SEC.4643.
READY TO LEARN PROGRAMMING
Section Summary
ESSA
SEC. 4643. <<NOTE: 20 USC 7293.>> READY TO LEARN PROGRAMMING.
``(a) Awards to Promote School Readiness Through Ready to Learn
Programming.--
``(1) In general.--Awards made to eligible entities
described in paragraph (3) to fulfill the purpose described in
section 4641(a)(2) shall--
``(A) be known as `Ready to Learn Programming
awards'; and
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``(B) be used to--
``(i) develop, produce, and distribute
accessible educational and instructional video
programming for preschool and elementary school
children and their parents in order to facilitate
student academic achievement;
``(ii) facilitate the development, directly or
through contracts with producers of children's and
family educational television programming, of
educational programming for preschool and
elementary school children, and the accompanying
support materials and services that promote the
effective use of such programming;
``(iii) facilitate the development of
programming and digital content containing Ready-
to-Learn programming and resources for parents and
caregivers that is specially designed for
nationwide distribution over public television
stations' digital broadcasting channels and the
Internet;
``(iv) contract with entities (such as public
telecommunications entities) so that programming
developed under this section is disseminated and
distributed to the widest possible audience
appropriate to be served by the programming, and
through the use of the most appropriate
distribution technologies; and
``(v) develop and disseminate education and
training materials, including interactive programs
and programs adaptable to distance learning
technologies, that are designed--
``(I) to promote school readiness;
and
``(II) to promote the effective use
of materials developed under clauses
(ii) and (iii) among parents, family
members, teachers, principals and other
school leaders, Head Start providers,
providers of family literacy services,
child care providers, early childhood
educators, elementary school teachers,
public libraries, and after-school
program personnel caring for preschool
and elementary school children.
``(2) Availability.--In awarding or entering into grants,
contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section, the
Secretary shall ensure that eligible entities described in
paragraph (3) make programming widely available, with support
materials as appropriate, to young children, parents, child care
workers, Head Start providers, and providers of family literacy
services to increase the effective use of such programming.
``(3) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant,
contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, an entity
shall be a public telecommunications entity that is able to
demonstrate each of the following:
``(A) A capacity for the development and national
distribution of educational and instructional television
programming of high quality that is accessible by a
large majority of disadvantaged preschool and elementary
school children.
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``(B) A capacity to contract with the producers of
children's television programming for the purpose of
developing educational television programming of high
quality.
``(C) A capacity, consistent with the entity's
mission and nonprofit nature, to negotiate such
contracts in a manner that returns to the entity an
appropriate share of any ancillary income from sales of
any program-related products.
``(D) A capacity to localize programming and
materials to meet specific State and local needs and to
provide educational outreach at the local level.
``(4) Coordination of activities.--An entity receiving a
grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section
shall consult with the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and
Human Services--
``(A) to maximize the use of high-quality
educational programming by preschool and elementary
school children, and make such programming widely
available to Federally funded programs serving such
populations; and
``(B) to coordinate activities with Federal programs
that have major training components for early childhood
development, including programs under the Head Start Act
(42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) and State training activities
funded under the Child Care and Development Block Grant
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), regarding the
availability and utilization of materials developed
under paragraph (1)(B)(v) to enhance parent and child
care provider skills in early childhood development and
education.
``(b) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall submit to
the Secretary an application at such time and in such manner as the
Secretary may reasonably require. The application shall include--
``(1) a description of the activities to be carried out
under this section;
``(2) a list of the types of entities with which such entity
will enter into contracts under subsection (a)(1)(B)(iv);
``(3) a description of the activities the entity will
undertake widely to disseminate the content developed under this
section; and
``(4) a description of how the entity will comply with
subsection (a)(2).
``(c) Reports and Evaluations.--
``(1) Annual report to secretary.--An entity receiving a
grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section
shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an annual report. The
report shall describe the program activities undertaken with
funds received under the grant, contract, or cooperative
agreement, including each of the following:
``(A) The programming that has been developed,
directly or indirectly, by the eligible entity, and the
target population of the programming.
``(B) The support and training materials that have
been developed to accompany the programming, and the
method by which the materials are distributed to
consumers and users of the programming.
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``(C) The means by which programming developed under
this section has been distributed, including the
distance learning technologies that have been utilized
to make programming available, and the geographic
distribution achieved through such technologies.
``(D) The initiatives undertaken by the entity to
develop public-private partnerships to secure non-
Federal support for the development, distribution, and
broadcast of educational and instructional programming.
``(2) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall prepare and
submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the
Workforce of the House of Representatives a biannual report that
includes the following:
``(A) A summary of the activities assisted under
subsection (a).
``(B) A description of the education and training
materials made available under subsection (a)(1)(B)(v),
the manner in which outreach has been conducted to
inform parents and child care providers of the
availability of such materials, and the manner in which
such materials have been distributed in accordance with
such subsection.
``(d) Administrative Costs.--An entity that receives a grant,
contract, or cooperative agreement under this section may use up to 5
percent of the amount received under the grant, contract, or agreement
for the normal and customary expenses of administering the grant,
contract, or agreement.
``(e) Funding Rule.--Not less than 60 percent of the amount used by
the Secretary to carry out this section for each fiscal year shall be
used to carry out activities under clauses (ii) through (iv) of
subsection (a)(1)(B).
NCLB Text
Previously not included in NCLB.
