20 U.S.C. § 7441

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)
Section 7441 - Improvement of educational opportunities for Indian children and youth
(a) Purpose
(1) In general

It is the purpose of this section to support projects to develop, test, and demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs to improve educational opportunities and achievement of Indian children and youth.

(2) Coordination

The Secretary shall take the necessary actions to achieve the coordination of activities assisted under this subpart with-

(A) other programs funded under this chapter; and
(B) other Federal programs operated for the benefit of Indian children and youth.
(b) Eligible entities

In this section, the term "eligible entity" means a State educational agency, local educational agency, Indian tribe, Indian organization, federally supported elementary school or secondary school for Indian students, a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 1059c(b) of this title), or a consortium of such entities.

(c) Grants authorized

The Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to enable such entities to carry out activities that meet the purpose of this section, including-

(1) innovative programs related to the educational needs of educationally disadvantaged Indian children and youth;
(2) educational services that are not available to such children and youth in sufficient quantity or quality, including remedial instruction, to raise the achievement of Indian children in one or more of the subjects of English, mathematics, science, foreign languages, art, history, and geography;
(3) bilingual and bicultural programs and projects;
(4) special health and nutrition services, and other related activities, that address the special health, social, and psychological problems of Indian children and youth;
(5) special compensatory and other programs and projects designed to assist and encourage Indian children and youth to enter, remain in, or reenter school, and to increase the rate of high school graduation for Indian children and youth;
(6) comprehensive guidance, counseling, and testing services;
(7) early childhood education programs that are effective in preparing young children to make sufficient academic growth by the end of grade 3, including kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs, family-based preschool programs that emphasize school readiness, screening and referral, and the provision of services to Indian children and youth with disabilities;
(8) partnership projects between local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that allow secondary school students to enroll in courses at the postsecondary level to aid such students in the transition from secondary to postsecondary education;
(9) partnership projects between schools and local businesses for career preparation programs designed to provide Indian youth with the knowledge and skills such youth need to make an effective transition from school to a high-skill career;
(10) programs designed to encourage and assist Indian students to work toward, and gain entrance into, institutions of higher education;
(11) family literacy services;
(12) activities that recognize and support the unique cultural and educational needs of Indian children and youth, and incorporate traditional leaders;
(13) high-quality professional development of teaching professionals and paraprofessionals; or
(14) other services that meet the purpose described in this section.
(d) Grant requirements and applications
(1) Grant requirements
(A) In general

The Secretary may make multiyear grants under subsection (c) for the planning, development, pilot operation, or demonstration of any activity described in subsection (c) for a period not to exceed 5 years.

(B) Priority

In making multiyear grants described in this paragraph, the Secretary shall give priority to entities submitting applications that present a plan for combining two or more of the activities described in subsection (c) over a period of more than 1 year.

(C) Progress

The Secretary shall award grants for an initial period of not more than 3 years and may renew such grants for not more than an additional 2 years if the Secretary determines that the eligible entity has made substantial progress in carrying out the activities assisted under the grant in accordance with the application submitted under paragraph (3) and any subsequent modifications to such application.

(2) Dissemination grants
(A) In general

In addition to awarding the multiyear grants described in paragraph (1), the Secretary may award grants under subsection (c) to eligible entities for the dissemination of exemplary materials or programs assisted under this section.

(B) Determination

The Secretary may award a dissemination grant described in this paragraph if, prior to awarding the grant, the Secretary determines that the material or program to be disseminated-

(i) has been adequately reviewed;
(ii) has demonstrated educational merit; and
(iii) can be replicated.
(3) Application
(A) In general

Any eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require.

(B) Contents

Each application submitted to the Secretary under subparagraph (A), other than an application for a dissemination grant under paragraph (2), shall contain-

(i) a description of how parents and family of Indian children and representatives of Indian tribes have been, and will be, involved in developing and implementing the activities for which assistance is sought;
(ii) assurances that the applicant will participate, at the request of the Secretary, in any national evaluation of activities assisted under this section;
(iii) information demonstrating that the proposed program is an evidence-based program, where applicable, which may include a program that has been modified to be culturally appropriate for students who will be served;
(iv) a description of how the applicant will incorporate the proposed activities into the ongoing school program involved once the grant period is over; and
(v) such other assurances and information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
(e) Administrative costs

Not more than 5 percent of the funds provided to a grantee under this subpart for any fiscal year may be used for administrative purposes.

20 U.S.C. § 7441

Pub. L. 89-10, title VI, §6121, formerly title VII, §7121, as added Pub. L. 107-110, §701, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1919; renumbered title VI, §6121, and amended Pub. L. 114-95, §§6001(a), (b)(1), 6002(k), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2046, 2054.

EDITORIAL NOTES

PRIOR PROVISIONSA prior section 6121 of Pub. L. 89-10 was renumbered section 5101 and is classified to section 7305 of this title.

AMENDMENTS2015- Pub. L. 114-95, §6002(k)(1), substituted "Improvement of educational opportunities for Indian children and youth" for "Improvement of educational opportunities for Indian children" in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114-95, §6002(k)(2)(A), inserted "and youth" after "Indian children".Subsec. (a)(2)(B). Pub. L. 114-95, §6002(k)(2)(B), substituted "Indian children and youth" for "American Indian and Alaska Native children".Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114-95, §6002(k)(3), substituted "a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 1059c(b) of this title)" for "Indian institution (including an Indian institution of higher education)". Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114-95, §6002(k)(4), added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) which related to grants authorized, consisting of pars. (1) and (2).Subsec. (d)(1)(C). Pub. L. 114-95, §6002(k)(5)(A), substituted "award grants for an initial period of not more than 3 years and may renew such grants for not more than an additional 2 years if the Secretary determines" for "make a grant payment for a grant described in this paragraph to an eligible entity after the initial year of the multiyear grant only if the Secretary determines".Subsec. (d)(3)(B)(i). Pub. L. 114-95, §6002(k)(5)(B)(i), substituted "parents and family of Indian children" for "parents of Indian children". Subsec. (d)(3)(B)(iii). Pub. L. 114-95, §6002(k)(5)(B) (ii), substituted "information demonstrating that the proposed program is an evidence-based program" for "information demonstrating that the proposed program for the activities is a scientifically based research program".

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2015 AMENDMENT Amendment 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.

Secretary
The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Education.
State educational agency
The term "State educational agency" means the agency primarily responsible for the State supervision of public elementary schools and secondary schools.
elementary school
The term "elementary school" means a nonprofit institutional day or residential school, including a public elementary charter school, that provides elementary education, as determined under State law.
family literacy services
The term "family literacy services" means services provided to participants on a voluntary basis that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours, and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a family, and that integrate all of the following activities:(A) Interactive literacy activities between parents and their children.(B) Training for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their children.(C) Parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency.(D) An age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences.
high school
The term "high school" means a secondary school that-(A) grants a diploma, as defined by the State; and(B) includes, at least, grade 12.
professional development
The term "professional development" means activities that-(A) are an integral part of school and local educational agency strategies for providing educators (including teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, and, as applicable, early childhood educators) with the knowledge and skills necessary to enable students to succeed in a well-rounded education and to meet the challenging State academic standards; and(B) are sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, or short term workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused, and may include activities that-(i) improve and increase teachers'-(I) knowledge of the academic subjects the teachers teach;(II) understanding of how students learn; and(III) ability to analyze student work and achievement from multiple sources, including how to adjust instructional strategies, assessments, and materials based on such analysis;(ii) are an integral part of broad schoolwide and districtwide educational improvement plans;(iii) allow personalized plans for each educator to address the educator's specific needs identified in observation or other feedback;(iv) improve classroom management skills;(v) support the recruitment, hiring, and training of effective teachers, including teachers who became certified through State and local alternative routes to certification;(vi) advance teacher understanding of-(I) effective instructional strategies that are evidence-based; and(II) strategies for improving student academic achievement or substantially increasing the knowledge and teaching skills of teachers;(vii) are aligned with, and directly related to, academic goals of the school or local educational agency;(viii) are developed with extensive participation of teachers, principals, other school leaders, parents, representatives of Indian tribes (as applicable), and administrators of schools to be served under this chapter;(ix) are designed to give teachers of English learners, and other teachers and instructional staff, the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and appropriate language and academic support services to those children, including the appropriate use of curricula and assessments;(x) to the extent appropriate, provide training for teachers, principals, and other school leaders in the use of technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy), so that technology and technology applications are effectively used in the classroom to improve teaching and learning in the curricula and academic subjects in which the teachers teach;(xi) as a whole, are regularly evaluated for their impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved student academic achievement, with the findings of the evaluations used to improve the quality of professional development;(xii) are designed to give teachers of children with disabilities or children with developmental delays, and other teachers and instructional staff, the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and academic support services, to those children, including positive behavioral interventions and supports, multi-tier system of supports, and use of accommodations;(xiii) include instruction in the use of data and assessments to inform and instruct classroom practice;(xiv) include instruction in ways that teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, and school administrators may work more effectively with parents and families;(xv) involve the forming of partnerships with institutions of higher education, including, as applicable, Tribal Colleges and Universities as defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)), to establish school-based teacher, principal, and other school leader training programs that provide prospective teachers, novice teachers, principals, and other school leaders with an opportunity to work under the guidance of experienced teachers, principals, other school leaders, and faculty of such institutions;(xvi) create programs to enable paraprofessionals (assisting teachers employed by a local educational agency receiving assistance under part A of subchapter I) to obtain the education necessary for those paraprofessionals to become certified and licensed teachers;(xvii) provide follow-up training to teachers who have participated in activities described in this paragraph that are designed to ensure that the knowledge and skills learned by the teachers are implemented in the classroom; and(xviii) where practicable, provide jointly for school staff and other early childhood education program providers, to address the transition to elementary school, including issues related to school readiness.