,i #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ebai ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bh1 #bjad ,mr4 ,garcia 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,polis1 and ,mr4 ,crdenas7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to promote innovative practices for the education of ,english learners and to help ,states and local educational agencies with ,english learner populations build capacity to ensure that ,english learners receive high-quality instruction that enables them to become proficient in ,english1 access the academic content knowledge needed to meet ,state challenging academic content standards1 and be prepared for postsecondary education and careers4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,english ,learning and ,innovation ,act4 #b4 ,english learner innovation grants 7a7 ,in ,general ,title ,,iii of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fhja et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #cjja7;a7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by inserting 8and part ,c0 after 8part ,b02 and 7,b7 by adding at the end of the following3 7#c7 ,english learner innovation grants ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out part ,c1 #ajj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjae and each of the #e succeeding fiscal years4 2 7#b7 by redesignating part ,c as part ,d2 7#c7 by redesignating sections #ccja through #ccjd as sections #cdja through #cdjd1 respectively2 7#d7 in section #caaa7;c77#a77;,c71 by striking #ccjc each place the term appears and inserting #cdjc2 7#e7 in section #caaf7;d77#a71 by striking #ccjb and inserting #cdjb2 and 7#f7 by inserting after part ,b the following3 ,c ,english ,learner ,innovation ,grants4 #ccja4 ,purpose ,the purposes of this part are-- 7#a7 to support eligible entities and eligible agencies in developing and strengthening innovative systems that support high-quality instruction for a diverse group of ,english learners1 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 #e years without achieving ,english language proficiency 7as determined through the assessment described in section #aaaa7;b77#g771 or both2 and 7#b7 to encourage successful strategies in providing coordinated literacy and parent engagement service models for low-literate limited ,english proficient parents of ,english learners4 #ccjb4 ,innovation grants 7a7 ,program authorized ,from amounts appropriated under section #cjja7;a77#c71 the ,secretary may award grants1 on a competitive basis1 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 academic subjects to enable such eligible entities to carry out the activities described in subsection 7f74 7b7 ,duration 7#a7 ,in general ,grants awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than #d years4 7#b7 ,renewal ,the ,secretary may renew a grant under this section for an additional #b-year period1 if the eligible entity demonstrates success in-- 7,a7 improving the ,english language proficiency of students served by the grant program1 as measured by the assessment described in section #aaaa7;b77#g72 7,b7 increasing the percentage of ,english learners who achieve proficiency on the ,state academic assessment in mathematics1 reading or language arts1 and science1 as described in section #aaaa7;b77#c72 7,c7 increasing the percentage of secondary school students who achieve proficiency in core academic subjects2 7,d7 increasing the awareness and knowledge of the education system for parents of ,english learners2 7,e7 improving the ,english language proficiency and literacy skills of parents served by the grant program2 and 7,f7 increasing the graduation rate1 as defined in section #aaaa7;b77#b77;,c77vi7 and clarified in section #bjj4ai7;b77#a7 of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 for ,english learners4 7c7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means-- 7#a7 a ,state educational agency2 7#b7 a local educational agency2 or 7#c7 a public charter school or a charter school management organization4 7d7 ,applications 7#a7 ,in ,general ,an eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7#b7 ,contents ,at a minimum1 the application described in paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,a description of how the eligible entity will use grant funds to implement ,english language proficiency standards1 and the academic content standards and student academic achievement standards required under section #aaaa7;b77#a71 to assist ,english learners in-- 7i7 improving ,english language proficiency1 academic achievement1 and achievement in core academic subject areas2 and 7ii7 improving preparation for postsecondary education and careers4 7,b7 ,a description of the benchmarks1 consistent with section #ccjd7;b77#a71 that the eligible entity will establish to demonstrate improvements in outcomes for students who are ,english learners4 7,c7 ,a description of how the eligible entity has used the metrics described in subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,d7 of subsection 7b77#b7 and the benchmarks described in subparagraph 7,b7 to create a data-driven needs assessment that the eligible entity will use to determine how grant funds will be used4 7,d7 ,a description of how the eligible entity will use ,federal funds received under this section only to supplement the funds that would1 in the absence of such ,federal funds1 be made available from non-,federal sources for the education of students participating in programs assisted under this section1 and not to supplant such funds4 7e7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that-- 7#a7 use funds1 or propose to use grant funds under this section1 to-- 7,a7 implement evidence-based strategies1 as determined by the ,secretary1 for activities described in subsection 7f72 7,b7 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 #e years without achieving ,english language proficiency 7as determined through the assessment described in section #aaaa7;b77#g771 or both2 7,c7 provide a continuum of literacy1 parenting1 and parent engagement services for low-literate limited ,english proficient parents of young ,english learners2 or 7,d7 serve populations of rural students and students who are migratory children1 as defined in section #acji7b72 7#b7 form partnerships with entities to carry out activities under the grant2 or 7#c7 work with an educational research entity that is1 at the time of the application1 implementing research-based programs or interventions in schools that serve a significant percentage of ,english learners4 7f7 ,use of funds ,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 the ,state challenging academic content standards under section #aaaa7;b77#a7 and to be ready for postsecondary education and careers1 which may include-- 7#a7 improving instructional programs by-- 7,a7 implementing evidence-based language instruction programs1 including-- 7i7 technology-based programs2 and 7ii7 early childhood education programs1 if applicable2 7,b7 consistent with ,state law1 implementing a program that uses instruction in the native language as a basis for ,english language acquisition1 such as-- 7i7 a dual-language program2 or 7ii7 a bilingual education program2 or 7,c7 obtaining technical assistance from an expert to develop or implement materials for ,english learner instruction2 7#b7 ensuring that ,english learners are taught by effective teachers and attend schools that are administered by effective principals1 by-- 7,a7 developing or implementing a strategy to recruit effective teachers and principals2 7,b7 developing or implementing a strategy to retain effective teachers and principals2 or 7,c7 developing or implementing a strategy to improve the effectiveness of teachers and principals2 7#c7 increasing the ability of families of ,english learners to be engaged in their child's education and development2 7#d7 expanding best practices to other schools or local educational agencies that are served by the eligible entity2 or 7#e7 carrying out other activities consistent with the purpose of this part4 #ccjc4 ,capacity building grants 7a7 ,capacity ,building ,grants 7#a7 ,in ,general ,from amounts appropriated under section #cjja7;a77#c71 the ,secretary may award capacity-building grants1 on a competitive basis1 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 7g74 7#b7 ,limitations ,the ,secretary shall not award a grant under this section to an eligible agency that has received a grant under section #ccjb4 7b7 ,duration 7#a7 ,in ,general ,grants awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than #d years4 7#b7 ,renewal ,the ,secretary shall not renew a grant under this section4 7c7 ,eligible agency ,the term eligible agency means a ,state educational agency or local educational agency that has experienced a significant increase1 as determined by the ,secretary1 in the number of ,english learners that the ,state educational agency or local educational agency1 respectively1 serves4 7d7 ,funding requirement ,continued funding after the second year of the grant period for a grant awarded under this section shall be contingent on the eligible agency's progress in-- 7#a7 meeting the benchmarks described in subsection 7e77#b77;,b72 7#b7 improving the ,english language proficiency of students served by the grant program1 as measured by the assessment described in section #aaaa7;b77#g72 7#c7 increasing the percentage of ,english learners who achieve proficiency on ,state academic assessments in mathematics1 reading or language arts1 and science1 as described in section #aaaa7;b77#c72 7#d7 increasing the percentage of secondary school students who achieve proficiency in core academic subjects2 7#e7 increasing the graduation rate1 as defined in section #aaaa7;b77#b77;,c77vi7 and clarified in section #bjj4ai7;b77#a7 of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 for ,english learners2 7#f7 increasing the awareness and knowledge of the education system for parents of ,english learners2 and 7#g7 improving the ,english language proficiency and literacy skills of parents of ,english learners4 7e7 ,applications 7#a7 ,in ,general ,an eligible agency desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7#b7 ,contents ,at a minimum1 the application described in paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,a description of how the eligible entity will use grant funds to implement ,english language proficiency standards and challenging student academic achievement standards and academic content standards under section #aaaa7;b77#a7 to assist ,english learners in-- 7i7 improving ,english language proficiency2 7ii7 improving preparation for postsecondary education and careers2 7iii7 improving the ,english language proficiency and literacy skills of their parents2 and 7iv7 improving the knowledge and ability of their parents to navigate the education system4 7,b7 ,a description of the benchmarks1 consistent with section #ccjd7;b71 that the eligible agency will establish to demonstrate improvements in outcomes for students who are ,english learners4 7,c7 ,a description of how the eligible agency will efficiently use funds to build upon previous efforts to educate ,english learners and their parents4 7,d7 ,a description of how the eligible entity will use ,federal funds received under this section only to supplement the funds that would1 in the absence of such ,federal funds1 be made available from non-,federal sources for the education of students participating in programs assisted under this section1 and not to supplant such funds4 7f7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall give priority to eligible agencies that propose to use grant funds to implement evidence-based strategies1 as determined by the ,secretary1 in order to become competitive in the application process for a grant described in section #ccjb4 7g7 ,use of ,funds 7#a7 ,required ,use of ,funds ,an eligible agency that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out activities that-- 7,a7 build the eligible agency's capacity to provide quality instruction to ,english learners and their parents2 and 7,b7 will allow the eligible agency to become competitive in the application process for a grant described in section #ccjb4 7#b7 ,permissible ,use of ,funds ,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 principals1 by-- 7,a7 developing or implementing a strategy to recruit effective teachers and principals2 7,b7 developing or implementing a strategy to retain effective teachers and principals2 or 7,c7 developing or implementing a strategy to improve the effectiveness of teachers and principals4 #ccjd4 ,indicators1 evaluation1 technical assistance1 and research 7a7 ,indicators 7#a7 ,in ,general ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,institute of ,education ,sciences1 shall establish indicators to measure the success of grant programs under this part4 7#b7 ,primary indicator ,the primary indicator described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be the percentage of students who-- 7,a7 are ,english learners2 7,b7 become ,english language proficient2 7,c7 are on track for postsecondary education and a career2 7,d7 have parents who demonstrate improved ,english language or basic literacy skills2 7,e7 have parents who increase their knowledge of the education system2 and 7,f7 have parents who increase their participation in their children's education4 7b7 ,evaluation and ,reports by the ,eligible ,entity ,each eligible entity and eligible agency receiving a grant under this part shall-- 7#a7 develop quantifiable benchmarks to evaluate the activities that the eligible entity or eligible agency carries out under this part1 based on the applicable indicators described in subsection 7a71 which may include-- 7,a7 the percentage of students who are ,english learners who obtain ,english proficiency2 7,b7 the rate of participation of students who are ,english learners in the ,state academic assessments under section #aaaa7;b72 7,c7 the reduction in the percentage of students who are ,english learners and who are in the lowest level of achievement on such ,state assessments in ,english1 reading or language arts1 and mathematics2 7,d7 the percentage of students who are ,english learners and who are taking advanced coursework2 7,e7 the percentage of parents of ,english learners who advance at least one educational functioning level in ,english language proficiency1 based on the ,department's ,national ,reporting ,system of ,adult ,education1 after a year of participating in a program supported under this part2 7,f7 the percentage of parents of ,english learners who enter postsecondary education or job training after a year of participating in such program2 7,g7 improvement1 based on pre- and post- surveys1 of the knowledge of the parents of ,english learners regarding the education system2 or 7,h7 improvement1 based on instructor observation1 of child and parent interactions and reports of parent engagement2 7#b7 submit the benchmarks described in paragraph 7#a7 to the ,secretary for approval2 and 7#c7 prepare and submit an annual report to the ,secretary on the progress that the eligible entity or eligible agency is making toward meeting such benchmarks4 7c7 ,technical ,assistance ,the ,secretary shall reserve not more than #a percent from amounts appropriated in section #cjja7;a77#c7 to directly1 or through grant or contract1 provide technical assistance to eligible entities and eligible agencies to prepare the entities and agencies to qualify1 apply for1 and maintain grants under this part4 7d7 ,research and evaluation ,the ,secretary shall reserve not more than #j4e percent from amounts appropriated in section #cjja7;a77#c7 to evaluate grants or provide technical assistance for activities funded under this part4 #ccje4 ,definitions ,in this part3 7#a7 ,dual language program ,the term dual language program means an instructional strategy for ,english learners-- 7,a7 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 day2 and 7,b7 that fosters bilingualism1 biliteracy1 enhanced awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity1 and high levels of academic achievement through instruction in #b languages4 7#b7 ,english learner ,the term ,english learner means an individual who is limited ,english proficient1 as defined in section #iaja4 4