View all text of Subchapter II [§ 9831 - § 9852c]
§ 9852b. Centers of Excellence in Early Childhood
(a) Definition
(b) Designation and bonus grantsThe Secretary shall, subject to the availability of funds under this section, establish a program under which the Secretary shall—
(1) designate not more than 200 exemplary Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies, Indian Head Start agencies, and migrant and seasonal Head Start agencies) as Centers of Excellence in Early Childhood; and
(2) make bonus grants to the centers of excellence to carry out the activities described in subsection (d).
(c) Application and designation
(1) Application
(A) Nomination and submission
(i) In general
(ii) Indian and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs
(B) ContentsAt a minimum, the application shall include—
(i) evidence that the Head Start program carried out by the agency involved has significantly improved the school readiness of children who have participated in the program;
(ii) evidence that the program meets or exceeds standards described in section 9836a(a)(1) of this title, as evidenced by the results of monitoring reviews described in section 9836a(c) of this title, and has no findings of deficiencies in the preceding 3 years;
(iii) evidence that the program is making progress toward meeting the requirements described in section 9843a of this title;
(iv) an assurance that the Head Start agency will develop a collaborative partnership with the State (or a State agency) and other providers of early childhood education and development programs and services in the local community involved to conduct activities under subsection (d);
(v) a nomination letter from the Governor, or appropriate regional office, demonstrating the agency’s ability to provide the coordination, transition, and training services of the program to be carried out under the bonus grant involved, including coordination of activities with State and local agencies that provide early childhood education and development to children and families in the community served by the agency, and carry out the activities described under subsection (d)(1); and
(vi) a description of how the center involved, in order to expand accessibility and continuity of quality early childhood education and development services and programs, will coordinate activities, as appropriate, assisted under this section with—(I) programs carried out under subchapter II–B;(II) the Early Head Start programs carried out under section 9840a of this title;(III) preschool programs carried out under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.);(IV) programs carried out under section 619 and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.);(V) State prekindergarten programs; and(VI) other programs of early childhood education and development.
(2) Selection
(3) Priority
(4) Term of designation
(A) In general
(B) Revocation
(5) Amount of bonus grant
(d) Use of fundsA center of excellence that receives a bonus grant under subsection (b)—
(1) shall use not less than 15 percent of the funds made available through the bonus grant to disseminate to other Head Start agencies in the State involved, best practices for achieving early academic success, including—
(A) best practices for achieving school readiness, including developing early literacy and mathematics skills, for children at risk for school difficulties;
(B) best practices for achieving the acquisition of the English language for limited English proficient children, if appropriate to the population served; and
(C) best practices for providing high-quality comprehensive services for eligible children and their families;
(2) may use the funds made available through the bonus grant—
(A) to provide Head Start services to additional eligible children;
(B) to better meet the needs of working families in the community served by the center by serving more children in existing Early Head Start programs (existing as of the date the center is designated under this section) or in full-working-day, full calendar year Head Start programs;
(C) to further coordinate early childhood education and development programs and services and social services available in the community served by the center for at-risk children (birth through age 8), their families, and pregnant women;
(D) to provide professional development for Head Start teachers and staff, including joint training for Head Start teachers and staff, child care providers, public and private preschool and elementary school teachers, and other providers of early childhood education and development programs;
(E) to provide effective transitions between Head Start programs and elementary schools and to facilitate ongoing communication between Head Start and elementary school teachers concerning children receiving Head Start services to improve the teachers’ ability to work effectively with low-income, at-risk children and their families;
(F) to develop or maintain partnerships with institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations, including community-based organizations, that recruit, train, place, and support college students to serve as mentors and reading partners to preschool children in Head Start programs; and
(G) to carry out other activities determined by the center to improve the overall quality of the Head Start program carried out by the agency and the program carried out under the bonus grant involved.
(e) Research and reports
(1) Research
(2) Research report
(3) Reports to the Secretary
(f) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 97–35, title VI, § 657B, as added Pub. L. 110–134, § 26, Dec. 12, 2007, 121 Stat. 1444; amended Pub. L. 114–95, title IX, § 9215(nn)(6), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2177.)