§7243 Applications

Summary

If a statewide group wants a grant, it must send an application to the Secretary when and how the Secretary asks. The application must say how the group will involve families in education; how the State education agency and partners will support a statewide family engagement center; and how the group will build a statewide system with clear management, leadership, and services. The application must show experience giving training and help to state and local education agencies, schools, teachers, parents, and groups, especially for low-income families, English learners, minorities, students with disabilities, homeless or foster children, and migrant students. It must explain how the group will focus services on low-income students and parents. The group must also agree to set up a special advisory committee that is mostly parents and also includes education experts, local school reps (including students), business people, and state and local education officials. The group must use at least 65 percent of funds to serve schools, local districts, and community groups that serve many disadvantaged students; run a center big and good enough to help the state and local groups; keep trained staff; serve urban, suburban, and rural areas; work with other statewide centers and with parent training centers (see sections 1471 and 1472); spend at least 30 percent to expand evidence-based parent education help; help agencies and groups support family members in helping student learning; find out parents’ needs and best ways to deliver services; and do outreach to reach hard-to-reach parents and low-income parents who are not proficient in English. The group must also run community training to improve adult literacy, including financial literacy. The Secretary will give priority to centers that plan to use funds under section 7244 for evidence-based activities as defined in section 7801(21)(A)(i).