Subpart 2 – Subgrants to Local Educational Agencies

SEC. 2121. ALLOCATIONS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.

(a) SUBGRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may make a grant to a State under subpart 1 only if the State educational agency agrees to distribute the funds described in this subsection as subgrants to local educational agencies under this subpart.

(2) HOLD HARMLESS-

(A) IN GENERAL- From the funds reserved by a State under section 2113(a)(1), the State educational agency shall allocate to each local educational agency in the State an amount equal to the total amount that such agency received for fiscal year 2001 under —

(i) section 2203(1)(B) of this Act (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001); and

(ii) section 306 of the Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2001 (as enacted into law by section 1(a)(1) of Public Law 106-554).

(B) NONPARTICIPATING AGENCIES- In the case of a local educational agency that did not receive any funds for fiscal year 2001 under one or both of the provisions referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A), the amount allocated to the agency under such subparagraph shall be the total amount that the agency would have received for fiscal year 2001 if the agency had elected to participate in all of the programs for which the agency was eligible under each of the provisions referred to in those clauses.

(C) RATABLE REDUCTION- If the funds described in subparagraph (A) are insufficient to pay the full amounts that all local educational agencies in the State are eligible to receive under subparagraph (A) for any fiscal year, the State educational agency shall ratably reduce such amounts for the fiscal year.

(3) ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS- For any fiscal year for which the funds reserved by a State under section 2113(a)(1) exceed the total amount required to make allocations under paragraph (2), the State educational agency shall allocate to each of the eligible local educational agencies in the State the sum of —

(A) an amount that bears the same relationship to 20 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals age 5 through 17 in the geographic area served by the agency, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in the geographic areas served by all the local educational agencies in the State, as so determined; and

(B) an amount that bears the same relationship to 80 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals age 5 through 17 from families with incomes below the poverty line in the geographic area served by the agency, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in the geographic areas served by all the local educational agencies in the State, as so determined.

SEC. 2122. LOCAL APPLICATIONS AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

(a) IN GENERAL- To be eligible to receive a subgrant under this subpart, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State educational agency may reasonably require.

(b) CONTENTS- Each application submitted under this section shall be based on the needs assessment required in subsection (c) and shall include the following:

(1)(A) A description of the activities to be carried out by the local educational agency under this subpart and how these activities will be aligned with —

(i) challenging State academic content standards and student academic achievement standards, and State assessments; and

(ii) the curricula and programs tied to the standards described in clause (i).

(B) A description of how the activities will be based on a review of scientifically based research and an explanation of why the activities are expected to improve student academic achievement.

(2) A description of how the activities will have a substantial, measurable, and positive impact on student academic achievement and how the activities will be used as part of a broader strategy to eliminate the achievement gap that separates low-income and minority students from other students.

(3) An assurance that the local educational agency will target funds to schools within the jurisdiction of the local educational agency that —

(A) have the lowest proportion of highly qualified teachers;

(B) have the largest average class size; or

(4) A description of how the local educational agency will coordinate professional development activities authorized under this subpart with professional development activities provided through other Federal, State, and local programs.

(5) A description of the professional development activities that will be made available to teachers and principals under this subpart and how the local educational agency will ensure that the professional development (which may include teacher mentoring) needs of teachers and principals will be met using funds under this subpart.

(6) A description of how the local educational agency will integrate funds under this subpart with funds received under part D that are used for professional development to train teachers to integrate technology into curricula and instruction to improve teaching, learning, and technology literacy.

(7) A description of how the local educational agency, teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other relevant school personnel, and parents have collaborated in the planning of activities to be carried out under this subpart and in the preparation of the application.

(8) A description of the results of the needs assessment described in subsection (c).

(9) A description of how the local educational agency will provide training to enable teachers to —

(A) teach and address the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly students with disabilities, students with special learning needs (including students who are gifted and talented), and students with limited English proficiency;

(B) improve student behavior in the classroom and identify early and appropriate interventions to help students described in subparagraph (A) learn;

(D) understand and use data and assessments to improve classroom practice and student learning.

(10) A description of how the local educational agency will use funds under this subpart to meet the requirements of section 1119.

(11) An assurance that the local educational agency will comply with section 9501 (regarding participation by private school children and teachers).

(1) IN GENERAL- To be eligible to receive a subgrant under this subpart, a local educational agency shall conduct an assessment of local needs for professional development and hiring, as identified by the local educational agency and school staff.

(2) REQUIREMENTS- Such needs assessment shall be conducted with the involvement of teachers, including teachers participating in programs under part A of title I, and shall take into account the activities that need to be conducted in order to give teachers the means, including subject matter knowledge and teaching skills, and to give principals the instructional leadership skills to help teachers, to provide students with the opportunity to meet challenging State and local student academic achievement standards.

SEC. 2123. LOCAL USE OF FUNDS.

(a) IN GENERAL- A local educational agency that receives a subgrant under section 2121 shall use the funds made available through the subgrant to carry out one or more of the following activities, including carrying out the activities through a grant or contract with a for-profit or nonprofit entity:

(1) Developing and implementing mechanisms to assist schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, including specialists in core academic subjects, principals, and pupil services personnel, except that funds made available under this paragraph may be used for pupil services personnel only —

(A) if the local educational agency is making progress toward meeting the annual measurable objectives described in section 1119(a)(2); and

(B) in a manner consistent with mechanisms to assist schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and principals.

(2) Developing and implementing initiatives to assist in recruiting highly qualified teachers (particularly initiatives that have proven effective in retaining highly qualified teachers), and hiring highly qualified teachers, who will be assigned teaching positions within their fields, including —

(A) providing scholarships, signing bonuses, or other financial incentives, such as differential pay, for teachers to teach —

(i) in academic subjects in which there exists a shortage of highly qualified teachers within a school or within the local educational agency; and

(ii) in schools in which there exists a shortage of highly qualified teachers;

(B) recruiting and hiring highly qualified teachers to reduce class size, particularly in the early grades; and

(i) train and hire regular and special education teachers (which may include hiring special education teachers to team-teach in classrooms that contain both children with disabilities and nondisabled children);

(ii) train and hire highly qualified teachers of special needs children, as well as teaching specialists in core academic subjects who will provide increased individualized instruction to students;

(iii) recruit qualified professionals from other fields, including highly qualified paraprofessionals, and provide such professionals with alternative routes to teacher certification, including developing and implementing hiring policies that ensure comprehensive recruitment efforts as a way to expand the applicant pool, such as through identifying teachers certified through alternative routes, and using a system of intensive screening designed to hire the most qualified applicants; and

(iv) provide increased opportunities for minorities, individuals with disabilities, and other individuals underrepresented in the teaching profession.

(3) Providing professional development activities–

(A) that improve the knowledge of teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases, paraprofessionals, concerning–

(i) one or more of the core academic subjects that the teachers teach; and

(ii) effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills, and use of challenging State academic content standards and student academic achievement standards, and State assessments, to improve teaching practices and student academic achievement; and

(B) that improve the knowledge of teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases, paraprofessionals, concerning effective instructional practices and that–

(i) involve collaborative groups of teachers and administrators;

(ii) provide training in how to teach and address the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly students with disabilities, students with special learning needs (including students who are gifted and talented), and students with limited English proficiency;

(iii) provide training in methods of–

(I) improving student behavior in the classroom; and

(II) identifying early and appropriate interventions to help students described in clause (ii) learn;

(iv) provide training to enable teachers and principals to involve parents in their child’s education, especially parents of limited English proficient and immigrant children; and

(v) provide training on how to understand and use data and assessments to improve classroom practice and student learning.

(4) Developing and implementing initiatives to promote retention of highly qualified teachers and principals, particularly within elementary schools and secondary schools with a high percentage of low-achieving students, including programs that provide–

(A) teacher mentoring from exemplary teachers, principals, or superintendents;

(B) induction and support for teachers and principals during their first 3 years of employment as teachers or principals, respectively;

(C) incentives, including financial incentives, to retain teachers who have a record of success in helping low-achieving students improve their academic achievement; or

(D) incentives, including financial incentives, to principals who have a record of improving the academic achievement of all students, but particularly students from economically disadvantaged families, students from racial and ethnic minority groups, and students with disabilities.

(5) Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to improve the quality of the teacher force, such as–

(A) innovative professional development programs (which may be provided through partnerships including institutions of higher education), including programs that train teachers and principals to integrate technology into curricula and instruction to improve teaching, learning, and technology literacy, are consistent with the requirements of section 9101, and are coordinated with activities carried out under part D;

(B) development and use of proven, cost-effective strategies for the implementation of professional development activities, such as through the use of technology and distance learning;

(D) merit pay programs; and

(E) testing of elementary school and secondary school teachers in the academic subjects that the teachers teach.

(6) Carrying out professional development activities designed to improve the quality of principals and superintendents, including the development and support of academies to help talented aspiring or current principals and superintendents become outstanding managers and educational leaders.

(7) Hiring highly qualified teachers, including teachers who become highly qualified through State and local alternative routes to certification, and special education teachers, in order to reduce class size, particularly in the early grades.

(8) Carrying out teacher advancement initiatives that promote professional growth and emphasize multiple career paths (such as paths to becoming a career teacher, mentor teacher, or exemplary teacher) and pay differentiation.

(10) Carrying out programs and activities related to exemplary teachers.

(b) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT- Funds received under this subpart shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized under this subpart.

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