Grants for hiring and training eligible prekindergarten teachers

(a)

Grants

The Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, may make grants to States and local educational agencies to pay all or a portion of the salaries, benefits, and training costs of new eligible prekindergarten teachers for the purposes of— (1)increasing the number of such teachers; and (2)expanding children’s access to free or affordable, high-quality, early education. (b)

Use of funds

The Secretary shall require each applicant for a grant under this section to agree to use the grant to pay all or a portion of the salaries, benefits, and training costs of new eligible prekindergarten teachers to serve at eligible prekindergarten providers described in subsection (c). (c)

Eligible prekindergarten providers

An eligible prekindergarten provider described in this paragraph is a State, local, or private non-profit or for-profit prekindergarten provider that— (1)is a high-quality, prekindergarten provider meeting the standards issued by the Secretary under subsection (d); (2)is serving a significant percentage of low-income children; and (3)if the provider is a private, tuition-based provider, agrees to adjust tuition standards or take other appropriate measures to ensure that not less than 50 percent of the children to be served through the provider by new eligible prekindergarten teachers under this section will be low-income children. (d)

Standards for high-quality, prekindergarten providers

(1)

Standards

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue standards to determine whether a prekindergarten provider is a high-quality, prekindergarten provider. (2)

Criteria

In issuing standards under this subsection, the Secretary shall take into consideration the following criteria: (A)Administration. (B)Support services. (C)Health, safety, and nutrition. (D)Parental involvement. (E)Teacher training. (F)Teacher-to-student ratio. (G)Curriculum, including pre-literacy, pre-numeracy, emotion regulation, and behavioral skills training. (3)

Relation to standards under Head Start Act

Any standards issued by the Secretary under this subsection shall be consistent with or in addition to any standards applicable to prekindergarten providers under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.). (e)

Additional requirements

The Secretary shall require each applicant for a grant under this section to comply with the following: (1)

Lead agency

The chief executive officer of the State or local educational agency applying for the grant must designate an agency (which may be an appropriate collaborative agency) or establish a joint interagency office to serve as the lead agency for administering the grant. (2)

Coordination

The applicant must have a mechanism in place to coordinate the applicant’s activities under the grant with other programs in order to ensure the effective and efficient use of all available resources to meet early childhood and family needs. (3)

Matching funds

(A)

In general

With respect to the costs of the program to be carried out through a grant under this section, a condition for the receipt of the grant is that the applicant agree to make available (directly or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal contributions toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 25 percent of such costs. (B)

Determination of amount contributed

Non-Federal contributions required in subparagraph (A) may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by the Federal Government, may not be included in determining the amount of such non-Federal contributions. (C)

Waiver

The Secretary may waive the requirements of this paragraph in whole or in part with respect to any grantee for any fiscal year if the Secretary determines that such a waiver would be equitable due to lack of available financial resources. (4)

Supplement, not supplant

Funds made available under this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds expended to support early childhood programs. (f)

Application

(1)

In general

To seek a grant under this section, a State or local educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such form and manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. (2)

Contents

At a minimum, an application under this subsection shall include a description of— (A)the applicant’s need for expanded access to high-quality, early childhood education; and (B)the applicant’s ability to use resources efficiently and effectively to address such need. (g)

Priority

In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to States and local educational agencies that demonstrate the greatest need for increased access to high-quality, early childhood education. (h)

Monitoring; reports

The Secretary shall— (1)require each recipient of a grant under this section to monitor and report to the Secretary on the progress achieved through the grant; and (2)submit an annual report to the Congress on the progress of grantees under this section.