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Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73

§6646 Innovative approaches to literacy

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 70— - STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - PREPARING, TRAINING, AND RECRUITING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, OR OTHER SCHOOL LEADERS › Part Part B— - National Activities › Subpart subpart 2— - literacy education for all, results for the nation › § 6646

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can use certain reserved funds to give grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible groups to help children in low-income communities learn to read. Projects can improve school libraries (for example, train librarians and supply books and up-to-date materials to high-need schools), fund early literacy work like pediatric programs at well-child visits where trained health staff give age-appropriate books and tips to parents to start reading aloud in infancy, and support programs that regularly give high-quality books to children and teens from low-income areas to increase reading interest and skill. Eligible groups include a local educational agency with at least 20 percent of students from families below the poverty line, a consortium of such agencies, the Bureau of Indian Education, or a national nonprofit. A qualifying national nonprofit must operate nationwide, have staff or volunteers and State/local affiliates, and show it is effective or has a strong plan to support childhood literacy for its target population.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §6646

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)From amounts reserved under section 6621(2) of this title, the Secretary may award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for the purposes of promoting literacy programs that support the development of literacy skills in low-income communities, including—
(1)developing and enhancing effective school library programs, which may include providing professional development for school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to high-need schools;
(2)early literacy services, including pediatric literacy programs through which, during well-child visits, medical providers trained in research-based methods of early language and literacy promotion provide developmentally appropriate books and recommendations to parents to encourage them to read aloud to their children starting in infancy; and
(3)programs that provide high-quality books on a regular basis to children and adolescents from low-income communities to increase reading motivation, performance, and frequency.
(b)In this section:
(1)The term “eligible entity” means—
(A)a local educational agency in which 20 percent or more of the students served by the local educational agency are from families with an income below the poverty line;
(B)a consortium of such local educational agencies;
(C)the Bureau of Indian Education; or
(D)an eligible national nonprofit organization.
(2)The term “eligible national nonprofit organization” means an organization of national scope that—
(A)is supported by staff, which may include volunteers, or affiliates at the State and local levels; and
(B)demonstrates effectiveness or high-quality plans for addressing childhood literacy activities for the population targeted by the grant.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Prior sections 6646 to 6650 were omitted in the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 107–110. section 6646, Pub. L. 89–10, title II, § 2206, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3625; amended Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 101(b)(2)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–337, 2681–406, related to priority for professional development in mathematics and science. section 6647, Pub. L. 89–10, title II, § 2207, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3625, related to State-level activities. section 6648, Pub. L. 89–10, title II, § 2208, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3626; amended Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(e) [title VII, § 709(b)(3)(A)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009–313, related to local plan and application for improving teaching and learning. section 6649, Pub. L. 89–10, title II, § 2209, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3628; amended Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(e) [title VII, § 709(b)(3)(A)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009–313, related to local cost-sharing. section 6650, Pub. L. 89–10, title II, § 2210, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3629, related to local allocation of funds and allowable activities. Prior section 6651, Pub. L. 89–10, title II, § 2151, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title II, § 201, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1635, related to national activities of demonstrated effectiveness, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 114–95, § 5, title II, § 2002, Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 1806, 1913, effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs. Another prior section 6651, Pub. L. 89–10, title II, § 2211, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3632, related to higher education activities, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section 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 an

Effective Date

of 2015 Amendment note under section 6301 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 6646

Title 20 — Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73