projects authorized

projects authorized Sec. 705. (a) (1) The Commissioner is authorized to enter into agreements with either State educational agencies or local educational agencies, or both, for the carrying out by such agencies, in schools having large numbers or a high percentage of children with reading deficiencies, of projects involving the use of innovative methods, systems, materials, or programs which show promise of overcoming such reading deficiencies. (2) The Commissioner is further authorized to enter into agreements with State educational agencies, local educational agencies, or with nonprofit educational or child care institutions for the carrying out by such agencies and institutions, in areas where such schools are located, of such projects for preelementary school children. Such projects are to be instituted in kindergartens, nursery schools, or other preschool institutions. (b) No agreement may be entered into under this part, unless upon an application made to the Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and including or accompanied by such information as he may reasonably require. Each such application shall set forth a reading program which provides for— (1) diagnostic testing designed to identify preelementary and elementary school children with reading deficiencies, including the identification of conditions which, without appropriate other treatment, can be expected to impede or prevent children from learning to read; (2) planning for and establishing comprehensive reading programs; (3) reading instruction for elementary school pupils whose reading achievement is less than that which would normally be expected for pupils of comparable ages and in comparable grades of school; (4) preservice training programs for teaching personnel including teacher-aides and other ancillary educational personnel, and in-service training and development programs, where feasible, designed to enable such personnel to improve their ability to teach students to read; (5) participation of the school faculty, school board members, administration, parents, and students in reading-related activities which stimulate an interest in reading and are conducive to the improvement of reading skills; (6) parent participation in development and implementation of the program for which assistance is sought; (7) local educational agency school board participation in the development of programs; (8) periodic testing in programs for elementary school children on a sufficiently frequent basis to measure accurately reading achievement, and for programs for preelementary school children a test of reading proficiency at the conclusion, minimally, of the first-grade program into which the nursery and kindergarten programs are integrated; 88 Stat. 590 (9) publication of test results on reading achievement by grade level, and where appropriate, by school, without identification of achievement of individual children; (10) availability of test results on reading achievement on an individual basis to parents or guardians of any child being so tested; (11) participation on an equitable basis by children enrolled in nonprofit private elementary schools in the area to be served (after consultation with the appropriate private school officials) to an extent consistent with the number of such children whose educational needs are of the kind the program is intended to meet; (12) the use of bilingual education methods and techniques to the extent consistent with the number of elementary school-age children in the area served by a reading program who are of limited English-speaking ability; (13) appropriate involvement of leaders of the cultural and educational resources of the area to be served, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit private schools, public and private nonprofit agencies such as libraries, museums, educational radio and television, and other cultural and education resources of the community; and (14) assessment, evaluation, and collection of information on individual children by teachers during each year of the preelementary program, to be made available for teachers in the subsequent year, in order that continuity for the individual child not be lost. (c) Each such applicant, in addition to meeting the requirements of subsection (b), shall provide assurances that— (1) appropriate measures have been taken by the agency to analyze the reasons why elementary school children are not reading at the appropriate grade level; (2) the agency will develop a plan setting forth specific objectives which shall include the goals of having the children in project schools reading at the appropriate grade level at the end of grade three; and (3) whenever appropriate, sufficient measures will be taken to coordinate each preelementary reading program with the reading program of the educational agencies or institutions which such preelementary school children will be next in attendance. (d) No grant may be made under this part unless the application for such grant provides assurances that the provisions of this subsection are met. Each State educational agency shall— (1) establish an advisory council on reading appointed by such agency which shall be broadly representative of the education resources of the State and of the general public, including persons representative of— (A) public and private nonprofit elementary and secondary schools, (B) institutions of higher education, (C) parents of elementary and secondary school children, and (D) areas of professional competence relating to instruction in reading, and (2) authorize the advisory council established under clause (1) to receive and designate priorities among applications for grants under this section in that State, if— 88 Stat. 591 (i) that State educational agency desires to receive a grant under this part, or (ii) any local educational agency of that State desires to receive a grant under this part, and notifies the State educational agency concerned, or (iii) in the case of a preelementary school program any non-profit educational agency or child care institution in that State desires to receive a grant under this part, and notifies the State educational agency concerned. (e) No agreement may be entered into under this part unless the application submitted to the Commissioner— (1) has first been approved by the State educational agency, and (2) is accompanied by assurances that such agency will supervise compliance by the local educational agency in that State with the requirements set forth in subsection (b) of this section. (f) The Commissioner may approve any application submitted under this part which meets the requirements of subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e). In approving such applications, the Commissioner may not use any panel (other than employees of the Office of Education) for the purpose of such approval. (g) In approving applications under this part the Commissioner shall, to the maximum extent feasible, assure an equitable distribution of funds throughout the United States and among urban and rural areas. Not more than 12% percent of the funds expended under this part in any fiscal year may be expended in any State in that year.