20 U.S.C. § 7544

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)
Section 7544 - Program authorized
(a) General authority
(1) Grants and contracts

The Secretary is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts with-

(A) Alaska Native organizations with experience operating programs that fulfill the purposes of this part;
(B) Alaska Native organizations that do not have the experience described in subparagraph (A) but are in partnership with-
(i) a State educational agency or a local educational agency; or
(ii) an Alaska Native organization that operates a program that fulfills the purposes of this part;
(C) an entity located in Alaska, and predominately governed by Alaska Natives, that does not meet the definition of an Alaska Native organization under this part but-
(i) has experience operating programs that fulfill the purposes of this part; and
(ii) is granted an official charter or sanction, as described in the definition of a tribal organization under section 5304 of title 25, from at least one Alaska Native tribe or Alaska Native organization to carry out programs that meet the purposes of this part.
(2) Mandatory activities

Activities provided through the programs carried out under this part shall include the following:

(A) The development and implementation of plans, methods, strategies, and activities to improve the educational outcomes of Alaska Natives.
(B) The collection of data to assist in the evaluation of the programs carried out under this part.
(3) Permissible activities

Activities provided through programs carried out under this part may include the following:

(A) The development of curricula and programs that address the educational needs of Alaska Native students, including the following:
(i) Curriculum materials that are culturally informed and reflect the cultural diversity, languages, history, or the contributions of Alaska Native people, including curricula intended to preserve and promote Alaska Native culture.
(ii) Instructional programs that make use of Alaska Native languages and cultures.
(iii) Networks that develop, test, and disseminate best practices and introduce successful programs, materials, and techniques to meet the educational needs of Alaska Native students in urban and rural schools.
(B) Training and professional development activities for educators, including the following:
(i) Pre-service and in-service training and professional development programs to prepare teachers to develop appreciation for, and understanding of, Alaska Native history, cultures, values, and ways of knowing and learning in order to effectively address the cultural diversity and unique needs of Alaska Native students and improve the teaching methods of educators.
(ii) Recruitment and preparation of Alaska Native teachers.
(iii) Programs that will lead to the certification and licensing of Alaska Native teachers, principals, other school leaders, and superintendents.
(C) Early childhood and parenting education activities designed to improve the school readiness of Alaska Native children, including-
(i) the development and operation of home visiting programs for Alaska Native preschool children, to ensure the active involvement of parents in their children's education from the earliest ages;
(ii) training, education, and support, including in-home visitation, for parents and caregivers of Alaska Native children to improve parenting and caregiving skills (including skills relating to discipline and cognitive development, reading readiness, observation, storytelling, and critical thinking);
(iii) family literacy services;
(iv) activities carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.);
(v) programs for parents and their infants, from the prenatal period of the infant through age 3;
(vi) early childhood education programs; and
(vii) native language immersion within early childhood education programs, Head Start, or preschool programs.
(D) The development and operation of student enrichment programs, including programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that-
(i) are designed to prepare Alaska Native students to excel in such subjects;
(ii) provide appropriate support services to enable such students to benefit from the programs; and
(iii) include activities that recognize and support the unique cultural and educational needs of Alaska Native children and incorporate appropriately qualified Alaska Native elders and other tradition bearers.
(E) Research and data collection activities to determine the educational status and needs of Alaska Native children and adults and other such research and evaluation activities related to programs funded under this part.
(F) Activities designed to enable Alaska Native students served under this part to meet the challenging State academic standards or increase the graduation rates of Alaska Native students, such as-
(i) remedial and enrichment programs;
(ii) culturally based education programs, such as-
(I) programs of study and other instruction in Alaska Native history and ways of living to share the rich and diverse cultures of Alaska Natives among Alaska Native youth and elders, non-Native students and teachers, and the larger community;
(II) instructing Alaska Native youth in leadership, communication, and Alaska Native culture, arts, history, and languages;
(III) intergenerational learning and internship opportunities to Alaska Native youth and young adults;
(IV) providing cultural immersion activities aimed at Alaska Native cultural preservation;
(V) native language instruction and immersion activities, including native language immersion nests or schools;
(VI) school-within-a-school model programs; and
(VII) preparation for postsecondary education and career planning; and
(iii) comprehensive school or community-based support services, including services that-
(I) address family instability and trauma; and
(II) improve conditions for learning at home, in the community, and at school.
(G) Student and teacher exchange programs, cross-cultural immersion programs, and culture camps designed to build mutual respect and understanding among participants.
(H) Education programs for at-risk urban Alaska Native students that are designed to improve academic proficiency and graduation rates, use strategies otherwise permissible under this part, and incorporate a strong data collection and continuous evaluation component.
(I) Strategies designed to increase the involvement of parents in their children's education.
(J) Programs and strategies that increase connections between and among schools, families, and communities, including positive youth-adult relationships, to-
(i) promote the academic progress and positive development of Alaska Native children and youth; and
(ii) improve conditions for learning at home, in the community, and at school.
(K) Career preparation activities to enable Alaska Native children and adults to prepare for meaningful employment, including programs providing mentoring, training, and apprenticeship activities.
(L) Support for the development and operational activities of regional vocational schools in rural areas of Alaska to provide students with necessary resources to prepare for skilled employment opportunities.
(M) Regional leadership academies that demonstrate effectiveness in building respect and understanding, and fostering a sense of Alaska Native identity in Alaska Native students to promote their pursuit of and success in completing higher education or career training.
(N) Other activities, consistent with the purposes of this part, to meet the educational needs of Alaska Native children and adults.
(b) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $31,453,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2020.

20 U.S.C. § 7544

Pub. L. 89-10, title VI, §6304, formerly title VII, §7304, as added Pub. L. 107-110, §701, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1943; amended Pub. L. 108-11, §2504, 117 Stat. 599; renumbered title VI, §6304, and amended Pub. L. 114-95, §§6001(a), (b)(1), 6004(c), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2046, 2068; Pub. L. 115-224, §302, 132 Stat. 1623.

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXTThe Head Start Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(C)(iv), is subchapter B (§635 et seq.) of chapter 8 of subtitle A of title VI of Pub. L. 97-35, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 499, which is classified generally to subchapter II (§9831 et seq.) of chapter 105 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9801 of Title 42 and Tables.

PRIOR PROVISIONSA prior section 7544, Pub. L. 89-10, title VII, §7304, as added Pub. L. 103-382, §101, 108 Stat. 3740, related to State allocations, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter VII of this chapter by Pub. L. 107-110.

AMENDMENTS2018-Subsec. (a)(3)(K). Pub. L. 115-224 struck out "tech-prep," before "mentoring,".2015- Pub. L. 114-95, §6004(c), amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to program authorized, consisting of subsecs. (a) to (d). 2003-Subsec. (a)(2)(P). Pub. L. 108-11 substituted "operated by" for "such as".

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2018 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 115-224 effective July 1, 2019, see section 4 of Pub. L. 115-224, set out as a note under section 2301 of this title.

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.
State
The term "State" means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying areas.
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.
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.
technology
The term "technology" means modern information, computer and communication technology products, services, or tools, including, the Internet and other communications networks, computer devices and other computer and communications hardware, software applications, data systems, and other electronic content (including multimedia content) and data storage.