1.This Act may be cited as
the English Learning and Innovation
Act of 2011
.
2.English Learner
Competitive Grants
(a)Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6801 et seq.) is amended—
(1)in section
3001(a)—
(A)in paragraph (1),
by inserting “and part C” after “part B”; and
(B)by adding at the
end of the following:
(3)English Learner
Competitive GrantsThere are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out part C, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2012 and each of the 5
succeeding fiscal years.
;
(2)by redesignating
part C as part D;
(3)by redesignating
sections 3301 through 3304 as sections 3401 through 3404, respectively;
(4)in section
3116(d)(1), by striking 3302
and inserting
3402
;
(5)in section
3111(c)(1)(C), by striking 3303
each place the term appears and
inserting 3403
; and
(6)by inserting after part B the
following:
CEnglish Learner
Competitive Grants.
3301.The purpose of this part is to support
eligible entities and eligible agencies in developing and strengthening
innovative systems that support high-quality instruction for a diverse group of
English learners, including English learners who have entered a school in the
United States after elementary school or English learners who have been in
schools in the United States for more than 5 years without reaching sufficient
English proficiency to be reclassified, or both.
3302.
(a)From amounts appropriated under section 3001(a)(3),
the Secretary may award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities
that have demonstrated progress in establishing and committing to provide
high-quality instruction that results in the ability of English learners to
achieve English language proficiency and to demonstrate content mastery in core
or covered subjects to enable such eligible entities to carry out the
activities described in subsection (f).
(b)
(1)Grants awarded under
this section shall be for a period of not more than 4 years.
(2)The Secretary may renew a grant under this
section for an additional 2-year period, if the eligible entity demonstrates
success in—
(A)improving the
English language proficiency of students served by the grant program, as
measured by the assessment described in section 1111(b)(7);
(B)increasing the
percentage of English learners who achieve proficiency on the State academic
assessment in mathematics, reading or language arts, and science, as described
in section 1111(b)(3);
(C)increasing the
percentage of secondary school students who achieve proficiency in core
academic subjects; and
(D)increasing the
percentage of English learners who graduate from secondary school on-time, as
defined in section 200.19(b)(1) of title 34, Code of Federal
Regulations.
(c)The term eligible entity means—
(1)a State
educational agency;
(2)a local
educational agency; or
(3)a public charter
school, or a charter school management organization.
(d)
(1)An eligible entity desiring a grant under this section
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(2)At
a minimum, the application described in paragraph (1) shall include the
following:
(A)A description of
how the eligible entity will use grant funds to implement English language
proficiency standards and college and career ready standards to assist English
learners in—
(i)improving English
language proficiency, academic achievement, and achievement in core content
areas; and
(ii)improving
preparation for postsecondary education and careers.
(B)A description of
the benchmarks, consistent with section 3304(b)(1), that the eligible entity
will establish to demonstrate improvements in outcomes for students who are
English learners.
(C)A description of
how the eligible entity has used the metrics described in subsection (b)(2) and
the benchmarks described in subparagraph (B) to create a data-driven needs
assessment that the eligible entity will use to determine how grant funds will
be used.
(D)A description of
how the eligible entity will use Federal funds received under this section only
to supplement the funds that would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be
made available from non-Federal sources for the education of students
participating in programs assisted under this section, and not to supplant such
funds.
(e)In
awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to
eligible entities that—
(1)use funds to
implement evidence-based strategies, as determined by the Secretary;
(2)use funds to
provide educational opportunities for English learners who have entered a
school in the United States after elementary school or English learners who
have been in schools in the United States for more than 5 years without
reaching sufficient English proficiency to be reclassified, or both;
(3)serve populations
of rural students and students who are migratory children, as defined in
section 1309(2);
(4)form partnerships
with entities that have the capacity to take efforts under the grant to scale;
or
(5)work with an
educational research entity that is, at the time of the application,
implementing research-based programs or interventions in schools that serve a
significant percentage of English learners.
(f)Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this
section shall use the grant funds to carry out activities that lead to English
learners becoming proficient in English in order to access the academic content
knowledge that English learners need to meet State college and career ready
academic content standards, which may include—
(1)improving
instructional programs by—
(A)implementing
evidence-based language instruction programs, including—
(i)technology-based
programs; and
(ii)early childhood
education programs, if applicable;
(B)consistent with
State law, implementing a program that uses instruction in the native language
as a basis for English language acquisition, such as—
(i)a
dual-language program; or
(ii)a bilingual
education program; or
(C)obtaining
technical assistance from an expert to develop or implement materials for
English learner instruction;
(2)ensuring that
English learners are taught by effective teachers and attend schools that are
administered by effective principals, by—
(A)developing or
implementing a strategy to recruit effective teachers and principals;
(B)developing or
implementing a strategy to retain effective teachers and principals; or
(C)developing or
implementing a strategy to improve the effectiveness of teachers and
principals;
(3)increasing the
ability of families of English learners to be engaged in their child’s
education and development;
(4)expanding best
practices to other schools or local educational agencies that are served by the
eligible entity; or
(5)carrying out
other activities consistent with the purpose of this part.
3303.
(a)
(1)From amounts
appropriated under section 3001(a)(3), the Secretary may award
capacity-building grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible agencies that
demonstrate a commitment to establishing and maintaining a system of
high-quality instruction for English learners to enable such eligible agencies
to carry out the activities described in subsection (g).
(2)The
Secretary shall not award a grant under this section to an eligible agency that
has received a grant under section 3302.
(b)
(1)Grants awarded under
this section shall be for a period of not more than 4 years.
(2)The Secretary shall not renew a grant under
this section.
(c)The term eligible agency means a State
educational agency or local educational agency that has experienced a
significant increase, as determined by the Secretary, in the number of English
learners that the State educational agency or local educational agency,
respectively, serves.
(d)Continued funding after the second year of the grant
period shall be contingent on the eligible agency’s progress in—
(1)meeting the
benchmarks described in subsection (e)(2)(B);
(2)improving the
English language proficiency of students served by the grant program, as
measured by the assessment described in section 1111(b)(7);
(3)increasing the
percentage of English learners who achieve proficiency on State academic
assessments in mathematics, reading or language arts, and science, as described
in section 1111(b)(3);
(4)increasing the
percentage of secondary school students who achieve proficiency in core
academic subjects; and
(5)increasing the
percentage of English learners who graduate from secondary school on-time, as
defined in section 200.19(b)(1) of title 34, Code of Federal
Regulations.
(e)
(1)An eligible agency desiring a grant under this section
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(2)At
a minimum, the application described in paragraph (1) shall include the
following:
(A)A description of
how the eligible entity will use grant funds to implement English language
proficiency standards and college and career ready standards to assist English
learners in—
(i)improving English
language proficiency; and
(ii)improving
preparation for postsecondary education and careers.
(B)A description of
the benchmarks, consistent with section 3304(b), that the eligible agency will
establish to demonstrate improvements in outcomes for students who are English
learners.
(C)A description of
how the eligible agency will efficiently use funds to build upon previous
efforts to educate English learners.
(D)A description of
how the eligible entity will use Federal funds received under this section only
to supplement the funds that would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be
made available from non-Federal sources for the education of students
participating in programs assisted under this section, and not to supplant such
funds.
(f)In
awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to
eligible agencies that propose to use grant funds to implement evidence-based
strategies, as determined by the Secretary, in order to become competitive in
the application process for a grant described in section 3302.
(g)
(1)An eligible agency that receives a grant under this section
shall use the grant funds to carry out activities that—
(A)build the
eligible agency's capacity to provide quality instruction to English learners;
and
(B)will allow the
eligible agency to become competitive in the application process for a grant
described in section 3302.
(2)An eligible agency that receives a grant under this
section may use the grant funds to ensure that English learners are taught by
effective teachers and attend schools that are administered by effective
principals, by—
(A)developing or
implementing a strategy to recruit effective teachers and principals;
(B)developing or
implementing a strategy to retain effective teachers and principals; or
(C)developing or
implementing a strategy to improve the effectiveness of teachers and
principals.
3304.Indicators,
Evaluation, Technical Assistance, and Research
(a)
(1)The Secretary, in
consultation with the Director of the Institute for Education Sciences, shall
establish indicators to measure the success of grant programs under this
part.
(2)The primary indicator described in paragraph (1) shall
be the percentage of students who—
(A)are English
learners;
(B)become English
language proficient; and
(C)are on track for
postsecondary education and a career.
(b)Evaluation and
Reports by the Eligible EntityEach eligible entity and eligible agency
receiving a grant under this part shall—
(1)develop
quantifiable benchmarks to evaluate the activities that the eligible entity or
eligible agency carries out under this part, based on the applicable indicators
described in subsection (a), which may include—
(A)the percentage of
students who are English learners who obtain English proficiency;
(B)the rate of
participation of students who are English learners in State assessments;
(C)reduction in the
percentage of students who are English learners who are in the bottom level of
achievement on State assessments in reading, English, or language arts, and
mathematics; or
(D)the percentage of
students who are English learners and who are taking advanced
coursework;
(2)submit the benchmarks described in
paragraph (1) to the Secretary for approval; and
(3)prepare and submit an annual report to the
Secretary on the progress that the eligible entity or eligible agency is making
toward meeting such benchmarks.
(c)The Secretary
shall reserve not more than 1 percent from amounts appropriated in section
3001(a)(3) to directly, or through grant or contract, provide technical
assistance to eligible entities and eligible agencies to prepare the entities
and agencies to qualify, apply for, and maintain grants under this part.
(d)The Secretary shall reserve not more than 0.5 percent
from amounts appropriated in section 3001(a)(3) to evaluate grants or provide
technical assistance for activities funded under this part.
3305.In this part:
(1)The term dual language program means an
instructional strategy for English learners—
(A)in which students
are taught literacy and content in English and another language and use the
other language for at least half of the instructional day; and
(B)that fosters
bilingualism, biliteracy, enhanced awareness of linguistic and cultural
diversity, and high levels of academic achievement through instruction in 2
languages.
(2)The term English learner has the meaning
given the term limited English proficient in section
9101.
.