§6673 School Leader Recruitment and Support

Summary

The Secretary must give competitive grants from the reserved funds each year to help recruit, train, place, support, and keep effective principals and other school leaders in high-need schools. Grants can fund six types of work, including leadership training and residency programs, recruiting and selecting leaders, placing leaders in schools that need improvement, ongoing professional development, sharing best practices, and other evidence-based activities. Grants last up to 5 years and can be renewed once for an extra 2 years. The Secretary should try to fund projects across urban, suburban, and rural areas and may give only one grant to the same applicant in a competition. Recipients must provide at least 25% of project costs each year from nonfederal sources, which can be cash or in-kind, though the Secretary can reduce or waive that rule for financial hardship. Applicants must apply when and how the Secretary requires. Priority goes to applicants with a record of preparing principals who improved student results, became and stayed principals in high-need schools, and who will use evidence-based activities (see section 7801(21)(A)(i)). Eligible entities include local and state education agencies, the Bureau of Indian Education, or those partners working with nonprofits or colleges. A high-need elementary school has at least 50% of students from low-income families; a high-need secondary school has at least 40%.