20 U.S.C. § 6861: National professional…

§6861 National Professional Development Project

Title 20 › CHAPTER 70 — STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS › SUBCHAPTER III — LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS AND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS › Part A — English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act › subpart 3 — national activities › § 6861

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must use funds under section 6821(c)(1)(C) to award competitive grants, for up to 5 years, to colleges or public or private groups that work with State or local education agencies. The grants are for professional development to make classroom teaching better for English learners and to help school staff meet high professional, certification, or licensure standards for working with those students. Grants can pay for preservice or inservice training for teachers, uncertified staff, and paraprofessionals (teacher assistants); creating curricula and teaching strategies; increasing parent, family, and community engagement; developing and sharing effective practices (including technology-based programs); helping with tuition, fees, and books for courses needed for degrees or certification together with other federal need-based student aid; and supporting school readiness and the move from early childhood programs like Head Start into elementary school.

Title 20, §6861

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary shall use funds made available under section 6821(c)(1)(C) of this title to award grants on a competitive basis, for a period of not more than 5 years, to institutions of higher education or public or private entities with relevant experience and capacity (in consortia with State educational agencies or local educational agencies) to provide for professional development activities that will improve classroom instruction for English learners and assist educational personnel working with English learners to meet high professional standards, including standards for certification and licensure as teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve English learners. Grants awarded under this section may be used—

(1)for effective preservice or inservice professional development programs that will improve the qualifications and skills of educational personnel involved in the education of English learners, including personnel who are not certified or licensed and educational paraprofessionals, and for other activities to increase teacher and school leader effectiveness in meeting the needs of English learners;

(2)for the development of curricula or other instructional strategies appropriate to the needs of the consortia participants involved;

(3)to support strategies that strengthen and increase parent, family, and community member engagement in the education of English learners;

(4)to develop, share, and disseminate effective practices in the instruction of English learners and in increasing the student academic achievement of English learners, such as through the use of technology-based programs;

(5)in conjunction with other Federal need-based student financial assistance programs, for financial assistance, and costs related to tuition, fees, and books for enrolling in courses required to complete the degree involved, to meet certification or licensing requirements for teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve English learners; and

(6)as appropriate, to support strategies that promote school readiness of English learners and their transition from early childhood education programs, such as Head Start or State-run preschool programs, to elementary school programs.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6861, Pub. L. 89–10, title III, § 3141, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3649, related to regional technical support and professional development, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 107–110. A prior section 3131 of Pub. L. 89–10 was classified to section 6841 of this title, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–95 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to grants to be used for preservice professional development programs, for development of curricula, and for financial assistance for certain language teachers.

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.