§6644 Subgrants to Eligible Entities in Support of Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Literacy

Summary

A state education agency that gets a grant must use part of it to run a competition and give subgrants to eligible groups. Each subgrant can last up to 5 years. Grants must be big enough for the group to run high-quality, grade-by-grade literacy programs. Groups must apply when and how the state asks, and for each school they want to serve they must show a needs assessment, a plan for ongoing teacher and leader training, how they will find students who need extra help, how literacy fits into a full school program, and how they will link with early childhood and after-school programs. The state must give priority to applicants that will use funds for evidence-based activities that meet the requirements of section 7801(21)(A)(i) of this title. Groups that get a subgrant must use the money for specific literacy work. For kindergarten through grade 5 that includes making and running a full literacy plan that serves all students (including students with disabilities and English learners), giving extra, intensive help to students below grade level, and providing most help during the school day; offering high-quality professional development for teachers, coaches, principals, librarians, and other staff; training leaders to run and evaluate the work; coordinating staff involved in literacy; and engaging families. For grades 6–12 it includes similar planning, staff training, checking the quality of adolescent literacy instruction, giving teachers planning time, and coordinating staff. Grants may also pay for literacy coaches, links between in- and out-of-school learning, family training, multi-tier support systems, school literacy leadership teams, and teacher planning time.