
        for Literacy, shall convene a panel to evaluate applications 
        under this section. At a minimum, the panel shall include--
                (i) representatives of the National Institute for 
            Literacy, the National Research Council of the National 
            Academy of Sciences, and the National Institute of Child 
            Health and Human Development;
                (ii) 3 individuals selected by the Secretary;
                (iii) 3 individuals selected by the National Institute 
            for Literacy;
                (iv) 3 individuals selected by the National Research 
            Council of the National Academy of Sciences; and
                (v) 3 individuals selected by the National Institute of 
            Child Health and Human Development.

        (B) Experts

            The panel shall include experts who are competent, by virtue 
        of their training, expertise, or experience, to evaluate 
        applications under this section, and experts who provide 
        professional development to teachers of reading to children and 
        adults, and experts who provide professional development to 
        other instructional staff, based on scientifically based reading 
        research.

        (C) Priority

            The panel shall recommend grant applications from State 
        educational agencies under this section to the Secretary for 
        funding or for disapproval. In making such recommendations, the 
        panel shall give priority to applications from State educational 
        agencies whose States have modified, are modifying, or provide 
        an assurance that not later than 18 months after receiving a 
        grant under this section the State educational agencies will 
        increase the training and the methods of teaching reading 
        required for certification as an elementary school teacher to 
        reflect scientifically based reading research, except that 
        nothing in this chapter shall be construed to establish a 
        national system of teacher certification.

        (D) Minimum grant amounts

            (i) States

                Each State educational agency selected to receive a 
            grant under this section shall receive an amount for the 
            grant period that is not less than $500,000.
            (ii) Outlying areas

                The Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
            Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands selected to 
            receive a grant under this section shall receive an amount 
            for the grant period that is not less than $100,000.

        (E) Limitation

            The Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States 
        of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau shall not be eligible 
        to receive a grant under this part.

(d) Reading and literacy partnerships

                      (1) Required participants

        In order for a State educational agency to receive a grant under 
    this section, the Governor of the State, in consultation with the 
    State educational agency, shall establish a reading and literacy 
    partnership consisting of at least the following participants:
            (A) The Governor of the State.
            (B) The chief State school officer.
            (C) The chairman and the ranking member of each committee of 
        the State legislature that is responsible for education policy.
            (D) A representative, selected jointly by the Governor and 
        the chief State school officer, of at least one local 
        educational agency that is eligible to receive a subgrant under 
        section 6661d of this title.
            (E) A representative, selected jointly by the Governor and 
        the chief State school officer, of a community-based 
        organization working with children to improve their reading 
        skills, particularly a community-based organization using tutors 
        and scientifically based reading research.
            (F) State directors of appropriate Federal or State programs 
        with a strong reading component.
            (G) A parent of a public or private school student or a 
        parent who educates their child or children in their home, 
        selected jointly by the Governor and the chief State school 
        officer.
            (H) A teacher who successfully teaches reading and an 
        instructional staff member, selected jointly by the Governor and 
        the chief State school officer.
            (I) A family literacy service provider selected jointly by 
        the Governor and the chief State school officer.

                      (2) Optional participants

        A reading and literacy partnership may include additional 
    participants, who shall be selected jointly by the Governor and the 
    chief State school officer, and who may include a representative 
    of--
            (A) an institution of higher education operating a program 
        of teacher preparation based on scientifically based reading 
        research in the State;
            (B) a local educational agency;
            (C) a private nonprofit or for-profit eligible professional 
        development provider providing instruction based on 
        scientifically based reading research;
            (D) an adult education provider;
            (E) a volunteer organization that is involved in reading 
        programs; or
            (F) a school library or a public library that offers reading 
        or literacy programs for children or families.

                     (3) Preexisting partnership

        If, before October 21, 1998, a State established a consortium, 
    partnership, or any other similar body, that includes the Governor 
    and the chief State school officer and has, as a central part of its 
    mission, the promotion of literacy for children in their early 
    childhood years through the 3d grade and family literacy services, 
    but that does not satisfy the requirements of paragraph (1), the 
    State may elect to treat that consortium, partnership, or body as 
    the reading and literacy partnership for the State notwithstanding 
    such paragraph, and it shall be considered a reading and literacy 
    partnership for purposes of the other provisions of this part.

(Pub. L. 89-10, title II, Sec. 2253, as added Pub. L. 105-277, div. A, 
Sec. 101(f) [title VIII, Sec. 101(a)(2)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681-
337, 2681-393.)

                       References in Text

    The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, referred to in subsec. 
(b)(2)(E)(i), is title II of Pub. L. 105-220, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 
1059, as amended, which is classified principally to subchapter I 
(Sec. 9201 et seq.) of chapter 73 of this title. For complete 
classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out 
under section 9201 of this title and Tables.
    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, referred to in 
subsec. (b)(2)(E)(i), is title VI of Pub. L. 91-230, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 
Stat. 175, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 33 
(Sec. 1400 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this 
Act to the Code, see section 1400 of this title and Tables.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 6362, 6661c, 6661d, 6661e, 
6661f, 6661g, 6661h of this title.
