Title 20EducationRelease 119-73

§6455 Program requirements for correctional facilities receiving funds under this section

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 70— - STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED › Part Part D— - Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk › Subpart subpart 2— - local agency programs › § 6455

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Correctional facilities that team up with a local school to teach young people must make sure those students keep getting the help they need and can return to school or work. They must work with the student’s home school, especially for students with special education plans. If a student is found to need special education while inside, the facility must tell the local school. The facility must give transition help like family services, counseling, drug and alcohol prevention help, tutoring, and other supports so the student can stay in school or get job skills or a high school diploma or its equivalent. Facilities must hire and train teachers who can work with students with disabilities and teach to state academic standards. When possible they should use technology to link with the community school and involve parents. They must coordinate the money they get with other local, State, and Federal funds (including funds under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and career and technical education). They should also link with juvenile-justice programs, work with local businesses on training and mentoring when appropriate, share school records with the family and the student’s last school when the student enters, and keep working with the local school for a jointly agreed time after the student leaves to make the transition smoother.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §6455

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Each correctional facility entering into an agreement with a local educational agency under section 6453(2) of this title to provide services to children and youth under this subpart shall—
(1)where feasible, ensure that educational programs in the correctional facility are coordinated with the student’s home school, particularly with respect to a student with an individualized education program under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.];
(2)if the child or youth is identified as in need of special education services while in the correctional facility, notify the local school of the child or youth of such need;
(3)where feasible, provide transition assistance to help the child or youth stay in school, including coordination of services for the family, counseling, assistance in accessing drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs, tutoring, and family counseling;
(4)provide support programs that encourage children and youth who have dropped out of school to reenter school and attain a regular high school diploma once their term at the correctional facility has been completed, or provide such children and youth with the skills necessary to gain employment or seek a regular high school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
(5)work to ensure that the correctional facility is staffed with teachers and other qualified staff who are trained to work with children and youth with disabilities taking into consideration the unique needs of such children and youth;
(6)ensure that educational programs in the correctional facility are related to assisting students to meet the challenging State academic standards;
(7)to the extent possible, use technology to assist in coordinating educational programs between the correctional facility and the community school;
(8)where feasible, involve parents in efforts to improve the educational achievement of their children and prevent the further involvement of such children in delinquent activities;
(9)coordinate funds received under this subpart with other local, State, and Federal funds available to provide services to participating children and youth, such as funds made available under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.], and career and technical education funds;
(10)coordinate programs operated under this subpart with activities funded under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 [34 U.S.C. 11101 et seq.] and other comparable programs, if applicable;
(11)if appropriate, work with local businesses to develop training, curriculum-based youth entrepreneurship education, and mentoring programs for children and youth;
(12)upon the child’s or youth’s entry into the correctional facility, work with the child’s or youth’s family members and the local educational agency that most recently provided services to the child or youth (if applicable) to ensure that the relevant and appropriate academic records and plans regarding the continuation of educational services for such child or youth are shared jointly between the correctional facility and local educational agency in order to facilitate the transition of such children and youth between the local educational agency and the correctional facility; and
(13)consult with the local educational agency for a period jointly determined necessary by the correctional facility and local educational agency upon discharge from that facility, to coordinate educational services so as to minimize disruption to the child’s or youth’s achievement.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, referred to in par. (1), is title VI of Pub. L. 91–230, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 175. Part B of the Act is classified generally to subchapter II (§ 1411 et seq.) of chapter 33 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1400 of this title and Tables. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, referred to in par. (9), is Pub. L. 113–128, July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1425. Title I of the Act is classified generally to subtitle I (§ 3111 et seq.) of chapter 32 of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 3101 of Title 29 and Tables. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, referred to in par. (10), is Pub. L. 93–415, Sept. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1109, which is classified principally to chapter 111 (§ 11101 et seq.) of Title 34, Crime Control and Law

Enforcement

. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

of 1974 Act note set out under section 10101 of Title 34 and Tables.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6455, Pub. L. 89–10, title I, § 1425, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3599; amended Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 405(d)(18)(D), (f)(13)(D)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–337, 2681–422, 2681–431, related to program requirements for correctional facilities receiving funds, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Amendments

2015—Par. (4). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1401(12)(A), inserted “and attain a regular high school diploma” after “reenter school” and substituted “seek a regular high school diploma” for “seek a secondary school diploma”. Par. (6). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1401(12)(B), substituted “the challenging State academic standards” for “high academic achievement standards”. Par. (9). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1401(12)(C), substituted “career” for “vocational”. Pars. (12), (13). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1401(12)(D)–(F), added pars. (12) and (13). 2014—Par. (9). Pub. L. 113–128 substituted “coordinate funds received under this subpart with other local, State, and Federal funds available to provide services to participating children and youth, such as funds made available under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act,” for “coordinate funds received under this subpart with other local, State, and Federal funds available to provide services to participating children and youth, such as funds made available under title I of Public Law 105–220,”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2014 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 113–128 effective on the first day of the first full program year after
July 22, 2014 (
July 1, 2015), see section 506 of Pub. L. 113–128, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 3101 of Title 29, Labor.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 6455

Title 20Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73