69-006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 110–439 

IMPROVING HEAD START ACT, 2007 

NOVEMBER 9, 2007.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. KILDEE, from the committee of conference, 

submitted the following 

CONFERENCE REPORT 

[To accompany H.R. 1429] 

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the 

two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 

1429), to reauthorize the Head Start Act, to improve program quality, to expand access, and for other purposes, having met, after full 

and free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend 

to their respective Houses as follows: 

That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate and agree to the same with an amendment as 

follows: 

In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the Senate 

amendment, insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving 

Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007’’. 

(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of this Act is 

as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Statement of purpose. 

Sec. 3. Definitions. 

Sec. 4. Financial assistance for Head Start programs. 

Sec. 5. Authorization of appropriations. 

Sec. 6. Allotment of funds; limitations on assistance. 

Sec. 7. Designation of Head Start agencies. 

Sec. 8. Standards; monitoring of Head Start agencies and programs. 

Sec. 9. Powers and functions of Head Start agencies. 

Sec. 10. Head start transition and alignment with K–12 education. 

Sec. 11. Early childhood education, coordination, and improvement. 

Sec. 12. Submission of plans. 

Sec. 13. Administrative requirements and standards. 

Sec. 14. Participation in Head Start programs. 

Sec. 15. Early Head Start programs. 

Sec. 16. Appeals, notice, and hearing. 

Sec. 17. Records and audits. 


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Sec. 18. Technical assistance and training. 

Sec. 19. Staff qualifications and development. 

Sec. 20. Research, demonstrations, and evaluation. 

Sec. 21. Reports. 

Sec. 22. Comparability of wages. 

Sec. 23. Limitation with respect to certain unlawful activities. 

Sec. 24. Political activities. 

Sec. 25. Parental consent requirement for health services. 

Sec. 26. Centers of Excellence in Early Childhood. 

Sec. 27. General provisions. 

Sec. 28. Compliance with Improper Payments Information Act of 2002. 

Sec. 29. References in other Acts. 

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 

Section 636 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 636. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 

‘‘It is the purpose of this subchapter to promote the school readiness of low-income children by enhancing their cognitive, social, 

and emotional development—

‘‘(1) in a learning environment that supports children’s 

growth in language, literacy, mathematics, science, social and 

emotional functioning, creative arts, physical skills, and approaches to learning; and 

‘‘(2) through the provision to low-income children and their 

families of health, educational, nutritional, social, and other 

services that are determined, based on family needs assessments, to be necessary.’’. 

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 

9832) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘(including a communitybased organization, as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801))’’

after ‘‘nonprofit’’; 

(2) in paragraph (3)(C), by inserting ‘‘, and financial literacy.’’ after ‘‘self-sufficiency’’; 

(3) in paragraph (12), by striking ‘‘migrant and seasonal 

Head Start program’’ and inserting ‘‘migrant or seasonal Head 

Start program’’; 

(4) by striking paragraph (17) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(17) The term ‘State’ means a State, the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, 

the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth 

of the Northern Mariana Islands. The term includes the Republic of Palau for fiscal years 2008 and 2009, and (if the legislation described in section 640(a)(2)(B)(v) has not been enacted by 

September 30, 2009) for fiscal years 2010 through 2012.’’; and 

(5) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(18) The term ‘deficiency’ means—

‘‘(A) a systemic or substantial material failure of an 

agency in an area of performance that the Secretary determines involves—

‘‘(i) a threat to the health, safety, or civil rights of 

children or staff; 


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‘‘(ii) a denial to parents of the exercise of their full 

roles and responsibilities related to program operations; 

‘‘(iii) a failure to comply with standards related to 

early childhood development and health services, family and community partnerships, or program design 

and management; 

‘‘(iv) the misuse of funds received under this subchapter; 

‘‘(v) loss of legal status (as determined by the Secretary) or financial viability, loss of permits, debarment from receiving Federal grants or contracts, or the 

improper use of Federal funds; or 

‘‘(vi) failure to meet any other Federal or State requirement that the agency has shown an unwillingness 

or inability to correct, after notice from the Secretary, 

within the period specified; 

‘‘(B) systemic or material failure of the governing body 

of an agency to fully exercise its legal and fiduciary responsibilities; or 

‘‘(C) an unresolved area of noncompliance. 

‘‘(19) The term ‘homeless children’ has the meaning given 

the term ‘homeless children and youths’ in section 725(2) of the 

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

11434a(2)). 

‘‘(20) The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 

meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 

‘‘(21) The term ‘interrater reliability’ means the extent to 

which 2 or more independent raters or observers consistently 

obtain the same result when using the same assessment tool. 

‘‘(22) The term ‘limited English proficient’, used with respect to a child, means a child—

‘‘(A)(i) who was not born in the United States or whose 

native language is a language other than English; 

‘‘(ii)(I) who is a Native American (as defined in section 

9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), an Alaska Native, or a native resident of an outlying area (as defined in such section 9101); 

and 

‘‘(II) who comes from an environment where a language 

other than English has had a significant impact on the 

child’s level of English language proficiency; or 

‘‘(iii) who is migratory, whose native language is a language other than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; 

and 

‘‘(B) whose difficulties in speaking or understanding 

the English language may be sufficient to deny such 

child—

‘‘(i) the ability to successfully achieve in a classroom in which the language of instruction is English; 

or 

‘‘(ii) the opportunity to participate fully in society. 


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‘‘(23) The term ‘principles of scientific research’ means principles of research that— ‘‘(A) apply rigorous, systematic, and objective methodology to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to 

education activities and programs; ‘‘(B) present findings and make claims that are appropriate to and supported by methods that have been employed; and ‘‘(C) include, as appropriate to the research being conducted—

‘‘(i) use of systematic, empirical methods that draw 

on observation or experiment; ‘‘(ii) use of data analyses that are adequate to support the general findings; ‘‘(iii) reliance on measurements or observational 

methods that provide reliable and generalizable findings; ‘‘(iv) strong claims of causal relationships, only 

with research designs that eliminate plausible competing explanations for observed results, such as, but 

not limited to, random assignment experiments; ‘‘(v) presentation of studies and methods in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a 

minimum, to offer the opportunity to build systematically on the findings of the research; ‘‘(vi) acceptance by a peer-reviewed journal or critique by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review; and ‘‘(vii) consistency of findings across multiple studies or sites to support the generality of results and conclusions. ‘‘(24) The term ‘professional development’ means high-quality activities that will improve the knowledge and skills of Head 

Start teachers and staff, as relevant to their roles and functions, in program administration and the provision of services 

and instruction, as appropriate, in a manner that improves 

service delivery to enrolled children and their families, including activities that—

‘‘(A) are part of a sustained effort to improve overall 

program quality and outcomes for enrolled children and 

their families; 

‘‘(B) are developed or selected with extensive participation of administrators and teachers from Head Start programs; 

‘‘(C) are developmentally appropriate for the children 

being served; 

‘‘(D) include instruction in ways that Head Start teachers and staff may work more effectively with parents, as appropriate; 

‘‘(E) are designed to give Head Start teachers and staff 

the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and appropriate support services to children of diverse backgrounds, 

as appropriate; 

‘‘(F) may include a 1-day or short-term workshop or 

conference, if the workshop or conference is consistent with 


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the goals in the professional development plan described in 

section 648A(f) and will be delivered by an institution of 

higher education or other entity, with expertise in delivering training in early childhood development, training in 

family support, and other assistance designed to improve 

the delivery of Head Start services; and 

‘‘(G) in the case of teachers, assist teachers with—

‘‘(i) the acquisition of the content knowledge and 

teaching strategies needed to provide effective instruction and other school readiness services regarding early 

language and literacy, early mathematics, early 

science, cognitive skills, approaches to learning, creative arts, physical health and development, and social 

and emotional development linked to school readiness; 

‘‘(ii) meeting the requirements in paragraphs (1) 

and (2) of section 648A(a), as appropriate; 

‘‘(iii) improving classroom management skills, as 

appropriate; 

‘‘(iv) advancing their understanding of effective instructional strategies that are—

‘‘(I) based on scientifically valid research; and 

‘‘(II) aligned with—

‘‘(aa) the Head Start Child Outcomes 

Framework developed by the Secretary and, as 

appropriate, State early learning standards; 

and 

‘‘(bb) curricula, ongoing assessments, and 

other instruction and services, designed to 

help meet the standards described in section 

641A(a)(1); 

‘‘(v) acquiring the knowledge and skills to provide 

instruction and appropriate language and support 

services to increase the English language skills of limited English proficient children, as appropriate; or 

‘‘(vi) methods of teaching children with disabilities, 

as appropriate. 

‘‘(25) The term ‘scientifically valid research’ includes applied research, basic research, and field-initiated research in 

which the rationale, design, and interpretation are soundly developed in accordance with principles of scientific research. 

‘‘(26) The term ‘unresolved area of noncompliance’ means 

failure to correct a noncompliance item within 120 days, or 

within such additional time (if any) as is authorized by the Secretary, after receiving from the Secretary notice of such noncompliance item, pursuant to section 641A(c).’’. 

(b) REDESIGNATION AND REORDERING OF DEFINITIONS.—Section 

637 of such Act is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (23) as paragraphs (1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (12), (16), (17), (18), 

(19), (22), (24), (25), (2), (11), (13), (14), (15), (20), (21), (23), 

and (26), respectively; and 

(2) so that paragraphs (1) through (26), as so redesignated 

in paragraph (1), appear in numerical order. 


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SEC. 4. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HEAD START PROGRAMS. 

Section 638 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9833) is amended 

by inserting ‘‘for a period of 5 years’’ after ‘‘provide financial assistance to such agency’’. 

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

Section 639 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9834) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 639. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this sub- chapter (other than section 657B) $7,350,000,000 for fiscal year 

2008, $7,650,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $7,995,000,000 for fiscal 

year 2010, and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 

years 2011 and 2012.’’. 

SEC. 6. ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS; LIMITATIONS ON ASSISTANCE. 

(a) ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS.—Section 640(a) of the Head Start 

Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(a)) is amended to read as follows: ‘‘(a)(1) Using the sums appropriated pursuant to section 639 for 

a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate such sums in accordance 

with paragraphs (2) through (5). ‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall determine an amount for each fiscal 

year for each State that is equal to the amount received through 

base grants for the prior fiscal year by the Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) in the State that are not described in clause (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (B). ‘‘(B) The Secretary shall reserve for each fiscal year such sums 

as are necessary— ‘‘(i) to provide each amount determined for a State under 

subparagraph (A) to the Head Start agencies (including Early 

Head Start agencies) in the State that are not described in 

clause (ii) or (iii), by allotting to each agency described in this 

clause an amount equal to that agency’s base grant for the prior 

fiscal year; ‘‘(ii) to provide an amount for the Indian Head Start programs that is equal to the amount provided for base grants for 

such programs under this subchapter for the prior fiscal year, 

by allotting to each Head Start agency (including each Early 

Head Start agency) administering an Indian Head Start program an amount equal to that agency’s base grant for the prior 

fiscal year; 

‘‘(iii) to provide an amount for the migrant and seasonal 

Head Start programs, on a nationwide basis, that is equal to 

the amount provided nationwide for base grants for such programs under this subchapter for the prior fiscal year, by allotting to each Head Start agency administering a migrant or seasonal Head Start program an amount equal to that agency’s 

base grant for the prior fiscal year; 

‘‘(iv) to provide an amount for each of Guam, American 

Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 

and the Virgin Islands of the United States (for Head Start 

agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) in the jurisdiction) that is equal to the amount provided for base grants for 

such jurisdiction under this subchapter for the prior fiscal year, 

by allotting to each agency described in this clause an amount 

equal to that agency’s base grant for the prior fiscal year; 


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‘‘(v) to provide an amount for the Republic of Palau (for 

Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) in 

the jurisdiction) for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009, and (if 

legislation approving a new agreement regarding United States 

assistance for the Republic of Palau has not been enacted by 

September 30, 2009) for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2012, 

that is equal to the amount provided for base grants for such 

jurisdiction under this subchapter for the prior fiscal year, by 

allotting to each agency described in this clause an amount 

equal to that agency’s base grant for the prior fiscal year; and 

‘‘(vi) to provide an amount for a collaboration grant under 

section 642B(a) for each State, for the Indian Head Start programs, and for the migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, 

in the same amount as the corresponding collaboration grant 

provided under this subchapter for fiscal year 2007. 

‘‘(C)(i) The Secretary shall reserve for each fiscal year an 

amount that is not less than 2.5 percent and not more than 3 percent of the sums appropriated pursuant to section 639 for that fiscal 

year, to fund training and technical assistance activities, from 

which reserved amount—

‘‘(I) the Secretary shall set aside a portion, but not less than 

20 percent, to be used to fund training and technical assistance 

activities for Early Head Start programs, in accordance with 

section 645A(g)(2); and 

‘‘(II) the Secretary shall set aside a portion, equal to the 

rest of the reserved amount, to fund training and technical assistance activities for other Head Start programs, in accordance 

with section 648, of which portion—

‘‘(aa) not less than 50 percent shall be made available 

to Head Start agencies to use directly, which may include 

at their discretion the establishment of local or regional 

agreements with community experts, institutions of higher 

education, or private consultants, to make program improvements identified by such agencies, by carrying out the 

training and technical assistance activities described in section 648(d); 

‘‘(bb) not less than 25 percent shall be available to the 

Secretary to support a State-based training and technical 

assistance system, or a national system, described in section 648(e) for supporting program quality; and 

‘‘(cc) the remainder of the portion set aside under this 

subclause shall be available to the Secretary to assist Head 

Start agencies in meeting and exceeding the standards described in section 641A(a)(1) by carrying out activities described in subsections (a), (b), (c), (f), and (g) of section 648, 

including helping Head Start programs address weaknesses identified by monitoring activities conducted by the 

Secretary under section 641A(c), except that not less than 

$3,000,000 of the remainder shall be made available to 

carry out activities described in section 648(a)(3)(B)(ii). 

‘‘(ii) In determining the portion set aside under clause (i)(I) and 

the amount reserved under this subparagraph, the Secretary shall 

consider the number of Early Head Start programs newly funded 

for that fiscal year. 


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‘‘(D) The Secretary shall reserve not more than $20,000,000 to 

fund research, demonstration, and evaluation activities under section 649, of which not more than $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

2008 through 2012 shall be available to carry out impact studies 

under section 649(g). 

‘‘(E) The Secretary shall reserve not more than $42,000,000 for 

discretionary payments by the Secretary, including payments for all 

costs (other than compensation of Federal employees) for activities 

carried out under subsection (c) or (e) of section 641A. 

‘‘(F) If the sums appropriated under section 639 are not sufficient to provide the amounts required to be reserved under subparagraphs (B) through (E), the amounts shall be reduced proportionately. 

‘‘(G) Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny the Secretary the authority, consistent with sections 641, 641A, and 646 to 

terminate, suspend, or reduce funding to a Head Start agency. 

‘‘(3)(A) From any amount remaining for a fiscal year after the 

Secretary carries out paragraph (2) (referred to in this paragraph 

as the ‘remaining amount’), the Secretary shall—

‘‘(i) subject to clause (ii)—

‘‘(I) provide a cost of living increase for each Head 

Start agency (including each Early Head Start agency) 

funded under this subchapter for that fiscal year, to maintain the level of services provided during the prior year; 

and 

‘‘(II) subject to subparagraph (B), provide $10,000,000 

for Indian Head Start programs (including Early Head 

Start programs), and $10,000,000 for migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, to increase enrollment in the 

programs involved; 

‘‘(ii) subject to clause (iii), if the remaining amount is not 

sufficient to carry out clause (i)—

‘‘(I) for each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010—

‘‘(aa) subject to subparagraph (B), provide 5 percent of that amount for Indian Head Start programs 

(including Early Head Start programs), and 5 percent 

of that amount for migrant and seasonal Head Start 

programs, to increase enrollment in the programs involved; and 

‘‘(bb) use 90 percent of that amount to provide, for 

each Head Start agency (including each Early Head 

Start agency) funded as described in clause (i)(I), the 

same percentage (but not less than 50 percent) of the 

cost of living increase described in clause (i); and 

‘‘(II) for fiscal year 2011 and each subsequent fiscal 

year—

‘‘(aa) provide, for each Head Start agency (including each Early Head Start agency) funded as described 

in clause (i)(I), the cost of living increase described in 

clause (i); and 

‘‘(bb) subject to subparagraph (B), with any portion 

of the remaining amount that is not used under item 

(aa), provide equal amounts for Indian Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs), and for 


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migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, to increase enrollment in the programs involved; and 

‘‘(iii) if the remaining amount is not sufficient to carry out 

clause (ii) for the fiscal year involved, use that amount to provide, for each Head Start agency (including each Early Head 

Start agency) funded as described in clause (i)(I), the same percentage of the cost of living increase described in clause (i). 

‘‘(B)(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, 

the Indian Head Start programs shall not receive more than a total 

cumulative amount of $50,000,000 for all fiscal years, and the migrant and seasonal Head Start programs shall not receive more 

than a total cumulative amount of $50,000,000 for all fiscal years, 

under clause (i)(II), and subclauses (I)(aa) and (II)(bb) of clause (ii), 

of subparagraph (A) (referred to in this subsection as the ‘special expansion provisions’), to increase enrollment in the programs involved. 

‘‘(ii)(I) Funds that are appropriated under section 639 for a fiscal year, and made available to Indian Head Start programs or migrant or seasonal Head Start programs under the special expansion 

provisions, shall remain available until the end of the following fiscal year. 

‘‘(II) For purposes of subclause (I)—

‘‘(aa) if no portion is reallocated under clause (iii), those 

funds shall remain available to the programs involved; or 

‘‘(bb) if a portion is reallocated under clause (iii), the portion shall remain available to the recipients of the portion. 

‘‘(iii) Of the funds made available as described in clause (ii), the 

Secretary shall reallocate the portion that the Secretary determines 

is unobligated 18 months after the funds are made available. The 

Secretary shall add that portion to the balance described in paragraph (4), and reallocate the portion in accordance with paragraph 

(4), for the following fiscal year referred to in clause (ii). 

‘‘(4)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), from any 

amount remaining for a fiscal year after the Secretary carries out 

paragraphs (2) and (3) (referred to in this paragraph as the ‘balance’), the Secretary shall—

‘‘(i) reserve 40 percent to carry out subparagraph (C) and 

paragraph (5); 

‘‘(ii) reserve 45 percent to carry out subparagraph (D); and 

‘‘(iii) reserve 15 percent (which shall remain available 

through the end of fiscal year 2012) to provide funds for carrying out section 642B(b)(2). 

‘‘(B)(i) Under the circumstances described in clause (ii), from 

the balance, the Secretary shall—

‘‘(I) reserve 45 percent to carry out subparagraph (C) and 

paragraph (5); and 

‘‘(II) reserve 55 percent to carry out subparagraph (D). 

‘‘(ii) The Secretary shall make the reservations described in 

clause (i) for a fiscal year if—

‘‘(I) the total cumulative amount reserved under subparagraph (A)(iii) for all preceding fiscal years equals $100,000,000; 

or 

‘‘(II) in the 2-year period preceding such fiscal year, funds 

were reserved under subparagraph (A)(iii) in an amount that 


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totals not less than $15,000,000 and the Secretary received no 

approvable applications for such funds. 

‘‘(iii) The total cumulative amount reserved under subparagraph (A)(iii) for all fiscal years may not be greater than 

$100,000,000. ‘‘(C) The Secretary shall fund the quality improvement activities 

described in paragraph (5) using the amount reserved under subparagraph (A)(i) or subparagraph (B)(i)(I), as appropriate, of 

which— ‘‘(i) a portion that is less than 10 percent may be reserved 

by the Secretary to provide funding to Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) that demonstrate the greatest need for additional funding for such activities, as determined by the Secretary; and ‘‘(ii) a portion that is not less than 90 percent shall be reserved by the Secretary to allot, to each Head Start agency (including each Early Head Start agency), an amount that bears 

the same ratio to such portion as the number of enrolled children served by the agency involved bears to the number of enrolled children served by all the Head Start agencies (including 

Early Head Start agencies), except that the Secretary shall account for the additional costs of serving children in Early Head 

Start programs and may consider whether an agency is providing a full-day program or whether an agency is providing a 

full-year program. 

‘‘(D) The Secretary shall fund expansion of Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) using the amount reserved under subparagraph (A)(ii) or subparagraph (B)(i)(II), as appropriate, of which the Secretary shall— ‘‘(i) use 0.2 percent for Head Start programs funded under 

clause (iv) or (v) of paragraph (2)(B) (other than Early Head 

Start programs); ‘‘(ii) for any fiscal year after the last fiscal year for which 

Indian Head Start programs receive funds under the special expansion provisions, use 3 percent for Head Start programs 

funded under paragraph (2)(B)(ii) (other than Early Head Start 

programs), except that the Secretary may increase that percentage if the Secretary determines that the results of the study conducted under section 649(k) indicate that the percentage should 

be increased; 

‘‘(iii) for any fiscal year after the last fiscal year for which 

migrant or seasonal Head Start programs receive funds under 

the special expansion provisions, use 4.5 percent for Head Start 

programs funded under paragraph (2)(B)(iii) (other than Early 

Head Start programs), except that the Secretary may increase 

that percentage if the Secretary determines that the results of 

the study conducted under section 649(l) indicate that the percentage should be increased; and 

‘‘(iv) from the remainder of the reserved amount—

‘‘(I) use 50 percent for Head Start programs funded 

under paragraph (2)(B)(i) (other than Early Head Start 

programs), of which—

‘‘(aa) the covered percentage shall be allocated 

among the States serving less than 60 percent (as determined by the Secretary) of children who are 3 or 4 


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years of age from families whose income is below the 

poverty line, by allocating to each of those States an 

amount that bears the same relationship to that covered percentage as the number of children who are less 

than 5 years of age from families whose income is 

below the poverty line (referred to in this subclause as 

‘young low-income children’) in that State bears to the 

number of young low-income children in all those 

States; and ‘‘(bb) the remainder shall be allocated proportionately among the States on the basis of the number of 

young low-income children; and 

‘‘(II) use 50 percent for Early Head Start programs. ‘‘(E) In this paragraph, the term ‘covered percentage’ means— ‘‘(i) for fiscal year 2008, 30 percent; 

‘‘(ii) for fiscal year 2009, 40 percent; 

‘‘(iii) for fiscal year 2010, 50 percent; 

‘‘(iv) for fiscal year 2011, 55 percent; and 

‘‘(v) for fiscal year 2012, 55 percent. ‘‘(5)(A) Not less than 50 percent of the amount reserved under 

subparagraph (A)(i) or subparagraph (B)(i)(I), as appropriate, of 

paragraph (4) to carry out quality improvement activities under 

paragraph (4)(C) and this paragraph shall be used to improve the 

compensation (including benefits) of educational personnel, family 

service workers, and child counselors, as described in sections 

644(a) and 653, in the manner determined by the Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) involved, to— ‘‘(i) ensure that compensation is adequate to attract and retain qualified staff for the programs involved in order to enhance program quality; ‘‘(ii) improve staff qualifications and assist with the implementation of career development programs for staff that support 

ongoing improvement of their skills and expertise; and ‘‘(iii) provide education and professional development to enable teachers to be fully competent to meet the professional 

standards established under section 648A(a)(1), including—

‘‘(I) providing assistance to complete postsecondary 

course work; 

‘‘(II) improving the qualifications and skills of educational personnel to become certified and licensed as bilingual education teachers, or as teachers of English as a second language; and 

‘‘(III) improving the qualifications and skills of educational personnel to teach and provide services to children 

with disabilities. 

‘‘(B) Any remaining funds from the reserved amount described 

in subparagraph (A) shall be used to carry out any of the following 

activities: 

‘‘(i) Supporting staff training, child counseling, and other 

services, necessary to address the challenges of children from 

immigrant, refugee, and asylee families, homeless children, 

children in foster care, limited English proficient children, children of migrant or seasonal farmworker families, children from 

families in crisis, children referred to Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) by child welfare agencies, 


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and children who are exposed to chronic violence or substance 

abuse. 

‘‘(ii) Ensuring that the physical environments of Head Start 

programs are conducive to providing effective program services 

to children and families, and are accessible to children with 

disabilities and other individuals with disabilities. 

‘‘(iii) Employing additional qualified classroom staff to reduce the child-to-teacher ratio in the classroom and additional 

qualified family service workers to reduce the family-to-staff 

ratio for those workers. 

‘‘(iv) Ensuring that Head Start programs have qualified 

staff that promote the language skills and literacy growth of 

children and that provide children with a variety of skills that 

have been identified, through scientifically based reading research, as predictive of later reading achievement. 

‘‘(v) Increasing hours of program operation, including—

‘‘(I) conversion of part-day programs to full-workingday programs; and 

‘‘(II) increasing the number of weeks of operation in a 

calendar year. 

‘‘(vi) Improving communitywide strategic planning and 

needs assessments for Head Start programs and collaboration 

efforts for such programs, including outreach to children described in clause (i). 

‘‘(vii) Transporting children in Head Start programs safely, 

except that not more than 10 percent of funds made available 

to carry out this paragraph may be used for such purposes. 

‘‘(viii) Improving the compensation and benefits of staff of 

Head Start agencies, in order to improve the quality of Head 

Start programs. 

‘‘(6) No sums appropriated under this subchapter may be combined with funds appropriated under any provision other than this 

subchapter if the purpose of combining funds is to make a single 

discretionary grant or a single discretionary payment, unless such 

sums appropriated under this subchapter are separately identified 

in such grant or payment and are used for the purposes of this subchapter. 

‘‘(7) In this subsection: 

‘‘(A) The term ‘base grant’, used with respect to a fiscal 

year, means the amount of permanent ongoing funding (other 

than funding described in sections 645A(g)(2)(A)(i) and paragraph (2)(C)(i)(II)(aa)) provided to a Head Start agency (including an Early Head Start agency) under this subchapter for that 

fiscal year. 

‘‘(B) The term ‘cost-of-living increase’, used with respect to 

an agency for a fiscal year, means an increase in the funding 

for that agency, based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) for the prior fiscal year, calculated on 

the amount of the base grant for that agency for the prior fiscal 

year. 

‘‘(C) For the purposes of this subsection, the term ‘State’

does not include Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands of 

the United States, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
13 

Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the 

Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.’’. (b) MINIMUM ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH

DISABILITIES.—Section 640(d) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 

9835(d)) is amended to read as follows: ‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary shall establish policies and procedures to 

assure that, for fiscal year 2009 and thereafter, not less than 10 percent of the total number of children actually enrolled by each Head 

Start agency and each delegate agency will be children with disabilities who are determined to be eligible for special education and related services, or early intervention services, as appropriate, as determined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 

U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), by the State or local agency providing services 

under section 619 or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.). ‘‘(2) Such policies and procedures shall ensure the provision of 

early intervening services, such as educational and behavioral services and supports, to meet the needs of children with disabilities, 

prior to an eligibility determination under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. ‘‘(3) Such policies and procedures shall require Head Start 

agencies to provide timely referral to and collaborate with the State 

or local agency providing services under section 619 or part C of the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to ensure the provision 

of special education and related services and early intervention services, and the coordination of programmatic efforts, to meet the special needs of such children. ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall establish policies and procedures to 

provide Head Start agencies with waivers of the requirements of 

paragraph (1) for not more than 3 years. Such policies and procedures shall require Head Start agencies, in order to receive such 

waivers, to provide evidence demonstrating that the Head Start 

agencies are making reasonable efforts on an annual basis to comply with the requirements of that paragraph. 

‘‘(5) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit or 

create a right to a free appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.’’. 

(c) SERVICE DELIVERY MODELS.—Section 640(f) of the Head 

Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(f)) is amended— (1) by striking ‘‘(f) The’’ and inserting ‘‘(f)(1) Not later than 

1 year after the date of enactment of the Improving Head Start 

for School Readiness Act of 2007, the’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘needs.’’ and inserting ‘‘needs, including 

models that leverage the capacity and capabilities of the delivery system of early childhood education and development services or programs.’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(2) In establishing the procedures the Secretary shall establish 

procedures to provide for— ‘‘(A) the conversion of part-day programs to full-workingday programs or part-day slots to full-working-day slots; and 

‘‘(B) serving additional infants and toddlers pursuant to 

section 645(a)(5).’’. 

(d) ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—Section 640(g) of the Head Start Act 

(42 U.S.C. 9835(g)) is amended—


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
14 

(1) by striking paragraphs (1), (3), and (4); 

(2) in paragraph (2)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘, in allocating funds to an applicant within a State, 

from amounts allotted to a State pursuant to subsection 

(a)(4),’’; 

(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘performance 

standards’’ and inserting ‘‘standards described in section 

641A(a)(1)’’; 

(C) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(C) the extent to which the applicant has undertaken a 

communitywide strategic planning and needs assessment involving other entities, including community organizations, and 

Federal, State, and local public agencies (including the local 

educational agency liaison designated under section 

722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 

(42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii))), that provide services to children 

and families, such as— ‘‘(i) family support services; 

‘‘(ii) child abuse prevention services; 

‘‘(iii) protective services; 

‘‘(iv) foster care; 

‘‘(v) services for families in whose homes English is not 

the language customarily spoken; ‘‘(vi) services for children with disabilities; and 

‘‘(vii) services for homeless children;’’; 

(D) in subparagraph (D)— (i) by striking ‘‘family and community needs assessment’’ and inserting ‘‘family needs assessment and 

communitywide strategic planning and needs assessment’’; 

(ii) by striking ‘‘reflects’’ and inserting ‘‘reflect’’; 

and 

(iii) by striking ‘‘other local’’ and inserting ‘‘the 

State and local’’; 

(E) by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(E) the number of eligible children, as described in 

clause (i) or (ii) of section 645(a)(1)(B), in each community 

who are not participating in a Head Start program or any 

other publicly funded early childhood education and development program;’’; 

(F) by striking subparagraphs (G) and (H) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(G) the extent to which the applicant proposes to foster 

partnerships with other service providers in a manner that will 

leverage the existing delivery systems of such services and enhance the resource capacity of the applicant; and 

‘‘(H) the extent to which the applicant, in providing services, successfully coordinated activities with the local educational agency serving the community involved (including the 

local educational agency liaison designated under section 

722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 

(42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii))), and with schools in which chilVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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dren participating in such applicant’s program will enroll following such program, with respect to such services and the education services provided by such local educational agency.’’; 

(3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (1); and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in using funds made available for expansion under subsection (a)(4)(D), the Secretary shall 

first allocate the funds to qualified applicants proposing to use such 

funds to serve children from families with incomes below the poverty line. Agencies that receive such funds are subject to the eligibility and enrollment requirements under section 645(a)(1). 

‘‘(3)(A) In the event that the amount appropriated to carry out 

the program under this subchapter for a fiscal year does not exceed 

the amount appropriated for the prior fiscal year, or is not sufficient 

to maintain services comparable to the services provided under this 

subchapter during the prior fiscal year, a Head Start agency may 

negotiate with the Secretary a reduced funded enrollment level without a reduction in the amount of the grant received by the agency 

under this subchapter, if such agency can reasonably demonstrate 

that such reduced funded enrollment level is necessary to maintain 

the quality of services. 

‘‘(B) In accordance with this paragraph, the Secretary shall set 

up a process for Head Start agencies to negotiate the reduced funded enrollment levels referred to in subparagraph (A) for the fiscal 

year involved. 

‘‘(C) In the event described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

shall be required to notify Head Start agencies of their ability to negotiate the reduced funded enrollment levels if such an agency can 

reasonably demonstrate that such reduced funded enrollment level 

is necessary to maintain the quality of services.’’. 

(e) VEHICLE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.—Section 640(i) of the 

Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(i)) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: ‘‘The regulations shall also establish requirements to 

ensure the appropriate supervision of, and appropriate background 

checks for, individuals with whom the agencies contract to transport 

those children.’’. 

(f) MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START PROGRAMS.—Section 

640(l) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(l)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)—

(A) by striking ‘‘With funds’’ and all that follows 

through ‘‘programs,’’ and inserting ‘‘With funds made 

available under this subchapter to expand migrant and 

seasonal Head Start programs,’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘children of migrant and seasonal farmworker families’’ and inserting ‘‘children of migrant or seasonal farmworker families’’; 

(2) in paragraph (2)—

(A) by striking ‘‘For’’ and all that follows through ‘‘in 

determining’’ and inserting ‘‘In determining’’; 

(B) by striking ‘‘children of migrant farmworkers’’ and 

inserting ‘‘children of migrant farmworker families’’; 

(C) by striking ‘‘under such subsection’’ and inserting 

‘‘under this subchapter’’; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
16 

(D) by striking ‘‘children of seasonal farmworkers’’ each 

place it appears and inserting ‘‘children of seasonal farmworker families’’; and 

(E) by striking ‘‘children of such farmworkers’’ and inserting ‘‘children of such farmworker families’’; and 

(3) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following: ‘‘(3) In carrying out this subchapter, the Secretary shall continue the administrative arrangement at the national level for meeting the needs of Indian children and children of migrant and seasonal farmworker families and shall ensure— ‘‘(A) the provision of training and technical assistance by 

staff with knowledge of and experience in working with such 

populations; and ‘‘(B) the appointment of a national Indian Head Start collaboration director and a national migrant and seasonal Head 

Start collaboration director. 

‘‘(4)(A) For the purposes of paragraph (3), the Secretary shall 

conduct an annual consultation in each affected Head Start region, 

with tribal governments operating Head Start (including Early 

Head Start) programs. ‘‘(B) The consultations shall be for the purpose of better meeting 

the needs of Indian, including Alaska Native, children and their 

families, in accordance with this subchapter, taking into consideration funding allocations, distribution formulas, and other issues 

affecting the delivery of Head Start services in their geographic locations. ‘‘(C) The Secretary shall publish a notification of the consultations in the Federal Register before conducting the consultations. ‘‘(D) The Secretary shall ensure that a detailed report of each 

consultation shall be prepared and made available, within 90 days 

after the consultation, to all tribal governments receiving funds 

under this subchapter.’’. (g) ENROLLMENT OF HOMELESS CHILDREN; RULE OF CONSTRUC- TION; MATERIALS.—Section 640 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 

9835) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(m) The Secretary shall issue rules to establish policies and 

procedures to remove barriers to the enrollment and participation of 

homeless children in Head Start programs. Such rules shall require 

Head Start agencies—

‘‘(1) to implement policies and procedures to ensure that 

homeless children, along with children from other special populations, are identified and prioritized for enrollment; 

‘‘(2) to allow families of homeless children to apply to, enroll in, and attend Head Start programs while required documents, such as proof of residency, immunization and other medical records, birth certificates, and other documents, are obtained within a reasonable time frame; and 

‘‘(3) to coordinate individual Head Start programs with efforts to implement subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento 

Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.). 

‘‘(n) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to require a 

State to establish a publicly funded program of early childhood education and development, or to require any child to participate in 

such a publicly funded program, including a State-funded preschool 

program, or to participate in any initial screening before particiVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

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pating in a publicly funded program of early childhood education 

and development, except as provided under sections 612(a)(3) and 

635(a)(5) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 

U.S.C. 1412(a)(3), 1435(a)(5)). 

‘‘(o) All curricula funded under this subchapter shall be based 

on scientifically valid research, and be age and developmentally appropriate. The curricula shall reflect all areas of child development 

and learning and be aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes 

Framework. Parents shall have the opportunity to examine any such 

curricula or instructional materials funded under this subchapter.’’. 

SEC. 7. DESIGNATION OF HEAD START AGENCIES. 

Section 641 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 641. DESIGNATION OF HEAD START AGENCIES. 

‘‘(a) AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to designate 

as a Head Start agency any local public or private nonprofit 

agency, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or for-profit agency, within a community, pursuant to the 

requirements of this section. 

‘‘(2) INTERIM POLICY.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), 

until such time as the Secretary develops and implements the 

system for designation renewal under this section, the Secretary 

is authorized to designate as a Head Start agency, any local 

public or private nonprofit agency, including community-based 

and faith-based organizations, or for-profit agency, within a 

community, in the manner and process utilized by the Secretary 

prior to the enactment of the Improving Head Start for School 

Readiness Act of 2007. 

‘‘(b) APPLICATION FOR DESIGNATION RENEWAL.—To be considered for designation renewal, an entity shall submit an application 

to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary 

may require. 

‘‘(c) SYSTEM FOR DESIGNATION RENEWAL.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall develop a system for 

designation renewal that integrates the recommendations of the 

expert panel convened under paragraph (2) to determine if a 

Head Start agency is delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program that meets the educational, health, 

nutritional, and social needs of the children and families it 

serves, and meets program and financial management requirements and standards described in section 641A(a)(1), based 

on—

‘‘(A) annual budget and fiscal management data; 

‘‘(B) program reviews conducted under section 641A(c); 

‘‘(C) annual audits required under section 647; 

‘‘(D) classroom quality as measured under section 

641A(c)(2)(F); and 

‘‘(E) Program Information Reports. 

‘‘(2) EXPERT PANEL.—Not later than 3 months after the date 

of enactment of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness 

Act of 2007, the Secretary shall convene an expert panel of 7 

members to make recommendations to the Secretary on the deVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

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velopment of a transparent, reliable, and valid system for designation renewal. 

‘‘(3) COMPOSITION OF EXPERT PANEL.—The Secretary, in 

convening such panel, shall appoint the following: 

‘‘(A)(i) One member, who has demonstrated competency, as evidenced by training, expertise, and experience, 

in early childhood program accreditation. 

‘‘(ii) One member, who has demonstrated competency 

(as so evidenced) in research on early childhood development. 

‘‘(iii) One member, who has demonstrated competency 

(as so evidenced) in governance and finance of nonprofit organizations. 

‘‘(iv) One member, who has demonstrated competency 

(as so evidenced) in delivery of services to populations of 

children with special needs and their families. 

‘‘(v) One member, who has demonstrated competency 

(as so evidenced) in assessment and evaluation of programs 

serving young children. 

‘‘(B) An employee from the Office of Head Start. 

‘‘(C) An executive director of a Head Start agency. 

‘‘(4) EXPERT PANEL REPORT.—Within 9 months after being 

convened by the Secretary, the expert panel shall issue a report 

to the Secretary that provides recommendations on a proposed 

system for designation renewal that takes into account the criteria in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1) to 

evaluate whether a Head Start agency is fulfilling its mission 

to deliver a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program, including adequately meeting its governance, legal, and 

financial management requirements. 

‘‘(5) PUBLIC COMMENT AND CONSIDERATION.—Not later than 

3 months after receiving the report described in paragraph (4), 

the Secretary shall publish a notice describing a proposed system for designation renewal in the Federal Register, including 

a proposal for the transition to such system, providing at least 

90 days for public comment. The Secretary shall review and 

consider public comments prior to finalizing the system for designation renewal described in this subsection. 

‘‘(6) DESIGNATION RENEWAL SYSTEM.—Not later than 12 

months after publishing a notice describing the proposed system 

under paragraph (5), the Secretary shall implement the system 

for designation renewal and use that system to determine—

‘‘(A) whether a Head Start grantee is successfully delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program; and 

‘‘(B) whether the grantee has any unresolved deficiencies found during the last triennial review under section 641A(c). 

‘‘(7) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DESIGNATION RENEWAL SYSTEM.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A grantee who is determined under 

such system—

‘‘(i) to be delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program shall be designated (conVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

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sistent with section 643) as a Head Start agency for the 

period of 5 years described in section 638; ‘‘(ii) to not be delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program shall be subject to an 

open competition as described in subsection (d); and ‘‘(iii) in the case of an Indian Head Start agency, 

to not be delivering a high-quality and comprehensive 

Head Start program shall (notwithstanding clause (ii)) 

be subject to the requirements of subparagraph (B). 

‘‘(B) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION AND RE- EVALUATION.—On making a determination described in 

subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary shall engage in government-to-government consultation with the appropriate tribal government or governments for the purpose of establishing a plan to improve the quality of Head Start programs operated by the Indian Head Start agency. Such 

plan shall be established and implemented within 6 

months after the Secretary’s determination. Not more than 

6 months after the implementation of that plan, the Secretary shall reevaluate the performance of the Indian Head 

Start agency. If the Indian Head Start agency is still not 

delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start 

program, the Secretary shall conduct an open competition 

as described in subsection (d), subject to the limitations described in subsection (e). 

‘‘(8) TRANSPARENCY, RELIABILITY, AND VALIDITY.—The Secretary shall ensure the system for designation renewal is fair, 

consistent, and transparent and is applied in a manner that renews designations, in a timely manner, grantees as Head Start 

agencies for periods of 5 years if such grantees are delivering 

high-quality and comprehensive Head Start programs. The Secretary shall periodically evaluate whether the criteria of the system are being applied in a manner that is transparent, reliable, 

and valid. 

‘‘(9) TRANSITION.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each Head Start agency shall be reviewed under the system for designation renewal described 

in paragraph (6), not later than 3 years after the implementation of such system. ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—A Head Start agency shall not be 

subject to the requirements of the system for designation renewal prior to 18 months after the date of enactment of the 

Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007. 

‘‘(C) SCHEDULE.—The Secretary shall establish and implement a schedule for reviewing each Head Start agency 

under the system for designation renewal described in 

paragraph (6), consistent with subparagraphs (A) and (B). 

‘‘(10) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall—

‘‘(A) make available to the Committee on Education 

and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 

Senate the report described in paragraph (4); 

‘‘(B) concurrently with publishing a notice in the Federal Register as described in paragraph (5), provide a report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate that provides 

a detailed description of the proposed system described in 

paragraph (5), including a clear rationale for any differences between the proposed system and the recommendations of the expert panel, if any such differences exist; and ‘‘(C) prior to implementing the system for designation 

renewal, provide a report to the Committee on Education 

and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 

Senate—

‘‘(i) summarizing the public comment on the proposed system and the Secretary’s response to such comment; and ‘‘(ii) describing the final system for designation renewal and the plans for implementation of such system. ‘‘(d) DESIGNATION WHEN NO ENTITY IS RENEWED.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If no entity in a community is determined to be successfully delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program, as specified in subsection (c), 

the Secretary shall, after conducting an open competition, designate for a 5-year period a Head Start agency from among 

qualified applicants in such community. 

‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS FOR DESIGNATION.—In selecting from 

among qualified applicants for designation as a Head Start 

agency, the Secretary shall consider the effectiveness of each 

such applicant to provide Head Start services, based on— ‘‘(A) any past performance of such applicant in providing services comparable to Head Start services, including how effectively such applicant provided such comparable services; ‘‘(B) the plan of such applicant to provide comprehensive health, educational, nutritional, social, and other services needed to aid participating children in attaining their 

full potential, and to prepare children to succeed in school; 

‘‘(C) the plan of such applicant to attract and retain 

qualified staff capable of delivering, including implementing, a high-quality and comprehensive program, including the ability to carry out a research based curriculum 

aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework 

and, as appropriate, State early learning standards; 

‘‘(D) the ability of such applicant to maintain child-toteacher ratios and family service worker caseloads that reflect best practices and are tied to high-quality service delivery; 

‘‘(E) the capacity of such applicant to serve eligible children with—

‘‘(i) curricula that are based on scientifically valid 

research, that are developmentally appropriate, and 

that promote the school readiness of children participating in the program involved; and 

‘‘(ii) teaching practices that are based, as appropriate, on scientifically valid research, that are developmentally appropriate, and that promote the school 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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readiness of children participating in the program involved; 

‘‘(F) the plan of such applicant to meet standards described in section 641A(a)(1), with particular attention to 

the standards described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 

such section; 

‘‘(G) the proposed budget of the applicant and plan of 

such applicant to maintain strong fiscal controls and costeffective fiscal management; 

‘‘(H) the plan of such applicant to coordinate and collaborate with other public or private entities providing 

early childhood education and development programs and 

services for young children in the community involved, including—

‘‘(i) programs implementing grant agreements 

under the Early Reading First and Even Start programs under subparts 2 and 3 of part B of title I of 

the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 

(20 U.S.C. 6371 et seq., 6381 et seq.); 

‘‘(ii) other preschool programs under title I of that 

Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.); 

‘‘(iii) programs under section 619 and part C of the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 

1419, 1431 et seq.); 

‘‘(iv) State prekindergarten programs; 

‘‘(v) child care programs; 

‘‘(vi) the educational programs that the children in 

the Head Start program involved will enter at the age 

of compulsory school attendance; and 

‘‘(vii) local entities, such as a public or school library, for—

‘‘(I) conducting reading readiness programs; 

‘‘(II) developing innovative programs to excite 

children about the world of books, including providing fresh books in the Head Start classroom; 

‘‘(III) assisting in literacy training for Head 

Start teachers; or 

‘‘(IV) supporting parents and other caregivers 

in literacy efforts; 

‘‘(I) the plan of such applicant to coordinate the Head 

Start program that the applicant proposes to carry out, 

with public and private entities that are willing to commit 

resources to assist the Head Start program in meeting its 

program needs; 

‘‘(J) the plan of such applicant—

‘‘(i) to facilitate the involvement of parents (including grandparents and kinship caregivers, as appropriate) of children participating in the proposed Head 

Start program, in activities (at home and, if practicable, at the location of the Head Start program) designed to help such parents become full partners in the 

education of their children; 

‘‘(ii) to afford such parents the opportunity to participate in the development and overall conduct of the 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
22 

program at the local level, including transportation assistance, as appropriate; ‘‘(iii) to offer (directly or through referral to local 

entities, such as entities carrying out Even Start programs under subpart 3 of part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 

U.S.C. 6381 et seq.), public and school libraries, and 

entities carrying out family support programs) to such 

parents—

‘‘(I) family literacy services; and 

‘‘(II) parenting skills training; ‘‘(iv) to offer to parents of participating children 

substance abuse counseling (either directly or through 

referral to local entities), if needed, including information on the effect of drug exposure on infants and fetal 

alcohol syndrome; ‘‘(v) at the option of such applicant, to offer (directly or through referral to local entities) to such parents— ‘‘(I) training in basic child development (including cognitive, social, and emotional development); ‘‘(II) assistance in developing literacy and communication skills; ‘‘(III) opportunities to share experiences with 

other parents (including parent-mentor relationships); ‘‘(IV) regular in-home visitation; 

‘‘(V) health services, including information on 

maternal depression; or ‘‘(VI) any other activity designed to help such 

parents become full partners in the education of 

their children; 

‘‘(vi) to provide, with respect to each participating 

family, a family needs assessment that includes consultation with such parents (including foster parents, 

grandparents, and kinship caregivers, where applicable), in a manner and language that such parents can 

understand, to the extent practicable, about the benefits 

of parent involvement and about the activities described in this subparagraph in which such parents 

may choose to become involved (taking into consideration their specific family needs, work schedules, and 

other responsibilities); and 

‘‘(vii) to extend outreach to fathers (including father figures), in appropriate cases, in order to strengthen the role of those fathers in families, in the education 

of young children, and in the Head Start program, by 

working directly with the fathers through activities 

such as—

‘‘(I) in appropriate cases, including the fathers 

in home visits and providing opportunities for direct father-child interactions; and 

‘‘(II) targeting increased male participation in 

the conduct of the program; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(K) the plan of such applicant to meet the needs of 

limited English proficient children and their families, including procedures to identify such children, plans to provide trained personnel, and plans to provide services to assist the children in making progress toward the acquisition 

of the English language, while making meaningful progress 

in attaining the knowledge, skills, abilities, and development described in section 641A(a)(1)(B); ‘‘(L) the plan of such applicant to meet the diverse 

needs of the population served; ‘‘(M) the plan of such applicant who chooses to assist 

younger siblings of children who will participate in the 

Head Start program to obtain health services from other 

sources; ‘‘(N) the plan of such applicant to meet the needs of 

children with disabilities, including procedures to identify 

such children, procedures for referral of such children for 

evaluation to State or local agencies providing services 

under section 619 or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.), and 

plans for collaboration with those State or local agencies; ‘‘(O) the plan of such applicant to meet the needs of 

homeless children, including transportation needs, and the 

needs of children in foster care; and ‘‘(P) other factors related to the requirements of this 

subchapter. 

‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In selecting from among qualified applicants for designation as a Head Start agency, the Secretary 

shall give priority to applicants that have demonstrated capacity in providing effective, comprehensive, and well-coordinated 

early childhood education and development services and programs to children and their families. 

‘‘(e) PROHIBITION AGAINST NON-INDIAN HEAD START AGENCY

RECEIVING A GRANT FOR AN INDIAN HEAD START PROGRAM.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 

law, except as provided in paragraph (2), under no condition 

may a non-Indian Head Start agency receive a grant to carry 

out an Indian Head Start program. ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—In a community in which there is no Indian Head Start agency available for designation to carry out 

an Indian Head Start program, a non-Indian Head Start agency may receive a grant to carry out an Indian Head Start program but only until such time as an Indian Head Start agency 

in such community becomes available and is designated pursuant to this section. 

‘‘(f) INTERIM PROVIDER.—If no agency in a community is designated under subsection (d), and there is no qualified applicant in 

the community, the Secretary shall designate a qualified agency to 

carry out the Head Start program in the community on an interim 

basis until a qualified applicant from the community is designated 

under subsection (d). ‘‘(g) PARENT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary 

shall require that the practice of significantly involving parents and 

community residents in the area affected by the program involved, 

in the selection of Head Start agencies, be continued. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
24 

‘‘(h) COMMUNITY.—For purposes of this subchapter, a community may be a city, county, or multicity or multicounty unit within 

a State, an Indian reservation (including Indians in any off-reservation area designated by an appropriate tribal government in consultation with the Secretary), or a neighborhood or other area (irrespective of boundaries or political subdivisions) that provides a suitable organizational base and possesses the commonality of interest 

needed to operate a Head Start program.’’. 

SEC. 8. STANDARDS; MONITORING OF HEAD START AGENCIES AND 

PROGRAMS. 

Section 641A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836a) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 641A. STANDARDS; MONITORING OF HEAD START AGENCIES AND 

PROGRAMS. 

‘‘(a) STANDARDS.— ‘‘(1) CONTENT OF STANDARDS.—The Secretary shall modify, 

as necessary, program performance standards by regulation applicable to Head Start agencies and programs under this subchapter, including— ‘‘(A) performance standards with respect to services required to be provided, including health, parental involvement, nutritional, and social services, transition activities 

described in section 642A, and other services; ‘‘(B) scientifically based and developmentally appropriate education performance standards related to school 

readiness that are based on the Head Start Child Outcomes 

Framework to ensure that the children participating in the 

program, at a minimum, develop and demonstrate— ‘‘(i) language knowledge and skills, including oral 

language and listening comprehension; ‘‘(ii) literacy knowledge and skills, including phonological awareness, print awareness and skills, and 

alphabetic knowledge; ‘‘(iii) mathematics knowledge and skills; 

‘‘(iv) science knowledge and skills; 

‘‘(v) cognitive abilities related to academic achievement and child development; ‘‘(vi) approaches to learning related to child development and early learning; ‘‘(vii) social and emotional development related to 

early learning, school success, and social problemsolving; ‘‘(viii) abilities in creative arts; 

‘‘(ix) physical development; and 

‘‘(x) in the case of limited English proficient children, progress toward acquisition of the English language while making meaningful progress in attaining 

the knowledge, skills, abilities, and development described in clauses (i) through (ix), including progress 

made through the use of culturally and linguistically 

appropriate instructional services; 

‘‘(C) administrative and financial management standards; ‘‘(D) standards relating to the condition and location of 

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ards, where appropriate) for such agencies, and programs, 

including regulations that require that the facilities used by 

Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies 

and any delegate agencies) for regularly scheduled centerbased and combination program option classroom activities— ‘‘(i) shall meet or exceed State and local requirements concerning licensing for such facilities; and ‘‘(ii) shall be accessible by State and local authorities for purposes of monitoring and ensuring compliance, unless State or local laws prohibit such access; 

and 

‘‘(E) such other standards as the Secretary finds to be 

appropriate. 

‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING STANDARDS.—In developing any modifications to standards required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—

‘‘(A) consult with experts in the fields of child development, early childhood education, child health care, family 

services (including linguistically and culturally appropriate 

services to non-English speaking children and their families), administration, and financial management, and with 

persons with experience in the operation of Head Start programs; 

‘‘(B) take into consideration—

‘‘(i) past experience with use of the standards in effect under this subchapter on the date of enactment of 

the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 

2007; 

‘‘(ii) changes over the period since October 27, 

1998, in the circumstances and problems typically facing children and families served by Head Start agencies; ‘‘(iii) recommendations from the study on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children 

by the National Academy of Sciences, consistent with 

section 649(j); ‘‘(iv) developments concerning research-based practices with respect to early childhood education and development, children with disabilities, homeless children, children in foster care, and family services, and 

best practices with respect to program administration 

and financial management; ‘‘(v) projected needs of an expanding Head Start 

program; ‘‘(vi) guidelines and standards that promote child 

health services and physical development, including 

participation in outdoor activity that supports children’s motor development and overall health and nutrition; 

‘‘(vii) changes in the characteristics of the population of children who are eligible to participate in 

Head Start programs, including country of origin, language background, and family structure of such children, and changes in the population and number of 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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such children who are in foster care or are homeless 

children; 

‘‘(viii) mechanisms to ensure that children participating in Head Start programs make a successful transition to the schools that the children will be attending; 

‘‘(ix) the need for Head Start agencies to maintain 

regular communications with parents, including conducting periodic meetings to discuss the progress of individual children in Head Start programs; and 

‘‘(x) the unique challenges faced by individual programs, including those programs that are seasonal or 

short term and those programs that serve rural populations; 

‘‘(C)(i) review and revise as necessary the standards in 

effect under this subsection; and 

‘‘(ii) ensure that any such revisions in the standards 

will not result in the elimination of or any reduction in 

quality, scope, or types of health, educational, parental involvement, nutritional, social, or other services required to 

be provided under such standards as in effect on the date 

of enactment of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007; and 

‘‘(D) consult with Indian tribes, including Alaska Natives, experts in Indian, including Alaska Native, early 

childhood education and development, linguists, and the 

National Indian Head Start Directors Association on the 

review and promulgation of standards under paragraph (1) 

(including standards for language acquisition and school 

readiness). 

‘‘(3) STANDARDS RELATING TO OBLIGATIONS TO DELEGATE

AGENCIES.—In developing any modifications to standards under 

paragraph (1), the Secretary shall describe the obligations of a 

Head Start agency to a delegate agency to which the Head Start 

agency has delegated responsibility for providing services under 

this subchapter. 

‘‘(b) MEASURES.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with representatives of Head Start agencies and with experts in the 

fields of early childhood education and development, family 

services, and program management, shall use the study on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children by 

the National Academy of Sciences and other relevant research 

to inform, revise, and provide guidance to Head Start agencies 

for utilizing, scientifically based measures that support, as appropriate—

‘‘(A) classroom instructional practices; 

‘‘(B) identification of children with special needs; 

‘‘(C) program evaluation; and 

‘‘(D) administrative and financial management practices. 

‘‘(2) CHARACTERISTICS OF MEASURES.—The measures under 

this subsection shall—

‘‘(A) be developmentally, linguistically, and culturally 

appropriate for the population served; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(B) be reviewed periodically, based on advances in the 

science of early childhood development; 

‘‘(C) be consistent with relevant, nationally recognized 

professional and technical standards related to the assessment of young children; 

‘‘(D) be valid and reliable in the language in which 

they are administered; 

‘‘(E) be administered by staff with appropriate training 

for such administration; 

‘‘(F) provide for appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities and children who are limited English 

proficient; 

‘‘(G) be high-quality research-based measures that have 

been demonstrated to assist with the purposes for which 

they were devised; and 

‘‘(H) be adaptable, as appropriate, for use in the selfassessment of Head Start agencies, including in the evaluation of administrative and financial management practices. 

‘‘(3) USE OF MEASURES; LIMITATIONS ON USE.—

‘‘(A) USE.—The measures shall be designed, as appropriate, for the purpose of—

‘‘(i) helping to develop the skills, knowledge, abilities, and development described in subsection (a)(1)(B) 

of children participating in Head Start programs, with 

an emphasis on measuring skills that scientifically 

valid research has demonstrated are related to children’s school readiness and later success in school; 

‘‘(ii) improving classroom practices, including reviewing children’s strengths and weaknesses and individualizing instruction to better meet the needs of the 

children involved; 

‘‘(iii) identifying the special needs of children; and 

‘‘(iv) improving overall program performance in 

order to help programs identify problem areas that 

may require additional training and technical assistance resources. 

‘‘(B) LIMITATIONS.—Such measures shall not be used to 

exclude children from Head Start programs. 

‘‘(4) CONFIDENTIALITY.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, through regulation, 

shall ensure the confidentiality of any personally identifiable data, information, and records collected or maintained 

under this subchapter by the Secretary and any Head Start 

agency. Such regulations shall provide the policies, protections, and rights equivalent to those provided to a parent, 

student, or educational agency or institution under section 

444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 

1232g). 

‘‘(B) PROHIBITION ON NATIONWIDE DATABASE.—Nothing 

in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the development of a nationwide database of personally identifiable 

data, information, or records on children resulting from the 

use of measures under this subsection. 

‘‘(5) SPECIAL RULE.—


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‘‘(A) PROHIBITION.—The use of assessment items and 

data on any assessment authorized under this subchapter 

by any agent of the Federal Government is prohibited for 

the purposes of—

‘‘(i) ranking, comparing, or otherwise evaluating 

individual children for purposes other than research, 

training, or technical assistance; and 

‘‘(ii) providing rewards or sanctions for individual 

children or teachers. 

‘‘(B) RESULTS.—The Secretary shall not use the results 

of a single assessment as the sole method for assessing program effectiveness or making agency funding determinations at the national, regional, or local level under this subchapter. 

‘‘(c) MONITORING OF LOCAL AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To determine whether Head Start agencies meet standards described in subsection (a)(1) established 

under this subchapter with respect to program, administrative, 

financial management, and other requirements, and in order to 

help the programs identify areas for improvement and areas of 

strength as part of their ongoing self-assessment process, the 

Secretary shall conduct the following reviews of Head Start 

agencies, including the Head Start programs operated by such 

agencies: 

‘‘(A) A full review, including the use of a risk-based assessment approach, of each such agency at least once during each 3-year period. 

‘‘(B) A review of each newly designated Head Start 

agency immediately after the completion of the first year 

such agency carries out a Head Start program. 

‘‘(C) Followup reviews, including—

‘‘(i) return visits to Head Start agencies with 1 or 

more findings of deficiencies, not later than 6 months 

after the Secretary provides notification of such findings, or not later than 12 months after such notification if the Secretary determines that additional time is 

necessary for an agency to address such a deficiency 

prior to the review; and 

‘‘(ii) a review of Head Start agencies with significant areas of noncompliance. 

‘‘(D) Other reviews, including unannounced site inspections of Head Start centers, as appropriate. 

‘‘(2) CONDUCT OF REVIEWS.—The Secretary shall ensure 

that reviews described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of 

paragraph (1)—

‘‘(A) are conducted by review teams that—

‘‘(i) include individuals who are knowledgeable 

about Head Start programs and, to the maximum extent practicable, individuals who are knowledgeable 

about—

‘‘(I) other early childhood education and development programs, personnel management, financial accountability, and systems development and 

monitoring; and 


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‘‘(II) the diverse (including linguistic and cultural) needs of eligible children (including children 

with disabilities, homeless children, children in 

foster care, and limited English proficient children) and their families; 

‘‘(ii) include, to the maximum extent practicable, 

current or former employees of the Department of 

Health and Human Services who are knowledgeable 

about Head Start programs; and ‘‘(iii) shall receive periodic training to ensure quality and consistency across reviews; 

‘‘(B) include as part of the reviews, a review and assessment of program strengths and areas in need of improvement; ‘‘(C) include as part of the reviews, a review and assessment of whether programs have adequately addressed 

population and community needs (including those of limited English proficient children and children of migrant or 

seasonal farmworker families); ‘‘(D) include as part of the reviews, an assessment of 

the extent to which the programs address the communitywide strategic planning and needs assessment described in 

section 640(g)(1)(C); ‘‘(E) include information on the innovative and effective 

efforts of the Head Start agencies to collaborate with the 

entities providing early childhood and development services 

or programs in the community and any barriers to such 

collaboration that the agencies encounter; ‘‘(F) include as part of the reviews, a valid and reliable 

research-based observational instrument, implemented by 

qualified individuals with demonstrated reliability, that 

assesses classroom quality, including assessing multiple dimensions of teacher-child interactions that are linked to 

positive child development and later achievement; 

‘‘(G) are conducted in a manner that evaluates program performance, quality, and overall operations with 

consistency and objectivity, are based on a transparent and 

reliable system of review, and are conducted in a manner 

that includes periodic interrater reliability checks, to ensure 

quality and consistency, across and within regions, of the 

reviews and of noncompliance and deficiency determinations; 

‘‘(H) in the case of reviews of Early Head Start agencies 

and programs, are conducted by a review team that includes individuals who are knowledgeable about the development of infants and toddlers; 

‘‘(I) include as part of the reviews a protocol for fiscal 

management that shall be used to assess compliance with 

program requirements for—

‘‘(i) using Federal funds appropriately; 

‘‘(ii) using Federal funds specifically to purchase 

property (consistent with section 644(f)) and to compensate personnel; 

‘‘(iii) securing and using qualified financial officer 

support; and 


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‘‘(iv) reporting financial information and implementing appropriate internal controls to safeguard 

Federal funds; 

‘‘(J) include as part of the reviews of the programs, a 

review and assessment of whether the programs are in conformity with the eligibility requirements under section 

645(a)(1), including regulations promulgated under such 

section and whether the programs have met the requirements for the outreach and enrollment policies and procedures, and selection criteria, in such section, for the participation of children in programs assisted under this subchapter; 

‘‘(K) include as part of the reviews, a review and assessment of whether agencies have adequately addressed 

the needs of children with disabilities, including whether 

the agencies involved have met the 10 percent minimum enrollment requirement specified in section 640(d) and whether the agencies have made sufficient efforts to collaborate 

with State and local agencies providing services under section 619 or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); and 

‘‘(L) include as part of the reviews, a review and assessment of child outcomes and performance as they relate to 

agency-determined school readiness goals described in subsection (g)(2), consistent with subsection (b)(5). 

‘‘(3) STANDARDS RELATING TO OBLIGATIONS TO DELEGATE

AGENCIES.—In conducting a review described in paragraph 

(1)(A) of a Head Start agency, the Secretary shall determine 

whether the agency complies with the obligations described in 

subsection (a)(3). The Secretary shall consider such compliance 

in determining whether to renew financial assistance to the 

Head Start agency under this subchapter. 

‘‘(4) USE OF REVIEW FINDINGS.—The findings of a review 

described in paragraph (1) of a Head Start agency shall, at a 

minimum—

‘‘(A) be presented to the agency in a timely, transparent, and uniform manner that conveys information of 

program strengths and weaknesses and assists with program improvement; and 

‘‘(B) be used by the agency to inform the development 

and implementation of its plan for training and technical 

assistance. 

‘‘(d) EVALUATIONS AND CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR DELEGATE

AGENCIES.—

‘‘(1) PROCEDURES.—Each Head Start agency shall establish, subject to paragraph (4), procedures relating to its delegate 

agencies, including—

‘‘(A) procedures for evaluating delegate agencies; 

‘‘(B) procedures for defunding delegate agencies; and 

‘‘(C) procedures for a delegate agency to appeal a 

defunding decision. 

‘‘(2) EVALUATION.—Each Head Start agency—

‘‘(A) shall evaluate its delegate agencies using the procedures established under this subsection; and 


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‘‘(B) shall inform the delegate agencies of the deficiencies identified through the evaluation that are required 

to be corrected. 

‘‘(3) REMEDIES TO ENSURE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.—In the 

event that the Head Start agency identifies a deficiency for a 

delegate agency through the evaluation, the Head Start agency 

shall take action, which may include—

‘‘(A) initiating procedures to terminate the designation 

of the agency unless the agency corrects the deficiency; 

‘‘(B) conducting monthly monitoring visits to such delegate agency until all deficiencies are corrected or the Head 

Start agency decides to defund such delegate agency; and 

‘‘(C) releasing funds to such delegate agency—

‘‘(i) only as reimbursements except that, upon receiving a request from the delegate agency accompanied by assurances satisfactory to the Head Start 

agency that the funds will be appropriately safeguarded, the Head Start agency shall provide to the 

delegate agency a working capital advance in an 

amount sufficient to cover the estimated expenses involved during an agreed upon disbursing cycle; and 

‘‘(ii) only if there is continuity of services. 

‘‘(4) TERMINATION.—The Head Start agency may not terminate a delegate agency’s contract or reduce a delegate agency’s 

service area without showing cause or demonstrating the costeffectiveness of such a decision. 

‘‘(5) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection 

shall be construed to limit the powers, duties, or functions of 

the Secretary with respect to Head Start agencies or delegate 

agencies that receive financial assistance under this subchapter. 

‘‘(e) CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR HEAD START AGENCIES.—

‘‘(1) DETERMINATION.—If the Secretary determines, on the 

basis of a review pursuant to subsection (c), that a Head Start 

agency designated pursuant to this subchapter fails to meet the 

standards described in subsection (a)(1) or fails to address the 

communitywide strategic planning and needs assessment, the 

Secretary shall—

‘‘(A) inform the agency of the deficiencies that shall be 

corrected and identify the assistance to be provided consistent with paragraph (3); 

‘‘(B) with respect to each identified deficiency, require 

the agency—

‘‘(i) to correct the deficiency immediately, if the 

Secretary finds that the deficiency threatens the health 

or safety of staff or program participants or poses a 

threat to the integrity of Federal funds; 

‘‘(ii) to correct the deficiency not later than 90 days 

after the identification of the deficiency if the Secretary 

finds, in the discretion of the Secretary, that such a 90- 

day period is reasonable, in light of the nature and 

magnitude of the deficiency; or 

‘‘(iii) in the discretion of the Secretary (taking into 

consideration the seriousness of the deficiency and the 

time reasonably required to correct the deficiency), to 


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comply with the requirements of paragraph (2) concerning a quality improvement plan; and 

‘‘(C) initiate proceedings to terminate the designation of 

the agency unless the agency corrects the deficiency. 

‘‘(2) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN.—

‘‘(A) AGENCY AND PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES.—To retain a designation as a Head Start agency under this subchapter, or in the case of a Head Start program to continue 

to receive funds from such agency, a Head Start agency 

that is the subject of a determination described in paragraph (1), or a Head Start program that is determined to 

have a deficiency under subsection (d)(2) (excluding an 

agency required to correct a deficiency immediately or during a 90-day period under clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 

(1)(B)) shall—

‘‘(i) develop in a timely manner, a quality improvement plan that shall be subject to the approval of the 

Secretary, or in the case of a program, the sponsoring 

agency, and that shall specify—

‘‘(I) the deficiencies to be corrected; 

‘‘(II) the actions to be taken to correct such deficiencies; and 

‘‘(III) the timetable for accomplishment of the 

corrective actions specified; and 

‘‘(ii) correct each deficiency identified, not later 

than the date for correction of such deficiency specified 

in such plan (which shall not be later than 1 year after 

the date the agency or Head Start program that is determined to have a deficiency received notice of the determination and of the specific deficiency to be corrected). 

‘‘(B) SECRETARIAL RESPONSIBILITY.—Not later than 30 

days after receiving from a Head Start agency a proposed 

quality improvement plan pursuant to subparagraph (A), 

the Secretary shall either approve such proposed plan or 

specify the reasons why the proposed plan cannot be approved. 

‘‘(C) AGENCY RESPONSIBILITY.—Not later than 30 days 

after receiving from a Head Start program a proposed 

quality improvement plan pursuant to subparagraph (A), 

the Head Start agency involved shall either approve such 

proposed plan or specify the reasons why the proposed plan 

cannot be approved. 

‘‘(3) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 

shall provide training and technical assistance to Head Start 

agencies and programs with respect to the development or implementation of such quality improvement plans to the extent 

the Secretary finds such provision to be feasible and appropriate given available funding and other statutory responsibilities. 

‘‘(f) SUMMARIES OF MONITORING OUTCOMES.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the end of 

each fiscal year, the Secretary shall publish a summary report 

on the findings of reviews conducted under subsection (c) and 


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on the outcomes of quality improvement plans implemented 

under subsection (e), during such fiscal year. 

‘‘(2) REPORT AVAILABILITY.—Such report shall be made 

widely available to—

‘‘(A) parents with children receiving assistance under 

this subchapter—

‘‘(i) in an understandable and uniform format; and 

‘‘(ii) to the extent practicable, in a language that 

the parents understand; and 

‘‘(B) the public through means such as—

‘‘(i) distribution through public agencies; and 

‘‘(ii) posting such information on the Internet. 

‘‘(3) REPORT INFORMATION.—Such report shall contain detailed data—

‘‘(A) on compliance with specific standards and measures; and 

‘‘(B) sufficient to allow Head Start agencies to use such 

data to improve the quality of their programs. 

‘‘(g) SELF-ASSESSMENTS.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than once each program year, with the consultation and participation of policy 

councils and, as applicable, policy committees and, as appropriate, other community members, each Head Start agency, and 

each delegate agency, that receives financial assistance under 

this subchapter shall conduct a comprehensive self-assessment 

of its effectiveness and progress in meeting program goals and 

objectives and in implementing and complying with standards 

described in subsection (a)(1). 

‘‘(2) GOALS, REPORTS, AND IMPROVEMENT PLANS.—

‘‘(A) GOALS.—An agency conducting a self-assessment 

shall establish agency-determined program goals for improving the school readiness of children participating in a 

program under this subchapter, including school readiness 

goals that are aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes 

Framework, State early learning standards as appropriate, 

and requirements and expectations of the schools the children will be attending. 

‘‘(B) IMPROVEMENT PLAN.—The agency shall develop, 

and submit to the Secretary a report containing, an improvement plan approved by the governing body of the 

agency to strengthen any areas identified in the self-assessment as weaknesses or in need of improvement. 

‘‘(3) ONGOING MONITORING.—Each Head Start agency (including each Early Head Start agency) and each delegate agency shall establish and implement procedures for the ongoing 

monitoring of their respective programs, to ensure that the operations of the programs work toward meeting program goals and 

objectives and standards described in subsection (a)(1). 

‘‘(h) REDUCTION OF GRANTS AND REDISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS IN

CASES OF UNDERENROLLMENT.—

‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

‘‘(A) ACTUAL ENROLLMENT.—The term ‘actual enrollment’ means, with respect to the program of a Head Start 

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gram and reported by the agency (as required in paragraph 

(2)) in a given month. ‘‘(B) BASE GRANT.—The term ‘base grant’ has the meaning given the term in section 640(a)(7). ‘‘(C) FUNDED ENROLLMENT.—The term ‘funded enrollment’ means, with respect to the program of a Head Start 

agency in a fiscal year, the number of children that the 

agency is funded to serve through a grant for the program 

during such fiscal year, as indicated in the grant agreement. 

‘‘(2) ENROLLMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Each entity 

carrying out a Head Start program shall report on a monthly 

basis to the Secretary and the relevant Head Start agency— ‘‘(A) the actual enrollment in such program; and 

‘‘(B) if such actual enrollment is less than the funded 

enrollment, any apparent reason for such enrollment shortfall. 

‘‘(3) SECRETARIAL REVIEW AND PLAN.—The Secretary 

shall— ‘‘(A) on a semiannual basis, determine which Head 

Start agencies are operating with an actual enrollment that 

is less than the funded enrollment based on not less than 

4 consecutive months of data; ‘‘(B) for each such Head Start agency operating a program with an actual enrollment that is less than its funded 

enrollment, as determined under subparagraph (A), develop, in collaboration with such agency, a plan and timetable for reducing or eliminating underenrollment taking 

into consideration— ‘‘(i) the quality and extent of the outreach, recruitment, and communitywide strategic planning and 

needs assessment conducted by such agency; ‘‘(ii) changing demographics, mobility of populations, and the identification of new underserved lowincome populations; 

‘‘(iii) facilities-related issues that may impact enrollment; 

‘‘(iv) the ability to provide full-working-day programs, where needed, through funds made available 

under this subchapter or through collaboration with 

entities carrying out other early childhood education 

and development programs, or programs with other 

funding sources (where available); 

‘‘(v) the availability and use by families of other 

early childhood education and development options in 

the community served; and 

‘‘(vi) agency management procedures that may impact enrollment; and 

‘‘(C) provide timely and ongoing technical assistance to 

each agency described in subparagraph (B) for the purpose 

of assisting the Head Start agency to implement the plan 

described in such subparagraph. 

‘‘(4) IMPLEMENTATION.—Upon receipt of the technical assistance described in paragraph (3)(C), a Head Start agency shall 

immediately implement the plan described in paragraph (3)(B). 


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The Secretary shall, where determined appropriate, continue to 

provide technical assistance to such agency. ‘‘(5) SECRETARIAL REVIEW AND ADJUSTMENT FOR CHRONIC

UNDERENROLLMENT.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If, after receiving technical assistance and developing and implementing the plan as described in paragraphs (3) and (4) for 12 months, a Head 

Start agency is operating a program with an actual enrollment that is less than 97 percent of its funded enrollment, 

the Secretary may— ‘‘(i) designate such agency as chronically underenrolled; and ‘‘(ii) recapture, withhold, or reduce the base grant 

for the program by a percentage equal to the percentage 

difference between funded enrollment and actual enrollment for the program for the most recent year for 

which the agency is determined to be underenrolled 

under paragraph (3)(A). 

‘‘(B) WAIVER OR LIMITATION OF REDUCTIONS.—The Secretary may, as appropriate, waive or reduce the percentage 

recapturing, withholding, or reduction otherwise required 

by subparagraph (A), if, after the implementation of the 

plan described in paragraph (3)(B), the Secretary finds 

that—

‘‘(i) the causes of the enrollment shortfall, or a portion of the shortfall, are related to the agency’s serving 

significant numbers of highly mobile children, or are 

other significant causes as determined by the Secretary; 

‘‘(ii) the shortfall can reasonably be expected to be 

temporary; or 

‘‘(iii) the number of slots allotted to the agency is 

small enough that underenrollment does not create a 

significant shortfall. ‘‘(6) REDISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Funds held by the Secretary as a result of recapturing, withholding, or reducing a base grant 

in a fiscal year shall be redistributed by the end of the following fiscal year as follows: ‘‘(i) INDIAN HEAD START PROGRAMS.—If such funds 

are derived from an Indian Head Start program, then 

such funds shall be redistributed to increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal year in 1 or 

more Indian Head Start programs. ‘‘(ii) MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START PROGRAMS.—If such funds are derived from a migrant or 

seasonal Head Start program, then such funds shall be 

redistributed to increase enrollment by the end of the 

following fiscal year in 1 or more programs of the type 

from which such funds are derived. ‘‘(iii) EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS.—If such funds 

are derived from an Early Head Start program in a 

State, then such funds shall be redistributed to increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal year 

in 1 or more Early Head Start programs in that State. 

If such funds are derived from an Indian Early Head 


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Start program, then such funds shall be redistributed 

to increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal 

year in 1 or more Indian Early Head Start programs. 

‘‘(iv) OTHER HEAD START PROGRAMS.—If such 

funds are derived from a Head Start program in a 

State (excluding programs described in clauses (i) 

through (iii)), then such funds shall be redistributed to 

increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal 

year in 1 or more Head Start programs (excluding programs described in clauses (i) through (iii)) that are 

carried out in such State. 

‘‘(B) ADJUSTMENT TO FUNDED ENROLLMENT.—The Secretary shall adjust as necessary the requirements relating 

to funded enrollment indicated in the grant agreement of a 

Head Start agency receiving redistributed funds under this 

paragraph.’’. 

SEC. 9. POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF HEAD START AGENCIES. 

Section 642 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 642. POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF HEAD START AGENCIES. 

‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—To be designated as a Head Start agency 

under this subchapter, an agency shall have authority under its 

charter or applicable law to receive and administer funds under 

this subchapter, funds and contributions from private or local public sources that may be used in support of a Head Start program, 

and funds under any Federal or State assistance program pursuant 

to which a public or private nonprofit or for-profit agency (as the 

case may be) organized in accordance with this subchapter, could 

act as grantee, contractor, or sponsor of projects appropriate for inclusion in a Head Start program. Such an agency shall also be empowered to transfer funds so received, and to delegate powers to 

other agencies, subject to the powers of its governing board and its 

overall program responsibilities. The power to transfer funds and 

delegate powers shall include the power to make transfers and delegations covering component projects in all cases where this will contribute to efficiency and effectiveness or otherwise further program 

objectives. 

‘‘(b) FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT; FAMILY SERVICES.—To be so designated, a Head Start agency shall, at a minimum, do all the following to involve and serve families and communities: 

‘‘(1) Provide for the regular and direct participation of parents and community residents in the implementation of the 

Head Start program, including decisions that influence the 

character of such program, consistent with paragraphs (2)(D) 

and (3)(C) of subsection (c). 

‘‘(2) Seek the involvement of parents, community residents, 

and local business in the design and implementation of the program. ‘‘(3) Establish effective procedures— ‘‘(A) to facilitate and seek the involvement of parents of 

participating children in activities designed to help such 

parents become full partners in the education of their children; and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
37 

‘‘(B) to afford such parents the opportunity to participate in the development and overall conduct of the program 

at the local level, including transportation assistance as appropriate. 

‘‘(4) Offer (directly or through referral to local entities, such 

as entities carrying out Even Start programs under subpart 3 

of part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6381 et seq.), public and school libraries, 

and entities carrying out family support programs) to such parents— ‘‘(A) family literacy services; and 

‘‘(B) parenting skills training. ‘‘(5) Offer to parents of participating children substance 

abuse counseling (either directly or through referral to local entities), if needed, including information on the effect of drug exposure on infants and fetal alcohol syndrome. ‘‘(6) At the option of such agency, offer (directly or through 

referral to local entities) to such parents— ‘‘(A) training in basic child development (including cognitive, social, and emotional development); ‘‘(B) assistance in developing literacy and communication skills; ‘‘(C) opportunities to share experiences with other parents (including parent-mentor relationships); ‘‘(D) health services, including information on maternal 

depression; ‘‘(E) regular in-home visitation; or 

‘‘(F) any other activity designed to help such parents 

become full partners in the education of their children. 

‘‘(7) Provide, with respect to each participating family, a 

family needs assessment that includes consultation with such 

parents (including foster parents, grandparents, and kinship 

caregivers, where applicable), in a manner and language that 

such parents can understand (to the extent practicable), about 

the benefits of parent involvement and about the activities described in this subsection in which such parents may choose to 

be involved (taking into consideration their specific family 

needs, work schedules, and other responsibilities). 

‘‘(8) Consider providing services to assist younger siblings 

of children participating in its Head Start program to obtain 

health services from other sources. 

‘‘(9) Perform community outreach to encourage individuals 

previously unaffiliated with Head Start programs to participate 

in its Head Start program as volunteers. 

‘‘(10)(A) Inform custodial parents in single-parent families 

that participate in programs, activities, or services carried out 

or provided under this subchapter about the availability of 

child support services for purposes of establishing paternity and 

acquiring child support. 

‘‘(B) Refer eligible parents to the child support offices of 

State and local governments. 

‘‘(11) Provide to parents of limited English proficient children outreach and information, in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, in a language that 

the parents can understand. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(12) Provide technical and other support needed to enable 

parents and community residents to secure, on their own behalf, 

available assistance from public and private sources. 

‘‘(13) Promote the continued involvement of the parents (including foster parents, grandparents, and kinship caregivers, as 

appropriate) of children that participate in Head Start programs in the education of their children upon transition of their 

children to school, by working with the local educational agency—

‘‘(A) to provide training to the parents—

‘‘(i) to inform the parents about their rights and responsibilities concerning the education of their children; and 

‘‘(ii) to enable the parents—

‘‘(I) to understand and work with schools in 

order to communicate with teachers and other 

school personnel; 

‘‘(II) to support the schoolwork of their children; and 

‘‘(III) to participate as appropriate in decisions 

relating to the education of their children; and 

‘‘(B) to take other actions, as appropriate and feasible, 

to support the active involvement of the parents with 

schools, school personnel, and school-related organizations. 

‘‘(14) Establish effective procedures for timely referral of 

children with disabilities to the State or local agency providing 

services under section 619 or part C of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.), and 

collaboration with that agency, consistent with section 

640(d)(3). 

‘‘(15) Establish effective procedures for providing necessary 

early intervening services to children with disabilities prior to 

an eligibility determination by the State or local agency responsible for providing services under section 619 or part C of such 

Act, consistent with section 640(d)(2). 

‘‘(16) At the option of the Head Start agency, partner with 

an institution of higher education and a nonprofit organization 

to provide college students with the opportunity to serve as mentors or reading partners for Head Start participants. 

‘‘(c) PROGRAM GOVERNANCE.—Upon receiving designation as a 

Head Start agency, the agency shall establish and maintain a formal structure for program governance, for the oversight of quality 

services for Head Start children and families and for making decisions related to program design and implementation. Such structure 

shall include the following: 

‘‘(1) GOVERNING BODY.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The governing body shall have legal 

and fiscal responsibility for the Head Start agency. 

‘‘(B) COMPOSITION.—The governing body shall be composed as follows: 

‘‘(i) Not less than 1 member shall have a background and expertise in fiscal management or accounting. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(ii) Not less than 1 member shall have a background and expertise in early childhood education and 

development. 

‘‘(iii) Not less than 1 member shall be a licensed 

attorney familiar with issues that come before the governing body. 

‘‘(iv) Additional members shall—

‘‘(I) reflect the community to be served and include parents of children who are currently, or 

were formerly, enrolled in Head Start programs; 

and 

‘‘(II) are selected for their expertise in education, business administration, or community affairs. 

‘‘(v) Exceptions shall be made to the requirements 

of clauses (i) through (iv) for members of a governing 

body when those members oversee a public entity and 

are selected to their positions with the public entity by 

public election or political appointment. 

‘‘(vi) If a person described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) 

is not available to serve as a member of the governing 

body, the governing body shall use a consultant, or an 

other individual with relevant expertise, with the qualifications described in that clause, who shall work directly with the governing body. 

‘‘(C) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—Members of the governing body shall—

‘‘(i) not have a financial conflict of interest with the 

Head Start agency (including any delegate agency); 

‘‘(ii) not receive compensation for serving on the 

governing body or for providing services to the Head 

Start agency; 

‘‘(iii) not be employed, nor shall members of their 

immediate family be employed, by the Head Start 

agency (including any delegate agency); and 

‘‘(iv) operate as an entity independent of staff employed by the Head Start agency. 

‘‘(D) EXCEPTION.—If an individual holds a position as 

a result of public election or political appointment, and 

such position carries with it a concurrent appointment to 

serve as a member of a Head Start agency governing body, 

and such individual has any conflict of interest described 

in clause (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (C)—

‘‘(i) such individual shall not be prohibited from 

serving on such body and the Head Start agency shall 

report such conflict to the Secretary; and 

‘‘(ii) if the position held as a result of public election or political appointment provides compensation, 

such individual shall not be prohibited from receiving 

such compensation. 

‘‘(E) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The governing body shall—

‘‘(i) have legal and fiscal responsibility for administering and overseeing programs under this subchapter, including the safeguarding of Federal funds; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(ii) adopt practices that assure active, independent, and informed governance of the Head Start 

agency, including practices consistent with subsection 

(d)(1), and fully participate in the development, planning, and evaluation of the Head Start programs involved; 

‘‘(iii) be responsible for ensuring compliance with 

Federal laws (including regulations) and applicable 

State, tribal, and local laws (including regulations); 

and 

‘‘(iv) be responsible for other activities, including—

‘‘(I) selecting delegate agencies and the service 

areas for such agencies; 

‘‘(II) establishing procedures and criteria for 

recruitment, selection, and enrollment of children; 

‘‘(III) reviewing all applications for funding 

and amendments to applications for funding for 

programs under this subchapter; 

‘‘(IV) establishing procedures and guidelines 

for accessing and collecting information described 

in subsection (d)(2); 

‘‘(V) reviewing and approving all major policies of the agency, including—

‘‘(aa) the annual self-assessment and financial audit; 

‘‘(bb) such agency’s progress in carrying 

out the programmatic and fiscal provisions in 

such agency’s grant application, including implementation of corrective actions; and 

‘‘(cc) personnel policies of such agencies regarding the hiring, evaluation, termination, 

and compensation of agency employees; 

‘‘(VI) developing procedures for how members 

of the policy council are selected, consistent with 

paragraph (2)(B); 

‘‘(VII) approving financial management, accounting, and reporting policies, and compliance 

with laws and regulations related to financial 

statements, including the—

‘‘(aa) approval of all major financial expenditures of the agency; 

‘‘(bb) annual approval of the operating 

budget of the agency; 

‘‘(cc) selection (except when a financial 

auditor is assigned by the State under State 

law or is assigned under local law) of independent financial auditors who shall report 

all critical accounting policies and practices to 

the governing body; and 

‘‘(dd) monitoring of the agency’s actions to 

correct any audit findings and of other action 

necessary to comply with applicable laws (including regulations) governing financial statement and accounting practices; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(VIII) reviewing results from monitoring conducted under section 641A(c), including appropriate followup activities; 

‘‘(IX) approving personnel policies and procedures, including policies and procedures regarding 

the hiring, evaluation, compensation, and termination of the Executive Director, Head Start Director, Director of Human Resources, Chief Fiscal Officer, and any other person in an equivalent position with the agency; 

‘‘(X) establishing, adopting, and periodically 

updating written standards of conduct that establish standards and formal procedures for disclosing, addressing, and resolving—

‘‘(aa) any conflict of interest, and any appearance of a conflict of interest, by members 

of the governing body, officers and employees 

of the Head Start agency, and consultants and 

agents who provide services or furnish goods 

to the Head Start agency; and 

‘‘(bb) complaints, including investigations, 

when appropriate; and 

‘‘(XI) to the extent practicable and appropriate, 

at the discretion of the governing body, establishing advisory committees to oversee key responsibilities related to program governance and improvement of the Head Start program involved. 

‘‘(2) POLICY COUNCIL.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Consistent with paragraph (1)(E), 

each Head Start agency shall have a policy council responsible for the direction of the Head Start program, including 

program design and operation, and long- and short-term 

planning goals and objectives, taking into account the annual communitywide strategic planning and needs assessment and self-assessment. 

‘‘(B) COMPOSITION AND SELECTION.—

‘‘(i) The policy council shall be elected by the parents of children who are currently enrolled in the Head 

Start program of the Head Start agency. 

‘‘(ii) The policy council shall be composed of—

‘‘(I) parents of children who are currently enrolled in the Head Start program of the Head 

Start agency (including any delegate agency), who 

shall constitute a majority of the members of the 

policy council; and 

‘‘(II) members at large of the community 

served by the Head Start agency (including any 

delegate agency), who may include parents of children who were formerly enrolled in the Head Start 

program of the agency. 

‘‘(C) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—Members of the policy 

council shall—

‘‘(i) not have a conflict of interest with the Head 

Start agency (including any delegate agency); and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
42 

‘‘(ii) not receive compensation for serving on the 

policy council or for providing services to the Head 

Start agency. 

‘‘(D) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The policy council shall approve and submit to the governing body decisions about 

each of the following activities: 

‘‘(i) Activities to support the active involvement of 

parents in supporting program operations, including 

policies to ensure that the Head Start agency is responsive to community and parent needs. 

‘‘(ii) Program recruitment, selection, and enrollment priorities. 

‘‘(iii) Applications for funding and amendments to 

applications for funding for programs under this subchapter, prior to submission of applications described 

in this clause. 

‘‘(iv) Budget planning for program expenditures, 

including policies for reimbursement and participation 

in policy council activities. 

‘‘(v) Bylaws for the operation of the policy council. 

‘‘(vi) Program personnel policies and decisions regarding the employment of program staff, consistent 

with paragraph (1)(E)(iv)(IX), including standards of 

conduct for program staff, contractors, and volunteers 

and criteria for the employment and dismissal of program staff. 

‘‘(vii) Developing procedures for how members of 

the policy council of the Head Start agency will be 

elected. 

‘‘(viii) Recommendations on the selection of delegate agencies and the service areas for such agencies. 

‘‘(3) POLICY COMMITTEES.—Each delegate agency shall create a policy committee, which shall—

‘‘(A) be elected and composed of members, consistent 

with paragraph (2)(B) (with respect to delegate agencies); 

‘‘(B) follow procedures to prohibit conflict of interest, 

consistent with clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (2)(C) (with 

respect to delegate agencies); and 

‘‘(C) be responsible for approval and submission of decisions about activities as they relate to the delegate agency, 

consistent with paragraph (2)(D) (with respect to delegate 

agencies). 

‘‘(d) PROGRAM GOVERNANCE ADMINISTRATION.—

‘‘(1) IMPASSE POLICIES.—The Secretary shall develop policies, procedures, and guidance for Head Start agencies concerning—

‘‘(A) the resolution of internal disputes, including any 

impasse in the governance of Head Start programs; and 

‘‘(B) the facilitation of meaningful consultation and collaboration about decisions of the governing body and policy 

council. 

‘‘(2) CONDUCT OF RESPONSIBILITIES.—Each Head Start 

agency shall ensure the sharing of accurate and regular information for use by the governing body and the policy council, 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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about program planning, policies, and Head Start agency operations, including— ‘‘(A) monthly financial statements, including credit 

card expenditures; ‘‘(B) monthly program information summaries; 

‘‘(C) program enrollment reports, including attendance 

reports for children whose care is partially subsidized by 

another public agency; ‘‘(D) monthly reports of meals and snacks provided 

through programs of the Department of Agriculture; ‘‘(E) the financial audit; 

‘‘(F) the annual self-assessment, including any findings 

related to such assessment; ‘‘(G) the communitywide strategic planning and needs 

assessment of the Head Start agency, including any applicable updates; ‘‘(H) communication and guidance from the Secretary; 

and ‘‘(I) the program information reports. ‘‘(3) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Appropriate 

training and technical assistance shall be provided to the members of the governing body and the policy council to ensure that 

the members understand the information the members receive 

and can effectively oversee and participate in the programs of 

the Head Start agency. 

‘‘(e) COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION.—To be so designated, 

a Head Start agency shall collaborate and coordinate with public 

and private entities, to the maximum extent practicable, to improve 

the availability and quality of services to Head Start children and 

families, including carrying out the following activities: ‘‘(1) Conduct outreach to schools in which children participating in the Head Start program will enroll following the program, local educational agencies, the local business community, 

community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, museums, and libraries to generate support and leverage the resources of the entire local community in order to improve school 

readiness. 

‘‘(2)(A) In communities where both a public prekindergarten 

program and a Head Start program operate, collaborate and 

coordinate activities with the local educational agency or other 

public agency responsible for the operation of the prekindergarten program and providers of prekindergarten, including 

outreach activities to identify eligible children. 

‘‘(B) With the permission of the parents of children enrolled 

in the Head Start program, regularly communicate with the 

schools in which the children will enroll following the program, 

to—

‘‘(i) share information about such children; 

‘‘(ii) collaborate with the teachers in such schools regarding professional development and instructional strategies, as appropriate; and 

‘‘(iii) ensure a smooth transition to school for such children. 

‘‘(3) Coordinate activities and collaborate with programs 

under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
44 

(42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), the agencies responsible for administering section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a) and parts B and E of title IV of 

the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq., 670 et seq.), programs under subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento 

Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.), Even Start 

programs under subpart 3 of part B of title I of the Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6381 et seq.), 

programs under section 619 and part C of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.), and 

other entities providing early childhood education and development programs or services, serving the children and families 

served by the Head Start agency. ‘‘(4) Take steps to coordinate activities with the local educational agency serving the community involved and with 

schools in which children participating in the Head Start program will enroll following the program, including— ‘‘(A) collaborating on the shared use of transportation 

and facilities, in appropriate cases; ‘‘(B) collaborating to reduce the duplication and enhance the efficiency of services while increasing the program participation of underserved populations of eligible 

children; and ‘‘(C) exchanging information on the provision of noneducational services to such children. 

‘‘(5) Enter into a memorandum of understanding, not later 

than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Improving Head 

Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, with the appropriate 

local entity responsible for managing publicly funded preschool 

programs in the service area of the Head Start agency, that 

shall— ‘‘(A)(i) provide for a review of each of the activities described in clause (ii); and ‘‘(ii) include plans to coordinate, as appropriate, activities regarding—

‘‘(I) educational activities, curricular objectives, 

and instruction; 

‘‘(II) public information dissemination and access 

to programs for families contacting the Head Start program or any of the preschool programs; 

‘‘(III) selection priorities for eligible children to be 

served by programs; 

‘‘(IV) service areas; 

‘‘(V) staff training, including opportunities for joint 

staff training on topics such as academic content 

standards, instructional methods, curricula, and social 

and emotional development; 

‘‘(VI) program technical assistance; 

‘‘(VII) provision of additional services to meet the 

needs of working parents, as applicable; 

‘‘(VIII) communications and parent outreach for 

smooth transitions to kindergarten as required in paragraphs (3) and (6) of section 642A(a); 

‘‘(IX) provision and use of facilities, transportation, 

and other program elements; and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(X) other elements mutually agreed to by the parties to such memorandum; 

‘‘(B) be submitted to the Secretary and the State Director of Head Start Collaboration not later than 30 days after 

the parties enter into such memorandum, except that— ‘‘(i) where there is an absence of publicly funded 

preschool programs in the service area of a Head Start 

agency, this paragraph shall not apply; or ‘‘(ii) where the appropriate local entity responsible 

for managing the publicly funded preschool programs 

is unable or unwilling to enter into such a memorandum, this paragraph shall not apply and the Head 

Start agency shall inform the Secretary and the State 

Director of Head Start Collaboration of such inability 

or unwillingness; and 

‘‘(C) be revised periodically and renewed biennially by 

the parties to such memorandum, in alignment with the beginning of the school year. ‘‘(f) QUALITY STANDARDS, CURRICULA, AND ASSESSMENT.—To be 

so designated, each Head Start agency shall—

‘‘(1) take steps to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that children maintain the developmental and educational gains achieved in Head Start programs and build 

upon such gains in further schooling; 

‘‘(2) establish a program with the standards set forth in section 641A(a)(1), with particular attention to the standards set 

forth in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of such section; 

‘‘(3) implement a research-based early childhood curriculum that—

‘‘(A) promotes young children’s school readiness in the 

areas of language and cognitive development, early reading 

and mathematics skills, socio-emotional development, physical development, and approaches to learning; ‘‘(B) is based on scientifically valid research and has 

standardized training procedures and curriculum materials to support implementation; ‘‘(C) is comprehensive and linked to ongoing assessment, with developmental and learning goals and measurable objectives; ‘‘(D) is focused on improving the learning environment, 

teaching practices, family involvement, and child outcomes 

across all areas of development; and ‘‘(E) is aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes 

Framework developed by the Secretary and, as appropriate, 

State early learning standards; 

‘‘(4) implement effective interventions and support services 

that help promote the school readiness of children participating 

in the program; ‘‘(5) use research-based assessment methods that reflect the 

characteristics described in section 641A(b)(2) in order to support the educational instruction and school readiness of children in the program; 

‘‘(6) use research-based developmental screening tools that 

have been demonstrated to be standardized, reliable, valid, and 

accurate for the child being assessed, to the maximum extent 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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practicable, for the purpose of meeting the relevant standards 

described in section 641A(a)(1); ‘‘(7) adopt, in consultation with experts in child development and with classroom teachers, an evaluation to assess 

whether classroom teachers have mastered the functions discussed in section 648A(a)(1); ‘‘(8) use the information provided from the assessment conducted under section 641A(c)(2)(F) to inform professional development plans, as appropriate, that lead to improved teacher effectiveness; ‘‘(9) establish goals and measurable objectives for the provision of health, educational, nutritional, and social services provided under this subchapter and related to the program mission 

and to promote school readiness; and ‘‘(10) develop procedures for identifying children who are 

limited English proficient, and informing the parents of such 

children about the instructional services used to help children 

make progress towards acquiring the knowledge and skills described in section 641A(a)(1)(B) and acquisition of the English 

language. 

‘‘(g) FUNDED ENROLLMENT; WAITING LIST.—Each Head Start 

agency shall enroll 100 percent of its funded enrollment and maintain an active waiting list at all times with ongoing outreach to the 

community and activities to identify underserved populations. ‘‘(h) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING PLAN.—In order to 

receive funds under this subchapter, a Head Start agency shall develop an annual technical assistance and training plan. Such plan 

shall be based on the agency’s self-assessment, the communitywide 

strategic planning and needs assessment, the needs of parents and 

children to be served by such agency, and the results of the reviews 

conducted under section 641A(c). ‘‘(i) FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.—In order to receive funds under 

this subchapter, a Head Start agency shall document strong fiscal 

controls, including the employment of well-qualified fiscal staff with 

a history of successful management of a public or private organization.’’. 

SEC. 10. HEAD START TRANSITION AND ALIGNMENT WITH K–12 EDUCATION. 

Section 642A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837a) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 642A. HEAD START TRANSITION AND ALIGNMENT WITH K–12 

EDUCATION. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each Head Start agency shall take steps to 

coordinate with the local educational agency serving the community 

involved and with schools in which children participating in a 

Head Start program operated by such agency will enroll following 

such program to promote continuity of services and effective transitions, including—

‘‘(1) developing and implementing a systematic procedure 

for transferring, with parental consent, Head Start program 

records for each participating child to the school in which such 

child will enroll; 

‘‘(2) establishing ongoing channels of communication between Head Start staff and their counterparts in the schools 

(including teachers, social workers, local educational agency liVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

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aisons designated under section 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)), and health staff) to facilitate coordination of 

programs; ‘‘(3) establishing ongoing communications between the 

Head Start agency and local educational agency for developing 

continuity of developmentally appropriate curricular objectives 

(which for the purpose of the Head Start program shall be 

aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework and, 

as appropriate, State early learning standards) and for shared 

expectations for children’s learning and development as the 

children transition to school; ‘‘(4) organizing and participating in joint training, including transition-related training for school staff and Head Start 

staff; ‘‘(5) establishing comprehensive transition policies and procedures that support children transitioning to school, including 

by engaging the local educational agency in the establishment 

of such policies; ‘‘(6) conducting outreach to parents and elementary school 

(such as kindergarten) teachers to discuss the educational, developmental, and other needs of individual children; ‘‘(7) helping parents of limited English proficient children 

understand— ‘‘(A) the instructional and other services provided by 

the school in which such child will enroll after participation in Head Start; and ‘‘(B) as appropriate, the information provided to parents of limited English proficient children under section 

3302 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

1965 (20 U.S.C. 7012); 

‘‘(8) developing and implementing a family outreach and 

support program, in cooperation with entities carrying out parental involvement efforts under title I of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), and 

family outreach and support efforts under subtitle B of title VII 

of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

11431 et seq.), taking into consideration the language needs of 

parents of limited English proficient children; 

‘‘(9) assisting families, administrators, and teachers in enhancing educational and developmental continuity and continuity of parental involvement in activities between Head Start 

services and elementary school classes; 

‘‘(10) linking the services provided in such Head Start program with educational services, including services relating to 

language, literacy, and numeracy, provided by such local educational agency; 

‘‘(11) helping parents (including grandparents and kinship 

caregivers, as appropriate) to understand the importance of parental involvement in a child’s academic success while teaching 

them strategies for maintaining parental involvement as their 

child moves from Head Start to elementary school; 

‘‘(12) helping parents understand the instructional and 

other services provided by the school in which their child will 

enroll after participation in the Head Start program; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
48 

‘‘(13) developing and implementing a system to increase 

program participation of underserved populations of eligible 

children; and 

‘‘(14) coordinating activities and collaborating to ensure 

that curricula used in the Head Start program are aligned 

with—

‘‘(A) the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework, as developed by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(B) State early learning standards, as appropriate, 

with regard to cognitive, social, emotional, and physical 

competencies that children entering kindergarten are expected to demonstrate. 

‘‘(b) CONSTRUCTION.—In this section, a reference to a Head 

Start agency, or its program, services, facility, or personnel, shall 

not be construed to be a reference to an Early Head Start agency, 

or its program, services, facility, or personnel. 

‘‘(c) DISSEMINATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall—

‘‘(1) disseminate to Head Start agencies information on effective policies and activities relating to the transition of children from Head Start programs to public schools; and 

‘‘(2) provide technical assistance to such agencies to promote and assist such agencies to adopt and implement such effective policies and activities.’’. 

SEC. 11. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, COORDINATION, AND IMPROVEMENT. 

(a) HEAD START COLLABORATION.—The Head Start Act (42 

U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 642A the 

following: 

‘‘HEAD START COLLABORATION; STATE EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE

‘‘SEC. 642B. (a)(1) From amounts made available under section 

640(a)(2)(B)(vi), the Secretary shall award the collaboration grants 

described in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4). 

‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall award, upon submission of a written 

request, a collaboration grant to each State and to each national administrative office serving Indian Head Start programs and migrant or seasonal Head Start programs to facilitate collaboration 

among Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) 

and entities that carry out activities designed to benefit low-income 

children from birth to school entry, and their families. The national 

administrative offices shall use the funds made available through 

the grants to carry out the authorities and responsibilities described 

in subparagraph (B) and paragraphs (3) and (4), as appropriate. 

‘‘(B) Grants described in subparagraph (A) shall be used to—

‘‘(i) assist Head Start agencies to collaborate with entities 

involved in State and local planning processes to better meet 

the needs of low-income children from birth to school entry, and 

their families; 

‘‘(ii) assist Head Start agencies to coordinate activities with 

the State agency responsible for administering the State program carried out under the Child Care and Development Block 

Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) and entities providing resource and referral services in the State, to make fullVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

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working-day and full calendar year services available to children; ‘‘(iii) promote alignment of curricula used in Head Start 

programs and continuity of services with the Head Start Child 

Outcomes Framework and, as appropriate, State early learning 

standards; ‘‘(iv) promote better linkages between Head Start agencies 

and other child and family agencies, including agencies that 

provide health, mental health, or family services, or other child 

or family supportive services, such as services provided under 

section 619 or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); and ‘‘(v) carry out the activities of the State Director of Head 

Start Collaboration authorized in paragraph (4). 

‘‘(3) In order to improve coordination and delivery of early 

childhood education and development to children in the State, a 

State that receives a collaboration grant under paragraph (2) 

shall— ‘‘(A) appoint or designate an individual to serve as, or carry 

out the responsibilities of, the State Director of Head Start Collaboration; ‘‘(B) ensure that the State Director of Head Start Collaboration holds a position with sufficient authority and access to ensure that the collaboration described in paragraph (2) is effective and involves a range of State agencies; and ‘‘(C) involve the State Head Start Association in the selection of the Director and involve the Association in determinations relating to the ongoing direction of the collaboration office 

involved. 

‘‘(4) The State Director of Head Start Collaboration shall— ‘‘(A) not later than 1 year after the State receives a collaboration grant under paragraph (2), conduct an assessment 

that— ‘‘(i) addresses the needs of Head Start agencies in the 

State with respect to collaboration, coordination and alignment of services, and alignment of curricula and assessments used in Head Start programs with the Head Start 

Child Outcomes Framework and, as appropriate, State 

early learning standards; 

‘‘(ii) shall be updated on an annual basis; and 

‘‘(iii) shall be made available to the general public 

within the State; 

‘‘(B) develop a strategic plan that is based on the assessment described in subparagraph (A) that will—

‘‘(i) enhance collaboration and coordination of Head 

Start services by Head Start agencies with other entities 

providing early childhood education and development (such 

as child care or services offered by museums), health care, 

mental health care, welfare, child protective services, education and community service activities, family literacy 

services, reading readiness programs (including such programs offered by public and school libraries), services relating to children with disabilities, other early childhood education and development for limited English proficient children and homeless children, and services provided for chilVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

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dren in foster care and children referred to Head Start programs by child welfare agencies, including agencies and 

State officials responsible for services described in this 

clause; 

‘‘(ii) assist Head Start agencies to develop a plan for 

the provision of full working-day, full calendar year services for children enrolled in Head Start programs who need 

such services; 

‘‘(iii) assist Head Start agencies to align curricula and 

assessments used in Head Start programs with the Head 

Start Child Outcomes Framework and, as appropriate, 

State early learning standards; and 

‘‘(iv) enable Head Start agencies to better access professional development opportunities for Head Start staff, such 

as by working with Head Start agencies to enable the agencies to meet the degree requirements described in section 

648A(a)(2)(A), including providing distance learning opportunities for Head Start staff, where needed to make higher 

education more accessible to Head Start staff; and 

‘‘(v) enable the Head Start agencies to better conduct 

outreach to eligible families; 

‘‘(C) promote partnerships between Head Start agencies, 

State and local governments, and the private sector to help ensure that children from low-income families, who are in Head 

Start programs or are preschool age, are receiving comprehensive services to prepare the children for elementary school; 

‘‘(D) consult with the chief State school officer, local educational agencies, and providers of early childhood education 

and development, at both the State and local levels; 

‘‘(E) promote partnerships between Head Start agencies, 

schools, law enforcement, relevant community-based organizations, and substance abuse and mental health treatment agencies to strengthen family and community environments and to 

reduce the impact on child development of substance abuse, 

child abuse, domestic violence, and other high-risk behaviors 

that compromise healthy development; 

‘‘(F) promote partnerships between Head Start agencies and 

other organizations in order to enhance Head Start program 

quality, including partnerships to promote inclusion of more 

books in Head Start classrooms; 

‘‘(G) identify other resources and organizations (both public 

and private) for the provision of in-kind services to Head Start 

agencies in the State; and 

‘‘(H) serve on the State Advisory Council in order to assist 

the efforts of Head Start agencies to engage in effective coordination and collaboration.’’. 

(b) STATE EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE.—Section 642B of the 

Head Start Act, as added by subsection (a), is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘(b)(1)(A) The Governor of the State shall—

‘‘(i) designate or establish a council to serve as the State 

Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care for 

children from birth to school entry (in this subchapter referred 

to as the ‘State Advisory Council’); and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
51 

‘‘(ii) designate an individual to coordinate activities of the 

State Advisory Council, as described in subparagraph (D)(i). 

‘‘(B) The Governor may designate an existing entity in the State 

to serve as the State Advisory Council, and shall appoint representatives to the State Advisory Council at the Governor’s discretion. In 

designating an existing entity, the Governor shall take steps to ensure that its membership includes, to the extent possible, representatives consistent with subparagraph (C). 

‘‘(C) Members of the State Advisory Council shall include, to the 

maximum extent possible—

‘‘(i) a representative of the State agency responsible for 

child care; 

‘‘(ii) a representative of the State educational agency; 

‘‘(iii) a representative of local educational agencies; 

‘‘(iv) a representative of institutions of higher education in 

the State; 

‘‘(v) a representative of local providers of early childhood 

education and development services; 

‘‘(vi) a representative from Head Start agencies located in 

the State, including migrant and seasonal Head Start programs and Indian Head Start programs; 

‘‘(vii) the State Director of Head Start Collaboration; 

‘‘(viii) a representative of the State agency responsible for 

programs under section 619 or part C of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); 

‘‘(ix) a representative of the State agency responsible for 

health or mental health care; and 

‘‘(x) representatives of other entities determined to be relevant by the Governor of the State. 

‘‘(D)(i) The State Advisory Council shall, in addition to any responsibilities assigned to the Council by the Governor of the State—

‘‘(I) conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment concerning the quality and availability of early childhood education and development programs and services for children 

from birth to school entry, including an assessment of the availability of high-quality pre-kindergarten services for low-income 

children in the State; 

‘‘(II) identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination among Federally-funded and State-funded child development, child care, and early childhood education 

programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among State agencies responsible for administering such 

programs; 

‘‘(III) develop recommendations for increasing the overall 

participation of children in existing Federal, State, and local 

child care and early childhood education programs, including 

outreach to underrepresented and special populations; 

‘‘(IV) develop recommendations regarding the establishment 

of a unified data collection system for public early childhood 

education and development programs and services throughout 

the State; 

‘‘(V) develop recommendations regarding statewide professional development and career advancement plans for early 

childhood educators in the State; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(VI) assess the capacity and effectiveness of 2- and 4-year 

public and private institutions of higher education in the State 

toward supporting the development of early childhood educators, including the extent to which such institutions have in 

place articulation agreements, professional development and career advancement plans, and practice or internships for students to spend time in a Head Start or prekindergarten program; and 

‘‘(VII) make recommendations for improvements in State 

early learning standards and undertake efforts to develop highquality comprehensive early learning standards, as appropriate. 

‘‘(ii) The State Advisory Council shall hold public hearings and 

provide an opportunity for public comment on the activities described in clause (i). The State Advisory Council shall submit a 

statewide strategic report addressing the activities described in 

clause (i) to the State Director of Head Start Collaboration and the 

Governor of the State. 

‘‘(iii) After submission of a statewide strategic report under 

clause (ii), the State Advisory Council shall meet periodically to review any implementation of the recommendations in such report 

and any changes in State and local needs. 

‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall use the portion reserved under section 640(a)(4)(A)(iii) to award, on a competitive basis, one-time 

startup grants of not less than $500,000 to eligible States to enable 

such States to pay for the Federal share of developing and implementing a plan pursuant to the responsibilities included under 

paragraph (1)(D)(i). A State that receives funds under this paragraph shall use such funds to facilitate the development or enhancement of high-quality systems of early childhood education and care 

designed to improve school preparedness through one or more of the 

following activities—

‘‘(i) promoting school preparedness of children from birth 

through school entry, including activities to encourage families 

and caregivers to engage in highly interactive, developmentally 

and age-appropriate activities to improve children’s early social, 

emotional, and cognitive development, support the transition of 

young children to school, and foster parental and family involvement in the early education of young children; 

‘‘(ii) supporting professional development, recruitment, and 

retention initiatives for early childhood educators; 

‘‘(iii) enhancing existing early childhood education and development programs and services (in existence on the date on 

which the grant involved is awarded), including quality improvement activities authorized under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990; and 

‘‘(iv) carrying out other activities consistent with the State’s 

plan and application, pursuant to subparagraph (B). 

‘‘(B) To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a 

State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a plan and application, for a 3-year period, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary shall require, including—

‘‘(i) the statewide strategic report described in paragraph 

(1)(D)(ii), including a description of the State Advisory Council’s responsibilities under paragraph (1)(D)(i); 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(ii) a description, for each fiscal year, of how the State will 

make effective use of funds available under this paragraph, 

with funds described in subparagraph (C), to create an early 

childhood education and care system, by developing or enhancing programs and activities consistent with the statewide strategic report described in paragraph (1)(D)(i); 

‘‘(iii) a description of the State early learning standards 

and the State’s goals for increasing the number of children entering kindergarten ready to learn; 

‘‘(iv) information identifying the agency or joint interagency 

office, and individual, designated to carry out the activities 

under this paragraph, which may be the individual designated 

under paragraph (1)(A)(ii); and 

‘‘(v) a description of how the State plans to sustain activities under this paragraph beyond the grant period. 

‘‘(C) The Federal share of the cost of activities proposed to be 

conducted under subparagraph (A) shall be 30 percent, and the 

State shall provide the non-Federal share. 

‘‘(D) Funds made available under this paragraph shall be used 

to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local 

funds expended to carry out activities related to early childhood 

education and care in the State. ‘‘(E) Not later than 18 months after the date a State receives a 

grant under this paragraph, the State shall submit an interim report to the Secretary. A State that receives a grant under this paragraph shall submit a final report to the Secretary at the end of the 

grant period. Each report shall include—

‘‘(i) a description of the activities and services carried out 

under the grant, including the outcomes of such activities and 

services in meeting the needs described in the periodic needs assessment and statewide strategic report; 

‘‘(ii) information about how the State used such funds to 

meet the goals of this subsection through activities to develop or 

enhance high-quality systems of early childhood education and 

care, increase effectiveness of delivery systems and use of funds, 

and enhance existing programs and services; 

‘‘(iii) information regarding the remaining needs described 

in the periodic statewide needs assessment and statewide strategic report that have not yet been addressed by the State; and 

‘‘(iv) any other information that the Secretary may require. 

‘‘(F) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to provide the 

State Advisory Council with authority to modify, supersede, or negate the requirements of this subchapter.’’. 

SEC. 12. SUBMISSION OF PLANS. 

Section 643 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9838) is amended 

by adding at the end the following: ‘‘This section shall not apply to 

contracts, agreements, grants, loans, or other assistance for Indian 

Head Start programs or migrant or seasonal Head Start programs.’’

SEC. 13. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS. 

Section 644 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9839) is amended—

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(a)(1) Each Head Start agency shall observe standards of organization, management, and administration that will ensure, so far 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
54 

as reasonably possible, that all program activities are conducted in 

a manner consistent with the purposes of this subchapter and the 

objective of providing assistance effectively, efficiently, and free of 

any taint of partisan political bias or personal or family favoritism. 

Each such agency shall establish or adopt rules to carry out this 

section, which shall include rules to assure full staff accountability 

in matters governed by law, regulations, or agency policy. Each 

agency shall also provide for reasonable public access to information, including public hearings at the request of appropriate community groups and reasonable public access to books and records of 

the agency or other agencies engaged in program activities or operations involving the use of authority or funds for which it is responsible. 

‘‘(2) Each Head Start agency shall make available to the public 

a report published at least once in each fiscal year that discloses the 

following information from the most recently concluded fiscal year, 

except that reporting such information shall not reveal personally 

identifiable information about an individual child or parent: 

‘‘(A) The total amount of public and private funds received 

and the amount from each source. 

‘‘(B) An explanation of budgetary expenditures and proposed budget for the fiscal year. 

‘‘(C) The total number of children and families served, the 

average monthly enrollment (as a percentage of funded enrollment), and the percentage of eligible children served. 

‘‘(D) The results of the most recent review by the Secretary 

and the financial audit. 

‘‘(E) The percentage of enrolled children that received medical and dental exams. 

‘‘(F) Information about parent involvement activities. 

‘‘(G) The agency’s efforts to prepare children for kindergarten. 

‘‘(H) Any other information required by the Secretary. 

‘‘(3) Each such agency shall adopt for itself and other agencies 

using funds or exercising authority for which it is responsible, rules 

designed to—

‘‘(A) establish specific standards governing salaries, salary 

increases, travel and per diem allowances, and other employee 

benefits; 

‘‘(B) assure that only persons capable of discharging their 

duties with competence and integrity are employed and that employees are promoted or advanced under impartial procedures 

calculated to improve agency performance and effectiveness; 

‘‘(C) guard against personal or financial conflicts of interest; and 

‘‘(D) define employee duties in an appropriate manner that 

will in any case preclude employees from participating, in connection with the performance of their duties, in any form of 

picketing, protest, or other direct action that is in violation of 

law.’’; and 

(2) in subsection (f)—

(A) in paragraph (2)—

(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (E) 

as subparagraphs (B) through (F), respectively; and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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(ii) by inserting before subparagraph (B), as redesignated by clause (i), the following: ‘‘(A) a description of the efforts by the agency to coordinate 

or collaborate with other providers in the community to seek assistance, including financial assistance, prior to the use of 

funds under this section;’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘, from the amount reserved under section 640(a)(2)(A),’’. 

SEC. 14. PARTICIPATION IN HEAD START PROGRAMS. 

Section 645 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: ‘‘(a)(1)(A) The Secretary shall by regulation prescribe eligibility 

for the participation of persons in Head Start programs assisted 

under this subchapter. ‘‘(B) Except as provided in paragraph (2), such regulation shall 

provide—

‘‘(i) that children from low-income families shall be eligible 

for participation in programs assisted under this subchapter if 

their families’ incomes are below the poverty line, or if their 

families are eligible or, in the absence of child care, would potentially be eligible for public assistance; ‘‘(ii) that homeless children shall be deemed to be eligible 

for such participation; ‘‘(iii) that programs assisted under this subchapter may include— ‘‘(I) to a reasonable extent (but not to exceed 10 percent 

of participants), participation of children in the area served 

who would benefit from such programs but who are not eligible under clause (i) or (ii); and ‘‘(II) from the area served, an additional 35 percent of 

participants who are not eligible under clause (i) or (ii) and 

whose families have incomes below 130 percent of the poverty line, if—‘‘(aa) the Head Start agency involved establishes 

and implements outreach and enrollment policies and 

procedures that ensure such agency is meeting the 

needs of children eligible under clause (i) or (ii) (or 

subclause (I) if the child involved has a disability) 

prior to meeting the needs of children eligible under 

this subclause; and ‘‘(bb) in prioritizing the selection of children to be 

served, the Head Start agency establishes criteria that 

provide that the agency will serve children eligible 

under clause (i) or (ii) prior to serving the children eligible under this subclause; 

‘‘(iv) that any Head Start agency serving children eligible 

under clause (iii)(II) shall report annually to the Secretary information on—

‘‘(I) how such agency is meeting the needs of children 

eligible under clause (i) or (ii), in the area served, including 

local demographic data on families of children eligible 

under clause (i) or (ii); 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(II) the outreach and enrollment policies and procedures established by the agency that ensure the agency is 

meeting the needs of children eligible under clause (i) or (ii) 

(or clause (iii)(I) if the child involved has a disability) prior 

to meeting the needs of children eligible under clause 

(iii)(II); 

‘‘(III) the efforts, including outreach efforts (that are 

appropriate to the community involved), of such agency to 

be fully enrolled with children eligible under clause (i) or 

(ii); 

‘‘(IV) the policies, procedures, and selection criteria 

such agency is implementing to serve eligible children, consistent with clause (iii)(II); 

‘‘(V) the agency’s enrollment level, and enrollment level 

over the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the report is submitted; 

‘‘(VI) the number of children served by the agency, 

disaggregated by whether such children are eligible under 

clause (i), clause (ii), clause (iii)(I), or clause (iii)(II); and 

‘‘(VII) the eligibility criteria category of the children on 

the agency’s waiting list; 

‘‘(v) that a child who has been determined to meet the eligibility criteria described in this subparagraph and who is participating in a Head Start program in a program year shall be 

considered to continue to meet the eligibility criteria through 

the end of the succeeding program year. 

‘‘(C) In determining, for purposes of this paragraph, whether a 

child who has applied for enrollment in a Head Start program 

meets the eligibility criteria, an entity may consider evidence of family income during the 12 months preceding the month in which the 

application is submitted, or during the calendar year preceding the 

calendar year in which the application is submitted, whichever 

more accurately reflects the needs of the family at the time of application.’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(3)(A) In this paragraph: 

‘‘(i) The term ‘dependent’ has the meaning given the term 

in paragraphs (2)(A) and (4)(A)(i) of section 401(a) of title 37, 

United States Code. 

‘‘(ii) The terms ‘member’ and ‘uniformed services’ have the 

meanings given the terms in paragraphs (23) and (3), respectively, of section 101 of title 37, United States Code. 

‘‘(B) The following amounts of pay and allowance of a member 

of the uniformed services shall not be considered to be income for 

purposes of determining the eligibility of a dependent of such member for programs funded under this subchapter: 

‘‘(i) The amount of any special pay payable under section 

310 of title 37, United States Code, relating to duty subject to 

hostile fire or imminent danger. 

‘‘(ii) The amount of basic allowance payable under section 

403 of such title, including any such amount that is provided 

on behalf of the member for housing that is acquired or constructed under the alternative authority for the acquisition and 

improvement of military housing under subchapter IV of chapVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

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ter 169 of title 10, United States Code, or any other related provision of law. 

‘‘(4) After demonstrating a need through a communitywide strategic planning and needs assessment, a Head Start agency may 

apply to the Secretary to convert part-day sessions, particularly consecutive part-day sessions, into full-working-day sessions. ‘‘(5)(A) Upon written request and pursuant to the requirements 

of this paragraph, a Head Start agency may use funds that were 

awarded under this subchapter to serve children age 3 to compulsory school age, in order to serve infants and toddlers if the agency 

submits an application to the Secretary containing, as specified in 

rules issued by the Secretary, all of the following information: ‘‘(i) The amount of such funds that are proposed to be used 

in accordance with section 645A(b). ‘‘(ii) A communitywide strategic planning and needs assessment demonstrating how the use of such funds would best meet 

the needs of the community. ‘‘(iii) A description of how the needs of pregnant women, 

and of infants and toddlers, will be addressed in accordance 

with section 645A(b), and with regulations prescribed by the 

Secretary pursuant to section 641A in areas including the agency’s approach to child development and provision of health services, approach to family and community partnerships, and approach to program design and management. ‘‘(iv) A description of how the needs of eligible children will 

be met in the community. ‘‘(v) Assurances that the agency will participate in technical 

assistance activities (including planning, start-up site visits, 

and national training activities) in the same manner as recipients of grants under section 645A. ‘‘(vi) Evidence that the agency meets the same eligibility criteria as recipients of grants under section 645A. 

‘‘(B) An application that satisfies the requirements specified in 

subparagraph (A) shall be approved by the Secretary unless the Secretary finds that—

‘‘(i) the agency lacks adequate capacity and capability to 

carry out an effective Early Head Start program; or 

‘‘(ii) the information provided under subparagraph (A) is 

inadequate. 

‘‘(C) In approving such applications, the Secretary shall take 

into account the costs of serving persons under section 645A. 

‘‘(D) Any Head Start agency with an application approved 

under subparagraph (B) shall be considered to be an Early Head 

Start agency and shall be subject to the same rules, regulations, 

and conditions as apply to recipients of grants under section 645A, 

with respect to activities carried out under this paragraph.’’; 

(2) in the first sentence of subsection (c), by striking ‘‘(age 

3 to compulsory school attendance)’’; and 

(3) in subsection (d)—

(A) by striking paragraph (3); and 

(B) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an Indian 

tribe or tribes that operates both an Early Head Start program 

under section 645A and a Head Start program may, at its discretion, at any time during the grant period involved, reallocate funds 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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between the Early Head Start program and the Head Start program 

in order to address fluctuations in client populations, including 

pregnant women and children from birth to compulsory school age. 

The reallocation of such funds between programs by an Indian tribe 

or tribes during a year shall not serve as the basis for the Secretary 

to reduce a base grant (as defined in section 640(a)(7)) for either 

program in succeeding years.’’. 

SEC. 15. EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS. 

Section 645A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a) is amended—

(1) by striking the section heading and inserting the following: 

‘‘SEC. 645A. EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS.’’; 

(2) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and all 

that follows through ‘‘for programs’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary shall make grants to entities (referred to in this subchapter as ‘Early Head Start agencies’) in accordance with this 

section for programs (referred to in this subchapter as ‘Early 

Head Start programs’)’’; 

(3) in subsection (b)—

(A) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(4) provide services to parents to support their role as parents (including parenting skills training and training in basic 

child development) and services to help the families move toward self-sufficiency (including educational and employment 

services, as appropriate);’’; 

(B) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(5) coordinate services with services provided by programs 

in the State (including home-based services) and programs in 

the community (including programs for infants and toddlers 

with disabilities and programs for homeless infants and toddlers) to ensure a comprehensive array of services (such as 

health and mental health services and family support services);’’; 

(C) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), (8), and (9), 

as paragraphs (7), (10), (11), and (12), respectively; 

(D) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following: 

‘‘(6) ensure that children with documented behavioral problems, including problems involving behavior related to prior or 

existing trauma, receive appropriate screening and referral;’’; 

(E) by inserting after paragraph (7), as redesignated by 

subparagraph (C), the following: 

‘‘(8) develop and implement a systematic procedure for 

transitioning children and parents from an Early Head Start 

program to a Head Start program or other local early childhood education and development program; 

‘‘(9) establish channels of communication between staff of 

the Early Head Start program, and staff of a Head Start program or other local providers of early childhood education and 

development programs, to facilitate the coordination of programs;’’; and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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(F) by striking paragraph (11), as redesignated by subparagraph (C), and inserting the following: 

‘‘(11) ensure formal linkages with providers of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities under 

the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 

et seq.), with the State interagency coordinating council, as established in part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), and with the agency responsible for administering section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a);’’; 

(4) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘income criteria specified 

for families in section 645(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘eligibility criteria specified in section 645(a)(1), including the criteria specified in section 645(a)(1)(B)(ii)’’; 

(5) in subsection (d), by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) 

and inserting the following: ‘‘(1) entities operating Head Start programs under this subchapter; ‘‘(2) entities operating Indian Head Start programs or migrant or seasonal Head Start programs; and ‘‘(3) other public entities, and nonprofit or for-profit private 

entities, including community-based and faith-based organizations, capable of providing child and family services that meet 

the standards for participation in programs under this subchapter and meet such other appropriate requirements relating 

to the activities under this section as the Secretary may establish.’’; 

(6) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘From’’ and all that follows 

through ‘‘under this subsection’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary 

shall award grants under this section’’; 

(7) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following: ‘‘(g) MONITORING, TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND

EVALUATION.— ‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—In order to ensure the successful operation of programs assisted under this section, the Secretary 

shall use funds made available under section 640(a)(2)(E) to 

monitor the operation of such programs, and funds made available under section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(I) to provide training and 

technical assistance tailored to the particular needs of such programs, consistent with section 640(c). 

‘‘(2) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—

‘‘(A) ACTIVITIES.—Of the portion set aside under section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i)(I)—

‘‘(i) not less than 50 percent shall be made available to Early Head Start agencies to use directly, 

which may include, at their discretion, the establishment of local or regional agreements with community 

experts, institutions of higher education, or private consultants, for training and technical assistance activities 

in order to make program improvements identified by 

such agencies; ‘‘(ii) not less than 25 percent shall be available to 

the Secretary to support a State-based training and 

technical assistance system, or a national system, described in section 648(e), including infant and toddler 


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specialists, to support Early Head Start agencies, consistent with subparagraph (B); and 

‘‘(iii) the remainder of such amount shall be made 

available to the Secretary to assist Early Head Start 

agencies in meeting and exceeding the standards described in section 641A(a)(1) (directly, or through 

grants, contracts, or other agreements or arrangements 

with an entity with demonstrated expertise relating to 

infants, toddlers, and families) by—

‘‘(I) providing ongoing training and technical 

assistance to Early Head Start agencies, including 

developing training and technical assistance materials and resources to support program development and improvement and best practices in providing services to children and families served by 

Early Head Start programs; 

‘‘(II) supporting a national network of infant 

and toddler specialists designed to improve the 

quality of Early Head Start programs; 

‘‘(III) providing ongoing training and technical 

assistance on Early Head Start program development and improvement for regional staff charged 

with monitoring and overseeing the administration 

of the program carried out under this section; and 

‘‘(IV) if funds remain after the activities described in subclauses (I), (II), and (III) are carried 

out, carry out 1 or more of the following activities: 

‘‘(aa) Providing support and program 

planning and implementation assistance for 

new Early Head Start agencies, including for 

agencies who want to use funds as described 

in section 645(a)(5) to serve infants and toddlers. 

‘‘(bb) Creating special training and technical assistance initiatives targeted to serving 

high-risk populations, such as children in the 

child welfare system and homeless children. 

‘‘(cc) Providing professional development 

designed to increase program participation for 

underserved populations of eligible children. 

‘‘(B) CONTRACTS.—For the purposes of supporting a 

State-based system, as described in subparagraph (A)(ii), 

that will meet the needs of Early Head Start agencies and 

provide high-quality, sustained, and intensive training and 

technical assistance on programming for infants and toddlers to Early Head Start agencies, and in order to help 

such agencies meet or exceed the standards described in 

section 641A(a)(1), the Secretary shall—

‘‘(i) use funds reserved under subparagraph (A)(ii) 

in combination with funds reserved under section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb) to ensure the contracts described 

in section 648(e)(1) provide for a minimum of 1 fulltime specialist with demonstrated expertise in the development of infants and toddlers; and 


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‘‘(ii) ensure that such contracts and the services 

provided in the contracts are integrated with and augment the contracts awarded and services provided 

under section 648(e);’’; and 

(8) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(h) CENTER-BASED STAFF.—The Secretary shall— ‘‘(1) ensure that, not later than September 30, 2010, all 

teachers providing direct services to children and families participating in Early Head Start programs located in Early Head 

Start centers, have a minimum of a child development associate 

credential, and have been trained (or have equivalent 

coursework) in early childhood development; and ‘‘(2) establish staff qualification goals to ensure that not 

later than September 30, 2012, all such teachers have been 

trained (or have equivalent coursework) in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development. 

‘‘(i) STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT.— ‘‘(1) HOME VISITOR STAFF STANDARDS.—In order to further 

enhance the quality of home visiting services provided to families of children participating in home-based, center-based, or 

combination program options under this subchapter, the Secretary shall establish standards for training, qualifications, 

and the conduct of home visits for home visitor staff in Early 

Head Start programs. ‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF STANDARDS.—The standards for training, qualifications, and the conduct of home visits shall include 

content related to— ‘‘(A) structured child-focused home visiting that promotes parents’ ability to support the child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development; ‘‘(B) effective strengths-based parent education, including methods to encourage parents as their child’s first 

teachers; ‘‘(C) early childhood development with respect to children from birth through age 3; ‘‘(D) methods to help parents promote emergent literacy 

in their children from birth through age 3, including use 

of research-based strategies to support the development of 

literacy and language skills for children who are limited 

English proficient; ‘‘(E) ascertaining what health and developmental services the family receives and working with providers of these 

services to eliminate gaps in service by offering annual 

health, vision, hearing, and developmental screening for 

children from birth to entry into kindergarten, when needed; ‘‘(F) strategies for helping families coping with crisis; 

and ‘‘(G) the relationship of health and well-being of pregnant women to prenatal and early child development.’’. 

SEC. 16. APPEALS, NOTICE, AND HEARING. 

Section 646(a) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9841(a)) is 

amended—

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘procedures to assure that’’; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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(2) in paragraphs (1) and (2), by inserting ‘‘procedures to 

assure that’’ after the paragraph designation; 

(3) by striking paragraphs (3) and (4) and inserting the following: ‘‘(3) procedures to assure that financial assistance under 

this subchapter may be terminated or reduced, and an application for refunding may be denied, after the recipient has been 

afforded reasonable notice and opportunity for a full and fair 

hearing, including— ‘‘(A) a right to file a notice of appeal of a decision not 

later than 30 days after notice of the decision from the Secretary; and ‘‘(B) access to a full and fair hearing of the appeal, not 

later than 120 days after receipt by the Secretary of the notice of appeal; 

‘‘(4) procedures (including mediation procedures) are developed and published, to be used in order to— ‘‘(A) resolve in a timely manner conflicts potentially 

leading to an adverse action between— ‘‘(i) recipients of financial assistance under this 

subchapter; and ‘‘(ii) delegate agencies, or policy councils of Head 

Start agencies; 

‘‘(B) avoid the need for an administrative hearing on 

an adverse action; and ‘‘(C) prohibit a Head Start agency from expending financial assistance awarded under this subchapter for the 

purpose of paying legal fees, or other costs incurred, pursuant to an appeal under paragraph (3); 

‘‘(5) procedures to assure that the Secretary may suspend financial assistance to a recipient under this subchapter— ‘‘(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), for not 

more than 30 days; or ‘‘(B) in the case of a recipient under this subchapter 

that has multiple and recurring deficiencies for 180 days or 

more and has not made substantial and significant 

progress toward meeting the goals of the grantee’s quality 

improvement plan or eliminating all deficiencies identified 

by the Secretary, during the hearing of an appeal described 

in paragraph (3), for any amount of time; and 

‘‘(6) procedures to assure that in cases where a Head Start 

agency prevails in a decision under paragraph (4), the Secretary may determine and provide a reimbursement to the Head 

Start agency for fees deemed reasonable and customary.’’. 

SEC. 17. RECORDS AND AUDITS. 

Section 647 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9842) is amended 

by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) Each recipient of financial assistance under this subchapter 

shall—

‘‘(1) maintain, and annually submit to the Secretary, a 

complete accounting of the recipient’s administrative expenses 

(including a detailed statement identifying the amount of financial assistance provided under this subchapter used to pay expenses for salaries and compensation and the amount (if any) 

of other funds used to pay such expenses); 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(2) not later than 30 days after the date of completion of 

an audit conducted in the manner and to the extent provided 

in chapter 75 of title 31, United States Code (commonly known 

as the ‘Single Audit Act of 1984’), submit to the Secretary a 

copy of the audit management letter and of any audit findings 

as they relate to the Head Start program; and 

‘‘(3) provide such additional documentation as the Secretary may require.’’. 

SEC. 18. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING. 

Section 648 of the of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9843) is 

amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 648. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING. 

‘‘(a) SECRETARIAL TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—

‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—From the funds provided under section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i), the Secretary shall provide, directly or through 

grants, contracts, or other agreements or arrangements as the 

Secretary considers appropriate, technical assistance and training for Head Start programs for the purposes of improving program quality and helping prepare children to succeed in school. 

‘‘(2) PROCESS.—The process for determining the technical 

assistance and training activities to be carried out under this 

section shall—

‘‘(A) ensure that the needs of local Head Start agencies 

and programs relating to improving program quality and 

to program expansion are addressed to the maximum extent 

practicable; and 

‘‘(B) incorporate mechanisms to ensure responsiveness 

to local needs, including an ongoing procedure for obtaining input from the individuals and agencies carrying out 

Head Start programs. 

‘‘(3) ACTIVITIES.—In providing training and technical assistance and for allocating resources for such assistance under 

this section, the Secretary shall—

‘‘(A) give priority consideration to—

‘‘(i) activities to correct program and management 

deficiencies identified through reviews carried out pursuant to section 641A(c) (including the provision of assistance to local programs in the development of quality improvement plans under section 641A(d)(2)); 

‘‘(ii) assisting Head Start agencies in ensuring the 

school readiness of children; and 

‘‘(iii) activities that supplement those funded with 

amounts provided under section 640(a)(5)(B) to address 

the training and career development needs of classroom 

staff (including instruction for providing services to 

children with disabilities, and for activities described 

in section 1222(d) of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965), and non-classroom staff, including home visitors and other staff working directly 

with families, including training relating to increasing 

parent involvement and services designed to increase 

family literacy and improve parenting skills; and 

‘‘(B) to the maximum extent practicable—


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‘‘(i) assist Head Start agencies in the development 

of collaborative initiatives with States and other entities within the States, to foster effective professional development systems for early childhood education and 

development services; ‘‘(ii) provide technical assistance and training, either directly or through a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement with an entity that has experience in the 

development and operation of successful family literacy 

services programs, for the purpose of— ‘‘(I) assisting Head Start agencies providing 

family literacy services, in order to improve the 

quality of such family literacy services; and ‘‘(II) enabling those Head Start agencies that 

demonstrate effective provision of family literacy 

services, based on improved outcomes for children 

and their parents, to provide technical assistance 

and training to other Head Start agencies and to 

service providers that work in collaboration with 

such agencies to provide family literacy services; 

‘‘(iii) assist Head Start agencies and programs in 

conducting and participating in communitywide strategic planning and needs assessments, including the 

needs of homeless children and their families, and in 

conducting self-assessments; ‘‘(iv) assist Head Start agencies and programs in 

developing and implementing full-working-day and 

full calendar year programs where community need is 

clearly identified and making the transition to such 

programs, with particular attention to involving parents and programming for children throughout the 

day, and assist the agencies and programs in expediting the sharing of information about innovative 

models for providing full-working-day, full calendar 

year services for children; 

‘‘(v) assist Head Start agencies in better serving the 

needs of families with very young children, including 

providing support and program planning and implementation assistance for Head Start agencies that 

apply to serve or are serving additional infants and 

toddlers, in accordance with section 645(a)(5); 

‘‘(vi) assist Head Start agencies and programs in 

the development of sound management practices, including financial management procedures; 

‘‘(vii) assist in efforts to secure and maintain adequate facilities for Head Start programs; 

‘‘(viii) assist Head Start agencies in developing innovative program models, including mobile and homebased programs; 

‘‘(ix) provide support for Head Start agencies (including policy councils and policy committees) that 

meet the standards described in section 641A(a) but 

that have, as documented by the Secretary through reviews conducted pursuant to section 641A(c), programmatic, quality, and fiscal issues to address; 


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‘‘(x) assist Head Start agencies and programs in 

improving outreach to, increasing program participation of, and improving the quality of services available 

to meet the unique needs of— ‘‘(I) homeless children; 

‘‘(II) limited English proficient children and 

their families, particularly in communities that 

have experienced a large percentage increase in the 

population of limited English proficient individuals, as measured by the Bureau of the Census; 

and ‘‘(III) children with disabilities, particularly if 

such program’s enrollment opportunities or funded 

enrollment for children with disabilities is less 

than 10 percent; 

‘‘(xi) assist Head Start agencies and programs to 

increase the capacity of classroom staff to meet the 

needs of eligible children in Head Start classrooms 

that are serving both children with disabilities and 

children without disabilities; ‘‘(xii) assist Head Start agencies and programs to 

address the unique needs of programs located in rural 

communities, including— ‘‘(I) removing barriers related to the recruitment and retention of Head Start teachers in rural 

communities; ‘‘(II) developing innovative and effective models of professional development for improving staff 

qualifications and skills for staff living in rural 

communities; ‘‘(III) removing barriers related to outreach efforts to eligible families in rural communities; ‘‘(IV) removing barriers to parent involvement 

in Head Start programs in rural communities; 

‘‘(V) removing barriers to providing home visiting services in rural communities; and 

‘‘(VI) removing barriers to obtaining health 

screenings for Head Start participants in rural 

communities; 

‘‘(xiii) provide training and technical assistance to 

members of governing bodies, policy councils, and, as 

appropriate, policy committees, to ensure that the members can fulfill their functions; 

‘‘(xiv) provide activities that help ensure that Head 

Start programs have qualified staff who can promote 

prevention of childhood obesity by integrating developmentally appropriate research-based initiatives that 

stress the importance of physical activity and healthy, 

nutritional choices in daily classroom and family routines; 

‘‘(xv) assist Indian Head Start agencies to provide 

on-site and off-site training to staff, using approaches 

that identify and enhance the positive resources and 

strengths of Indian children and families, to improve 

parent and family engagement and staff development, 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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particularly with regard to child and family development; and ‘‘(xvi) assisting Head Start agencies in selecting 

and using the measures described in section 641A(b). ‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.—The Secretary shall provide, either 

directly or through grants, contracts or other arrangements, funds 

from section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(cc) to— ‘‘(1) support an organization to administer a centralized 

child development and national assessment program leading to 

recognized credentials for personnel working in early childhood 

education and development programs; and ‘‘(2) support training for personnel— ‘‘(A) providing services to limited English proficient 

children and their families (including services to promote 

the acquisition of the English language); ‘‘(B) providing services to children determined to be 

abused or neglected or children referred by or receiving 

child welfare services; ‘‘(C) in helping children cope with community violence; 

‘‘(D) to recognize common health, including mental 

health, problems in children for appropriate referral; ‘‘(E) to address the needs of children with disabilities 

and their families; ‘‘(F) to address the needs of migrant and seasonal 

farmworker families; and ‘‘(G) to address the needs of homeless families. ‘‘(c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall develop and implement a 

program of outreach to recruit and train professionals from diverse 

backgrounds to become Head Start teachers in order to reflect the 

communities in which Head Start children live and to increase the 

provision of quality services and instruction to children with diverse 

backgrounds. ‘‘(d) FUNDS TO AGENCIES.—Funds made available under section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(aa) shall be used by a Head Start agency to provide high-quality, sustained, and intensive training and technical 

assistance as follows: ‘‘(1) For 1 or more of the following: ‘‘(A) Activities that ensure that Head Start programs 

meet or exceed the standards described in section 

641A(a)(1). ‘‘(B) Activities that ensure that Head Start programs 

have adequate numbers of trained, qualified staff who have 

skills in working with children and families, including 

children and families who are limited English proficient 

and children with disabilities and their families. ‘‘(C) Activities to improve the management and implementation of Head Start services and systems, including direct training for expert consultants working with staff. ‘‘(D) Activities that help ensure that Head Start programs have qualified staff who can promote language skills 

and literacy growth of children and who can provide children with a variety of skills that have been identified as 

predictive of later reading achievement, school success, and 

the skills, knowledge, abilities, development, and progress 

described in section 641A(a)(1)(B)(ii). 


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‘‘(E) Activities to improve staff qualifications and to assist with the implementation of career development programs and to encourage the staff to continually improve 

their skills and expertise, including developing partnerships with programs that recruit, train, place, and support 

college students in Head Start centers to deliver an innovative early learning program to preschool children. 

‘‘(F) Activities that help local programs ensure that the 

arrangement, condition, and implementation of the learning environments in Head Start programs are conducive to 

providing effective program services to children and families. 

‘‘(G) Activities to provide training necessary to improve 

the qualifications of Head Start staff and to support staff 

training, child counseling, health services, and other services necessary to address the needs of children enrolled in 

Head Start programs, including children from families in 

crises, children who experience chronic violence or homelessness, children who experience substance abuse in their 

families, and children under 3 years of age, where applicable. 

‘‘(H) Activities to provide classes or in-service-type programs to improve or enhance parenting skills, job skills, 

and adult and family literacy, including financial literacy, 

or training to become a classroom aide or bus driver in a 

Head Start program. 

‘‘(I) Additional activities deemed appropriate to the improvement of Head Start programs, as determined by the 

technical assistance and training plans of the Head Start 

agencies. 

‘‘(2) To support enhanced early language and literacy development of children in Head Start programs, and to provide the 

children with high-quality oral language skills and with environments that are rich in literature in which to acquire language and early literacy skills. Each Head Start agency, in consultation with the State-based training and technical assistance 

system, as appropriate, shall ensure that—

‘‘(A) all of the agency’s Head Start teachers receive ongoing training in language and emergent literacy (referred 

to in this subsection as ‘literacy training’), including appropriate curricula and assessment to improve instruction and 

learning; 

‘‘(B) such literacy training shall include training in 

methods to promote vocabulary development and phonological awareness (including phonemic awareness) in a developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate 

manner and support children’s development in their native 

language; 

‘‘(C) the literacy training shall include training in how 

to work with parents to enhance positive language and 

early literacy development at home; 

‘‘(D) the literacy training shall include specific methods 

to best address the needs of children who are limited 

English proficient; 


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‘‘(E) the literacy training shall include training on how 

to best address the language and literacy needs of children 

with disabilities, including training on how to work with 

specialists in language development; and ‘‘(F) the literacy training shall be tailored to the early 

childhood literacy background and experience of the teachers involved; 

except that funds made available under section 640(a)(2)(C)(i) 

shall not be used for long-distance travel expenses for training 

activities available locally or regionally or for training activities 

substantially similar to locally or regionally available training 

activities. 

‘‘(e) STATE-BASED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SYS- TEM.—For the purposes of delivering a State-based training and 

technical assistance system (which may include a consortium of 2 

or more States within a region) or a national system in the case of 

migrant or seasonal Head Start and Indian Head Start programs, 

as described in section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb), that will meet the 

needs of local grantees, as determined by such grantees, and provide 

high-quality, sustained, and intensive training and technical assistance to Head Start agencies and programs in order to improve their 

capacity to deliver services that meet or exceed the standards described in section 641A(a)(1), the Secretary shall— ‘‘(1) enter into contracts in each State with 1 or more entities that have a demonstrated expertise in supporting the delivery of high-quality early childhood education and development 

programs, except that contracts for a consortium of 2 or more 

States within a geographic region may be entered into if such 

a system is more appropriate to better meet the needs of local 

grantees within a region, as determined by such grantees; ‘‘(2) ensure that the entities described in subparagraph (1) 

determine the types of services to be provided through consultation with—

‘‘(A) local Head Start agencies (including Indian Head 

Start agencies and migrant or seasonal Head Start agencies, as appropriate); 

‘‘(B) the State Head Start collaboration office; and 

‘‘(C) the State Head Start Association; 

‘‘(3) encourage States to supplement the funds authorized in 

section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb) with Federal, State, or local funds 

other than funds made available under this subchapter, to expand training and technical assistance activities beyond Head 

Start agencies to include other providers of other early childhood education and development programs within a State; 

‘‘(4) provide a report to the Committee on Education and 

Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, not later 

than 90 days after the end of the fiscal year, summarizing the 

funding for such contracts and the activities carried out thereunder; 

‘‘(5) periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the delivery of 

services in each State in promoting program quality; and 

‘‘(6) ensure that in entering into such contracts as described 

in paragraph (1), such entities will address the needs of grantees in both urban and rural communities. 


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‘‘(f) INDOOR AIR QUALITY.—The Secretary shall consult with appropriate Federal agencies and other experts, as appropriate, on 

issues of air quality related to children’s health and inform Head 

Start agencies of existing programs or combination of programs that 

provide methods for improving indoor air quality. 

‘‘(g) CAREER ADVANCEMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.—

‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—From amounts allocated under section 

640(a)(2)(C) the Secretary is authorized to award demonstration 

grants, for a period of not less than 5 years, to historically 

Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, 

and Tribal Colleges and Universities—

‘‘(A) to implement education programs that increase the 

number of associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees 

in early childhood education and related fields that are 

earned by Head Start agency staff members, parents of 

children served by such agencies, and members of the communities involved; 

‘‘(B) to provide assistance for stipends and costs related 

to tuition, fees, and books for enrolling Head Start agency 

staff members, parents of children served by such an agency, and members of the communities involved in courses required to complete the degree and certification requirement 

to become teachers in early childhood education and related 

fields; 

‘‘(C) to develop program curricula to promote highquality services and instruction to children with diverse 

backgrounds, including—

‘‘(i) in the case of historically Black colleges and 

universities, to help Head Start Agency staff members 

develop skills and expertise needed to teach in programs serving large numbers of African American children; 

‘‘(ii) in the case of Hispanic-serving institutions, 

programs to help Head Start Agency staff members develop skills and expertise needed to teach in programs 

serving large numbers of Hispanic children, including 

programs to develop the linguistic skills and expertise 

needed to teach in programs serving a large number of 

children with limited English proficiency; and 

‘‘(iii) in the case of Tribal Colleges and Universities, to help Head Start Agency staff members develop 

skills and expertise needed to teach in programs serving large numbers of Indian children, including programs concerning tribal culture and language; 

‘‘(D) to provide other activities to upgrade the skills 

and qualifications of educational personnel to meet the professional standards in subsection (a) to better promote 

high-quality services and instruction to children and parents from populations served by historically Black colleges 

and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, or Tribal 

Colleges and Universities; 

‘‘(E) to provide technology literacy programs for Indian 

Head Start agency staff members and families of children 

served by such agency; and 


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‘‘(F) to develop and implement the programs described 

under subparagraph (A) in technology-mediated formats, 

including through such means as distance learning and 

use of advanced technology, as appropriate. 

‘‘(2) OTHER ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall, using resources within the Department of Health and Human Services—

‘‘(A) provide appropriate technical assistance to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities receiving 

grants under this section, including coordinating with the 

White House Initiative on historically Black colleges and 

universities; and 

‘‘(B) ensure that the American Indian Programs 

Branch of the Office of Head Start of the Administration 

for Children and Families of the Department of Health and 

Human Services can effectively administer the programs 

under this section and provide appropriate technical assistance to Tribal Colleges and Universities under this section. 

‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—Each historically Black college or university, Hispanic-serving institution, or Tribal College or University desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application, in partnership with at least 1 Head Start agency enrolling large numbers of students from the populations served 

by historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving 

institutions, or Tribal Colleges and Universities, to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a certification that the institution of higher education has established 

a formal partnership with 1 or more Head Start agencies for 

the purposes of conducting the activities described in paragraph 

(1). 

‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

‘‘(A) The term ‘Hispanic-serving institution’ has the 

meaning given such term in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a). 

‘‘(B) The term ‘historically Black college or university’

has the meaning given the term ‘part B institution’ in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

1061(2)). 

‘‘(C) The term ‘Tribal College or University’ has the 

meaning given such term in section 316(b) of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 

‘‘(5) TEACHING REQUIREMENT.—A student at an institution 

receiving a grant under this subsection who receives assistance 

under a program funded under this subsection shall teach in a 

center-based Head Start program for a period of time equivalent to the period for which they received assistance or shall 

repay such assistance.’’. 

SEC. 19. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT. 

Section 648A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9843a) is amended—

(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: 

‘‘(a) CLASSROOM TEACHERS.—


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‘‘(1) PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall 

ensure that each Head Start classroom in a center-based program is assigned 1 teacher who has demonstrated competency 

to perform functions that include—

‘‘(A) planning and implementing learning experiences 

that advance the intellectual and physical development of 

children, including improving the readiness of children for 

school by developing their literacy, phonemic, and print 

awareness, their understanding and use of language, their 

understanding and use of increasingly complex and varied 

vocabulary, their appreciation of books, their understanding of early math and early science, their problemsolving abilities, and their approaches to learning; 

‘‘(B) establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy 

learning environment; 

‘‘(C) supporting the social and emotional development 

of children; and 

‘‘(D) encouraging the involvement of the families of the 

children in a Head Start program and supporting the development of relationships between children and their families. 

‘‘(2) DEGREE REQUIREMENTS.—

‘‘(A) HEAD START TEACHERS.—The Secretary shall ensure that not later than September 30, 2013, at least 50 

percent of Head Start teachers nationwide in center-based 

programs have—

‘‘(i) a baccalaureate or advanced degree in early 

childhood education; or 

‘‘(ii) a baccalaureate or advanced degree and 

coursework equivalent to a major relating to early 

childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children. 

‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL STAFF.—The Secretary shall ensure 

that, not later than September 30, 2013, all—

‘‘(i) Head Start education coordinators, including 

those that serve as curriculum specialists, nationwide 

in center-based programs—

‘‘(I) have the capacity to offer assistance to 

other teachers in the implementation and adaptation of curricula to the group and individual needs 

of children in a Head Start classroom; and 

‘‘(II) have—

‘‘(aa) a baccalaureate or advanced degree 

in early childhood education; or 

‘‘(bb) a baccalaureate or advanced degree 

and coursework equivalent to a major relating 

to early childhood education, with experience 

teaching preschool-age children; and 

‘‘(ii) Head Start teaching assistants nationwide in 

center-based programs have—

‘‘(I) at least a child development associate credential; 

‘‘(II) enrolled in a program leading to an associate or baccalaureate degree; or 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(III) enrolled in a child development associate 

credential program to be completed within 2 years. ‘‘(C) PROGRESS.— ‘‘(i) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall— ‘‘(I) require Head Start agencies to— ‘‘(aa) describe continuing progress each 

year toward achieving the goals described in 

subparagraphs (A) and (B); and ‘‘(bb) annually submit to the Secretary a 

report indicating the number and percentage 

of classroom personnel described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) in center-based programs 

with child development associate credentials 

or associate, baccalaureate, or advanced degrees; 

‘‘(II) compile and submit a summary of all 

program reports described in subclause (I)(bb) to 

the Committee on Education and Labor of the 

House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 

Senate; and ‘‘(III) not impose any penalties or sanctions on 

any individual Head Start agency, program, or 

staff in the monitoring of local agencies and programs under this subchapter not meeting the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B). ‘‘(D) CONSTRUCTION.—In this paragraph a reference to 

a Head Start agency, or its program, services, facility, or 

personnel, shall not be considered to be a reference to an 

Early Head Start agency, or its program, services, facility, 

or personnel. 

‘‘(3) ALTERNATIVE CREDENTIALING AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall ensure that, for center-based programs, each Head Start classroom that does not have a teacher 

who meets the qualifications described in clause (i) or (ii) of 

paragraph (2)(A) is assigned one teacher who has the following 

during the period specified: ‘‘(A) Through September 30, 2011— ‘‘(i) a child development associate credential that is 

appropriate to the age of children being served in center-based programs; ‘‘(ii) a State-awarded certificate for preschool 

teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements for a 

child development associate credential; ‘‘(iii) an associate degree in early childhood education; ‘‘(iv) an associate degree in a related field and 

coursework equivalent to a major relating to early 

childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children; or 

‘‘(v) a baccalaureate degree and has been admitted 

into the Teach For America program, passed a rigorous 

early childhood content exam, such as the Praxis II, 

participated in a Teach For America summer training 

institute that includes teaching preschool children, and 


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is receiving ongoing professional development and support from Teach For America’s professional staff. 

‘‘(B) As of October 1, 2011—

‘‘(i) an associate degree in early childhood education; 

‘‘(ii) an associate degree in a related field and 

coursework equivalent to a major relating to early 

childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children; or 

‘‘(iii) a baccalaureate degree and has been admitted into the Teach For America program, passed a rigorous early childhood content exam, such as the Praxis 

II, participated in a Teach For America summer training institute that includes teaching preschool children, 

and is receiving ongoing professional development and 

support from Teach For America’s professional staff. 

‘‘(4) WAIVER.—On request, the Secretary shall grant—

‘‘(A) through September 30, 2011, a 180-day waiver 

ending on or before September 30, 2011, of the requirements of paragraph (3)(A) for a Head Start agency that can 

demonstrate that the agency has attempted unsuccessfully 

to recruit an individual who has the qualifications described in any of clauses (i) through (iv) of paragraph 

(3)(A) with respect to an individual who—

‘‘(i) is enrolled in a program that grants a credential, certificate, or degree described in clauses (i) 

through (iv) of paragraph (3)(A); and 

‘‘(ii) will receive such credential, certificate, or degree under the terms of such program not later than 

180 days after beginning employment as a teacher with 

such agency; and 

‘‘(B) as of October 1, 2011, a 3-year waiver of the requirements of paragraph (3)(B) for a Head Start agency 

that can demonstrate that—

‘‘(i) the agency has attempted unsuccessfully to recruit an individual who has the qualifications described in clause (i) or (ii) of such paragraph, with respect to an individual who is enrolled in a program 

that grants a degree described in clause (i) or (ii) of 

such paragraph and will receive such degree in a reasonable time; and 

‘‘(ii) each Head Start classroom has a teacher who 

has, at a minimum—

‘‘(I) a child development associate credential 

that is appropriate to the age of children being 

served in center-based programs; or 

‘‘(II) a State-awarded certificate for preschool 

teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements for 

a child development associate credential. 

‘‘(5) TEACHER IN-SERVICE REQUIREMENT.—Each Head Start 

teacher shall attend not less than 15 clock hours of professional 

development per year. Such professional development shall be 

high-quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused in 

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struction and the teacher’s performance in the classroom, and 

regularly evaluated by the program for effectiveness. ‘‘(6) SERVICE REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall establish requirements to ensure that, in order to enable Head Start 

agencies to comply with the requirements of paragraph (2)(A), 

individuals who receive financial assistance under this subchapter to pursue a degree described in paragraph (2)(A) 

shall— ‘‘(A) teach or work in a Head Start program for a minimum of 3 years after receiving the degree; or ‘‘(B) repay the total or a prorated amount of the financial assistance received based on the length of service completed after receiving the degree. 

‘‘(7) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary shall require that any 

Federal funds provided directly or indirectly to comply with 

paragraph (2)(A) shall be used toward degrees awarded by an 

institution of higher education, as defined by section 101 or 102 

of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002).’’; 

(2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows: 

‘‘(c) FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS.—To improve the quality and effectiveness of staff providing in-home and other services (including 

needs assessment, development of service plans, family advocacy, 

and coordination of service delivery) to families of children participating in Head Start programs, the Secretary, in coordination with 

concerned public and private agencies and organizations examining 

the issues of standards and training for family service workers, 

shall—

‘‘(1) review and, as necessary, revise or develop new qualification standards for Head Start staff providing such services; 

‘‘(2) review, and as necessary, revise or develop maximum 

caseload requirements, as suggested by best practices; 

‘‘(3) promote the development of model curricula (on subjects including parenting training and family literacy) designed 

to ensure the attainment of appropriate competencies by individuals working or planning to work in the field of early childhood and family services; ‘‘(4) promote the establishment of a credential that indicates 

attainment of the competencies and that is accepted nationwide; 

and ‘‘(5) promote the use of appropriate strategies to meet the 

needs of special populations (including populations of limited 

English proficient children).’’; 

(3) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (3)(C), by inserting ‘‘(including a center)’’ after ‘‘agency’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘amounts appropriated under this subchapter and allotted under section 

640(a)(2)(D)’’ and inserting ‘‘amounts made available under 

section 640(a)(2)(E)’’; and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(f) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS.—Each Head Start 

agency and program shall create, in consultation with an employee, 

a professional development plan for all full-time Head Start employees who provide direct services to children and shall ensure that 

such plans are regularly evaluated for their impact on teacher and 


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staff effectiveness. The agency and the employee shall implement the 

plan to the extent feasible and practicable. 

‘‘(g) STAFF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCEDURES.—Before 

a Head Start agency employs an individual, such agency shall—

‘‘(1) conduct an interview of such individual; 

‘‘(2) verify the personal and employment references provided 

by such individual; and 

‘‘(3) obtain—

‘‘(A) a State, tribal, or Federal criminal record check 

covering all jurisdictions where the grantee provides Head 

Start services to children; 

‘‘(B) a State, tribal, or Federal criminal record check as 

required by the law of the jurisdiction where the grantee 

provides Head Start services; or 

‘‘(C) a criminal record check as otherwise required by 

Federal law.’’. 

SEC. 20. RESEARCH, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND EVALUATION. 

Section 649 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9844) is amended—

(1) by amending subsection (a)(1)(B) to read as follows: 

‘‘(B) use the Head Start programs to develop, test, and 

disseminate new ideas based on existing scientifically valid 

research, for addressing the needs of low-income preschool 

children (including children with disabilities, homeless 

children, children who have been abused or neglected, and 

children in foster care) and their families and communities 

(including demonstrations of innovative non-center-based 

program models such as home-based and mobile programs), and otherwise to further the purposes of this subchapter.’’; 

(2) in subsection (d)—

(A) in paragraph (8), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(B) by striking paragraphs (9) and (10), and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(10)(A) contribute to understanding the impact of Head 

Start services delivered in classrooms which include both children with disabilities and children without disabilities, on all 

of the children; and 

‘‘(B) disseminate promising practices for increasing the 

availability and quality of such services and such classrooms.’’; 

(C) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘early childhood education, or child development services’’ and inserting ‘‘early 

childhood education and development or services programs’’; 

(D) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (8) as 

paragraphs (6) through (9), respectively; 

(E) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following: 

‘‘(5)(A) identify successful strategies that promote good oral 

health and provide effective linkages to quality dental services 

through pediatric dental referral networks, for infants and toddlers participating in Early Head Start programs and children 

participating in other Head Start programs; and 

‘‘(B) identify successful strategies that promote good vision 

health through vision screenings for such infants, toddlers, and 


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children, and referrals for appropriate followup care for those 

identified as having a vision problem;’’; and 

(F) by striking the last sentence; and 

(3) in subsection (e)(3), by striking ‘‘child care, early childhood education, or child development services’’ and inserting ‘‘early childhood education and development services or programs’’; 

(4) in subsection (g) by amending paragraph (7)(C) to read 

as follows: ‘‘(C) TRANSMITTAL OF REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 

than September 30, 2009, the Secretary shall transmit the 

final report to the Committee on Education and Labor of 

the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.’’; and 

(5) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the following: ‘‘(h) LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT CHILDREN.—

‘‘(1) STUDY.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 

2007, the Secretary shall conduct a study on the status of limited English proficient children and their families participating 

in Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs). 

‘‘(2) REPORT.—The Secretary shall prepare and submit to 

the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 

and Pensions of the Senate, not later than September 30, 2010, 

a report containing the results of the study, including information on—

‘‘(A) the demographics of limited English proficient 

children from birth through age 5, including the number of 

such children receiving Head Start services and Early 

Head Start services, and the geographic distribution of 

children described in this subparagraph; ‘‘(B) the nature of the Head Start services and of the 

Early Head Start services provided to limited English proficient children and their families, including the types, content, duration, intensity, and costs of family services, language assistance, and educational services; 

‘‘(C) procedures in Head Start programs and Early 

Head Start programs for the assessment of language needs 

and the transition of limited English proficient children to 

kindergarten, including the extent to which such programs 

meet the requirements of section 642A for limited English 

proficient children; 

‘‘(D) the qualifications and training provided to Head 

Start teachers and Early Head Start teachers who serve 

limited English proficient children and their families; 

‘‘(E) the languages in which Head Start teachers and 

Early Head Start teachers are fluent, in relation to the population, and instructional needs, of the children served; 

‘‘(F) the rate of progress made by limited English proficient children and their families in Head Start programs 

and in Early Head Start programs, including—

‘‘(i) the rate of progress made by limited English 

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cational standards described in section 

641A(a)(1)(B)(ii) while enrolled in such programs; 

‘‘(ii) a description of the type of assessment or assessments used to determine the rate of progress made 

by limited English proficient children; 

‘‘(iii) the correlation between such progress and the 

type and quality of instruction and educational programs provided to limited English proficient children; 

and 

‘‘(iv) the correlation between such progress and the 

health and family services provided by such programs 

to limited English proficient children and their families; and 

‘‘(G) the extent to which Head Start programs and 

Early Head Start programs make use of funds under section 640(a)(2)(D) to improve the quality of such services 

provided to limited English proficient children and their 

families. 

‘‘(i) RESEARCH AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES RELEVANT TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.—For purposes of conducting the study described in subsection (h), activities described in section 640(l)(5)(A), 

and other research and evaluation activities relevant to limited 

English proficient children and their families, migrant and seasonal farmworker families, and other families from diverse populations served by Head Start programs, the Secretary shall award, 

on a competitive basis, funds from amounts made available under 

section 640(a)(2)(D) to 1 or more organizations with a demonstrated 

capacity for serving and studying the populations involved. 

‘‘(j) REVIEW OF ASSESSMENTS.—

‘‘(1) APPLICATION OF STUDY.—When the study on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children by the 

National Academy of Sciences is made available to the Secretary, the Secretary shall—

‘‘(A) integrate the results of the study, as appropriate 

and in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3), into each 

assessment used in Head Start programs; and 

‘‘(B) use the results of the study to develop, inform, and 

revise as appropriate the standards and measures described in section 641A, consistent with section 

641A(a)(2)(C)(ii). 

‘‘(2) INFORM AND REVISE.—In informing and revising any 

assessment used in the Head Start programs, the Secretary 

shall—

‘‘(A) receive recommendations from the Panel on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children of 

the National Academy of Sciences; and 

‘‘(B) with respect to the development or refinement of 

such assessment, ensure—

‘‘(i) consistency with relevant, nationally recognized professional and technical standards; 

‘‘(ii) validity and reliability for all purposes for 

which assessments under this subchapter are designed 

and used; 


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‘‘(iii) developmental and linguistic appropriateness 

of such assessments for children assessed, including 

children who are limited English proficient; and ‘‘(iv) that the results can be used to improve the 

quality of, accountability of, and training and technical assistance in, Head Start programs. ‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary, in carrying out the process described in paragraph (2), shall ensure 

that— ‘‘(A) staff administering any assessments under this 

subchapter have received appropriate training to administer such assessments; ‘‘(B) appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities and children who are limited English proficient 

are made; ‘‘(C) the English and Spanish (and any other language, 

as appropriate) forms of such assessments are valid and reliable in the languages in which they are administered; 

and ‘‘(D) such assessments are not used to exclude children 

from Head Start programs. 

‘‘(4) SUSPENDED IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL REPORTING

SYSTEM.—The Secretary shall suspend implementation and terminate further development and use of the National Reporting 

System. 

‘‘(k) INDIAN HEAD START STUDY.—The Secretary shall— ‘‘(1) work in collaboration with the Head Start agencies 

that carry out Indian Head Start programs, the Indian Head 

Start collaboration director, and other appropriate entities, including tribal governments and the National Indian Head Start 

Directors Association— ‘‘(A) to undertake a study or set of studies designed to 

focus on the American Indian and Alaska Native Head 

Start-eligible population, with a focus on issues such as 

curriculum development, availability and need for services, 

appropriate research methodologies and measures for these 

populations, and best practices for teaching and educating 

American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Children; 

‘‘(B) to accurately determine the number of children nationwide who are eligible to participate in Indian Head 

Start programs each year; 

‘‘(C) to document how many of these children are receiving Head Start services each year; 

‘‘(D) to the extent practicable, to ensure that access to 

Indian Head Start programs for eligible children is comparable to access to other Head Start programs for other eligible children; and 

‘‘(E) to make the funding decisions required in section 

640(a)(4)(D)(ii), after completion of the studies required in 

that section, taking into account: 

‘‘(i) the Federal government’s unique trust responsibility to American Indians and Alaska Natives; 

‘‘(ii) limitations faced by tribal communities in accessing non-Federal sources of funding to supplement 

Federal funding for early childhood programs; and 


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‘‘(iii) other factors that uniquely and adversely impact children in American Indian and Alaska Native 

communities such as highly elevated poverty, unemployment and violent crime rates, as well as depressed 

levels of educational achievement and limited access to 

non-Federal health, social and educational resources; ‘‘(2) in carrying out paragraph (1), consult with the Secretary of Education about the Department of Education’s systems for collecting and reporting data about, and maintaining 

records on, American Indian and Alaska Native students; ‘‘(3) not later than 9 months after the effective date of this 

subsection, publish in the Federal Register a notice of how the 

Secretary plans to carry out paragraph (1) and shall provide a 

period for public comment. To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall consider comments received before submitting a report to the Congress; ‘‘(4) not later than 1 year after the effective date of this subsection, submit a report to the Committee on Education and 

Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, detailing 

how the Department of Health and Human Services plans to 

carry out paragraph (1); ‘‘(5) through regulation, ensure the confidentiality of any 

personally identifiable data, information, and records collected 

or maintained by the Secretary, by Head Start agencies that 

carry out Indian Head Start programs, and by State Directors 

of Head Start Collaboration, by the Indian Head Start Collaboration Project Director and by other appropriate entities pursuant to this subsection (such regulations shall provide the policies, protections, and rights equivalent to those provided a parent, student, or educational agency or institution under section 

444 of the General Education Provisions Act.); and ‘‘(6) ensure that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the development of a nationwide database 

of personally identifiable information on individuals involved 

in studies or other collections of data under this subsection. 

‘‘(l) MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START PROGRAM STUDY.— ‘‘(1) DATA.—In order to increase access to Head Start services for children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, the Secretary shall work in collaboration with providers of migrant 

and seasonal Head Start programs, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Labor, the Bureau of Migrant Health, 

and the Secretary of Education to— ‘‘(A) collect, report, and share data, within a coordinated system, on children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families, including health records and 

educational documents of such children, in order to adequately account for the number of children of migrant and 

seasonal farmworkers who are eligible for Head Start services and determine how many of such children receive the 

services; and 

‘‘(B) identify barriers that prevent children of migrant 

and seasonal farmworkers who are eligible for Head Start 

services from accessing Head Start services, and develop a 

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quirements relating to tracking, health records, and educational documents, and increasing enrollment. 

‘‘(2) PUBLICATION OF PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after the 

date of enactment of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal 

Register a notice about how the Secretary plans to implement 

the activities identified in paragraph (1) and shall provide a period for public comment. To the extent practicable, the Secretary 

shall consider comments received before implementing any of 

the activities identified in paragraph (1). ‘‘(3) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of 

enactment of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness 

Act of 2007, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit 

a report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House 

of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions of the Senate detailing how the Secretary 

plans to implement the activities identified in paragraph (1), including the progress made in reaching out to and serving eligible children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and information on States where such children are still underserved. ‘‘(4) PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIALITY.—The Secretary 

shall, through regulation, ensure the protection of the confidentiality of any personally identifiable data, information, and 

records collected or maintained by the Secretary, by Head Start 

agencies that carry out migrant or seasonal Head Start programs, by the State director of Head Start Collaboration, and 

by the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Collaboration project 

Director (such regulations shall provide the policies, protections, 

and rights equivalent to those provided a parent, student, or 

educational agency or institution under section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g)). ‘‘(5) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection 

shall be construed to authorize the development of a nationwide 

database of personally identifiable data, information, or records 

on individuals involved in studies or other collections of data 

under this subsection. 

‘‘(m) PROGRAM EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.— ‘‘(1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this subsection is to evaluate the emergency preparedness of the Head Start programs, including Early Head Start programs, and make recommendations for how Head Start shall enhance its readiness to respond 

to an emergency. ‘‘(2) STUDY.—The Secretary shall evaluate the Federal, 

State, and local preparedness of Head Start programs, including Early Head Start programs, to respond appropriately in the 

event of a large-scale emergency, such as the hurricanes 

Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 

2001, or other incidents where assistance may be warranted 

under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). ‘‘(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18 months after 

the date of the enactment of the Improving Head Start for 

School Readiness Act of 2007, the Secretary shall prepare and 

submit to Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 

Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report containing the results of the evaluation required under paragraph (2), including—

‘‘(A) recommendations for improvements to Federal, 

State, and local preparedness and response capabilities to 

large-scale emergencies, including those that were developed in response to hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, 

as they relate to Head Start programs, including Early 

Head Start programs, and the Secretary’s plan to implement such recommendations; 

‘‘(B) an evaluation of the procedures for informing families of children in Head Start programs about the program 

protocols for response to a large-scale emergency, including 

procedures for communicating with such families in the 

event of a large-scale emergency; 

‘‘(C) an evaluation of such procedures for staff training 

on State and local evacuation and emergency protocols; and 

‘‘(D) an evaluation of procedures for Head Start agencies and the Secretary to coordinate with appropriate Federal, State, and local emergency management agencies in 

the event of a large scale emergency and recommendations 

to improve such procedures.’’. 

SEC. 21. REPORTS. 

Section 650 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9846) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—

(i) by striking ‘‘Education and the Workforce’’ and 

inserting ‘‘Education and Labor’’; 

(ii) by striking ‘‘Labor and Human Resources’’ and 

inserting ‘‘Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’’; 

and 

(iii) by striking ‘‘(including disabled and nonEnglish language background children)’’ and inserting 

‘‘(including children with disabilities, limited English 

proficient children, homeless children, children in foster care, and children participating in Indian Head 

Start programs and migrant or seasonal Head Start 

programs)’’; 

(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting before the semicolon 

the following: ‘‘, and information on the number of children 

served under this subsection, disaggregated by type of eligibility criterion’’; 

(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘funds expended’’ and 

all that follows through ‘‘640(a)(3),’’ and inserting ‘‘funds 

made available under section 640(a)’’; 

(D) in paragraph (8), by inserting ‘‘homelessness, 

whether the child is in foster care or was referred by a 

child welfare agency,’’ after ‘‘background,’’; 

(E) in paragraph (12), by inserting ‘‘vision care,’’ after 

‘‘dental care,’’; 

(F) in paragraph (14)—

(i) by striking ‘‘Alaskan Natives’’ and inserting 

‘‘Alaska Natives’’; and 


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(ii) by striking ‘‘seasonal farmworkers’’ and inserting ‘‘seasonal farmworker families’’; and 

(G) in the flush matter at the end— (i) by striking ‘‘Education and the Workforce’’ and 

inserting ‘‘Education and Labor’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘Labor and Human Resources’’ and 

inserting ‘‘Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)— (A) by striking ‘‘Education and the Workforce’’ and inserting ‘‘Education and Labor’’; 

(B) by striking ‘‘Labor and Human Resources’’ and inserting ‘‘Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’’; and 

(C) by striking ‘‘Native Alaskan’’ and inserting ‘‘Alaska 

Native’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(c) FISCAL PROTOCOL.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct an annual 

review to assess whether the design and implementation of the 

triennial reviews described in section 641A(c) include compliance procedures that provide reasonable assurances that Head 

Start agencies are complying with applicable fiscal laws and 

regulations. 

‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date the 

Secretary completes the annual review under paragraph (1), the 

Secretary shall report the findings and conclusions of the annual review to the Committee on Education and Labor of the 

House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. 

‘‘(d) DISABILITY-RELATED SERVICES.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall track the provision 

of disability-related services for children, in order to—

‘‘(A) determine whether Head Start agencies are making timely referrals to the State or local agency responsible 

for providing services under section 619 or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 

1431 et seq.); ‘‘(B) identify barriers to timely evaluations and eligibility determinations by the State or local agency responsible for providing services under section 619 or part C of 

the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and ‘‘(C) determine under what circumstances and for what 

length of time Head Start agencies are providing disabilityrelated services for children who have not been determined 

under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 

U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) to be children with disabilities. 

‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 

2007, the Secretary shall provide a report to the Committee on 

Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 

Senate on the activities described in paragraph (1). 

‘‘(e) EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING OBESITY

PREVENTION.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 

the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the 


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House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report on the Secretary’s 

progress in assisting program efforts to prevent and reduce obesity 

in children who participate in Head Start programs, including 

progress on implementing initiatives within the Head Start program 

to prevent and reduce obesity in such children.’’. 

SEC. 22. COMPARABILITY OF WAGES. 

Section 653 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9848) is amended— (1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall take’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) 

COMPARABILITY OF WAGES.—The Secretary shall take’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(b) LIMITATION.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 

law, no Federal funds may be used to pay any part of the compensation of an individual employed by a Head Start agency, 

if such compensation, including non-Federal funds, exceeds an 

amount equal to the rate payable for level II of the Executive 

Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code. ‘‘(2) COMPENSATION.—In this subsection, the term ‘compensation’—

‘‘(A) includes salary, bonuses, periodic payments, severance pay, the value of any vacation time, the value of a 

compensatory or paid leave benefit not excluded by subparagraph (B), and the fair market value of any employee 

perquisite or benefit not excluded by subparagraph (B); and ‘‘(B) excludes any Head Start agency expenditure for a 

health, medical, life insurance, disability, retirement, or 

any other employee welfare or pension benefit.’’. 

SEC. 23. LIMITATION WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES. 

Section 655 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9850) is amended 

by inserting ‘‘or in’’ after ‘‘assigned by’’. 

SEC. 24. POLITICAL ACTIVITIES. 

Section 656 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9851) is amended— (1) by striking all that precedes ‘‘chapter 15’’ and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘SEC. 656. POLITICAL ACTIVITIES. 

‘‘(a) STATE OR LOCAL AGENCY.—For purposes of’’; and 

(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(b) RESTRICTIONS.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A program assisted under this subchapter, and any individual employed by, or assigned to or in, 

a program assisted under this subchapter (during the hours in 

which such individual is working on behalf of such program), 

shall not engage in—

‘‘(A) any partisan or nonpartisan political activity or 

any other political activity associated with a candidate, or 

contending faction or group, in an election for public or 

party office; or 

‘‘(B) any activity to provide voters or prospective voters 

with transportation to the polls or similar assistance in 

connection with any such election. 


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‘‘(2) REGISTRATION.—No funds appropriated under this 

subchapter may be used to conduct voter registration activities. 

Nothing in this subchapter prohibits the availability of Head 

Start facilities during hours of operation for the use of any nonpartisan organization to increase the number of eligible citizens 

who register to vote in elections for Federal office. ‘‘(3) RULES AND REGULATIONS.—The Secretary, after consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, may issue rules and regulations to provide for the enforcement of this section, which may include provisions for summary suspension of assistance or other action necessary to permit enforcement on an emergency basis.’’. 

SEC. 25. PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIREMENT FOR HEALTH SERVICES. 

The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 657A. PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIREMENT FOR NONEMERGENCY 

INTRUSIVE PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—The term ‘nonemergency intrusive physical 

examination’ means, with respect to a child, a physical examination 

that— ‘‘(1) is not immediately necessary to protect the health or 

safety of the child involved or the health or safety of another individual; and ‘‘(2) requires incision or is otherwise invasive, or involves 

exposure of private body parts. 

‘‘(b) REQUIREMENT.—A Head Start agency shall obtain written 

parental consent before administration of any nonemergency intrusive physical examination of a child in connection with participation in a program under this subchapter. ‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be 

construed to prohibit agencies from using established methods, for 

handling cases of suspected or known child abuse and neglect, that 

are in compliance with applicable Federal, State, or tribal law.’’. 

SEC. 26. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. 

The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), as amended by 

section 25, is further amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 657B. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘center of excellence’ means a Center of Excellence in Early Childhood designated under 

subsection (b). ‘‘(b) DESIGNATION AND BONUS GRANTS.—The 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.—To be eligible to receive a designation as a center of excellence under subsection (b), 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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except as provided in clause (ii), a Head Start agency 

in a State shall be nominated by the Governor of the 

State, after selection for nomination by such Governor 

through a competitive process, and shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 

may require. 

‘‘(ii) INDIAN AND MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD

START PROGRAMS.—In the case of an Indian Head 

Start agency or a migrant or seasonal Head Start 

agency, to be eligible to receive a designation as a center of excellence under subsection (b), such an agency 

shall be nominated by the head of the appropriate regional office of the Department of Health and Human 

Services and shall submit an application to the Secretary in accordance with clause (i). 

‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—At 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 641A(a)(1), as evidenced 

by the results of monitoring reviews described in section 641A(c), 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 

648A; 

‘‘(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 the Child 

Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 

(42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.); 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(II) the Early Head Start programs carried 

out under section 645A; 

‘‘(III) Early Reading First and Even Start programs carried out under subparts 2 and 3 of part 

B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6371 et seq., 6381 et 

seq.); 

‘‘(IV) other preschool programs carried out 

under title I of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.); 

‘‘(V) programs carried out under section 619 

and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); 

‘‘(VI) State prekindergarten programs; and 

‘‘(VII) other programs of early childhood education and development. 

‘‘(2) SELECTION.—In selecting agencies to designate as centers of excellence under subsection (b), the Secretary shall designate not less than 1 from each of the 50 States, the District 

of Columbia, an Indian Head Start program, a migrant or seasonal Head Start program, and the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico. 

‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In making bonus grant determinations 

under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to agencies 

that, through their applications, demonstrate that their programs are of exceptional quality and would serve as exemplary 

models for programs in the same geographic region. The Secretary may also consider the populations served by the applicants, such as agencies that serve large proportions of families 

of limited English proficient children or other underserved populations, and may make bonus grants to agencies that do an exceptional job meeting the needs of children in such populations. 

‘‘(4) TERM OF DESIGNATION.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the 

Secretary shall designate a Head Start agency as a center 

of excellence for a 5-year term. During the period of that 

designation, subject to the availability of appropriations, 

the agency shall be eligible to receive a bonus grant under 

subsection (b). 

‘‘(B) REVOCATION.—The Secretary may revoke an agency’s designation under subsection (b) if the Secretary determines that the agency is not demonstrating adequate performance or has had findings of deficiencies described in 

paragraph (1)(B)(ii). 

‘‘(5) AMOUNT OF BONUS GRANT.—The Secretary shall base 

the amount of funding provided through a bonus grant made 

under subsection (b) to a center of excellence on the number of 

children eligible for Head Start services in the community involved. The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of funding, make such a bonus grant in an amount of not less than 

$200,000 per year. 

‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—A 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 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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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 lowincome, 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.—The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of funds to carry out this subsection, award a grant or 

contract to an independent organization to conduct research on 

the ability of the centers of excellence to use the funds received 

under this section to improve the school readiness of children 

receiving Head Start services, and to positively impact school 

results in the earliest grades. The organization shall also conduct research to measure the success of the centers of excellence 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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at encouraging the center’s delegate agencies, additional Head 

Start agencies, and other providers of early childhood education 

and development programs in the communities involved to meet 

measurable improvement goals, particularly in the area of 

school readiness. 

‘‘(2) RESEARCH REPORT.—Not later than 48 months after 

the date of enactment of the Improving Head Start for School 

Readiness Act of 2007, the organization shall prepare and submit to the Secretary and Congress a report containing the results of the research described in paragraph (1). 

‘‘(3) REPORTS TO THE SECRETARY.—Each center of excellence shall submit an annual report to the Secretary, at such 

time and in such manner as the Secretary may require, that 

contains a description of the activities the center carried out 

with funds received under this section, including a description 

of how such funds improved services for children and families. 

‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 

years 2008 through 2012 to make bonus grants to centers of excellence under subsection (b) to carry out activities described in subsection (d) and research and report activities described in subsection 

(e).’’. 

SEC. 27. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 

The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), as amended by 

section 26, is further amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 657C. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 

‘‘(a) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize or permit the Secretary or any employee or contractor of the Department of Health and Human Services to mandate, direct, or control, the selection of a curriculum, a program of 

instruction, or instructional materials, for a Head Start program. 

‘‘(b) SPECIAL RULE.—Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize a Head Start program or a local educational 

agency to require the other to select or implement a specific curriculum or program of instruction. 

‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—In this subchapter, the term ‘health’, when 

used to refer to services or care provided to enrolled children, their 

parents, or their siblings, shall be interpreted to refer to both physical and mental health.’’. 

SEC. 28. COMPLIANCE WITH IMPROPER PAYMENTS INFORMATION ACT 

OF 2002. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the term—

(1) ‘‘appropriate committees’’ means—

(A) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 

Pensions of the Senate; and 

(B) the Committee on Education and Labor of the 

House of Representatives; and 

(2) ‘‘improper payment’’ has the meaning given that term 

under section 2(d)(2) of the Improper Payments Information Act 

of 2002 (31 U.S.C. 3321 note). 

(b) REQUIREMENT FOR COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION AND REPORT.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit 

a report to the appropriate committees that—


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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(1) contains a certification that the Department of Health 

and Human Services has, for each program and activity of the 

Administration for Children and Families, performed and completed a risk assessment to determine programs and activities 

that are at significant risk of making improper payments; and 

(2) describes the actions to be taken to reduce improper payments for the programs and activities determined to be at significant risk of making improper payments. 

SEC. 29. REFERENCES IN OTHER ACTS. 

(a) ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 1965.— Section 1112(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

1965 (20 U.S.C. 6312(c)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)(G), by striking ‘‘performance standards 

established under section 641A(a) of the Head Start Act’’ and 

inserting ‘‘education performance standards in effect under section 641A(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘Head Start performance standards as in effect under section 641A(a) of the Head 

Start Act’’ and inserting ‘‘education performance standards in 

effect under section 641A(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act’’. (b) EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ACT.—Section 810(b)(1) of 

the Early Learning Opportunities Act (20 U.S.C. 9409(b)(1)) is 

amended by striking ‘‘entities funded under section 640(a)(5) of the 

Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(a)(5))’’ and inserting ‘‘entities funded under section 640(a)(2)(B)(vi) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 

9835(a)(2)(B)(vi))’’. 

(c) RICHARD B. RUSSELL NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH ACT.—

(1) Section 9(b)(12)(A)(iii) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(12)(A)(iii)) is 

amended by striking ‘‘the child is a member of a family that 

meets the low-income criteria prescribed under section 

645(a)(1)(A) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(A))’’

and inserting ‘‘the child meets the eligibility criteria prescribed 

under section 645(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 

9840(a)(1)(B))’’. 

(2) Section 17(c)(5) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1766(c)(5)) is 

amended by striking ‘‘the child is a member of a family that 

meets the low-income criteria prescribed under section 

645(a)(1)(A) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(A))’’

and inserting ‘‘the child meets the eligibility criteria prescribed 

under section 645(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 

9840(a)(1)(B))’’. 

And the Senate agree to the same. 

GEORGE MILLER, 

DALE E. KILDEE, 

LYNN WOOLSEY, 

DANNY K. DAVIS, 

RAU ́ L M. GRIJALVA, 

LINDA T. SA ́ NCHEZ, 

JOHN P. SARBANES, 

JOE SESTAK, 

DAVID LOEBSACK, 

MAZIE K. HIRONO, 

CAROL SHEA-PORTER, 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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HOWARD ‘‘BUCK’’ MCKEON, MICHAEL N. CASTLE, LUIS FORTUN ̃ O, RIC KELLER, JOE WILSON, C. W. BOUSTANY, DEAN HELLER, Managers on the Part of the House. 

TED KENNEDY, 

CHRIS DODD, 

TOM HARKIN, 

BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, 

JEFF BINGAMAN, 

PATTY MURRAY, 

JACK REED, 

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, 

BARACK OBAMA, 

BERNARD SANDERS, 

SHERROD BROWN, 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, 

JUDD GREGG, 

LAMAR ALEXANDER, 

RICHARD BURR, 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, 

LISA MURKOWSKI, 

ORRIN HATCH, 

PAT ROBERTS, 

WAYNE ALLARD, 

Managers on the Part of the Senate. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
(91) 

JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF 

CONFERENCE 

The managers on the part of the House and the Senate at the 

conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the 

amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 1429), to reauthorize the 

Head Start Act, to improve program quality, to expand access, and 

for other purposes, submit the following joint statement to the 

House and the Senate in explanation of the effect of the action 

agreed upon by the managers and recommended in the accompanying conference report: 

The Senate amendment struck all of the House bill after the 

enacting clause and inserted a substitute text. 

The House recedes from its disagreement to the amendment of 

the Senate with an amendment that is a substitute for the House 

bill and the Senate amendment. The differences between the House 

bill, the Senate amendment, and the substitute agreed to in conference are noted below, except for clerical corrections, conforming 

changes made necessary by agreements reached by the Conferees, 

and minor drafting and clarifying changes. 

Section 1. Short title 

1. The House bill and the Senate amendment have different titles. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to insert 

‘‘Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007’’. 

2. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar tables of contents. 

House recedes/Senate recedes. 

3. The House bill includes a Sense of Congress. The Senate 

amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

Section 2. Statement of purpose 

4. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment refers to enhancing children’s 

cognitive and social development in the lead-in and the House references cognitive, social and emotional development in note 5. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘and social’’ and 

insert ‘‘social, and emotional’’. 

5. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘by enhancing 

their cognitive, social, and emotional development’’ and insert ‘‘creative arts’’ before ‘‘physical’’. 

6. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical 

provisions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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Section 3. Definitions 

7. The Senate amendment makes changes to ‘‘delegate agency’’

definition. The House bill maintains current law. 

House recedes 

8. The Senate amendment makes changes to ‘‘family literacy 

services’’ definition. The House bill maintains current law. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘and financial literacy.’’ after ‘‘self sufficiency’’ in subparagraph (C). 

9. The House bill uses ‘‘significant’’. The Senate amendment 

uses ‘‘substantial’’. 

House recedes. 

10. The House bill references ‘‘program governance’’. The Senate amendment references ‘‘program operations’’. 

House recedes. 

11. The House bill references sections with additional performance standards. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘(as determined 

by the Secretary)’’ after ‘‘status’’. 

12. The Senate amendment adds additional clarification. 

House recedes. 

13. The House bill uses ‘‘material failure’’. The Senate amendment uses ‘‘systemic failure’’. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘or material’’ after 

‘‘systematic’’. 

14. The Senate amendment has additional provisions (C), (D), 

(E). 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘or;’’ after ‘‘responsibilities’’ in (B) and to strike subparagraphs (C) and (D), and to 

strike ‘‘having’’ in part (E). 

15. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill defines ‘‘homeless children’’. The Senate 

amendment defines ‘‘homeless child’’. 

Senate recedes. 

16. The House bill defines homeless family. The Senate amendment refers to families of homeless children, but does not contain 

a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

17. The House bill defines inclusive classroom. The Senate 

amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

18. The Senate amendment defines institution of higher education. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

19. The Senate amendment defines interrater reliability. The 

House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

20. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike subparagraph 

‘‘(A)’’. 

21. The Senate amendment defines unresolved area of noncompliance. The House bill does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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22. The House bill defines professional development. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘scientificallybased research’’ and insert ‘‘scientifically valid research’’. 23. The House bill defines scientifically based research. The 

Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert— ‘‘(23) The term ‘principles of scientific research’ means principles of research that— ‘‘(A) applies rigorous, systematic, and objective methodology to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs; ‘‘(B) presents findings and makes claims that are appropriate to and supported by methods that have been employed; 

and ‘‘(C) includes, appropriate to the research being conducted—

‘‘(i) use of systematic, empirical methods that draw on 

observation or experiment; ‘‘(ii) use of data analyses that are adequate to support 

the general findings; ‘‘(iii) reliance on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and generalizable findings; ‘‘(iv) strong claims of causal relationships only with research designs that eliminate plausible competing explanations for observed results, such as but not limited to 

random assignment experiments; ‘‘(v) presentation of studies and methods in sufficient 

detail and clarity to allow for replication or at a minimum, 

to offer the opportunity to build systematically on the findings of the research; ‘‘(vi) acceptance by a peer-reviewed journal or critique 

by a panel of independent experts through a comparably 

rigorous, objective, and scientific review; and 

‘‘(vii) consistency of findings across multiple studies or 

sites to support the generality of results and conclusions. 

‘‘(25) The term ‘scientifically valid research’ includes applied 

research, basic research, and field-initiated research in which the 

rationale, design, and interpretation are soundly developed in accordance with principles of scientific research.’’

24. The House bill and Senate amendment make similar 

changes to the definition of a State. 

Senate recedes. 

Section 4. Financial assistance for Head Start programs 

25. The Senate amendment requires grants terms continue for 

a period of 5 years. The House bill does not contain a similar provision in section 638 but makes a similar change in section 641. 

House recedes. 

Section 5. Authorization of appropriations 

26. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain different amounts authorized to be appropriated for Head Start. 

House recedes. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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27. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical language except the House bill uses parenthesis. 

House recedes. 

Section 6. Allotment of funds; limitations on assistance 

28. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill adds a heading and strikes a date from 

current law. The Senate amendment maintains current law. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

subsection (a) and insert— ‘‘(a) ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS.—Section 640(a) of the Head Start 

Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(a)) is amended to read as follows: ‘‘(a)(1) Using the sums appropriated pursuant to section 639 for 

a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate such sums in accordance 

with paragraphs (2) through (5). ‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall determine an amount for each fiscal 

year for each State that is equal to the amount received through 

base grants for the prior fiscal year by the Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) in the State that are not described in clause (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (B). ‘‘(B) The Secretary shall reserve for each fiscal year such sums 

as are necessary— ‘‘(i) to provide each amount determined for a State under 

subparagraph (A) to the Head Start agencies (including Early 

Head Start agencies) in the State that are not described in 

clause (ii) or (iii), by allotting to each agency described in this 

clause an amount equal to that agency’s base grant for the 

prior fiscal year; ‘‘(ii) to provide an amount for the Indian Head Start programs that is equal to the amount provided for base grants for 

such programs under this subchapter for the prior fiscal year, 

by allotting to each Head Start agency (including each Early 

Head Start agency) administering an Indian Head Start program an amount equal to that agency’s base grant for the prior 

fiscal year; 

‘‘(iii) to provide an amount for the migrant and seasonal 

Head Start programs on a nationwide basis that is equal to the 

amount provided for base grants for such programs nationwide 

under this subchapter for the prior fiscal year, by allotting to 

each Head Start agency administering a migrant or seasonal 

Head Start program an amount equal to that agency’s base 

grant for the prior fiscal year; 

‘‘(iv) to provide an amount for each of Guam, American 

Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 

and the Virgin Islands of the United States (for Head Start 

agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) in the jurisdiction) that is equal to the amount provided for base grants for 

such jurisdiction under this subchapter for the prior fiscal 

year, by allotting to each agency described in this clause an 

amount equal to that agency’s base grant for the prior fiscal 

year; 

‘‘(v) to provide an amount for the Republic of Palau (for 

Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) in 

the jurisdiction) for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009, and (if 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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legislation approving a new agreement regarding United States 

assistance for the Republic of Palau has not been enacted by 

September 30, 2009) for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2012, 

that is equal to the amount provided for base grants for such 

jurisdiction under this subchapter for the prior fiscal year, by 

allotting to each agency described in this clause an amount 

equal to that agency’s base grant for the prior fiscal year; and 

‘‘(vi) to provide an amount for a collaboration grant under 

642(B)(a) for each State, for the Indian Head Start programs, 

and for the migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, in the 

same amount as the corresponding collaboration grant provided under this subchapter for fiscal year 2007. 

‘‘(C)(i) The Secretary shall reserve for each fiscal year an 

amount that is not less than 2.5 percent and not more than 3 percent of the sums appropriated pursuant to section 639 for that fiscal year, to fund training and technical assistance activities, from 

which reserved amount—

‘‘(I) the Secretary shall set aside a portion, but not less 

than 20 percent, to be used to fund training and technical assistance activities for Early Head Start programs, in accordance with section 645A(g)(2); and 

‘‘(II) the Secretary shall set aside a portion, equal to the 

rest of the reserved amount, to fund training and technical assistance activities for other Head Start programs, in accordance with section 648, of which portion—

‘‘(aa) not less than 50 percent shall be made available 

to Head Start agencies to use directly, which may include 

at their discretion the establishment of local or regional 

agreements with community experts, institutions of higher 

education, or private consultants, to make program improvements identified by such agencies, by carrying out 

the training and technical assistance activities described in 

section 648(d); 

‘‘(bb) not less than 25 percent shall be available to the 

Secretary to support a State-based training and technical 

assistance system, or a national system of training and 

technical assistance in the case of Indian Head Start programs and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, as 

described in section 648(e) for supporting program quality; 

and 

‘‘(cc) the remainder of the portion set aside under this 

subclause shall be available to the Secretary to assist 

Head Start agencies in meeting and exceeding the standards described in section 641A(a)(1) by carrying out activities described in subsections (a), (b), (c), (f), and (g) of section 648, including helping Head Start programs address 

weaknesses identified by monitoring activities conducted 

by the Secretary under section 641A(c), except that not 

less than $3,000,000 of the remainder shall be made available to carry out activities described in section 

648(a)(3)(B)(ii). 

‘‘(ii) In determining the portion set aside under clause (i)(I) and 

the amount reserved under this subparagraph, the Secretary shall 


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consider the number of Early Head Start programs newly funded 

for that fiscal year. ‘‘(D) The Secretary shall reserve not more than $20,000,000 to 

fund research, demonstration, and evaluation activities under section 649. ‘‘(E) The Secretary shall reserve not more than $42,000,000 for 

discretionary payments by the Secretary, including payments for 

all costs (other than compensation of Federal employees) for activities carried out under subsection (c) or (e) of section 641A. ‘‘(F) If the sums appropriated under section 639 are not sufficient to provide the amounts required to be reserved under subparagraphs (B) through (E), the amounts shall be reduced proportionately. ‘‘(G) Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny the Secretary the authority, consistent with sections 641, 641A, and 646 

to terminate, suspend, or reduce funding to a Head Start agency. ‘‘(3)(A) From any amount remaining for a fiscal year after the 

Secretary carries out paragraph (2) (referred to in this paragraph 

as the ‘remaining amount’), the Secretary shall— ‘‘(i) subject to clause (ii)— ‘‘(I) provide a cost of living increase for each Head 

Start agency (including each Early Head Start agency) 

funded under this subchapter for that fiscal year, to maintain the level of services provided during the prior year; 

and ‘‘(II) subject to subparagraph (B), provide $10,000,000 

for Indian Head Start programs (including Early Head 

Start programs) and $10,000,000 for migrant and seasonal 

Head Start programs, to increase enrollment in the programs involved; 

‘‘(ii) subject to clause (iii), if the remaining amount is not 

sufficient to carry out clause (i)— ‘‘(I) for each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010— ‘‘(aa) subject to subparagraph (B), provide 5 percent of that amount for Indian Head Start programs 

(including Early Head Start programs), and 5 percent 

of that amount for migrant and seasonal Head Start 

programs, to increase enrollment in the programs involved; and 

‘‘(bb) use 90 percent of that amount to provide, for 

each Head Start agency (including each Early Head 

Start agency) funded as described in clause (i)(I), the 

same percentage (but not less than 50 percent) of the 

cost of living increase described in clause (i); and 

‘‘(II) for fiscal year 2011 and each subsequent fiscal 

year—

‘‘(aa) provide, for each Head Start agency (including each Early Head Start agency) funded as described 

in clause (i)(I), the cost of living increase described in 

clause (i); and 

‘‘(bb) subject to subparagraph (B), with any portion of the remaining amount that is not used under 

item (aa), provide equal amounts for Indian Head 

Start programs, and for migrant and seasonal Head 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
97 

Start programs, to increase enrollment in the programs involved (including Early Head Start programs); and ‘‘(iii) if the remaining amount is not sufficient to carry out 

clause (ii) for the fiscal year involved, use that amount to provide, for each Head Start agency (including each Early Head 

Start agency) funded as described in clause (i)(I), the same percentage of the cost of living increase described in clause (i). 

‘‘(B)(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, 

the Indian Head Start programs shall not receive more than a total 

cumulative amount of $50,000,000 for all fiscal years, and the migrant and seasonal Head Start programs shall not receive more 

than a total cumulative amount of $50,000,000 for all fiscal years, 

under clause (i)(II), and subclauses (I)(aa) and (II)(bb) of clause (ii), 

of subparagraph (A) (referred to in this subsection as the ‘special 

expansion provisions’), to increase enrollment in the programs involved. ‘‘(ii) Funds that are appropriated under section 639 for a fiscal 

year, and made available to Indian Head Start programs or migrant or seasonal Head Start programs under the special expansion 

provisions, shall remain available until the end of the following fiscal year. ‘‘(iii) Of the funds made available as described in clause (ii), 

the Secretary shall reallocate the portion that the Secretary determines is unobligated 18 months after the funds are made available. 

The Secretary shall add that portion to the balance described in 

paragraph (4), and reallocate the portion in accordance with paragraph (4), for the following fiscal year referred to in clause (ii). ‘‘(4)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), from any 

amount remaining for a fiscal year after the Secretary carries out 

paragraphs (2) and (3) (referred to in this paragraph as the ‘balance’), the Secretary shall— ‘‘(i) reserve 40 percent to carry out subparagraph (C) and 

paragraph (5); 

‘‘(ii) reserve 45 percent to carry out subparagraph (D); and 

‘‘(iii) reserve 15 percent (which shall remain available 

through the end of fiscal year 2012) to carry out subparagraph 

(E). 

‘‘(B)(i) Under the circumstances described in clause (ii), from 

the balance, the Secretary shall—

‘‘(I) reserve 45 percent to carry out subparagraph (C) and 

paragraph (5); and 

‘‘(II) reserve 55 percent to carry out subparagraph (D). 

‘‘(ii) The Secretary shall make the reservations described in 

clause (i) for a fiscal year if—

‘‘(I) the total cumulative amount reserved under subparagraph (A)(iii) for all preceding fiscal years equals $100,000,000; 

or 

‘‘(II) if in the 2-year period preceding such fiscal year funds 

were reserved under subparagraph (A)(iii) in an amount that 

totals not less than $15,000,000 and the Secretary received no 

approvable applications from States for such funds. 

‘‘(C) The Secretary shall fund the quality improvement activities described in paragraph (5) using the amount reserved under 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
98 

subparagraph (A)(i) or subparagraph (B)(i)(I), as appropriate, of 

which— ‘‘(i) a portion that is less than 10 percent may be reserved 

by the Secretary to provide funding to Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) that demonstrate the greatest need for additional funding for such activities, as determined by the Secretary; and ‘‘(ii) a portion that is not less than 90 percent shall be reserved by the Secretary to allot, to each Head Start agency (including each Early Head Start agency), an amount that bears 

the same ratio to such portion as the number of enrolled children served by the agency involved bears to the number of enrolled children served by all the Head Start agencies (including 

Early Head Start agencies), except that the Secretary shall account for the additional costs of serving children in Early Head 

Start programs and may consider whether an agency is providing a part-day program. 

‘‘(D) The Secretary shall fund expansion of Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) using the amount reserved under subparagraph (A)(ii) or subparagraph (B)(i)(II), as appropriate, of which the Secretary shall— ‘‘(i) use 0.2 percent for Head Start programs funded under 

clause (iv) or (v) of paragraph (2)(B) (other than Early Head 

Start programs); ‘‘(ii) for any fiscal year after the last fiscal year for which 

Indian Head Start programs receive funds under the special 

expansion provisions, use 3 percent for Head Start programs 

funded under paragraph (2)(B)(ii) (other than Early Head Start 

programs), except that the Secretary may increase that percentage if the Secretary determines that the results of the 

study conducted under section 649(k) indicate that the percentage should be increased; ‘‘(iii) for any fiscal year after the last fiscal year for which 

migrant or seasonal Head Start programs receive funds under 

the special expansion provisions, use 4.5 percent for Head 

Start programs funded under paragraph (2)(B)(iii) (other than 

Early Head Start programs), except that the Secretary may increase that percentage if the Secretary determines that the results of the study conducted under section 649(l) indicate that 

the percentage should be increased; and 

‘‘(iv) from the remainder of the reserved amount—

‘‘(I) use 50 percent for Head Start programs funded 

under paragraph (2)(B)(i) (other than Early Head Start 

programs), of which—

‘‘(aa) the covered percentage shall be allocated 

among the States serving less than 60 percent (as determined by the Secretary) of children who are 3 or 4 

years of age from families whose income is below the 

poverty line, by allocating to each of those States an 

amount that bears the same relationship to that covered percentage as the number of children who are 

less than 5 years of age from families whose income is 

below the poverty line (referred to in this subclause as 

‘young low-income children’) in that State bears to the 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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number of young low-income children in all those 

States; and ‘‘(bb) the remainder shall be allocated proportionately among the States on the basis of the number of 

young low-income children; and 

‘‘(II) use 50 percent for Early Head Start programs. ‘‘(E) In this paragraph, the term ‘covered percentage’ means— ‘‘(i) for fiscal year 2008, 30 percent; 

‘‘(ii) for fiscal year 2009, 40 percent; 

‘‘(iii) for fiscal year 2010, 50 percent; 

‘‘(iv) for fiscal year 2011, 55 percent; and 

‘‘(v) for fiscal year 2012, 55 percent. ‘‘(5)(A) Not less than 50 percent of the amount reserved under 

subparagraph (A)(i) or subparagraph (B)(i)(I), as appropriate, of 

paragraph (4) to carry out quality improvement activities under 

paragraph (4)(C) and this paragraph shall be used to improve the 

compensation (including benefits) of educational personnel, family 

service workers, and child counselors, as described in sections 

644(a) and 653, in the manner determined by the Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) involved, to— ‘‘(i) ensure that compensation is adequate to attract and 

retain qualified staff for the programs involved in order to enhance program quality; ‘‘(ii) improve staff qualifications and assist with the implementation of career development programs for staff that support ongoing improvement of their skills and expertise; and ‘‘(iii) provide education and professional development to 

enable teachers to be fully competent to meet the professional 

standards established under section 648A(a)(1), including— ‘‘(I) providing assistance to complete postsecondary 

course work; ‘‘(II) improving the qualifications and skills of educational personnel to become certified and licensed as bilingual education teachers, or as teachers of English as a 

second language; and 

‘‘(III) improving the qualifications and skills of educational personnel to teach and provide services to children 

with disabilities. 

‘‘(B) Any remaining funds from the reserved amount described 

in subparagraph (A) shall be used to carry out any of the following 

activities: 

‘‘(i) Supporting staff training, child counseling, and other 

services, necessary to address the challenges of children from 

immigrant, refugee, and asylee families, homeless children, 

children in foster care, limited English proficient children, children of migrant or seasonal farmworker families, children from 

families in crisis, children referred to Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) by child welfare agencies, 

and children who are exposed to chronic violence or substance 

abuse. 

‘‘(ii) Ensuring that the physical environments of Head 

Start programs are conducive to providing effective program 

services to children and families, and are accessible to children 

with disabilities and other individuals with disabilities. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
100 

‘‘(iii) Employing additional qualified classroom staff to reduce the child-to-teacher ratio in the classroom and additional 

qualified family service workers to reduce the family-to-staff 

ratio for those workers. ‘‘(iv) Ensuring that Head Start programs have qualified 

staff that promote the language skills and literacy growth of 

children and that provide children with a variety of skills that 

have been identified, through scientifically based reading research, as predictive of later reading achievement. ‘‘(v) Increasing hours of program operation, including— ‘‘(I) conversion of part-day programs to full-workingday programs; and ‘‘(II) increasing the number of weeks of operation in a 

calendar year. 

‘‘(vi) Improving communitywide strategic planning and 

needs assessments for Head Start programs and collaboration 

efforts for such programs, including outreach to children described in clause (i). ‘‘(vii) Transporting children in Head Start programs safely, 

except that not more than 10 percent of funds made available 

to carry out this paragraph may be used for such purposes. ‘‘(viii) Improving the compensation and benefits of staff of 

Head Start agencies, in order to improve the quality of Head 

Start programs. 

‘‘(6) No sums appropriated under this subchapter may be combined with funds appropriated under any provision other than this 

subchapter if the purpose of combining funds is to make a single 

discretionary grant or a single discretionary payment, unless such 

sums appropriated under this subchapter are separately identified 

in such grant or payment and are used for the purposes of this subchapter. ‘‘(7) In this subsection: ‘‘(A) The term ‘base grant’, used with respect to a fiscal 

year, means the amount of permanent ongoing funding (other 

than funding described in sections 645A(g)(2)(A)(i) and [paragraph (2)(C)(i)(II)(aa)]) provided to a Head Start agency (including an Early Head Start agency) under this subchapter for 

that fiscal year. 

‘‘(B) The term ‘cost-of-living increase’, used with respect to 

an agency for a fiscal year, means an increase in the funding 

for that agency, based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) for the prior fiscal year, calculated on 

the amount of the base grant for that agency for the prior fiscal year. 

‘‘(C) For the purposes of [paragraphs (2)(B), (4)(B)(ii), 

(4)(E), and (6)], the term ‘State’ does not include Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated 

States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and 

the Republic of Palau.’’. 

The Conferees intend for the Secretary to work with the Indian 

Head Start and migrant and seasonal Head Start communities to 

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CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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gated to the maximum possible extent. The Conferees intend for 

the Secretary to allow Indian Head Start agencies, in using the 

funds described in section 640(a)(3)(A)(i)(II) to increase enrollment, 

to use such funds for conversion of programs from part-day to fullday and from home-based to center-based, and to allow Migrant 

and Seasonal Head Start agencies, in using such funds, to increase 

services to migrant and seasonal farmworker children from birth to 

age three and to expand the length of the service day. The Conferees encourage the Secretary to make available from the funds 

described in section 640(a)(3)(A)(i)(II) for increasing enrollment in 

Indian Head Start programs, significant portions both for Indian 

Head Start programs and for provision of services for additional infants and toddlers in Indian Early Head Start programs. Wherever 

the term ‘‘Migrant or Seasonal Head Start’’ occurs, it is the Conferees’ intent that the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program 

preserve its name in its entirety. Nowhere in the bill shall the language be interpreted that the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start 

program’s name has been changed. Moreover, the Conferees urge 

the Secretary to maintain ‘‘Migrant and Seasonal Head Start’’ as 

the name of that program. 

29. The House bill adds a heading to current law. Senate 

amendment maintains current law. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

30. The House bill and the Senate amendment require differing amounts for Indian Head Start programs. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

31. The House bill sunsets payments to Palau at FY2009. The 

House bill strikes reference to Federal States of Micronesia and Republic of Marshall Islands from current law. The House bill adds 

a heading. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

32. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill references ‘‘program quality’’; the Senate 

amendment references ‘‘program expansion’’. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

33. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment requires specific activities for 

the use of training and technical assistance funds in section 640. 

The House bill activities are listed in section 648(j). See note 405. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

34. The Senate amendment allocates 50 percent to locals. The 

House bill allocates not less than 50 percent. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

35. The House bill reserves not less than 30 percent of training 

and technical assistance funds for a State-based system. The Senate amendment reserves 50 percent of funds for such efforts plus 

additional Secretary activities. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
102 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

36. The House bill reserves a remaining amount for the Secretary to assist local agencies address weaknesses. The Senate 

amendment reserves such funds in note 35. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

37. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

38. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. The House bill reserves $5 million for State councils. The Senate amendment funds councils differently. See note 340. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

39. The House bill adds a heading and makes grammatical 

change to lead-in to current law. The Senate amendment maintains 

current law with technical correction and does not add a heading. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

40. House bill adds a heading to current law. Senate amendment maintains current law but does not add a heading. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

41. House bill maintains current law and the Senate amendment maintains and adds conditions to the MSHS and Indian setasides. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

42. The House bill reserves 60 percent of excess funds for quality improvement activities, for each fiscal year 2008–2012. The 

Senate amendment reserves 30 percent of excess funds for quality 

improvement activities, and increases such amount to 40 percent 

for fiscal years 2009–2012. The House bill adds headings. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

43. The House bill strikes current subparagraph (B) on quality 

improvement goals. The Senate amendment maintains this subparagraph and makes modifications. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

44. The Senate amendment adds reference to language and literacy, and expands to additional subgroups. The House bill strikes 

paragraph. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

45. The Senate amendment adds reference to salary and benefit requirements. The House bill strikes paragraph. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

46. The Senate amendment adds reference to language and literacy skills. The House bill strikes paragraph. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

47. The Senate amendment adds reference to highly mobile 

children. The House bill strikes paragraph. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

48. The Senate amendment and House bill make different 

modifications to current law. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

49. The House bill adds a heading. The House bill and the Senate amendment maintain current law of subparagraph. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

50. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. House bill adds a heading. The House bill and the Senate amendment make identical changes to date. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

51. House bill maintains a formula under current law. Senate 

amendment makes changes to formula. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

52. The House bill and the Senate amendment both maintain 

current law. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

53. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill and Senate amendment make conforming changes to existing law. House bill adds a heading. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

54. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill requires a submission from States prior 

to the awarding of a collaboration grant. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

55. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

56. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill refers to early education services. The 

Senate amendment refers to early childhood education and care 

(throughout collaboration section). 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘services’’ and insert ‘‘and development services or programs’’. 

The Conferees intend for the terminology ‘‘early childhood education and development services or programs’’ to encompass the diverse range of child care and early education and learning programs, recognizing that these settings contribute to children’s development and growth, regardless of setting or program label. 

57. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes with an amendment to— use House (i)(I) with ‘‘used in Head Start Programs’’ after ‘‘assessments’’ strike ‘‘and care’’ and insert ‘‘and development services or 

programs’’ in both places it appears 

58. The House bill refers to curricula and assessments. The 

Senate amendment refers to services. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

59. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

60. The House bill makes reference to succeed. The Senate 

amendment makes reference to learn. House bill references children in Head Start programs and Senate amendment references a 

broader population of children. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

61. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes a reference to the Free 

to Grow Initiative. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

62. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment makes reference to curriculum 

in Head Start programs, and references the Ready to Learn program. The House bill references program quality. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

63. The House bill requires the collaboration office to work 

with the State Early Learning Council. The Senate amendment 

does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

64. The Senate amendment includes conforming language. The 

House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

65. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions and the House bill adds a heading. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

66. The Senate amendment strikes subparagraph (B). The 

House bill maintains current law and adds a heading. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

67. The Senate amendment makes changes to the hold harmless. The House bill does not include similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, into note 28. 

68. The House bill includes technical conforming language. The 

Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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69. The Senate amendment makes changes to 640(d). The 

House bill maintains current law. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike section 640(d) and 

insert: ‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary shall establish policies and procedures to 

assure that, for fiscal year 2009 and thereafter, not less than 10 

percent of the total number of children actually enrolled by each 

Head Start agency and each delegate agency will be children with 

disabilities who are determined to be eligible for special education 

and related services, or early intervention services, as appropriate, 

as determined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), by the State or local agency providing 

services under section 619 or part C of Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.). ‘‘(2) Such policies and procedures shall ensure the provision of 

early intervening services, such as educational and behavioral services and supports, to meet the needs of children with disabilities, 

prior to an eligibility determination under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. ‘‘(3) Such policies and procedures shall require Head Start 

agencies to provide timely referral to and collaborate with the State 

or local agency providing services under section 619 or part C of 

the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to ensure the provision of special education and related services and early intervention services, and the coordination of programmatic efforts, to meet 

the special needs of such children. ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall establish policies and procedures to 

provide Head Start agencies with waivers to the requirements 

under paragraph (1) for not more than 3 years. Such policies and 

procedures shall require Head Start agencies, in order to receive 

such waivers, to provide evidence demonstrating that the Head 

Start agencies are making reasonable efforts on an annual basis to 

comply with the requirements of this paragraph. ‘‘(5) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit or 

create a right to a free appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.’’

Since 1972, Head Start has supported the access and participation of children with disabilities in Head Start programs by requiring that 10 percent of enrollment opportunities be provided to these 

children. The Conferees recognize the need to build on that foundation by ensuring that children with disabilities also receive appropriate screening and identification in order to serve them properly. 

For this reason the Conferees have included provisions to strengthen and support Head Start agencies and delegate agencies in referring children in a timely and efficient manner to Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act entities for evaluation. The Conferees 

have included these provisions in order to ensure the appropriate 

evaluations and services are available for this vulnerable population. 

The Conferees further intend to ensure Head Start agencies 

and delegate agencies receive the support and assistance needed to 

meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act section. Local education agencies and States are strongly 

encouraged to improve their coordination with Head Start agencies 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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and delegate agencies to ensure that children are evaluated appropriately and in a timely manner, and that children with disabilities 

enrolled in Head Start programs are receiving appropriate services 

as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

It is not the intention of the Conferees to compel or constrain 

Head Start agencies or delegate agencies in ways that may lead to 

inappropriate over-identification or may cause programs to provide 

inappropriate services to children with disabilities in order to meet 

the requirements of this section. Rather, the Conferees recognize 

and support the tremendous efforts made by Head Start agencies 

to coordinate with local education agencies and States in order to 

best serve children with disabilities. 

The report requires that 10 percent of the children served by 

Head Start agencies be children with disabilities. Head Start agencies are encouraged to meet this requirement by improving their efforts to identify and serve children with disabilities. Due to shifting 

populations, competing providers of services for children with disabilities, and parental decisions on where to enroll their child, Conferees recognize that it may not be possible for every agency to 

meet this requirement every year. The reporting requirements included in the report are intended to ensure that agencies are making serious and practical efforts to fully comply with this requirement so that no children with disabilities are excluded from being 

able to participate in a Head Start program, but also so that Head 

Start agencies acting in good faith will not be penalized. 

69b. The House and Senate contain similar provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘and care’’ and insert ‘‘and development services or programs’’. 70. The House bill deletes qualification on program expansion 

for fund allocation. Senate amendment does not include a similar 

provision. 

House recedes. 

71. Senate amendment and the House bill include similar 

modifications to needs assessment criteria. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to—

(1) insert ‘‘, (3),’’ after ‘‘by striking paragraphs (1)’’

(2) strike subparagraph (C) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(C) the extent to which the applicant has undertaken communitywide strategic planning and needs assessments involving 

other entities including community organizations and Federal, 

State, and local public agencies (including the local educational 

agency liaison designated under section 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the 

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)), that provide services to children and families, 

such as—

‘‘(i) family support services; 

‘‘(ii) child abuse prevention services; 

‘‘(iii) protective services; 

‘‘(iv) foster care; 

‘‘(v) services for families in whose homes English is not the language customarily spoken; 

‘‘(vi) services for children with disabilities; and 

‘‘(vii) services for homeless children;’’

(3) in subparagraph (D)—


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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(A) strike ‘‘community’’ and insert ‘‘communitywide’’; and 

(B) strike ‘‘other local’’ and insert ‘‘the State and local’’; 

72. House bill and Senate amendment contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘as described in 

clause (i) or (ii) of section 645(a)(1)(B)’’ after ‘‘children,’’ insert ‘‘by 

striking ‘‘early childhood program’’ and insert ‘‘publicly funded 

early childhood education and development program’’. 73. House bill and Senate amendment maintain current law. 

74. House bill and Senate amendment contain similar modifications to current law. 

Senate recedes. 

75. House bill adds new provision on administrative expenses. 

Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

76. House bill contains provision allowing programs to negotiate with the Secretary if funding is inadequate to provide COLA. 

Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert— ‘‘(3)(A) In the event that the amount appropriated to carry out 

the program under this subchapter for a fiscal year does not exceed 

the amount appropriated for the prior fiscal year, or is not sufficient to maintain services comparable to the services provided 

under this subchapter during the prior fiscal year, a Head Start 

agency may negotiate with the Secretary a reduced funded enrollment level without a reduction in the amount of the grant received 

by the agency under this subchapter, if such agency can reasonably 

demonstrate that such reduced funded enrollment level is necessary to maintain the quality of services. ‘‘(B) In accordance with this paragraph, the Secretary shall set 

up a process for Head Start agencies to negotiate the reduced funded enrollment levels referred to in subparagraph (A) for the fiscal 

year involved. ‘‘(C) In the event described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

shall be required to notify Head Start agencies of their ability to 

negotiate the reduced funded enrollment levels if such an agency 

can reasonably demonstrate that such reduced funded enrollment 

level is necessary to maintain the quality of services.’’

77. House bill and Senate amendment contain different modifications to transportation safety requirements. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert at the end of 640(i)—

‘‘The regulations shall also establish requirements to ensure 

the appropriate supervision of, and appropriate background checks 

for, individuals whom the agencies contact to transport those children.’’

The Conferees believe that providing transportation to children 

enrolled in Head Start is central to many agencies’ efforts to ensuring children’s participation in Head Start. The Conferees strongly 

encourage the Secretary to continue to work with grantees to support their efforts to provide safe transportation that meets all Head 

Start and applicable regulations. The Conferees also encourage the 

Secretary to continue the decision to allow Head Start agencies to 

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CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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ulations promulgated under Section 640(i) if the waiver is in the 

best interest of the children involved, if such requirements pertain 

to child restraint systems (45 CFR 1310.11, 1310.15(a)) or bus monitors (45 CFR 1310.15(c)), and if the agency demonstrates that compliance with such requirements will result in a significant disruption to the Head Start program or Early Head Start program. 

78. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to do the 

following: 

Senate recedes on (1)(1). 

House recedes on (1)(3) with an amendment to strike ‘‘that appropriate funding is provided to meet such needs including funding 

for’’ and insert ‘‘the provision of’’. 

House recedes on (4)(A). 

Senate recedes on (4)(B) with an amendment to strike ‘‘children and children of’’ and insert ‘‘including’’ and to insert ‘‘children’’ after ‘‘Alaskan Natives,’’ and to strike ‘‘subsections (a), (b), 

and (c) of section 641,’’ and insert ‘‘this subchapter’’. 

Senate recedes on (4)(C). 

House recedes on (4)(D) with an amendment to insert ‘‘The 

Secretary shall insure that’’ after ‘‘(D)’’ and to strike ‘‘on a timely 

basis’’ and insert ‘‘within 90 days of the annual consultation’’. 

79. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

It is the intent of the Conferees that Head Start agencies, in 

carrying out the requirements of paragraph (1), employ a variety 

of strategies to help remove barriers to the enrollment and participation of homeless children in Head Start, including conducting 

targeted recruitment of homeless children, including homelessness 

as a priority criterion in selection policies, reserving slots for homeless children, filling vacancies with homeless children, and other 

activities as determined necessary by the community-wide needs 

assessment. In addition to these strategies, Head Start agencies 

may find it appropriate, in some instances, to place a homeless 

child ahead of other eligible children on waiting lists in order to address their mobility and special needs. In general, when a grantee 

works on its community-wide needs assessment, it should ensure 

that it accounts for homeless families. Grantees are encouraged to 

engage school district homeless liaisons, private and public shelter 

providers, HUD Continuums of Care, and other homeless service 

agencies in the community-wide needs assessment. 

80. House bill and Senate amendment contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘early education 

for children’’ and all that follows through ‘‘school,’’ and insert ‘‘early 

childhood education and development or to require any child to 

participate in such a publicly funded program, including a statefunded preschool program,’’

81. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes instructional materials, and the 

Senate amendment is limited to curricula. 


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House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘(o) All curricula funded under this subchapter shall be based 

on scientifically valid research, and be age and developmentally appropriate. The curricula shall reflect all areas of child development 

and learning and be aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes 

Framework. Parents shall have the opportunity to examine any 

such curricula or instructional materials funded under this subchapter.’’

Section 7. Designation of Head Start agencies 

82. The House bill includes faith-based organizations in the description of agencies eligible for designation. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

83. The House bill requires the Secretary to develop and implement a system of application review. The Senate amendment does 

not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

84. The House bill includes specifications for a grant application. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

85. The House bill requires the Secretary to develop and implement a system of application review for designation of Head Start 

agencies. The Senate amendment requires an agency to establish 

goals for improving the school readiness of children as a condition 

of designation. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

insert ‘‘high’’ before ‘‘quality’’

insert ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘quality’’

strike ‘‘early learning’’ and insert ‘‘Head Start’’

insert ‘‘and fiscal management’’ after ‘‘annual budget’’

strike ‘‘(H); and’’ in (D) and insert ‘‘(E);’’

86. The House bill establishes an expert panel to advise the 

Secretary on a system for the renewal of Head Start agencies. The 

Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘No later than 6’’

and insert ‘‘Not later than 3’’. 

87. The House bill specifies the composition of an expert panel. 

The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘(3) COMPOSITION OF EXPERT PANEL.—The Secretary, in convening such panel, shall appoint the following: 

‘‘(A)(i) One member, who has demonstrated competency, as 

evidence by training, expertise, and experience, in early childhood program accreditation. 

‘‘(ii) One member, who has demonstrated competency (as 

so evidenced) in research on early childhood development. 

‘‘(iii) One member, who has demonstrated competency (as 

so evidenced) in governance and finance of nonprofit organizations. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(iv) One member, who has demonstrated competency (as 

so evidenced) in delivery of services to populations of children 

with special needs and their families. ‘‘(v) One member, who has demonstrated competency (as 

so evidenced) in assessment and evaluation of programs serving young children. ‘‘(B) An employee from the Office of Head Start. 

‘‘(C) An executive director of a Head Start agency.’’ 88. The House bill requires the expert panel provide a report 

to the Secretary. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar 

provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to— strike ‘‘12’’ and insert ‘‘9’’ strike ‘‘high quality’’ and insert ‘‘high-quality’’ insert ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘quality’’ strike ‘‘early education’’ and insert ‘‘Head Start’’ insert ‘‘, legal and’’ after governance 

89. The House bill requires the Secretary publish in the Federal Register a report on the proposed grant renewal system. The 

Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to— strike ‘‘No later than 6’’ and insert ‘‘Not later than 3’’ strike ‘‘proposed system of application review’’ and insert ‘‘notice describing a proposed system for designation renewal 

including a proposal for the transition of such system,’’ insert ‘‘The Secretary shall review and consider public 

comments prior to finalizing the system for designation renewal described in this subsection.’’ after ‘‘exist.’’ 90. The House bill requires an application review system for 

the redesignation of Head Start agencies. The Senate amendment 

delineates specific criteria for redesignation. Both the House bill 

and the Senate amendment create 5-year grant terms except the 

Senate amendment amends Section 643 (see note 25). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘(6) DESIGNATION RENEWAL SYSTEM.—Not later than 12 months 

after publishing a notice describing the proposed system under 

paragraph (5), the Secretary shall implement the system for designation renewal and use that system to determine— ‘‘(A) whether a Head Start grantee is successfully delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program; 

and ‘‘(B) whether the grantee has any unresolved deficiencies 

found during the last triennial review under section 641A(c). 

‘‘(7) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DESIGNATION RENEWAL SYSTEM.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A grantee who is determined under 

such system—

‘‘(i) to be delivering a high-quality and comprehensive 

Head Start program shall be designated (consistent with 

section 643) as a Head Start agency for a period of 5 years 

described in section 638; ‘‘(ii) to not be delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program shall be subject to an open 

competition as described in subsection (d); and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(iii) in the case of an Indian Head Start agency, to 

not be delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head 

Start program shall (notwithstanding clause (ii)) be subject 

to the requirements of subparagraph (B). 

‘‘(B) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION AND REEVALUA- TION.—On making a determination described in subparagraph 

(A)(iii), the Secretary shall engage in government-to-government consultation with the appropriate tribal government or 

governments for the purpose of establishing a plan to improve 

the quality of Head Start programs operated by such agency. 

Such plan is to be established and implemented within 6 

months of the Secretary’s determination. Not more than 6 

months after implementation of that plan, the Secretary shall 

reevaluate the performance of the Indian Head Start agency. 

If the Indian Head Start agency is still not delivering a highquality and comprehensive Head Start program, the Secretary 

shall conduct an open competition as described in subsection 

(d), subject to the limitations, in subsection (e).’’ The Conferees create a new system for designation renewal. 

This system is meant to facilitate the designation of programs that 

are in good standing and are providing a high-quality comprehensive early childhood program, for a period of 5 years. The Conferees 

believe that other programs not providing a high-quality comprehensive early childhood program should not receive a designation renewal without first entering into an open competition. Furthermore, the Conferees believe that the policy to limit open competition to under-performing Head Start agencies will improve 

overall program performance. 

The Conferees strongly believe the majority of Head Start programs are delivering high quality services, and therefore do not intend for this new designation system to result in competition for 

designation for the majority of Head Start programs. Furthermore, 

competing high quality programs could undermine overall program 

quality. The Conferees believe that in most instances, stability and 

continuity within Head Start promotes better quality and greater 

efficiency. It helps the organization become trusted within the community it is serving, thereby creating better community relations 

and better outreach to eligible children and families. Continuity 

and stability provided by high-quality grantees helps programs to 

recruit and retain better teachers and to plan appropriately for professional development. Lack of continuity and stability can also 

have a significant impact on cost effective resource allocation by affecting a program’s ability to leverage funds in its community and 

negotiate lower facility costs and business loans. The continuity of 

high-quality grantees better ensures that taxpayer monies spent on 

professional development and facilities are investments that have 

ongoing benefit to children served by Head Start. In developing the 

designation renewal system, the Conferees intend for the Secretary 

to give due consideration to the involvement of outside experts and 

take the public comment on the proposed system seriously. 

91. The House bill requires a periodic evaluation of criteria 

used to evaluate Head Start agencies and ensures grants for a 5 

year period. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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Senate recedes with an amendment to— insert ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘quality’’ and to strike ‘‘early education’’ and insert ‘‘Head Start’’ insert after (8)— ‘‘(9) TRANSITION.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each Head Start agency shall be reviewed under the system for designation renewal described in 

paragraph (6), not later than 3 years after implementation of 

such system. ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—A Head Start agency shall not be subject to the requirements of the system for designation renewal 

prior to 18 months after the date of enactment of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007. ‘‘(C) SCHEDULE.—The Secretary shall establish and implement a schedule for reviewing each Head Start agency under 

the system for designation renewal described in paragraph (6), 

consistent with subparagraphs (A) and (B). 

‘‘(10) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall— ‘‘(A) make available to the Committee on Education and 

Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate the report described in paragraph (4); ‘‘(B) concurrent with publishing a notice in the Federal 

Register as described in paragraph (5), provide a report to the 

Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 

Pensions of the Senate that provides a detailed description of 

such proposed system, including a clear rationale for any differences between the proposed system and the recommendations of the expert panel, if any such differences exist; and ‘‘(C) prior to implementing the system for evaluating designation renewal applications, provide a report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives 

and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

of the Senate—

‘‘(i) summarizing the public comment on the proposed 

system and the Secretary’s response to such comment; and 

‘‘(ii) describing the final system for evaluating designation renewal application and the plans for implementation 

of such system.’’

92. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

strike ‘‘Has Priority’’ and insert ‘‘is redesignated’’

insert ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘quality’’

strike ‘‘early education’’ and insert ‘‘Head Start’’

93. The House bill and Senate amendment contain identical 

text but different headings. 

Senate recedes. 

94. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

95. The House bill includes mental and behavioral health in 

the description of comprehensive health services. The Senate 

amendment references attaining full potential. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes. 

96. The House bill includes additional requirements in the plan 

for recruitment and retention of staff. The Senate amendment does 

not include a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert— ‘‘(C) the plan of such applicant to attract and retain qualified 

staff capable of delivering and implementing a high quality program, including the ability to carry out a research based curricula 

aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework and, as 

appropriate State early learning standards.’’ 97. The House bill includes additional staff requirements. The 

Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

98. The House bill refers to curriculum and teaching practices 

in programs. The Senate amendment does not include a similar reference. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert— ‘‘(E) the capacity of such applicant to serve eligible children 

with— ‘‘(i) curricula that are based on scientifically valid research 

and teaching practices that are based on scientifically valid research as appropriate, are developmentally appropriate and 

that promote the school readiness of children participating in 

the program involved; and ‘‘(ii) teaching practices that are based, as appropriate, on 

scientifically valid research, that are developmentally appropriate, and that promote the school readiness of children participating in the program involved;’’ 99. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

100. The House bill includes budgetary requirements. The Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

101. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes coordination with 

reading readiness programs. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘(H) the plan of such applicant to coordinate and collaborate 

with other public or private entities providing early learning programs and services for young children in the community involved, 

including—

‘‘(i) programs implementing grant agreements under the 

Early Reading First and Even Start programs under subparts 

2 and 3 of part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6371 et seq., 6381 et seq.); 

‘‘(ii) other preschool program under title I of that Act (20 

U.S.C. 6301 et seq.); 

‘‘(iii) programs under section 619 and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et 

seq.); 

‘‘(iv) State prekindergarten programs; 

‘‘(v) child care programs; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(vi) the educational programs that the children in the 

Head Start program involved will enter at the age of compulsory school attendance; and ‘‘(vii) local entities, such as a public or school library, for— ‘‘(I) conducting reading readiness programs 

‘‘(II) developing innovative programs to excite children 

about the world of books, including providing fresh books 

in the Head Start classroom ‘‘(III) assisting in literacy training for Head Start 

teachers; or ‘‘(IV) supporting parents and other caregivers in literacy efforts.’’ 102. The Senate amendment refers to the ability of the applicant to provide services, meet program standards, and coordinate 

with other preschool programs. The House bill does not contain a 

similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

103. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

104. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes grandparents and kinship caregivers in the involvement of Head Start activities. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘seek’’ and insert ‘‘facilitate’’. 105. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes a provision for transportation costs to facilitate parent participation. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘through providing transportation cost’’ and to insert ‘‘transportation assistance, 

as appropriate;’’. 106. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

107. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes mental health services for parents. 

House recedes 

108. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes training on social and emotional 

child development. The House bill includes provisions to facilitate 

mental and behavioral health services for parents. The Senate 

amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(v)’’ and insert 

‘‘(v) health services, including information on maternal depression; 

or’’

109. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes foster parents and 

grandparents in the family needs assessment, as applicable. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘, in a manner 

and language that such parents can understand, to the extent practicable,’’ after ‘‘such parents’’ and strike ‘‘subparagraphs (C), (D), 

and (E)’’ and insert ‘‘this subparagraph’’. 

110. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill delineates culturally appropriate opportunities for father-child interactions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes. 

111. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill requires progress in English while also 

meeting the requirements of 641 A(a)(I )(B). 

Senate recedes. 

112. The House bill includes a provision for meeting the diverse cultural needs of the population served. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert ‘‘(L) 

the plan of such applicant to meet the diverse needs of the population served.’’

113. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes additional procedures 

and plans to meet the needs of children with disabilities. 

House recedes 

114. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes mental health services in the 

applicant plan. 

House recedes. 

115. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike. 

116. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes children and families experiencing toxic stress. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘and children and 

families experiencing toxic stress’’. 

117. The House bill includes a provision to maintain qualified 

staff. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

118. The House bill includes a provision to enter into memoranda of understanding with local school districts. The Senate 

amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

119. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

120. The Senate amendment includes a provision to collaborate 

with a local library. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

121. The Senate amendment includes a priority for qualified 

applicants with demonstrated capacity. The House bill does not 

contain a similar provision. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘and care’’ and insert ‘‘development services or programs’’. 

122. The Senate amendment includes a prohibition against 

transferring Indian Head Start programs to non-Indian Head Start 

agencies, similar to the House bill 641(c)(6)(C). 

House recedes to insert as (e) in section 641. 

123. The House bill includes a provision to provide continued 

eligibility to faith-based and community-based agencies. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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124. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

125. The Senate amendment requires progress of a Head Start 

agency toward its goals as a condition of re-designation for subsequent grants. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

126. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

127. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

Section 8. Standards; monitoring of Head Start agencies and programs 

128. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

129. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill makes changes to the lead-in. 

Senate recedes. 

130. The House bill requires any new early learning standards 

to be based on the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework. The 

Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision, but modifies the Head Start Act to refer to educational performance standards. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘early learning 

standards’’ and insert ‘‘education performance standards’’. 131. The House bill and Senate amendment require the Secretary to consider NAS study in development of standards (House 

bill places later—see note 147). 

Senate recedes. 

132. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

133. The House bill includes more specific requirements and 

refers to prereading. The Senate amendment refers to pre-literacy. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(ii)’’ and insert—

‘‘(ii) literacy knowledge and skills, including phonological 

awareness, print awareness and skills, and alphabetic knowledge;’’

134. The House bill includes more specific requirements and 

refers to mathematics. The Senate amendment refers to 

premathematics. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘pre’’. 

135. The House bill includes more specific requirements and 

refers to science. The Senate amendment refers to scientific abilities. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘including measurement’’. 

The Conferees recognize the importance of mathematics and 

science knowledge and skills to prepare young children for school 

readiness, especially through the use of educational experiences 

and experiments. Children participating in Head Start programs 

should, at a minimum, develop and demonstrate knowledge and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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skills that include number concepts such as counting and seriation; 

number operations; geometric and spatial concepts; classification; 

and time and measurement concepts. Children participating in 

Head Start programs should have access to educational experiences 

which include observing with senses, predicting, inferring, defining 

and controlling variables, working in teams, and communicating 

discoveries. 

136. The House bill refers to general knowledge, and includes 

approaches to learning and early learning. The Senate amendment 

refers to general cognitive abilities, and does not contain a provision on approaches to learning. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to read: 

‘‘(v) cognitive abilities related to academic achievement and 

child development; 

‘‘(vi) approaches to learning related to child development and 

early learning;’’

137. The House bill includes social problem- solving and overall well-being. The Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(vi)’’ and insert 

‘‘(vii)’’ and to strike ‘‘, and overall well-being’’ and to insert ‘‘and’’

after ‘‘success,’’. 

138. The House bill includes creative arts. The Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

139. The Senate amendment includes physical development. 

The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

140. The House bill requires progress through culturally and 

linguistically appropriate instruction. The Senate amendment requires progress, which may include the use of linguistically appropriate instruction. 

Senate recedes. 

141. The House bill and Senate amendment contain identical 

provisions. 

142. The Senate amendment includes provisions for the licensing and accessibility of Head Start programs. The House bill maintains current law. 

House recedes with an amendment to—

strike ‘‘be in compliance with’’ and insert ‘‘meet or exceed’’

insert at the end of ‘(ii)’ the following—‘‘unless State or 

local laws prohibit such access.’’

insert after ‘‘location of facilities’’ the following ‘‘, including 

indoor air quality assessments where appropriate,’’

143. The House bill and Senate amendment contain identical 

provisions. 

144. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

145. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill maintains current law with conforming 

amendment on LEP. 

House recedes with an amendment to make conforming change 

to ‘‘non-English speaking child’’. 


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146. The House bill maintains experience and changes with 

standards since 1998. The Senate amendment updates such experience and changes consistent with the pending Head Start reauthorization. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert— ‘‘(i) past experience with use of the standards in effect under 

this subchapter on the date of enactment of the Improving Head 

Start for School Readiness Act of 2007; ‘‘(ii) changes over the period since October 27, 1998, in the circumstances and problems typically facing children and families 

served by Head Start agencies;’’ 147. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions but in different locations (see note 131). 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘when it becomes 

available’’ and to insert ‘‘, consistent with section 649(j);’’. 148. The House bill refers to early childhood education and development. The Senate amendment refers to early childhood education and care, and includes homeless children and children in 

foster care. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(iv)’’ and insert— ‘‘(iv) developments concerning research-based practices with respect to early childhood education and development, children with 

disabilities, homeless children, children in foster care, and family 

services, and best practices with respect to program administration, and financial management;’’ 149. The House bill and Senate amendment contain identical 

provisions. 

150. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill requires standards addressing physical 

development. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘currently in effect or under consideration’’. 

151. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes the cultural background of children. The Senate amendment includes changes in the number of 

homeless or foster care children. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘changes in the characteristics population of children who are eligible to participate in Head Start programs, including the country of 

origin, the language background, and family structure of such children, and changes in the population and numbers of such children 

who are in foster care or are homeless children’’

152. The House bill requires mechanisms for transition of 

Head Start children to school. The Senate amendment does not 

contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

153. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘close and frequent’’ and insert ‘‘regular’’ and to insert ‘‘Indian, including Alaska 

Native,’’ after ‘‘experts in’’. 


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154. House bill requires performance standards not be more 

narrow than those in existence in 1998. The Senate amendment 

ties date to enactment of current bill. The House bill adds reference 

to quality. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘October 27, 

1998’’ and insert ‘‘the date of enactment of the Improving Head 

Start for School Readiness Act of 2007.’’

155. The Senate amendment requires consultation with Indian 

tribes in the development of program standards and measures. The 

House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes with an amendment to—

strike ‘‘American Indian and Alaska Native’’ and insert 

‘‘including Alaska Natives,’’

insert ‘‘Indian and Alaska Native’’ after ‘‘experts in’’

156. House bill adds heading to current law and both the 

House bill and the Senate amendment maintain current law. 

157. The House bill re-names the heading. The House bill 

modifies requirements regarding consultation with outside individuals in the development of Head Start’s measures. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

insert ‘‘family services, and program management,’’ after 

‘‘development’’

insert ‘‘and other relevant research’’ after ‘‘Sciences’’

insert ‘‘inform, revise and’’ before ‘‘provide guidance’’

158. The House bill modifies requirements to measure the 

quality and effectiveness of Head Start programs annually, and 

provides for the use of measures for the identification of special 

needs as well as classroom instructional practices. The Senate 

amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘children with’’

after ‘‘identification of’ and insert a new subparagraph ‘‘(D) administrative and financial management practices’’. 

159. The Senate amendment maintains (A)–(C) from current 

law with noted modifications and the House bill strikes (A)–(C) 

from current law. 

Senate recedes. 

160. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill requires developmental, linguistic, and 

cultural appropriateness. 

Senate recedes. 

161. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

‘‘not less then every 4 years’’ and insert ‘‘periodically’’. 

162. The House bill requires consistency with technical standards. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

163. The House bill requires validity and reliability, including 

in Spanish and other languages. The Senate amendment does not 

include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(in English, 

Spanish, and any other language, as appropriate)’’ and insert ‘‘in 

the language in which it is administered;’’


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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164. The House bill requires administration of measures by 

trained staff. The Senate amendment does not include a similar 

provision. 

Senate recedes. 

165. The House bill requires appropriate accommodations in 

measures. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

166. The House bill requires measures to be used for the purposes for which they were derived. The Senate amendment does 

not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert new subparagraph to read ‘‘(H) be adaptable, as appropriate, for use in the selfassessment of Head Start agencies, including in the evaluation of 

administrative and financial management practices’’. 167. The Senate amendment directs the Secretary to issue performance measures by regulation. The House bill does not contain 

a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

168. The House bill strikes current law and inserts new use 

and design of measures. The Senate amendment does not include 

similar provisions, and adds a new rule related to curriculum and 

instructional materials. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to— in clause (i) strike ‘‘promoting’’ and insert ‘‘helping to develop’’

insert ‘‘as appropriate’’ after ‘‘designed’’ in (A) 

insert ‘‘and individualizing instruction to better meet the 

needs of children involved;’’ after ‘‘weaknesses’’ insert ‘‘the’’ after ‘‘identifying’’ insert ‘‘of children;’’ after ‘‘needs’’ strike ‘‘scientifically-based’’ and insert ‘‘scientifically valid’’ 168a. The Senate amendment includes a Rules of Construction 

related to the selection of curriculum for program instruction. The 

House bill does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes with an amendment to create a Section 657B 

and move this paragraph to Section 657B, and to strike ‘‘or suggest’’ and insert ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘direct’’. 

169. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions except the Senate amendment places in Section 649(h). 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘under paragraph 

(2)(A)’’ and insert ‘‘from the study on Developmental Outcomes and 

Assessments for Young Children by the National Academy of 

Sciences’’. 

170. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment is placed in section 649 and 

prohibits the ranking, comparison, or evaluation of individual children or teachers. 

House recedes with an amendment to—

strike ‘‘(i)’’ and insert ‘‘(5)’’

insert ‘‘(A) PROHIBITION.—’’ before ‘‘The use of assessment’’ strike ‘‘to rank, compare’’ and insert ‘‘is prohibited for the 

purposes of—


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(i) ranking, comparing’’

strike ‘‘or teachers, or to’’ and insert ‘‘for purposes other 

than research, training, or technical assistance; and 

(ii)’’

strike ‘‘or to provide’’ and insert ‘‘providing’’

strike ‘‘is prohibited’’ and insert ‘‘(B) RESULTS.—’’

The Conferees do not intend for this provision to similarly limit 

local employees of a Head Start agency to use assessments that 

may rank, compare, or individually evaluate information on individual children. Local use of assessments shall be consistent with 

section 640A(b)(I) through (3). The use of such assessment when 

used to provide training or technical assistance to teachers for program improvement is allowed. 

171. The House bill contains confidentiality requirements. The 

Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

172. The House bill modifies current law to include the identification of program strengths and weaknesses and the risk-based 

assessment system. The Senate amendment does not contain a 

similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

strike ‘‘develop and use a risk-based assessment system to’’

strike ‘‘strengths as part of an’’ and insert ‘‘strength as 

part of their’’

173. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘, including the 

use of a risk based assessment approach,’’ after ‘‘review’’. 

174. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

175. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes additional requirements for follow-up reviews, and stipulates the conditions for unannounced reviews. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘(C) Followup reviews, including—

‘‘(i) return visits to Head Start agencies with one or more 

findings of deficiencies not later than 6 months after the Secretary provides notification of such findings, or not later than 

12 months after such notification if the Secretary determines 

that additional time is necessary for an agency to address such 

a deficiency prior to the review; and 

‘‘(ii) a review of Head Start agencies with significant areas 

of noncompliance; 

‘‘(D) Other reviews, including unannounced site inspections of 

Head Start centers, as appropriate.’’

176. The House bill does not require unannounced site inspections under the heading and section describing reviews. 

Senate recedes. 

177. The Senate amendment includes additional individuals 

with expertise as part of the review team, and ensures expertise 

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velopment and monitoring. The House bill does not contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert— ‘‘(A) are conducted by review teams that— ‘‘(i) include individuals who are knowledgeable about Head 

Start programs and, to the maximum extent practicable, individuals who are knowledgeable about— ‘‘(I) other early childhood education and development 

programs, personnel management, financial accountability, 

and systems development and monitoring; and ‘‘(II) the diverse (including linguistic and cultural) 

needs of eligible children (including children with disabilities, homeless children, children in foster care, and limited English proficient children) and their families.’’ 178. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes former employees of HHS. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert a new subsection 

clause to read ‘‘(iii) shall receive periodic training to ensure quality 

and consistency across reviews;’’. 179. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment directs the Secretary to conduct 

reviews in accordance with results-based performance measures. 

Senate recedes 

180. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘needs of populations’’ and insert ‘‘those’’. 181. The House bill addresses the community needs and strategic plans as part of the review. The Senate amendment refers 

more broadly to collecting information regarding collaboration with 

others in the community providing early education and care. 

Senate recedes. 

181a. The Senate amendment includes a provision on collection 

of information on the innovative and effective efforts of Head Start 

agencies to collaborate with the entities. The House bill does not 

include a similar provision. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike and insert ‘‘(E) include information on the innovative and effective efforts of the 

Head Start agencies to collaborate with the entities providing early 

childhood and development services and programs in the community and any barriers to such collaboration that the agencies encounter.’’

182. The House bill includes a new classroom quality observational instrument as part of Head Start reviews. The Senate 

amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

strike ‘‘review the implementation by qualified individuals 

with demonstrated reliability,’’ and 

insert ‘‘reviews,’’

insert ‘‘implemented by qualified individuals with demonstrated reliability,’’ after ‘‘instrument’’

The Conferees intend for the Secretary to integrate into the triennial review a valid and reliable research-based observational instrument that assesses classroom quality through observation of 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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multiple dimensions of teacher-child interactions that are linked to 

positive child development and later achievement. The Conferees 

encourage the Secretary to consider using existing research-based 

methods such as the Classroom Assessment Scoring System 

(CLASS) for this purpose. The Conferees also believe it is 

logistically and fiscally impractical to implement such an instrument in every classroom and recommend the Secretary develop appropriate sampling techniques for the implementation. 

183. The House bill requires reviews to ensure consistency, objectivity, and reliability. The Senate amendment stipulates training 

for reviewers, and ensures consistency across programs and regions 

through interrater reliability checks. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘, and are conducted in a manner that includes periodic interrater reliability 

checks, to ensure quality and consistency across and within regions, of the reviews and non-compliance and deficiency determinations’’ after ‘‘review’’. 

184. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 

185. The House bill includes a protocol for fiscal management. 

The Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘(consistent with 

section 644(f))’’ after ‘‘property’’. 

186. The Senate amendment includes a review and assessment 

of whether programs are in conformity with eligibility requirements. The House bill does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes. 

187. The Senate amendment includes a review of whether programs have adequately addressed the needs of children with disabilities. The House bill does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes. 

188. The Senate amendment requires the use of outcome data 

from child assessments in reviews. The House bill does not contain 

similar provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike and insert—

‘‘(L) include as part of the reviews, a review and assessment 

of child outcomes and performance as they relate to agency-determined school readiness goals described in subsection (g)(2), consistent with subsection (b)(5);’’

189. The House bill has new requirements to present findings 

to the grantee. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar 

provision. 

Senate recedes. 

190. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions but in different locations. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

insert ‘‘, subject to paragraph (4),’’ after ‘‘establish’’

strike in ‘(C)’ ‘‘appealing’’ and insert ‘‘a delegate agency to 

appeal’’ and to strike ‘‘relating to a delegate agency’’

191. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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192. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes additional conditions 

regarding funding provided to deficient Head Start agencies. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(iii)’’ and insert—

‘‘(iii) releasing funds to such delegate agency—

‘‘(I) only as reimbursements except that, upon receiving a 

request from the delegate agency accompanied by assurances 

satisfactory to the grantee that the funds will be appropriately 

safeguarded, the Head Start agency shall provide to the delegate agency a working capital advance in an amount sufficient 

to cover the estimated expenses during an agreed upon disbursing cycle; and 

‘‘(II) only if there is continuity of services’’

193. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘modify, supersede, or affect’’ and insert ‘‘limit’’. 

194. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘pursuant to section 641’’ and insert ‘‘under this subchapter’’ and to strike from 

(d)(1) ‘‘or results based performance measures developed by the 

Secretary under subsection (b)’’. 

195. The Senate amendment requires conditions for the termination of a delegate agency. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

See note 190. 

196. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

197. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

198. The House bill requires approval of program improvement 

plans. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘,’’ after ‘‘program’’. 

199. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

200. The House and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to 

strike and insert—

‘‘(f) SUMMARIES OF MONITORING OUTCOMES.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the end 

of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall publish a summary report on the findings of reviews conducted under subsection (c) 

and on the outcomes of quality improvement plans implemented under subsection (e), during such fiscal year. 

‘‘(2) REPORT AVAILABILITY.—Such report shall be made 

widely available to—

‘‘(A) parents with children receiving assistance under 

this subchapter—

‘‘(i) in an understandable and uniform format; and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(ii) to the extent practicable, provided in a language that the parents understand; 

‘‘(B) the public through means such as—

‘‘(i) distribution through public agencies; 

‘‘(ii) posting such information on the Internet; 

‘‘(3) REPORT INFORMATION.—Such report shall contain detailed data—

‘‘(A) on compliance with specific standards and measures; and 

‘‘(B) sufficient to allow Head Start agencies to use 

such data to improve quality of their programs.’’

201. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill refers to each Head Start agency and 

delegate agency, and includes professional development plans. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(including professional development plans)’’. 

202. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment requires reports to be submitted to the HHS regional offices. The House bill requires reports 

to be submitted to the Secretary. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert—

A new header for paragraph (2) that reads ‘‘Goals, Reports, 

and Improvement Plans’’ and insert ‘‘(A) GOALS.—An agency conducting a self-assessment shall establish agency-determined program goals for improving the school readiness of children participating in a program under this subchapter, including school readiness goals that are aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes 

Framework, State early learning standards as appropriate, and requirements and expectations for the schools the children will be attending.’’. 

203. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment requires improvement plans to 

be reported to the HHS regional offices. The House bill requires 

plans to be reported to the Secretary. 

Senate recedes. 

204. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

205. The Senate amendment allows training funds to be made 

available for assistance in conducting self-assessments. The House 

bill does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to move paragraph to Section 648. 

206. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘(h) REDUCTION OF GRANTS AND REDISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS IN

CASES OF UNDER-ENROLLMENT.—

‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection—

‘‘(A) ACTUAL ENROLLMENT.—The term ‘actual enrollment’ means, with respect to the program of a Head Start 

agency, the actual number of children enrolled in such proVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00125 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

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gram and reported by the agency (as required in paragraph (2)) in a given month. 

‘‘(B) BASE GRANT.—The term ‘base grant’ has the 

meaning given the term in section 649(a)(7). 

‘‘(C) FUNDED ENROLLMENT.—The term ‘funded enrollment’ means, with respect to the program of a Head Start 

agency in a fiscal year, the number of children that the 

agency is funded to serve through a grant for the program 

during such fiscal year, as indicated in the grant award. 

‘‘(2) ENROLLMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Each entity 

carrying out a Head Start program shall report on a monthly 

basis to the Secretary and the relevant Head Start agency—

‘‘(A) the actual enrollment in such program; and 

‘‘(B) if such actual enrollment is less than the funded 

enrollment, any apparent reason for such enrollment 

shortfall. 

‘‘(3) SECRETARIAL REVIEW AND PLAN.—The Secretary 

shall—

‘‘(A) on a semiannual basis, determine which Head 

Start agencies are operating with an actual enrollment 

that is less than the funded enrollment based on not less 

than 4 consecutive months of data; 

‘‘(B) for each such Head Start agency operating a program with an actual enrollment that is less than its funded enrollment, as determined under subparagraph (A), develop, in collaboration with such agency, a plan and timetable for reducing or eliminating under-enrollment taking 

into consideration—

‘‘(i) the quality and extent of the outreach, recruitment, and communitywide needs assessment conducted by such agency; 

‘‘(ii) changing demographics, mobility of populations, and the identification of new underserved lowincome populations; 

‘‘(iii) facilities-related issues that may impact enrollment; 

‘‘(iv) the ability to provide full-day programs, 

where needed, through funds made available under 

this subchapter or through collaboration with entities 

carrying out other preschool or child care programs, or 

programs with other funding sources (where available); 

‘‘(v) the availability and use by families of other 

preschool and child care options (including parental 

care) in the community served; and 

‘‘(vi) agency management procedures that may impact enrollment; and 

‘‘(C) provide timely and ongoing technical assistance to 

each agency described in subparagraph (B) for the purpose 

of implementing the plan described in such subparagraph. 

‘‘(4) IMPLEMENTATION.—Upon receipt of the technical assistance described in paragraph (3)(C), a Head Start agency 

shall immediately implement the plan described in paragraph 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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(3)(B) and the Secretary shall, where determined appropriate, 

continue to provide technical assistance to such agency. ‘‘(5) SECRETARIAL REVIEW AND ADJUSTMENT FOR CHRONIC

UNDERENROLLMENT.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If, after receiving technical assistance and developing and implementing the plan as described in paragraphs (3) and (4) for 12 months, a Head 

Start agency is still operating a program with an actual 

enrollment that is less than 97 percent of its funded enrollment, the Secretary may— ‘‘(i) designate such agency as chronically under-enrolled; and ‘‘(ii) recapture, withhold, or reduce the base grant 

for the program by a percentage equal to the percentage difference between funded enrollment and actual 

enrollment for the program for the most recent year in 

which the agency is determined to be under-enrolled 

under paragraph (3)(A). 

‘‘(B) WAIVER OR LIMITATION OF REDUCTIONS.—The Secretary may, as appropriate, waive or reduce the percentage 

recapturing, withholding, or reduction otherwise required 

by subparagraph (A), if, after the implementation of the 

plan described in paragraph (3)(B), the Secretary finds 

that—

‘‘(i) the causes of the enrollment shortfall, or a 

portion of the shortfall, are related to the agency serving significant numbers of highly mobile children, or 

other significant causes as determined by the Secretary; 

‘‘(ii) the shortfall can reasonably be expected to be 

temporary; or 

‘‘(iii) the number of slots allotted to the agency is 

small enough that under enrollment does not constitute a significant shortfall. ‘‘(6) REDISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Funds held by the Secretary as a 

result of recapturing, withholding, or reducing a base 

grant in a fiscal year shall be redistributed by the end of 

the following fiscal year as follows: ‘‘(i) INDIAN HEAD START PROGRAMS.—If such funds 

are derived from an Indian Head Start program, then 

such funds shall be redistributed to increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal year in 1 or 

more Indian Head Start programs. 

‘‘(ii) MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START PROGRAMS.—If such funds are derived from the operation 

of a migrant and seasonal Head Start program, then 

such funds shall be redistributed to increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal year in 1 or 

more migrant and seasonal Head Start programs. ‘‘(iii) EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS.—If such funds 

are derived from an Early Head Start program in a 

State, then such funds shall be redistributed to increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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year in 1 or more Early Head Start programs. If such 

funds are derived from an Indian Early Head Start 

program, then such funds shall be redistributed to increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal 

year in 1 or more Indian Early Head Start programs. ‘‘(iv) OTHER HEAD START PROGRAMS.—If such funds 

are derived from the operation of a Head Start program in a State (excluding Indian Head Start program 

and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs), then 

such funds shall be redistributed to increase enrollment by the end of the following fiscal year in 1 or 

more Head Start programs (excluding Indian Head 

Start programs and migrant and seasonal Head Start 

programs) that are carried out in such State.’’ 207. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment directs the Secretary to consider consecutive months of data in the determination. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 206. 

208. The Senate amendment requires a plan and timetable for 

reducing or eliminating underenrollment in agencies with less than 

95 percent of funded enrollment. The House bill does not include 

similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 206. 

209. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 206. 

210. The Senate amendment creates a designation of chronic 

under-enrollment, and provides for the re-capturing of funds from 

such agencies. The House bill does not include comparable provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 206. 

211. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 206. 

212. The House bill reserves funds re-captured from under-enrolled programs for certain populations of eligible Head Start children. The Senate amendment re-directs funds to programs in the 

same State. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 206. 

213. The Senate amendment requires a re-adjustment of program grant agreements as funds are re-distributed under this section. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 206. 

214. The Senate amendment includes a provision allowing the 

Head Start agency to contract with non-profit organizations to improve management. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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Senate recedes. 

Section 9. Powers and functions of Head Start agencies 

215. The House bill and the Senate amendment add different 

headers to subsection (a), make identical changes to lead-in and 

otherwise maintain current law. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘legal’’ from the 

heading. 

216. The Senate amendment contains a technical provision. 

The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

217. The House bill and the Senate amendment have different 

headers and lead in. 

Senate recedes. 

218. The House bill and the Senate amendment have similar 

provisions. House bill maintains current law. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘(1) provide for the regular and direct participation of parents 

and community residents in the implementation of the Head Start 

program, including decisions that influence the character of such 

programs, consistent with paragraphs (2)(D) and (3)(C) of subsection (c).’’

219. The House bill and the Senate amendment have identical 

provisions. 

220. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. (Comparable provision cross-references with 

641(f)(8)(A)). 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

insert ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘procedures’’

strike ‘‘their children, and’’ after ‘‘education of’’ and insert 

‘‘the children; and (B)’’

strike everything that follows ‘‘local level’’ and insert ‘‘, including transportation assistance as appropriate.’’

221. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 

222. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 

223. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(v)’’ and insert 

‘‘(D) health services, including information on maternal depression;’’

224. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

insert ‘‘to the extent practicable,’’ after ‘‘understand’’ and 

insert ‘‘(including foster parents, grandparents and kinship 

caregivers where applicable)’’ after ‘‘such parents,’’

strike ‘‘(5) through’’ and insert ‘‘(5), (6), and’’

225. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes with an amendment to add the following text 

into section 658—

‘‘Under this subchapter the term ‘‘health’’, when used to refer 

to services or care provided to enrolled children, their parents or 

siblings, shall be interpreted to refer to both physical and mental 

health.’’

226. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

227. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

228. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 

229. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment provision adds the word ‘‘such’’

before parents and the House bill does not. 

Senate recedes. 

230. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes a heading. 

Senate recedes. 

231. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘, consistent with 

640(d)(3);’’ after ‘‘agencies’’. 

232. The House bill does not include this provision. The Senate 

amendment concerns providing services for children with disabilities. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘, consistent with 

640(d)(2);’’ after ‘‘Act’’. 

233. The House bill does not include this provision. The Senate 

amendment concerns each delegate agency creating a policy committee. 

House recedes/Senate recedes to strike and insert as amended 

in note 236. 

234. The Senate amendment adds cross reference for 

641(f)(8)(B) that the House bill does not contain. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike and insert—

‘‘(B) establish effective procedures to afford such parents the 

opportunity to participate in the development and overall conduct 

of the program at the local level, including transportation assistance, as appropriate;’’

235. The Senate amendment allows for an agency to partner 

with an institute of higher education or a non-profit organization. 

The House bill does not include this provision. 

House recedes. 

236. The House bill and Senate amendment establish governing bodies and policy councils. The House bill requires shared 

governance between the policy council and the governing body. The 

Senate amendment does not contain a similar requirement. The 

Senate provisions are located in Section 641(a)(3) through Section 

641(a)(7). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(c) PROGRAM GOVERNANCE.—Upon receiving designation as a 

Head Start agency, the agency shall establish and maintain a formal structure of program governance for the oversight of quality 

services for Head Start children and families and for making decisions related to program design and implementation. Such structure shall include the following: ‘‘(1) GOVERNING BODY.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The governing body shall have legal 

and fiscal responsibility for the Head Start agency. ‘‘(B) COMPOSITION.—The governing body shall be composed as follows: ‘‘(i) Not less than 1 member shall have background and expertise in fiscal management or accounting. ‘‘(ii) Not less than 1 member shall have background and expertise in early childhood education and 

development. ‘‘(iii) Not less than 1 member shall be a licensed 

attorney familiar with issues that come before the governing body. ‘‘(iv) Additional members shall— ‘‘(I) reflect the community to be served, and 

include parents of children who are currently, or 

were formerly, enrolled in Head Start programs; 

and ‘‘(II) are selected for their background and expertise in education, business administration, and 

community affairs. 

‘‘(v) Exceptions shall be made to the requirements 

of clauses (i) through (iv) for members of a governing 

body when those members oversee a public entity and 

are selected to their positions with the public entity by 

public election political appointment. ‘‘(vi) if a person described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) 

is not available to serve as a member of the governing 

body, the governing body shall use a consultant, or another individual with relevant expertise, with the 

qualifications described in the clause, who shall work 

directly with the governing body. 

‘‘(C) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—Members of the governing body shall—

‘‘(i) not have a financial conflict of interest with 

the Head Start (including any delegate agency); 

‘‘(ii) not receive compensation for serving on the 

governing body or for providing services to the Head 

Start agency; 

‘‘(iii) not be employed nor shall members of their 

immediate family be employed by the Head Start 

agency (including any delegate agency); and ‘‘(iv) operate as an entity independent of staff employed by the Head Start agency. 

‘‘(D) EXCEPTION.—If an individual holds a position as 

a result of public election or political appointment, and 

such position carries with it a concurrent appointment to 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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serve as a member of a Head Start agency governing body, 

and such individual has any conflict of interest described 

in clause (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (C)— ‘‘(i) such individual shall not be prohibited from 

serving on such body and the Head Start agency shall 

report such conflict to the Secretary; and ‘‘(ii) if the position held as a result of public election or political appointment provides compensation, 

such individual shall not be prohibited from receiving 

such compensation. 

‘‘(E) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The governing body shall— ‘‘(i) have legal and fiscal responsibility for administering and overseeing programs under this subchapter, including the safeguarding of Federal funds; ‘‘(ii) adopt practices that assure active, independent and informed the Head Start agency, including practices consistent with subsection (d)(1), and 

fully participate in the development, planning, and 

evaluation of the Head Start programs involved; ‘‘(iii) be responsible for ensuring compliance with 

Federal laws (including regulations) and applicable 

State, tribal, and local laws (including regulations); 

and ‘‘(iv) be responsible for other activities, including— ‘‘(I) the selecting delegate agencies and the 

service areas of such agencies; ‘‘(II) establishing procedures and criteria for 

recruitment, selection, and enrollment of children; ‘‘(III) reviewing all applications for funding 

and amendments to applications for funding for 

programs under this subchapter; ‘‘(IV) establishing procedures and guidelines 

for accessing and collecting information described 

in subsection (d)(2); 

‘‘(V) reviewing and approving all major policies of the agency, including—

‘‘(aa) the annual self-assessment and financial audit; 

‘‘(bb) such agency’s progress in carrying 

out the programmatic and fiscal provisions in 

such agency’s grant application, including implementation of corrective actions; and 

‘‘(cc) personnel policies of such agencies 

regarding the hiring, evaluation, termination, 

and compensation of agency employees; 

‘‘(VI) developing procedures for how members 

of the policy council are selected, consistent with 

paragraph (2)(B); 

‘‘(VII) approving financial management, accounting, and reporting policies and compliance 

with laws and regulations related to financial 

statements, including the—

‘‘(aa) approval of all major financial expenditures of the agency; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(bb) annual approval of the operating 

budget of the agency; ‘‘(cc) selection (except when a financial 

auditor is assigned by the State under State 

law or is assigned under local law) of independent financial auditors who shall report 

all critical accounting policies and practices to 

the governing body; and ‘‘(dd) monitoring of the agency’s actions to 

correct any audit findings and of other action 

necessary to comply with applicable laws (including regulations) government financial 

statement and accounting practices; 

‘‘(VII) reviewing results from monitoring conducted under section 641A(c), including appropriate follow-up activities; ‘‘(IX) approving personnel policies and procedures, including policies and procedures regarding 

the hiring, evaluation, compensation and termination of the Executive Director, Head Start Director, Director of Human Resources, Chief Fiscal 

Officer, and any other person in an equivalent position with the agency; ‘‘(X) establishing, adopting and periodically 

updating written standards of conduct that establish standards and formal procedures for disclosing, addressing, and resolving— ‘‘(aa) any conflict of interest, and any appearance of a conflict of interest, by members 

of the governing body, officers, employees of 

the Head Start agency, and consultants and 

agents who provide services or furnish goods 

to the Head Start agency; and ‘‘(bb) complaints, including investigations, 

when appropriate. 

‘‘(XI) to the extent practicable and appropriate, at the discretion of the governing body, establishing advisory committees to oversee key responsibilities related to program governance and 

improvement of the Head Start program involved. 

‘‘(2) POLICY COUNCIL.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each Head Start agency shall have 

a policy council responsible for the direction of the Head 

Start program, including program design and operation, 

and long- and short-term planning goals and objectives 

taking into account the annual communitywide strategic 

planning and needs assessment and self-assessment. 

‘‘(B) COMPOSITION AND SELECTION.—

‘‘(i) The policy council shall be elected by parents 

of children who are currently enrolled in the Head 

Start program of the Head Start agency. 

‘‘(ii) The policy council shall be composed of—

‘‘(I) parents of children who are currently enrolled in the Head Start program of the Head 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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Start agency (including any delegate agency), who 

shall constitute a majority of the members of the 

council; and ‘‘(II) members at large of the community 

served by the Head Start agency (including any 

delegate agency), who may include parents of children who were formerly enrolled in the Head 

Start program of the agency. ‘‘(C) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—Members of the policy 

council shall— ‘‘(i) not have a conflict of interest with the Head 

Start agency (including any delegate agency); and ‘‘(ii) not receive compensation for serving on the 

policy council or for providing services to the Head 

Start agency. 

‘‘(D) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The policy council shall approve and submit to the governing body decisions about 

the following activities—

‘‘(i) Activities to support the active involvement of 

parents in supporting program operations, including 

policies to ensure that the Head Start agency is responsive to community and parent needs; 

‘‘(ii) Program recruitment, selection, and enrollment priorities; 

‘‘(iii) Applications for funding and amendments to 

applications for funding for programs under this subchapter, prior to the submission of such applications 

described in this clause. 

‘‘(iv) Budget planning for program expenditures, 

including policies for reimbursement and participation 

in policy council activities; 

‘‘(v) Bylaws for the operation of the policy council; 

‘‘(vi) Program personnel policies and decisions regarding employment of program staff, consistent with 

paragraph (l)(E)(iv)(IX), including standards of conduct for program staff, contractors, and volunteers and 

criteria for the employment and dismissal of program 

staff. ‘‘(vii) Developing procedures for how members of 

the policy council of the Head Start agency will be 

elected. ‘‘(viii) Recommendations on the selection of delegate agencies and the service areas of such agencies. ‘‘(3) POLICY COMMITTEES.—Each delegate agency shall create a policy committee, which shall—

‘‘(A) be elected and comprised of members consistent 

with paragraph (2)(B) (with respect to delegate agencies); 

‘‘(B) follow procedures to prohibit conflict of interest, 

consistent with clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (2)(C) 

(with respect to delegate agencies); and ‘‘(C) be responsible for approval and submission of decisions about activities as they relate to the delegate agency, consistent with paragraph (2)(D) (with respect to delegate agencies). 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(d) PROGRAM GOVERNANCE ADMINISTRATION.—

‘‘(1) IMPASSE POLICY.—The Secretary shall develop policies, 

procedures, and guidance for Head Start agencies concerning—

‘‘(A) the resolution of internal disputes, including any 

impasse in the governance of Head Start programs; and 

‘‘(B) the facilitation of meaningful consultation and collaboration about decisions of the governing body and policy 

council 

‘‘(2) CONDUCT OF RESPONSIBILITIES.—Each Head Start 

agency shall ensure the sharing of accurate and regular information for use by the governing body and the policy council 

about program planning, policies, and Head Start agency operations, including—

‘‘(A) monthly financial statements, including credit 

card expenditures; 

‘‘(B) monthly program information summaries; 

‘‘(C) program enrollment reports, including attendance 

reports for children whose care is partially subsidized by 

another public agency; 

‘‘(D) monthly reports of meals and snacks provided 

through programs of the Department of Agriculture; 

‘‘(E) the financial audit; 

‘‘(F) the annual self-assessment, including any findings 

related to such assessment; 

‘‘(G) the communitywide strategic planning and needs 

assessment of the Head Start agency, including any applicable updates; 

‘‘(H) communication and guidance from the Secretary; 

and 

‘‘(I) the program information reports. 

‘‘(3) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Appropriate 

training and technical assistance shall be provided to the members of the governing body and the policy council to ensure 

that the members understand the information the members receive and can effectively oversee and participate in the programs of the Head Start agency.’’

The Conference Report prohibits members of the Policy Council 

from receiving compensation for their role in serving on the Policy 

Council, as well as prohibits such members from receiving compensation for providing such services. In implementing this provision, the Conferees recognize the regular practice of Head Start 

agencies to reimburse members of the Policy Council for reasonable 

costs (such as transportation or child care) associated with their 

full participation in the operation of such agencies, and for their 

roles and responsibilities consistent with duties on the Policy Council. In promulgating regulations under this section, the Conferees 

urge the Secretary to continue to provide for such reimbursements 

and recognize the necessity of such reimbursements for the effective operation of Head Start agencies. Moreover, the Conferees intend for individuals serving on governing bodies as a result of elected office or political appointment to be able to continue to receive 

compensation directly related to that elected office or political appointment. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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237. The House bill includes accounting experience. The Senate 

amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

238. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

239. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

240. The House bill requires selection of members based on expertise in education, business administration and community affairs. The Senate amendment requires selection of additional members to reflect the community served, and includes parents. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

241. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

242. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes additional requirements. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

243. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

244. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment consolidates training and technical assistance for both governing bodies and policy councils. See 

note 281. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

245. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

246. The House bill requires activities to ensure independent 

and informed governance. The Senate amendment does not contain 

a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

247. The House bill requires oversight to ensure that the Head 

Start agency is under the direction of the executive director. The 

Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

248. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill provides for specific audit and financing 

issues and creates a separate committee within the governing body 

for these functions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
137 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

249. The House bill requires approval of all major policies of 

the agency. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

250. The Senate amendment refers to policies and procedures 

regarding hiring, firing, and salaries of management personnel. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

251. The House bill refers to all major financial expenditures. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

252. The House bill requires approval of the hiring or firing of 

the Head Start Director. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

253. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

254. The House bill requires the governing body to oversee the 

program planning of the Head Start agency. Senate amendment 

does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

255. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

256. The Senate amendment requires approval of self-assessments, financial audits, and reviews. The House bill does not contain a similar amendment. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

257. The House bill requires the establishment and revision of 

written standards of conduct. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

258. The Senate amendment requires the governing body to select delegate agencies and service areas. The House bill does not 

contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

259. The Senate amendment requires the governing body to establish procedures and criteria for recruitment, selection, and enrollment. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

260. The Senate amendment requires the governing body to establish procedures for gathering information related to program 

governance. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
138 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

261. The Senate amendment requires review and approval of 

the community assessment by the governing body. The House bill 

does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

262. The Senate amendment requires an internal control structure to facilitate responsibilities of Head Start’s governance structure. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

263. The Senate amendment provides for the establishment of 

a Committee to assist with the governance of Head Start programs. 

The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

264. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

265. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

266. The House bill and Senate amendment require parents to 

represent proportional components of programs. The Senate 

amendment stipulates a process for selecting parents to serve on 

the policy council. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

267. The Senate amendment includes members at large in policy councils. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

268. The House bill establishes terms for policy council members. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

269. The Senate amendment prohibits conflicts of interest 

within the policy council. The House bill does not contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

270. The House bill provides for the approval of decisions. The 

Senate amendment does not contain similar language. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

271. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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272. The House bill requires delegate agencies to be selected 

by the policy council. The Senate amendment does not contain a 

similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

273. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

274. The House bill provides authority to the policy council for 

funding applications. The Senate amendment does not contain a 

similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

275. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment provides greater detail regarding responsibilities. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

276. The House bill provides authority for bylaws to the policy 

council. The Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

277. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

278. The House bill provides authority for decisions regarding 

employment to the policy council. The Senate amendment does not 

contain similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

279. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

280. The House bill provides authority for program responsiveness to the policy council. The Senate amendment does not contain 

a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

281. House bill requires training for the policy council. Senate 

amendment addresses training in same provision as for governing 

body. See note 244. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

282. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes an impasse policy. The Senate 

amendment requires procedures for agencies under section 

641(a)(2)(B)(iv). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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283. The Senate amendment requires information sharing. The 

House bill does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 236. 

284. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions leading to collaboration. Senate amendment lists specific 

programs that the House bill does not. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to—

strike ‘‘must’’ and insert ‘‘shall’’

insert ‘‘, to the maximum extent practicable,’’ after ‘‘entities’’

strike ‘‘available’’ and insert ‘‘availability and quality of’’

285. House bill and Senate amendment contain similar provisions but Senate amendment provision is located in subsection (b). 

Senate recedes. 

286. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike headings. 

287. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes an additional requirement to collaborate with elementary school teachers. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike the heading and 

to strike ‘‘teaching strategies and options’’ and insert ‘‘professional 

development and instructional strategies, as appropriate’’. 

288. The Senate amendment lists specific programs that the 

Head Start agency must coordinate with. The House bill does not 

include similar provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike and insert—

‘‘(3) Coordinate activities and collaborate with programs under 

the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 

U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), the agencies responsible for administering section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 

U.S.C. 5106a), parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act 

(42 U.S.C. 621 et seq. and 670 et seq.), programs under subtitle B 

of title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 

U.S.C. 11431 et seq.), Even Start programs under subpart 3 of part 

B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 

(20 U.S.C. 6381 et seq.), and programs under section 619 and part 

C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 

1419, 1431 et seq.), and other entities providing early childhood 

education and development services, serving the children and families served by the Head Start agency.’’

289. House bill and Senate amendment contain similar provisions. The House bill requires efforts to enhance efficiency. The 

Senate amendment focuses on reducing duplication of services. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘and enhance the 

efficiency’’ after ‘‘duplication of services’’. 

290. The House bill maintains current law of a provision requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consult 

with the Secretary of Education to evaluate the effectiveness of 

programs, disseminate effective policies and activities, and provide 

technical assistance. The Senate amendment does not include a 

similar provision. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
141 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike (A), and strike 

the parenthesis in subparagraph (B) and to move paragraph to new 

subsection at the end of section 642A. 

291. The House bill adds new heading. The Senate amendment 

does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

292. The House bill maintains current law on maintaining 

gains. The Senate amendment does not include this provision. 

Senate recedes. 

293. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

language but Senate amendment language is located in subsection 

(b). 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘the’’ before ‘‘standards’’. 294. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions but the Senate amendment provision is located in subsection (b). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert— ‘‘(3) implement a research-based early childhood curriculum 

that— ‘‘(A) promotes young children’s school readiness in the 

areas of language and cognitive development, early reading 

and mathematics skills, socio-emotional development, physical 

development, and approaches to learning. ‘‘(B) is based on scientifically valid research and has standardized training procedures and curriculum materials to support implementation; ‘‘(C) is comprehensive and linked to ongoing assessment, 

with developmental and learning goals and measurable objectives; ‘‘(D) is focused on improving the learning environment, 

teaching practices, family involvement, and child outcomes 

across all areas of development; and 

‘‘(E) is aligned to the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework developed by the Secretary and, as appropriate, to State 

early learning standards; 

(4) implement effective interventions and support services that 

help promote the school readiness of children participating in the 

program;’’

295. The House bill calls for research-based assessment methods and the Senate amendment does not include this provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert—

‘‘(5) use research-based assessment methods that reflect the 

characteristics described in section 641A(b)(2) in order to support 

the educational instruction and school readiness of children in the 

program.’’

296. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions but the Senate amendment provision is located in subsection (b). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘use research-based developmental screening tools that have 

been demonstrated to be standardized, reliable, valid, and accurate 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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for the child being assessed, to the maximum extent practicable, for 

the purpose of meeting the relevant standards described in section 

641(a)(1);’’. 297. The House bill and Senate amendment have similar provisions but the Senate amendment includes a heading and is located 

in a different subsection. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike and insert— ‘‘adopt, in consultation with experts in child development and 

with classroom teachers, an evaluation to assess whether classroom 

teachers have mastered the functions described in section 

648A(a)(1),’’ 298. The House bill calls for professional development plans to 

improve teacher effectiveness. The Senate amendment does not include this provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘adopt a’’ and insert ‘‘inform’’; strike ‘‘plan that leads’’ and insert ‘‘plans’’ and insert ‘‘, as appropriate.’’ after ‘‘plans’’. 299. House bill calls for measurable objectives. The Senate 

amendment does not include this provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert— ‘‘establish goals and measurable objectives for the provision of 

health, educational, nutritional, and social services provided under 

this subchapter and related to the program mission and to promote 

school readiness; and’’. 300. The House bill calls for the development of procedures for 

identifying children as limited English proficient. The Senate 

amendment does not include this provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘as’’ and insert ‘‘who are’’. 301. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

302. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes children to be serviced by such 

agency, and the results of the reviews conducted under section 

641A(c). 

Senate recedes. 

303. The House bill contains a provision on financial management. The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

Section 10. Head Start transition and alignment with K–12 education 

304. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill focuses on promoting continuity of services. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’

305. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

306. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

307. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
143 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert— ‘‘establishing on-going communications between the Head Start 

agency and local education agency for developing continuity of developmentally appropriate curricular objectives (which for the purpose of the Head Start program shall be aligned to the Head Start 

Child Outcomes Framework and, as appropriate, State early learning standards) and for shared expectations for children’s learning 

and development as they transition to school;’’ And to insert new subsection into section 657C— ‘‘(c) SPECIAL RULE.—Nothing in this subchapter shall authorize 

a Head Start program or a local education agency to require the 

other to select or implement a specific curriculum or program of instruction.’’ 308. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

309. The Senate amendment requires the establishment of 

comprehensive transition policies. The House bill does not contain 

a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

310. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 

311. The House bill includes a provision on assistance to parents of LEP students. The Senate amendment does not contain a 

similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to— strike ‘‘method of instruction’’ and insert ‘‘(A) instructional’’

insert ‘‘(B)’’ before ‘‘as appropriate’’ insert ‘‘the’’ after ‘‘appropriate,’’ 312. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment also requires that the language 

needs of parents of limited English proficient children be considered. 

House recedes. 

313. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 

314. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘the education’’

and insert ‘‘educational’’. 

315. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes grandparents and kinship caregivers. 

Senate recedes. 

316. The Senate amendment provides for helping parents understand the school in which their child will enroll. The House bill 

does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

317. The House bill provides for increasing participation of underserved populations. The Senate amendment does not contain a 

similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
144 

318. The Senate amendment includes language, pre-literacy, 

and premathematics competencies. The House bill does not contain 

similar provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

319. The Senate amendment includes a technical clarification. 

The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

Section 11. Early childhood education, coordination, and improvement 

320. The House bill includes local and State integration requirements and a memorandum of understanding for each Head 

Start agency at the local level. The Senate amendment does not 

contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to move to 

section 642(d) with instructions and to strike and insert the following: ‘‘(5) Entering into a memorandum of understanding, not later 

than 1 year after the effective date of this section, with the appropriate local entity responsible for managing publicly funded preschool programs in the service area of the Head Start agency, that 

shall— ‘‘(A) review each of the following activities and include 

plans to coordinate the activities as appropriate, regarding— ‘‘(i) Educational activities, curricula, and instruction. 

‘‘(ii) Public information dissemination and access to 

programs for families contacting any of the early childhood 

programs. ‘‘(iii) Selection priorities for eligible children to be 

served by programs. ‘‘(iv) Service delivery areas. 

‘‘(v) Staff training, including opportunities for joint 

staff training on topics such as academic content standards, instructional methods, curricula, and social and emotional development. 

‘‘(vi) Program technical assistance. 

‘‘(vii) Provision of additional services to meet the needs 

of working parents, as applicable. 

‘‘(viii) Planning and parent education for smooth transitions to kindergarten as required in section 642A(3) and 

642A(6). 

‘‘(ix) Provision and use of facilities, transportation, and 

other program elements. 

‘‘(x) Other elements mutually agreed to by the parties 

to such memorandum; 

‘‘(B) be submitted to the Secretary and the State Director 

of Head Start Collaboration not later than 30 days after entering into such memorandum, except where there is an absence 

of publicly funded preschool in the service area of a Head Start 

agency or where the appropriate entity responsible for managing the state-funded preschool is unable or unwilling to 

enter into such a memorandum, the Head Start agency shall 

submit such information to the Secretary and the State Director of Head Start Collaboration; and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
145 

‘‘(C) shall be revised periodically and renewed biennially 

by the parties to such memorandum, in alignment with the beginning of the school year.’’

321. House bill and Senate amendment each create State 

Councils. The House bill places councils in section 642B and the 

Senate amendment places councils in section 640(a)(5)(E). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and inserts the following new section 642B—

‘‘(a) HEAD START COLLABORATION.—

‘‘(1) From amounts made available under section 

640(a)(2)(B)(vi), the Secretary shall award the collaboration 

grants described in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4). 

‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall award, upon submission of a 

written request, a collaboration grant to each State and to each 

national administrative office serving Indian Head Start programs and migrant or seasonal Head Start programs to facilitate collaboration among Head Start agencies (including Early 

Head Start agencies) and entities that carry out activities designed to benefit low-income children from birth to school 

entry, and their families. The national administrative offices 

shall use the funds made available through the grants to carry 

out the authorities and responsibilities described in subparagraph (B) and paragraphs (3) and (4), as appropriate. 

‘‘(B) Grants described in subparagraph (A) shall be used 

to—

‘‘(i) assist Head Start agencies to collaborate with 

entities involved in State and local planning processes 

to better meet the needs of low-income children from 

birth to school entry, and their families; 

‘‘(ii) assist Head Start agencies to coordinate activities with the State agency responsible for administering the State program carried out under the Child 

Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 

U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) and entities providing resource 

and referral services in the State, to make full-working-day and full calendar year services available to 

children; 

‘‘(iii) promote alignment of curricula used in Head 

Start programs and continuity of services with the 

Head Start Child Outcomes Framework and, as appropriate, State early learning standards; 

‘‘(iv) promote better linkages between Head Start 

agencies and other child and family agencies, including agencies that provide health, mental health, or 

family services, or other child or family supportive 

services, such as services provided under section 619 

or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); and 

‘‘(v) carry out the activities of the State Director 

of Head Start Collaboration authorized in paragraph 

(4). 

‘‘(3) In order to improve coordination and delivery of early 

childhood education and development to children in the State, 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
146 

a State that receives a collaboration grant under paragraph (2) 

shall—

‘‘(A) appoint or designate an individual to serve as, or 

carry out the responsibilities of, the State Director of Head 

Start Collaboration; 

‘‘(B) ensure that the State Director of Head Start Collaboration holds a position with sufficient authority and 

access to ensure that the collaboration described in paragraph (2) is effective and involves a range of State agencies; and 

‘‘(C) involve the State Head Start Association in the 

selection of the Director and involve the Association in determinations relating to the ongoing direction of the collaboration office involved. 

‘‘(4) The State Director of Head Start Collaboration shall—

‘‘(A) not later than 1 year after the State receives a 

collaboration grant under paragraph (2), conduct an assessment that—

‘‘(i) addresses the needs of Head Start agencies in 

the State with respect to collaboration, coordination 

and alignment of services, and alignment of curricula 

and assessments used in Head Start programs with 

the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework and, as 

appropriate, State early learning standards; 

‘‘(ii) shall be updated on an annual basis; and 

‘‘(iii) shall be made available to the general public 

within the State; 

‘‘(B) develop a strategic plan that is based on the assessment described in paragraph (A) that will—

‘‘(i) enhance collaboration and coordination of 

Head Start services by Head Start agencies with other 

entities providing early childhood education and development (such as child care or services offered by museums), health care, mental health care, welfare, child 

protective services, education and community service 

activities, family literacy services, reading readiness 

programs (including such programs offered by public 

and school libraries), services relating to children with 

disabilities, other early childhood education and development for limited English proficient children and 

homeless children, and services provided for children 

in foster care and children referred to Head Start programs by child welfare agencies, including agencies 

and State officials responsible for services described in 

this clause; 

‘‘(ii) assist Head Start agencies to develop a plan 

for the provision of full working-day, full calendar year 

services for children enrolled in Head Start programs 

who need such services; 

‘‘(iii) assist Head Start agencies to align curricula 

and assessments used in Head Start programs with 

the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework and, as 

appropriate, State early learning standards; and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(iv) enable Head Start agencies to better access 

professional development opportunities for Head Start 

staff, such as by working with Head Start agencies to 

enable the agencies to meet the degree requirements 

described in section 648A(a)(2)(A), including providing 

distance learning opportunities for Head Start staff, 

where needed to make higher education more accessible to Head Start staff; and 

‘‘(v) enable the Head Start agencies to better conduct outreach to eligible families; 

‘‘(C) promote partnerships between Head Start agencies, State and local governments, and the private sector 

to help ensure that children from low-income families, who 

are in Head Start programs or are preschool age, are receiving comprehensive services to prepare the children for 

elementary school; 

‘‘(D) consult with the chief State school officer, local 

educational agencies, and providers of early childhood education and development, at both the State and local levels; 

‘‘(E) promote partnerships between Head Start agencies, schools, law enforcement, relevant community-based 

organizations, and substance abuse and mental health 

treatment agencies to strengthen family and community 

environments and to reduce the impact on child development of substance abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, 

and other high-risk behaviors that compromise healthy development; 

‘‘(F) promote partnerships between Head Start agencies and other organizations in order to enhance Head 

Start program quality, including partnerships to promote 

inclusion of more books in Head Start classrooms; 

‘‘(G) identify other resources and organizations (both 

public and private) for the provision of in-kind services to 

Head Start agencies in the State; and 

‘‘(H) serve on the State Advisory Council in order to 

assist the efforts of Head Start agencies to engage in effective coordination and collaboration. 

‘‘(b) STATE EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE.—

‘‘(1)(A) The Governor of the State shall—

‘‘(i) designate or establish a council to serve as the 

State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and 

Care for children from birth to school entry (in this subchapter referred to as the ‘‘State Advisory Council’’); and 

‘‘(ii) designate an individual to coordinate activities of 

the State Advisory Council, as described in subparagraph 

(D)(i). 

‘‘(B) The Governor may designate an existing entity in the 

state to serve as the State Advisory Council, and shall appoint 

such representatives to the State Advisory Council at the Governor’s discretion. In designating an existing entity, the Governor shall take steps to ensure that membership includes, to 

the extent possible, representatives consistent with subparagraph (C). 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(C) Members of the State Advisory Council shall include, 

to the maximum extent possible—

‘‘(I) a representative of the state agency responsible for child care; 

‘‘(II) a representative of the State educational 

agency; 

‘‘(III) a representative of local educational agencies; 

‘‘(IV) a representative of institutions of higher 

education in the state; 

‘‘(V) a representative of local providers of early 

childhood education and care; 

‘‘(VI) a representative from Head Start agencies 

located in the State, including migrant and seasonal 

Head Start programs and Indian Head Start programs; 

‘‘(VII) the State Director of Head Start Collaboration 

‘‘(VIII) a representative of the State agency responsible for programs under section 619 or part C of 

the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 

U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); 

‘‘(IX) a representative of the State agency responsible for health or mental health care; and 

‘‘(X) representatives of other entities determined 

to be relevant by the Governor of the state. 

‘‘(D) The State Advisory Council shall, in addition to any 

responsibilities assigned to the Council by the Governor of the 

State 

‘‘(I) conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment 

concerning the quality and availability of early childhood education and care for children from birth to 

school entry, including an assessment of the availability of high quality pre-kindergarten services for 

low-income children in the state; 

‘‘(II) identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination among federally-funded 

and State-funded child development, child care, and 

early childhood education and care programs, including collaboration and coordination among state agencies responsible for administering such programs; 

‘‘(III) develop recommendations for increasing the 

overall participation of children in existing federal, 

state, and local early childhood education and child 

care programs, including outreach to underrepresented 

and special populations; 

‘‘(IV) develop recommendations regarding the establishment of a unified data collection system for 

public early childhood education and care throughout 

the State; 

‘‘(V) develop recommendations regarding a statewide professional development and career advancement plan for early childhood educators in the State; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(VI) assess the capacity and effectiveness of 2- 

and 4-year public and private institutions of higher 

education in the State toward supporting the development of early childhood educators, including the extent to which such institutions have in place articulation agreements, professional development and career 

advancement plans, and practica or internships for 

students to spend time in a Head Start or prekindergarten program; and 

‘‘(VII) make recommendations for improvements in 

State early learning standards and undertake efforts 

to develop high quality comprehensive early learning 

standards, as appropriate. 

‘‘(ii) The State Advisory Council shall hold public hearings and provide an opportunity for public comment on the 

activities described in clause (iv). The State Advisory 

Council shall submit a statewide strategic report addressing the activities described in clause (iv) to the State Director of Head Start Collaboration and the Governor of the 

State. 

‘‘(iii) After submission of a statewide strategic report 

under subclause (II), the State Advisory Council shall meet 

periodically to review any implementation of the recommendations in such report and any changes in State 

and local needs. 

‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall use the portion reserved under 

clause (i) to award, on a competitive basis, one-time startup 

grants of not less than 500,000 to eligible States to enable such 

States to pay for the Federal share of developing and implementing a plan pursuant to the responsibilities included under 

subparagraph (E)(iv)(I). A State that receives funds under (i) 

shall use such funds to facilitate the development of high-quality systems of early childhood education and care designed to 

improve school preparedness through one or more of the following activities—

‘‘(i) promoting school preparedness of children from 

birth through school entry, including activities to encourage families and caregivers to engage in highly interactive, 

developmentally and age-appropriate activities to improve 

children’s early social, emotional, and cognitive development, support the transition of young children to school, 

and foster parental and family involvement in the early 

education of young children; 

‘‘(ii) supporting professional development, recruitment, 

and retention initiatives for early childhood educators; 

‘‘(iii) enhancing existing early childhood education and 

care programs and projects (in existence on the date on 

which the grant involved is awarded), including quality 

improvement activities authorized under the Child Care 

and Development Block Grant Act of 1990; and 

‘‘(iv) carrying out other activities consistent with the 

State’s Early Education and Care plan, pursuant to paragraph (iii). 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(B) To be eligible to receive a grant under this subparagraph, a State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a 

plan and application, for a 3-year period, at such time, in such 

manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 

shall require, including—

‘‘(i) the statewide strategic report described in subparagraph (E)(iv)(II), including a description of the Advisory Council’s responsibilities under subparagraph 

(E)(iv)(I); 

‘‘(ii) a description, for each fiscal year, of how the State 

will make effective use of funds available under this subparagraph, with funds described in clause (iv), to create an 

early childhood education and care system, by developing 

or enhancing programs and activities consistent with the 

strategic report described in subparagraph (E)(iv)(II); 

‘‘(iii) a description of the State early learning standards and the State’s goals for increasing the number of 

children entering kindergarten ready to learn; 

‘‘(iv) information identifying the agency or joint interagency office and individual designated to carry out the activities under this subparagraph, which may be the individual designated under subparagraph (E)(i)(II); and 

‘‘(v) a description of how the State plans to sustain activities under this subparagraph beyond the grant period. 

‘‘(C) The Federal share of the cost of activities proposed to 

be conducted under clause (ii) shall be 30 percent, and the 

State shall provide the non-Federal share. 

‘‘(D) Funds made available under this subparagraph shall 

be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, 

and local funds expended to carry out activities related to early 

childhood education and care in the State. 

‘‘(E) Not later than 18 months after the date a State receives a grant under this subparagraph, the State shall submit 

an interim report to the Secretary. A State that receives a 

grant under this subparagraph shall submit a final report to 

the Secretary at the end of the grant period. Each report shall 

include—

‘‘(i) a description of the activities and services carried 

out under the grant, including the outcomes of such activities and services in meeting the needs described in the 

periodic needs assessment and statewide strategic report; 

‘‘(ii) information about how the State used such funds 

to meet the goals of this subsection through activities to 

develop or enhance high quality systems of early childhood 

education, increase effectiveness of delivery systems and 

use of funds, and enhance existing programs and services; 

‘‘(iii) information regarding the remaining needs described in the periodic needs assessment and statewide 

strategic report that have not yet been addressed by the 

State; and 

‘‘(iv) any other information that the Secretary may require. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(F) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to provide the State Advisory Council with authority to modify, supersede, or negate the requirements of this subchapter.’’

Section 643 should be amended by inserting at the end—

‘‘This section shall not apply to contracts, agreements, grants, 

loans, or other assistance for Indian Head Start programs or migrant or seasonal Head Start programs.’’

322. The House bill and the Senate amendment require different membership of the State council. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

323. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions for when an entity already exists. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

324. The House bill requires a 50 percent match and the Senate amendment requires a 30 percent match. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

325. The Senate amendment specifies that the Governor can 

give council additional responsibility. The House bill does not have 

a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

326. The House bill and Senate amendment have similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

327. The House bill references working with State agencies. 

The Senate amendment does not have a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

328. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

329. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

330. The House bill references identification of barriers. The 

Senate amendment does not have a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

331. The House bill and Senate amendment have similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

332. The House bill references coordination with health care 

and other services. The Senate amendment does not have a similar 

provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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333. The House bill references system of training and technical 

assistance. The Senate amendment does not have a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

334. The House bill references a plan for increased participation of underrepresented children. The Senate amendment does not 

have a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

335. The House bill and Senate amendment have similar provisions 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

336. The House bill and Senate amendment have similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

337. The House bill clarifies the role of the State council in relation to the Head Start program. The Senate amendment does not 

have a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

338. The House bill and Senate amendment have similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

339. Senate amendment provides for public hearings on the activities of the State council, and requires submission and subsequent revision of the State council’s plan. The House bill does not 

include similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

340. The Senate amendment reserves $100 million from appropriations in FY2008 to establish a competitive grant program for 

States to further develop and implement plans established by State 

Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. The 

House bill reserves money from training and technical assistance 

for ELC (see note 38). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

341. The Senate amendment provides for one-time startup 

grants to States, for the purposes of developing systems of early 

childhood education and care and enhancing quality in early childhood programs. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

342. The Senate amendment stipulates conditions for eligibility 

for discretionary grants under this subparagraph. The House bill 

does not include similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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343. The Senate amendment includes requirements for an interim report to the Secretary. The House bill does not include a 

similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 321. 

Section 12. Submission of plans 

344. Senate amendment provides for the submission of plans 

to Governors instead of Chief Executive Officer of the State and 

shortens time for approval. House bill maintains current law. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike (1)(B) 

Section 13. Administrative requirements and standards 

345. The House bill adds headers to subsection (a), reconstructs current law, and includes requirement of a public report. 

The Senate amendment maintains current law. 

Senate recedes. 

346. The Senate amendment includes a 10-program pilot 

project on administrative costs in Head Start programs. The House 

bill does not contain similar provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

347. The House bill adds a new requirement for facilities plans 

and adds a heading to this subsection. The Senate amendment 

maintains current law. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and replace (f)(2)(A) with— ‘‘(A) a description of the efforts by the agency to coordinate or 

collaborate with other providers in the community to seek assistance, including financial assistance, prior to the use of funds under 

this section;’’. 

Section 14. Participation in Head Start programs 

348. The House bill allows programs to apply to the Secretary 

to increase their income eligibility to 130 percent. The Senate 

amendment replaces the current threshold of 100 percent of poverty with 130 percent, with assurances from the agency that families below the poverty line are prioritized. 

House recedes/Senate recedes to strike and insert—

‘‘(a)(1)(A) The Secretary shall by regulation prescribe eligibility 

for the participation of persons in Head Start programs assisted 

under this subchapter. 

‘‘(B) Except as provided in paragraph (2), such regulation shall 

provide—

‘‘(i) that children from low income families shall be eligible 

for participation in programs assisted under this subchapter if 

their families’ incomes are below the poverty line, or if their 

families are eligible or, in the absence of child care, would potentially be eligible for public assistance; 

‘‘(ii) that homeless children shall be deemed to be eligible 

for such participation; 

‘‘(iii) that programs assisted under this subchapter may include—

‘‘(I) to a reasonable extent (but not to exceed ten percent of participants) participation of children in the area 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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served who would benefit from such programs but who are 

not eligible under clause (i) or (ii); and ‘‘(II) from the area served, an additional 35 percent of 

participants who are not eligible under clause (i) or (ii) and 

whose families have incomes below 130 percent of the poverty line, if— ‘‘(aa) the Head Start agency involved establishes 

and implements outreach and enrollment policies and 

procedures that ensure such agency is meeting the 

needs of children eligible under clause (i) or (ii) (or 

subclause (I) if the child involved has a disability) 

prior to meeting the needs of children eligible under 

this subclause; and ‘‘(bb) in prioritizing the selection of children and 

families to be served, the Head Start agency establishes criteria that provide that the agency will serve 

children under clause (i) or (ii) prior to serving the 

children who meet the criteria in this subclause. ‘‘(iv) that any Head Start agency serving children eligible 

under clause (iii)(II) shall report annually to the Secretary the 

following information on— ‘‘(I) how such agency is meeting the needs children eligible under clause (i) or (ii), in the area served, including 

local demographic data on families of children eligible 

under clause (i) or (ii); ‘‘(II) the outreach and enrollment policies and procedures established by the agency that ensure the agency is 

meeting the needs of children eligible under clause (i) or 

(ii) (or clause (iii)(I) if the child involved has a disability) 

prior to meeting the needs of children eligible under clause 

(iii)(II); ‘‘(III) the efforts, including outreach efforts (that are 

appropriate to the community involved), of such agency to 

be fully enrolled with children eligible under clause (i) or 

(ii); 

‘‘(IV) the policies, procedures, and selection criteria 

such agency is implementing to serve eligible children, 

consistent with clause (iii)(II); 

‘‘(V) the agency’s enrollment level and enrollment level 

over fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the report 

is submitted; 

‘‘(VI) the number of children served by the agency, 

disaggregated by whether such children are eligible under 

clause (i), clause (ii), clause (iii)(I), or clause (iii)(II); and 

‘‘(VII) the eligibility criteria category of children on the 

agency’s waiting list; 

‘‘(VIII) that a child who has been determined to meet 

the eligibility criteria described in this subparagraph and 

who is participating in a Head Start program in a program 

year shall be considered to continue to meet the eligibility 

criteria through the end of the succeeding program year. 

‘‘(C) In determining, for purposes of this paragraph, whether a 

child who has applied for enrollment in a Head Start program 

meets the eligibility criteria, an entity may consider evidence of 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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family income during the 12 months preceding the month in which 

the application is submitted, or during the calendar year preceding 

the calendar year in which the application is submitted, whichever 

more accurately reflects the needs of the family at the time of application.’’

Amend section 640(g) by inserting new paragraph—

‘‘(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in using funds made 

available for expansion under subsection (a)(4)(D), the Secretary shall first allocate the funds to qualified applicants proposing to use such funds to serve children from families with 

incomes below the poverty line. Agencies that receive such 

funds are subject to the eligibility and enrollment requirements under section 645(a)(1).’’

Amend Section 650(a)(2) by adding at the end before the period—

‘‘and information on the number of children served under this 

subsection, disaggregated by type of eligibility criterion.’’

The Conferees recognize that children from low-income families 

just above the Federal poverty line would benefit from participation 

in Head Start programs. Accordingly the Conferees agreed that 

Head Start programs should have additional flexibility to serve 

some children in families up to 130 percent of the Federal poverty 

level. To ensure that children at or below the 100 percent threshold 

receive priority, the Conferees intend for Head Start grantees to 

comply with the new reporting requirements to provide greater accountability under this provision. Additionally, the Conferees direct 

the Secretary to coordinate these additional reporting requirements 

with other existing reporting requirements so as not to impose any 

additional burden on Head Start grantees. The Conferees also intend that these reporting requirements not be construed as requiring an application by the Head Start grantee or to give additional 

authority to the Secretary to approve or disapprove a plan by a 

Head Start grantee to make use of this flexibility. 

349. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘(A 

homeless child shall be deemed to meet the low income criteria)’’

and insert a new clause to read ‘‘(iii) a homeless child shall be 

deemed to be eligible for Head Start services; and’’

350. The House bill and the Senate amendment include language pertaining to military families. 

House recedes. 

351. The Senate amendment provides for conversion of Head 

Start programs from part-day to full-day sessions. The House bill 

does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

352. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain different provisions regarding serving additional infants and toddlers. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to include the Senate subparagraph (B) as a new subparagraph (C) and to strike ‘‘entity that 

receives assistance under section 645A, and such funds under (i)’’

in the House (C) and insert ‘‘Early Head Start Agency and’’ and to 

insert in (i) ‘‘such’’ after ‘‘The amount of’’. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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353. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

The intent of the Conferees in striking the language in this 

provision is to provide agencies reasonable flexibility on an eligible 

child’s age of entry into a program. For many years, programs have 

been allowed to enroll children who will turn three by the date 

used by the local school system to determine kindergarten eligibility. For example, a school system could require a child to be five 

by November 1 to be enrolled in kindergarten. A Head Start child 

turning three by November 1 has always been considered age eligible and, in this example, that child would be enrolled in Head Start 

for two years before going on to kindergarten. The Conferees have 

learned that the underlying provision is being interpreted to mean 

the child must have reached his/her third birthday to be Head 

Start eligible so this child could not be enrolled in Head Start when 

it opened in late August but rather, would have to wait to be enrolled on or after November 1, if there were a vacancy. In making 

a change to this provision, the Conferees intend to continue eligibility for children ages three through school entry and provide appropriate flexibility to local Head Start agencies as to exactly when 

a child turning three years old may begin. But the change to this 

provision should not be interpreted to permit Head Start agencies 

to enroll children under three years of age as a common practice. 

354. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘tribe’’ in both 

places it appears and insert ‘‘tribe or tribes’’. 

Section 15. Early Head Start programs 

355. Both the House bill and the Senate amend the section 

title but contain different titles. The House bill amends the general 

purpose regarding Early Head Start. The Senate amendment maintains current law. 

House recedes. 

356. The House bill and the Senate amendment maintain current law. 

357. The House bill and the Senate amendment maintain current law. 

358. The House bill and the Senate amendment maintain current law. 

359. The Senate amendment makes technical and conforming 

changes. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

360. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘services’’ after 

‘‘development) and’’. 

361. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

362. The House bill and Senate amendment maintain current 

law. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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363. The House bill and Senate amendment maintain current 

law. 

364. The Senate amendment includes requirements for screening and referral for children exposed to trauma. The House bill 

does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

365. The House bill and Senate amendment have similar provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

366. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘and development’’ after ‘‘education’’. 367. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘care’’ and insert ‘‘development programs’’. 368. The House bill and Senate amendment maintain current 

law. 

369. The House bill and the Senate amendment maintain current law. 

370. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert in paragraph ‘‘(2)’’ ‘‘and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Programs’’ after ‘‘programs’’. 371. The House bill and the Senate amendment maintain current law. 

372. The House bill and the Senate amendment maintain current law. 

373. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert: 

‘‘(g) MONITORING, TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND

EVALUATION.— ‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—In order to ensure the successful operation of programs assisted under this section, the Secretary 

shall use funds made available under section 640(a)(2)(E) to 

monitor the operation of such programs, and funds made available under section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(1) to provide training and 

technical assistance tailored to the particular needs of such 

programs, consistent with section 640(c). ‘‘(2) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—

‘‘(A) ACTIVITIES.—Of the portion set aside under section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(I)—

‘‘(i) not less than 50 percent shall be made available to Early Head Start programs to use directly, 

which may include, at their discretion, the establishment of local or regional agreements with community 

experts, institutions of higher education, or private 

consultants, for training and technical assistance activities in order to make program improvements identified by such agencies; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(ii) not less than 25 percent shall be made available to the Secretary to support the State-based training and technical assistance system described in section 648(e), including infant and toddler specialists, to 

support Early Head Start agencies, consistent with 

subparagraph (B); and 

‘‘(iii) the remainder of such amount shall be made 

available to the Secretary to assist Early Head Start 

agencies in meeting and exceeding the standards described in section 641A(a)(1) (directly, or through 

grants, contracts, or other agreements or arrangements with an entity with demonstrated expertise relating to infants, toddlers, and families) by—

‘‘(I) providing on-going training and technical 

assistance to Early Head Start agencies, including 

developing training and technical assistance materials and resources to support program development and improvement and best practices in providing services to children and families served by 

Early Head Start programs; 

‘‘(II) supporting a national network of infant 

and toddler specialists designed to improve the 

quality of Early Head Start programs; 

‘‘(III) providing on-going training and technical assistance on Early Head Start program development and improvement for regional staff 

charged with monitoring and overseeing the administration of the program carried out under this 

section; and 

‘‘(VI) if funds remain after the activities described in subclauses (I), (II), and (III) are carried 

out, carry out 1 more of the following activities: 

‘‘(aa) Providing support and program 

planning and implementation assistance for 

new Early Head Start agencies, including for 

agencies who want to use funds to serve infants and toddlers as described in section 

645(a)(5). 

‘‘(bb) Creating special training and technical assistance initiatives targeted to serving 

high risk populations, such as children in the 

child welfare system and homeless children; 

and 

‘‘(cc) Providing professional development 

designed to increase program participation for 

underserved populations of eligible children. 

‘‘(B) CONTRACTS.—For the purposes of delivering a 

State-based training and technical assistance system, as 

described in subparagraph (A)(ii), that will meet the needs 

of Early Head Start agencies and provide high quality, 

sustained, and intensive training and technical assistance 

on programming for infants and toddlers to Early Head 

Start agencies, and in order to help such agencies meet or 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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exceed the standards described in section 641A(a)(1), the 

Secretary shall— ‘‘(i) use funds reserved under subparagraph (A)(ii) 

in combination with funds reserved in section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb) to ensure such contracts described in section 648(e)(1) provide for a minimum of 

1 full-time specialist with demonstrated expertise in 

the development of infants and toddlers; and ‘‘(ii) ensure that such contracts and the services 

provided in the contracts are integrated with and augment the contracts awarded and services provided 

under section 648(e);’’; and’’ 374. The House bill and the Senate amendment have differing 

timelines for establishing staff qualifications in Early Head Start 

programs. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to read: 

‘‘(h) CENTER-BASED STAFF.—The Secretary shall—

‘‘(1) ensure that, not later than September 30, 2010, all 

teachers providing direct services to children and families participating in Early Head Start programs located in Early Head 

Start centers, have a minimum of a child development associate credential, and have been trained (or have equivalent 

course work) in early childhood development; and 

‘‘(2) establish staff qualification goals to ensure that not 

later than September 30, 2012, all such teachers have been 

trained (or have equivalent course work) in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development.’’

375. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

376. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment includes additional language 

concerning the use of research-based strategies. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike subparagraph (D) 

and insert— ‘‘(D) methods to help parents promote emergent literacy in 

their children from birth though age 3, including use of researchbased strategies to support the development of literacy and language skills for children who are limited English proficient;’’. 377. The House bill and the Senate amendment have different 

language concerning health and developmental services. 

Senate recedes. 

Section 16. Appeals, notice, and hearing 

378. The House bill amends current law to require that if financial assistance is terminated or reduced, there shall be the opportunity to appeal the action. 

House recedes. 

379. The Senate amendment amends current law to provide 

permissive authority to the Secretary for the termination or reduction of financial assistance, including appeal procedures. The 

House bill does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike in paragraph 

(4)(C) ‘‘except that such fees shall be reimbursed by the Secretary 

if the agency prevails in such decision’’ and insert in paragraph 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
160 

(4)(C) after ‘‘legal fees’’, ‘‘or other costs incurred’’ and to insert new 

paragraph ‘‘(6) In cases where a Head Start agency prevails in a 

decision under (4), the Secretary may determine and provide a reimbursement to the Head Start agency for fees deemed reasonable 

and customary.’’. 

Section 17. Records and audits 

380. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment refers to financial audit 

throughout the bill. 

Senate recedes. 

381. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill includes additional requirements. 

Senate recedes. 

Section 18. Technical assistance and training 

382. The House bill and Senate amendment maintain current 

law for current subsections (a) and (b) except the Senate amendment makes minor language changes. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert the following—

Amend section 648 to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 648. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING. 

‘‘(a) SECRETARIAL TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—

‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—From the funds provided under section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(cc), the Secretary shall provide, directly or 

through grants, contracts, or other agreements or arrangements as the Secretary considers appropriate, technical assistance and training for Head Start programs for the purposes of 

improving program quality and helping prepare children to 

succeed in school. 

‘‘(2) PROCESS.—The process for determining the technical 

assistance and training activities to be carried out under this 

section shall—

‘‘(A) ensure that the needs of local Head Start agencies 

and programs relating to improving program quality and 

to program expansion are addressed to the maximum extent practicable; and 

‘‘(B) incorporate mechanisms to ensure responsiveness 

to local needs, including an ongoing procedure for obtaining input from the individuals and agencies carrying out 

Head Start programs; 

‘‘(3) ACTIVITIES.—In providing training and technical assistance and for allocating resources for such assistance under 

this section, the Secretary shall—

‘‘(A) give priority consideration to—

‘‘(i) activities to correct program and management 

deficiencies identified through reviews carried out pursuant to section 641A(c) (including the provision of assistance to local programs in the development of quality improvement plans under section 641A(d)(2)); 

‘‘(ii) assisting Head Start agencies in ensuring the 

school readiness of children; and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(iii) activities that supplement those funded with 

amounts provided under section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb) 

to address the training and career development needs 

of classroom staff (including instruction for providing 

services to children with disabilities, and for activities 

described in section 1222(d) of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965), and non-classroom 

staff, including home visitors and other staff working 

directly with families, including training relating to 

increasing parent involvement and services designed 

to increase family literacy and improve parenting 

skills; and 

‘‘(B) to the maximum extent practicable— ‘‘(i) assist Head Start agencies in the development 

of collaborative initiatives with States and other entities within the States, to foster effective professional 

development systems for early childhood education 

and development services; ‘‘(ii) provide technical assistance and training, either directly or through a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement with an entity that has experience in 

the development and operation of successful family literacy services programs, for the purpose of— ‘‘(I) assisting Head Start agencies providing 

family literacy services, in order to improve the 

quality of such family literacy services; and ‘‘(II) enabling those Head Start agencies that 

demonstrate effective provision of family literacy 

services, based on improved outcomes for children 

and their parents, to provide technical assistance 

and training to other Head Start agencies and to 

service providers that work in collaboration with 

such agencies to provide family literacy services; 

‘‘(iii) assist Head Start agencies and programs in 

conducting and participating in community-wide strategic planning and needs assessments, including the 

needs of homeless children and their families, and in 

conducting self-assessments; 

‘‘(iv) assist Head Start agencies and programs in 

developing and implementing full-working-day and 

full-calendar-year programs where community need is 

clearly identified and making the transition to such 

programs, with particular attention to involving parents and programming for children throughout the 

day, and assist the agencies and programs in expediting the sharing of information about innovative 

models for providing full-working-day, full calendar 

year services for children; 

‘‘(v) assist Head Start agencies in better serving 

the needs of families with very young children, including providing support and program planning and implementation assistance for Head Start agencies that 

apply to serve or are serving additional infants and 

toddlers, in accordance with section 645(a)(5); 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(vi) assist Head Start agencies and programs in 

the development of sound management practices, including financial management procedures; 

‘‘(vii) assist in efforts to secure and maintain adequate facilities for Head Start programs; 

‘‘(viii) assist Head Start agencies in developing innovative program models, including mobile and homebased programs; 

‘‘(ix) provide support for Head Start agencies (including policy councils and policy committees) that 

meet the standards described in section 641A(a) but 

that have, as documented by the Secretary through reviews conducted pursuant to section 641A(c), programmatic, quality, and fiscal issues to address; 

‘‘(x) assist Head Start agencies and programs in 

improving outreach to, increasing program participation of, and improving the quality of services available 

to meet the unique needs of—

‘‘(I) homeless children; 

‘‘(II) limited English proficient children and 

their families, particularly in communities that 

have experienced a large percentage increase in 

the population of limited English proficient individuals, as measured by the Bureau of the Census; 

‘‘(III) children with disabilities, particularly if 

such program’s enrollment opportunities or funded 

enrollment for children with disabilities is less 

than 10 percent; 

‘‘(xi) assist Head Start agencies and programs to 

increase the capacity of classroom staff to meet the 

needs of eligible children in Head Start classrooms 

that are serving both children with disabilities and 

children without disabilities; 

‘‘(xii) assist Head Start agencies and programs to 

address the unique needs of programs located in rural 

communities, including—

‘‘(I) removing barriers related to the recruitment and retention of Head Start teachers in 

rural communities; 

‘‘(II) developing innovative and effective models of professional development for improving staff 

qualifications and skills for staff living in rural 

communities; 

‘‘(III) removing barriers related to outreach efforts to eligible families in rural communities; 

‘‘(IV) removing barriers to parent involvement 

in Head Start programs in rural communities; 

‘‘(V) removing barriers to providing home visiting services in rural communities; and 

‘‘(VI) removing barriers to obtaining health 

screenings for Head Start participants in rural 

communities; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(xiii) provide training and technical assistance to 

members of governing bodies, policy councils, and, as 

appropriate, policy committees, to ensure that the 

members can fulfill their functions; 

‘‘(xiv) provide activities that help ensure that 

Head Start programs have qualified staff who can promote prevention of childhood obesity by integrating 

developmentally appropriate research-based initiatives 

that stress the importance of physical activity and 

healthy, nutritional choices in daily classroom and 

family routines; 

‘‘(xv) assist Indian Head Start agencies to provide 

on-site and off-site training to staff, using approaches 

that identify and enhance the positive resources and 

strengths of Indian children and families, to improve 

parent and family engagement and staff development, 

particularly with regard to child and family development.’’; and 

‘‘(xvi) assisting Head Start agencies in selecting 

and using the measures described in section 641A(b). 

‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.—The Secretary shall provide, either 

directly or through grants, contracts or other arrangements, funds 

from section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(cc) to—

‘‘(1) support an organization to administer a centralized 

child development and national assessment program leading to 

recognized credentials for personnel working in early childhood 

development and child care programs; and 

‘‘(2) support training for personnel—

‘‘(A) providing services to limited English proficient 

children and their families (including services to promote 

the acquisition of the English language); 

‘‘(B) providing services to children determined to be 

abused or neglected or children referred by or receiving 

child welfare services; 

‘‘(C) in helping children cope with community violence; 

‘‘(D) to recognize common health, including mental 

health, problems in children for appropriate referral; 

‘‘(E) to address the needs of children with disabilities 

and their families; 

‘‘(F) to address the needs of migrant and seasonal 

farmworker families; and 

‘‘(G) to address the needs of homeless families. 

‘‘(c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall develop and implement a 

program of outreach to recruit and train professionals from diverse 

backgrounds to become Head Start teachers in order to reflect the 

communities in which Head Start children live and to increase the 

provision of quality services and instruction to children with diverse backgrounds. 

‘‘(d) FUNDS TO AGENCIES.—Funds made available under section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(aa) shall be used by a Head Start agency to provide high quality, sustained, and intensive training and technical 

assistance as follows: 

‘‘(1) For 1 or more of the following: 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
164 

‘‘(A) Activities that ensure that Head Start programs 

meet or exceed the standards described in section 

641A(a)(1). 

‘‘(B) Activities that ensure that Head Start programs 

have adequate numbers of trained, qualified staff who 

have skills in working with children and families, including children and families who are limited English proficient and children with disabilities and their families. 

‘‘(C) Activities to improve the management and implementation of Head Start services and systems, including 

direct training for expert consultants working with staff. 

‘‘(D) Activities that help ensure that Head Start programs have qualified staff who can promote language 

skills and literacy growth of children and who can provide 

children with a variety of skills that have been identified 

as predictive of later reading achievement, school success, 

and the skills, knowledge, abilities, development, and 

progress described in section 641A(a)(1)(B)(ii). 

‘‘(E) Activities to improve staff qualifications and to assist with the implementation of career development programs and to encourage the staff to continually improve 

their skills and expertise, including developing partnerships with programs that recruit, train, place, and support 

college students in Head Start centers to deliver an innovative early learning program to preschool children. 

‘‘(F) Activities that help local programs ensure that 

the arrangement, condition, and implementation of the 

learning environments in Head Start programs are conducive to providing effective program services to children and 

families. 

‘‘(G) Activities to provide training necessary to improve the qualifications of Head Start staff and to support 

staff training, child counseling, health services, and other 

services necessary to address the needs of children enrolled in Head Start programs, including children from 

families in crises, children who experience chronic violence 

or homelessness, children who experience substance abuse 

in their families, and children under 3 years of age, where 

applicable. 

‘‘(H) Activities to provide classes or in-service-type programs to improve or enhance parenting skills, job skills, 

adult and family literacy, including financial literacy, or 

training to become a classroom aide or bus driver in a 

Head Start program. 

‘‘(I) Additional activities deemed appropriate to the improvement of Head Start agencies’ programs, as determined by the agencies’ technical assistance and training 

plans. 

‘‘(2) To support enhanced early language and literacy development of children in Head Start programs, and to provide 

the children with high-quality oral language skills, and with 

environments that are rich in literature in which to acquire 

language and early literacy skills, each Head Start agency, in 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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consultation with the State-based training and technical assistance system, as appropriate, shall ensure that— ‘‘(A) all of the agency’s Head Start teachers receive ongoing training in language and emergent literacy (referred 

to in this subsection as ‘literacy training’), and including 

appropriate curricula and assessment to improve instruction and learning; ‘‘(B) such literacy training shall include training in 

methods to promote vocabulary development and phonological awareness (including phonemic awareness) in a developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate 

manner and support children’s development in their native 

language; ‘‘(C) the literacy training shall include training in how 

to work with parents to enhance positive language and 

early literacy development at home; ‘‘(D) the literacy training shall include specific methods to best address the needs of children who are limited 

English proficient; ‘‘(E) the literacy training shall include training on how 

to best address the language and literacy needs of children 

with disabilities, including training on how to work with 

specialists in language development; and ‘‘(F) the literacy training shall be tailored to the early 

childhood literacy background and experience of the teachers involved. ‘‘except that funds made available under section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(aa) shall not be used for long-distance travel expenses for training activities available locally or regionally or for 

training activities substantially similar to locally or regionally 

available training activities. ‘‘(e) STATE-BASED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SYSTEM.—For the purposes of delivering a State-based training and 

technical assistance system (which may include a consortium of 2 

or more states within a region), as described in section 

640(a)(C)(i)(II)(bb), that will meet the needs of local grantees, as 

determined by such grantees, and provide high quality, sustained, 

and intensive training and technical assistance to Head Start programs in order to improve their capacity to deliver services that 

meet or exceed the program performance standards described in 

section 641A(a)(1), the Secretary shall— ‘‘(1) enter into contracts in each State with 1 or more entities who have a demonstrated expertise in supporting the delivery of high quality early childhood education and development programs, except that contracts for a consortium of 2 or 

more States within a geographic region may be entered into if 

such a system is more appropriate to better meet the needs of 

local grantees within a region, as determined by such grantees; ‘‘(2) ensure that the entities described in subparagraph (1) 

determine the types of services to be provided through consultation with—

‘‘(A) local Head Start agencies (including Indian Head 

Start agencies and migrant or seasonal Head Start agencies, as appropriate); 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(B) the State Head Start collaboration office; and 

‘‘(C) the State Head Start Association; ‘‘(3) encourage States to supplement the funds authorized 

in section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb) with Federal, State, or local 

funds other than funds made available under this subchapter, 

to expand training and technical assistance activities beyond 

Head Start agencies to include other providers of other early 

childhood education and development within a State; ‘‘(4) provide a report to the Committee on Education and 

Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, not 

later than 90 days after the end of the fiscal year, summarizing the funding for such contracts and the activities carried 

out thereunder; ‘‘(5) periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the delivery 

of services in each State in promoting program quality; and ‘‘(6) ensure that in entering into such contracts as described in paragraph (1), such entities will address the needs 

of grantees in both urban and rural communities. 

‘‘(f) INDOOR AIR QUALITY.—The Secretary shall consult with appropriate Federal agencies and other experts, as appropriate, on 

issues of air quality related to children’s health and inform Head 

Start agencies of existing programs or combination of programs 

that provide methods for improving indoor air quality. 

‘‘(g) CAREER ADVANCEMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.— ‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—From amounts allocated under section 

640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(cc) the Secretary is authorized to award demonstration grants, for a period of not less than 5 years, to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities— ‘‘(A) implement education programs that increase the 

number of associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees 

in early childhood education and related fields that are 

earned by Head Start agency staff members, parents of 

children served by such agencies, and members of the communities involved; 

‘‘(B) provide assistance for stipends and costs related 

to tuition, fees, and books for enrolling Head Start agency 

staff members, parents of children served by such an agency, and members of the communities involved in courses 

required to complete the degree and certification requirement to become teachers in early childhood education and 

related fields; 

‘‘(C) develop program curricula to promote high quality 

services and instruction to children with diverse backgrounds, including—

‘‘(i) in the case of historically Black colleges and 

universities, to help Head Start Agency staff members 

develop skills and expertise needed to teach in programs serving large numbers of African American children; 

‘‘(ii) in the case of Hispanic-serving institutions, 

programs to help Head Start Agency staff members 

develop skills and expertise needed to teach in proVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:24 Nov 11, 2007 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00166 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR439.XXX HR439

CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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grams serving large numbers of Hispanic students, including programs to develop the linguistic skills and 

expertise needed to teach in programs serving a large 

number of children with limited English proficiency; 

and ‘‘(iii) in the case of Tribal Colleges and Universities, to help Head Start Agency staff members develop skills and expertise needed to teach in programs 

serving large numbers of Indian students, including 

programs concerning tribal culture and language; 

‘‘(D) provide other activities to upgrade the skills and 

qualifications of educational personnel to meet the professional standards in subsection (a) to better promote high 

quality services and instruction to students and parents 

from populations served by historically Black colleges and 

universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, or Tribal Colleges and Universities; ‘‘(E) to provide technology literacy programs for Indian 

Head Start agency staff members and families of children 

served by such agency; and ‘‘(F) to develop and implement the programs described 

under subparagraph (A) in technology-mediated formats, 

including through such means as distance learning and 

use of advanced technology, as appropriate. 

‘‘(2) OTHER ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall, using resources within the Department of Health and Human Services— ‘‘(A) provide appropriate technical assistance to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving 

institutions, and Tribal Colleges or Universities receiving 

grants under this section, including coordinating with the 

White House Initiative on historically Black colleges and 

universities; and ‘‘(B) ensure that the American Indian Programs 

Branch of the Office of Head Start of the Administration 

for Children and Families of the Department of Health 

and Human Services can effectively administer the programs under this section and provide appropriate technical 

assistance to Tribal Colleges and Universities under this 

section. 

‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—Each historically Black college or university, Hispanic-serving institution, or Tribal College or University desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application, in partnership with at least 1 Head Start agency enrolling large numbers of students from the populations served 

by historically Black colleges or universities, Hispanic-serving 

institutions, or Tribal Colleges and Universities, to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a certification that the institution of higher education has established 

a formal partnership with 1 or more Head Start agencies for 

the purposes of conducting the activities described in paragraph (1). ‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(A) The term ‘Hispanic-serving institution’ has the 

meaning given such term in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a). 

‘‘(B) The term ‘historically Black college or university’

has the meaning given the term ‘part B institution’ in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

1061(2)). 

‘‘(C) The term ‘Tribal College or University’ has the 

meaning given such term in section 312b of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 

‘‘(5) TEACHING REQUIREMENT.—A student at an institution 

receiving a grant under this subsection who receives assistance 

under a program funded under this subsection shall teach in 

a center-based Head Start program for a period of time equivalent to the period for which they received assistance or shall 

repay such assistance.’’. 

Head Start offers a supportive educational setting for many 

homeless children; yet barriers may limit homeless children’s access to, and participation in, this valuable program. The Conferees 

have included provisions to enhance services for homeless children 

and increase their participation in Head Start programs. The Conferees encourage the Secretary, in developing and implementing 

the training and technical assistance system required under this 

Act, to support activities designed to improve services for homeless 

children. In providing such services, the Conferees encourage the 

Secretary to work with organizations specializing in improving 

services to homeless children in early education programs. 

383. The Senate amendment makes changes to paragraph (2) 

and the House bill maintains current law. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

384. The Senate amendment makes changes to (3) and the 

House bill maintains current law. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

385. The House bill and Senate amendment make similar 

modifications to (5) and maintain current law for (6). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

386. Senate amendment makes modifications to (7) to include 

support in program planning for agencies serving infants and toddlers. House bill and Senate amendment maintain current law for 

(8)–(11). 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

387. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

388. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
169 

389. House bill adds provision relating to toxic stress. Senate 

amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

390. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

391. House bill contains provision related to rural communities. Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

395a. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

392. The Senate amendment contains provision regarding 

training for governing bodies. The House bill does not contain similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

393. The Senate amendment contains a provision for selfassessments. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

394. The Senate amendment contains provision on childhood 

obesity. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

395. The Senate amendment contains a provision on Indian 

Head Start agencies. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

396. The House bill maintains current law and the Senate 

amendment adds language on CBO’s. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

397. The Senate amendment makes change in referencing child 

care programs. The House bill and Senate amendment contain 

similar provisions adding language about child welfare services. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

398. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

399. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

400. The House bill contains an outreach program for male 

Head Start teachers of color. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

401. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

402. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

403. The House bill contains requirement for Secretary to work 

with tribal colleges. The Senate amendment does not contain similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to insert 

into section 649. 

404. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions except the Senate amendment places in Section 640(1) 

and the House bill places in Section 648. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to insert 

into section 649. 

405. House bill contains provision on eligible entities. Senate 

amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

406. The House bill and Senate amendment both add specifications for the State-based TA system. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

407. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

408. The House bill includes provisions to develop an on-line, 

graduate professional development program. The Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

409. The House bill includes requirements regarding air quality in Head Start agencies. The Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

410. The House bill and Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions except the Senate language is in section 648B. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

411. The House bill contains a new demonstration program 

with HSIs. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

412. The House bill requires partnerships with HBCUs. The 

Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert, as amended, in note 382. 

Section 19. Staff qualifications and development 

413. The House bill and Senate amendment maintain current 

law except House bill adds language about math and science. 

Senate recedes. 

414. The House bill sets a national average requirement for 

teacher’s qualifications and the Senate amendment sets a goal for 

teacher qualifications in each State. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert—

‘‘(2) DEGREE REQUIREMENTS.—

‘‘(A) HEAD START TEACHERS.—The Secretary shall ensure that not later than September 30, 2013 at least 50 

percent of Head Start teachers nationwide in center-based 

programs have—

‘‘(i) a baccalaureate or advanced degree in early 

childhood education; or 

‘‘(ii) a baccalaureate or advanced degree and 

coursework equivalent to a major relating to early 

childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children. 

‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL STAFF.—The Secretary shall ensure 

that, not later than September 30, 2013, all— ‘‘(i) Head Start education coordinators, including 

those that serve as curriculum specialists, nationwide 

in center-based programs— ‘‘(I) have the capacity to offer assistance to 

other teachers in the implementation and adaptation of curricula to the group and individual needs 

of children in a Head Start classroom; and ‘‘(II) have— ‘‘(aa) a baccalaureate or advanced degree 

in early childhood education; or 

‘‘(bb) a baccalaureate or advanced degree 

and coursework equivalent to a major relating 

to early childhood education, with experience 

in teaching preschool-age children; and 

‘‘(ii) Head Start teaching assistants nationwide in 

center-based programs have—

‘‘(I) at least a child development associate credential; 

‘‘(II) enrolled in a program leading to an associate 

or baccalaureate degree; or 

‘‘(III) enrolled in a child development associate credential program to be completed within 2 

years. 

‘‘(C) PROGRESS.— ‘‘(i) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall— ‘‘(I) Require Head Start agencies to— ‘‘(aa) describe continuing progress each 

year toward achieving the goals described in 

(A) and (B); and 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(bb) annually submit to the Secretary a 

report indicating the number and percentage 

of personnel described in subparagraphs (A) 

and (B) in center-based programs with child 

development associate credentials or associate, baccalaureate, or advanced degrees; 

‘‘(II) Compile and submit a summary of all 

program reports described in subclause (I)(bb) to 

the Committee on Education and Labor of the 

House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 

Senate; and 

‘‘(III) Not impose any penalties or sanctions 

on any individual Head Start agency, program or 

staff in the monitoring of local agencies and programs under this subchapter not meeting the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B). 

‘‘(D) CONSTRUCTION.—In this paragraph a reference to 

a Head Start agency, or its program, services, facility, or 

personnel, shall not be considered to be a reference to an 

Early Head Start agency, or its program, services, facility, 

or personnel. 

‘‘(3) ALTERNATIVE CREDENTIALING REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall ensure that, for center-based programs, each Head 

Start classroom that does not have a teacher that meets the 

qualifications described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (2)(A) 

is assigned one teacher who has the following during the period specified; 

‘‘(A) Through September 30, 2011—

‘‘(i) a child development associate credential that 

is appropriate to the age of children being served in 

center-based programs; 

‘‘(ii) a State-awarded certificate for preschool 

teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements for a 

child development associate credential; 

‘‘(iii) an associate degree in early childhood education; 

‘‘(iv) an associate degree in a related field and 

coursework equivalent to a major relating to early 

childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children; 

‘‘(v) a baccalaureate degree and has been admitted 

into the Teach For America program, passed a rigorous early childhood content exam such as the Praxis 

II, participated in a Teach For America summer training institute that includes teaching preschool children, 

and is receiving ongoing professional development and 

support from Teach For America’s professional staff. 

‘‘(B) As of October 1, 2011—

‘‘(i) an associate degree in early childhood education; 

‘‘(ii) an associate degree in a related field and 

coursework equivalent to a major relating to early 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children; or ‘‘(iii) a baccalaureate degree and has been admitted into the Teach For America program, passed a rigorous early childhood content exam, such as the Praxis 

II, participated in a Teach For America’s professional 

staff. ‘‘(4) WAIVER.—On request, the Secretary shall grant— ‘‘(A) through September 30, 2011, a 180-day waiver 

ending on or before September 30, 2011, of the requirements of paragraph (3)(A) for a Head Start agency that 

can demonstrate that the agency has attempted unsuccessfully to recruit an individual who has the qualifications described in clauses (i) through (iv) of paragraph (3)(A) with 

respect to an individual who— ‘‘(i) is enrolled in a program that grants a credential, certificate, or degree described in clauses (i) 

through (iv) of paragraph (3)(A); and ‘‘(ii) will receive such credential, certificate, or degree under the terms of such program not later than 

180 days after beginning employment as a teacher 

with such agency; and 

‘‘(B) as of October 1, 2011, a 3-year waiver of the requirements of paragraph (3)(B) for a Head Start agency 

that can demonstrate that— ‘‘(i) the agency has attempted unsuccessfully to recruit an individual who has the qualifications described in clause (i) or (ii) of such paragraph, with respect to an individual who is enrolled in a program 

that grants a degree described in clause (i) or (ii) of 

such paragraph and will receive such degree in a reasonable time; and ‘‘(ii) each Head Start classroom has a teacher who 

has, at a minimum—

‘‘(I) a child development associate credential 

that is appropriate to the age of children being 

served in center-based programs; or 

‘‘(II) a State-awarded certificate for preschool 

teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements 

for a child development associate credential.’’

415. The Senate amendment includes qualification requirements for curriculum specialists and education coordinators. The 

House bill does not have a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike. 

416. The Senate amendment includes qualifications for teaching assistants. The House bill does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike. 

417. The Senate amendment contains a requirement for professional development. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘by 

the program’’ after the word ‘‘evaluated’’. 

418. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike. 

419. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain minimum degree requirement for teachers but have different dates of 

enactment and different populations of teachers. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike. 

424a. The House bill and the Senate amendment both contain 

service requirements in exchange for financial assistance from 

Head Start programs. 

House recedes. 

424b. Senate amendment includes Head Start centers in addition to Head Start agencies. The House bill does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

425. The House bill includes provisions prohibiting funds being 

used at diploma mills. The Senate amendment does not contain a 

similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

426. The House bill includes provisions for Teach for America 

while the Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

427. The House bill and the Senate amendment make changes 

to current requirements for family service workers. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert a new paragraph 

(5) to read: 

‘‘(5) promote the use of appropriate strategies to meet the 

needs of special populations (including populations of limited 

English proficient children);’’. 

428. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to insert at the end: ‘‘The 

agency and the employee shall implement the plan to the extent 

feasible and practicable.’’

429. The House bill requires procedures prior to the hire of an 

individual in Head Start programs. The Senate amendment does 

not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

430. The House bill contains a loan forgiveness program for 

Head Start teachers. The Senate amendment does not include a 

similar provision. 

House recedes. 

Section 20. Research, demonstrations, and evaluation 

431. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill requires ideas to be based on scientifically-based research. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘based research’’

and insert ‘‘valid research’’. 

432. The House bill and the Senate amendment make technical 

conforming changes. 

433. The Senate amendment includes provisions to promote 

good oral health and vision. The House bill does not include similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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434. The Senate amendment makes this technical and conforming change, similar throughout the bill. The House bill does 

not include similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with and amendment to use 

‘‘early childhood education and development services or programs’’. 

435. The Senate amendment makes a technical change to redesignate paragraphs. The House bill does not include a similar 

provision. 

436. The House bill strikes the use of SIPP, NLSY, and SPD 

for gathering data and conducting analysis on Head Start. The 

Senate amendment does not include similar provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

437. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with amendment to strike and insert—

‘‘(10)(A) contribute to understanding the impact of Head 

Start services delivered in classrooms which include both children with disabilities and children without disabilities on all of 

the children; and 

(B) disseminate promising practices for increasing the 

availability and quality of such services and such classrooms.’’; 

438. The Senate amendment makes technical changes to redesignate paragraphs. The House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

439. The Senate amendment makes conforming changes, similar throughout the bill. The House bill does not contain a similar 

provision. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to use 

‘‘early childhood education and development services or programs’’. 

440. The Senate amendment makes conforming changes, similar throughout the bill. The House bill does not contain a similar 

provision. 

Senate recedes. 

441. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

442. The Senate amendment makes conforming changes, similar throughout the bill. The House bill does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to use term 

‘‘early childhood education and development services and programs’’. 

443. The House bill and the Senate amendment include similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

444. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill provides for the study not less than one 

year after the date of enactment. 

Senate recedes. 

445. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The Senate amendment modifies the issue date for the 

report, from 2008 to 2011. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘2011’’ and insert 

‘‘2010’’. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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446. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

447. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 

448. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

449. The House bill includes a provision to address home languages. The Senate amendment does not include a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert—

‘‘the languages in which Head Start and Early Head Start 

teachers are fluent, in relation to the population, and instructional 

needs, of the children served’’

450. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

451. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain identical provisions. 

452. The Senate amendment provides for a research study of 

diverse populations in Head Start programs. The House bill does 

not contain a similar amendment. 

House recedes. 

453. The Senate amendment requires the Secretary to base 

any revisions or development of assessments on the NAS panel 

study. The House bill does not contain similar provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to—

in (j)(1)(A) to strike ‘‘the’’ before ‘‘Head Start’’

in (j)(1)(B) to strike ‘‘develop as necessary’’ and to insert 

‘‘, consistent with section 641(a)(2)(C)(ii)’’ after ‘‘described in 

section 641A’’ in (j)(2) strike the header ‘‘DEVELOPMENT 

AND REFINEMENT’’ and insert ‘‘INFORM AND REVISE’’

and strike ‘‘developing and revising’’ and insert ‘‘informing and 

revising’’

454. The House bill includes provisions to address hurricanes 

Katrina and Rita. The Senate amendment does not contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes with amendment to strike and insert—

‘‘(m) PROGRAM EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.—

‘‘(1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this subsection is to evaluate the emergency preparedness of the Head Start, including 

Early Head Start programs and make recommendations for 

how Head Start shall enhance its readiness to respond to an 

emergency. 

‘‘(2) STUDY.—The Secretary shall evaluate the preparedness of the Head Start, Early Head Start programs to respond 

appropriately in the event of a large-scale emergency, such as 

the hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, the terrorist attacks 

of September 11th, 2001 or other incidents where assistance 

may be warranted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18 months 

after the date of the enactment of the Improving Head Start 

for School Readiness Act of 2007, the Secretary shall prepare 

and submit to Committee on Education and Labor of the House 

of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report containing the results of the evaluation required under paragraph (2), including— ‘‘(A) recommendations for improvements to Federal, 

state, and local preparedness and response capabilities to 

large-scale emergencies, including those that were developed in response to hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, 

as they relate to Head Start and Early Head Start programs, and the Secretary’s plans to implement such recommendations; ‘‘(B) an evaluation of Head Start procedures for informing families of children in Head Start about the program protocols for response to a large-scale emergency, including procedures for communicating with such families 

in the event of a large-scale emergency; ‘‘(C) an evaluation of such procedures for staff training 

on state and local evacuation and emergency protocols; and ‘‘(D) an evaluation of procedures for Head Start agencies and the Secretary to coordinate with appropriate Federal, state, and local emergency management agencies in 

the event of a large scale emergency and recommendations 

to improve such procedures.’’

Section 21. Reports 

455. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert ‘‘, homeless children, children in foster care’’ after ‘‘proficient children’’. 456. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

Senate recedes. 

457. The Senate amendment includes vision care. The House 

bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

458. The Senate amendment makes conforming changes. The 

House bill does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike modification to 

(D)(ii). 

459. The Senate amendment makes conforming changes. The 

House bill does not include a similar provision. 

460. The House bill includes a report on the expenditures of 

HHS, under section 640(a)(2). The Senate amendment does not 

contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

461. The House bill includes a report on fiscal protocol. The 

Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes. 

462. The House bill includes a report on the use of IEPs. The 

Senate amendment does not contain similar provisions. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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House recedes/Senate recedes with an amendment to strike 

and insert— ‘‘(e) DISABILITY-RELATED SERVICES.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall track the provision 

of disability-related services for children, in order to— ‘‘(A) determine whether Head Start agencies are making timely referrals to the State or local agency responsible 

for providing services under Section 619 or Part C of the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 

1419, 1431 et seq.); ‘‘(B) identify barriers to timely evaluations and eligibility determination by the State and local agency responsible for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and ‘‘(C) determine under what circumstances and for 

what length of time Head Start agencies are providing disability-related services for children who have not been determined to be eligible children with disabilities under the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 

1400 et seq.). 

‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the 

enactment of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness 

Act of 2007, the Secretary shall provide a report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives 

and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

of the Senate on the activities described in paragraph (1). 

463. The House bill includes a report on obesity prevention. 

The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert—

‘‘(f) EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING OBESITY

PREVENTION.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 the Secretary shall 

submit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 

Representatives, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 

and Pensions of the Senate a report on the Secretary’s progress on 

assisting program efforts to prevent and reduce obesity in children 

who participate in Head Start programs, including progress on implementing initiatives within the Head Start program to prevent 

and reduce obesity in such children.’’

Section 22. Comparability of wages 

464. The House bill and the Senate amendment change section 

structure and House bill adds a heading. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert a heading for subsection (a) to read ‘‘Comparability of Wages’’. 465. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill adds a heading. 

Senate recedes with an amendment to strike and insert— ‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 

law, no Federal funds may be used to pay any part of the compensation of an individual employed by a Head Start agency, 

if such compensation, including non-Federal funds, exceeds an 

amount equal to the rate payable for level II of the Executive 

Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code. 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
179 

‘‘(2) COMPENSATION.—In this subsection, the term ‘compensation’—

‘‘(A) includes salary, bonuses, periodic payments, severance pay, the value of any vacation time, the value of a 

compensatory or paid leave benefit not excluded by subparagraph (B), and the fair market of any employee perquisite or benefit not excluded by subparagraph (B); and 

‘‘(B) excludes any Head Start agency expenditure for a 

health, medical, life insurance, disability, retirement, or 

any other employee welfare or pension benefit.’’. 

466. The House bill includes a limitation on Head Start funds. 

The Senate amendment does not contain a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

Section 23. Limitation with respect to certain unlawful activities 

467. The Senate amendment makes a technical change. The 

House bill does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

Section 24. Political activities 

468. The Senate amendment permits voter registration in 

Head Start agencies. The House bill does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes with an amendment to insert at the end of (b)—

‘‘No funds appropriated under this subchapter may be used to 

conduct voter registration activities. Nothing in this subchapter 

prohibits the availability of Head Start facilities during hours of 

operation for the use of any non-partisan organization do increase 

the number of eligible citizens who register to vote in elections for 

Federal office.’’

The Conferees intend to continue the prohibition against Head 

Start teachers, employees and administrators from conducting 

voter registration activity on-site during hours of operation. Although they may participate in civic activities on their own time, 

the Conferees believe that the focus of Head Start employees during work hours should remain on improving the school readiness 

of Head Start children. Outside, nonpartisan organizations, however, are permitted under this section to use Head Start facilities 

non-intrusively to conduct voter registration. 

469. The Senate amendment makes a conforming change to the 

Children’s Health Act. The House bill does not include a similar 

provision. 

Senate recedes. 

Section 25. Parental consent requirement for health services 

470. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. 

House recedes. 

Section 26. Centers of excellence in early childhood 

471. The Senate amendment includes an authorization for the 

creation of Centers of Excellence for Head Start centers to be nominated by the Governor and designated by the Secretary to serve as 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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model Head Start programs. The House bill does not include similar provisions. 

House recedes with an amendment to— insert ‘‘(other than section 657B)’’ after ‘‘subchapter’’ in 

Section 639; and 

strike and insert into a new section as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 657B. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘center of excellence’ means a Center of Excellence in Early Childhood designated under 

subsection (b). ‘‘(b) DESIGNATION AND BONUS GRANTS.—The 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.—To be eligible to receive a designation as a center of excellence under subsection (b), 

except as provided in clause (ii), a Head Start agency 

in a State shall be nominated by the Governor of the 

State, after selection for nomination by such Governor 

through a competitive process, and shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 

may require. ‘‘(ii) INDIAN AND MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD

START PROGRAMS.—In the case of an Indian Head 

Start agency or a migrant or seasonal Head Start 

agency, to be eligible to receive a designation as a center of excellence under subsection (b), such an agency 

shall be nominated by the head of the appropriate regional office of the Department of Health and Human 

Services and shall submit an application to the Secretary in accordance with clause (i). 

‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—At 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 section 641A(a)(I), as evidenced 

by the results of monitoring reviews described in section 641A(c), and has no findings of deficiencies in the 

preceding three years; 

‘‘(iii) evidence that the program is making 

progress toward meeting the requirements described 

in section 648A; 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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‘‘(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 (d)(1); 

‘‘(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)(A); 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 the Child 

Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 

(42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.); 

‘‘(II) the Early Head Start programs carried 

out under section 645A; 

‘‘(III) Early Reading First and Even Start programs carried out under subparts 2 and 3 of part 

B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6371 et seq., 6381 et 

seq.); 

‘‘(IV) other preschool programs carried out 

under title I of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.); 

‘‘(V) programs carried out under section 619 

and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); 

‘‘(VI) State prekindergarten programs; and 

‘‘(VII) other programs of early childhood education and development. 

‘‘(2) SELECTION.—In selecting agencies to designate as centers of excellence under subsection (b), the Secretary shall designate not less than 1 from each of the 50 States, the District 

of Columbia, an Indian Head Start program, a migrant or seasonal Head Start program, and the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico. 

‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In making bonus grant determinations 

under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to agencies 

that, through their applications, demonstrate that their programs are of exceptional quality and would serve as exemplary 

models for programs in the same geographic region. The Secretary may also consider the populations served by the applicants, such as agencies that serve large proportions of limited 

English proficient children or other underserved populations, 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
182 

and may make bonus grants to agencies that do an exceptional 

job meeting the needs of children in such populations. ‘‘(4) TERM OF DESIGNATION.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the 

Secretary shall designate a Head Start agency as a center 

of excellence for a 5-year term. During the period of that 

designation, subject to the availability of appropriations, 

the agency shall be eligible to receive a bonus grant under 

subsection (b). ‘‘(B) REVOCATION.—The Secretary may revoke an 

agency’s designation under subsection (b) if the Secretary 

determines that the agency is not demonstrating adequate 

performance or has had findings of deficiencies described 

in paragraph (l)(B)(ii). 

‘‘(5) AMOUNT OF BONUS GRANT.—The Secretary shall base 

the amount of funding provided through a bonus grant made 

under subsection (b) to a center of excellence on the number 

of children eligible for Head Start services in the community 

involved. The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of 

funding, make such a bonus grant in an amount of not less 

than $200,000 per year. 

‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.— ‘‘(1) ACTIVITIES.—A center of excellence that receives a 

bonus grant under subsection (b)— ‘‘(A) shall use no less than 15% 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— ‘‘(i) best practices for achieving school readiness, 

including developing early literacy and mathematics 

skills, for children at risk for school difficulties; ‘‘(ii) best practices for achieving the acquisition of 

the English language for limited English proficient 

children, if appropriate to the population served; and 

‘‘(iii) best practices for providing high-quality comprehensive services for eligible children and their families; 

‘‘(B) may use the funds made available through the 

bonus grant—

‘‘(i) to provide Head Start services to additional eligible children; 

‘‘(ii) 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; 

‘‘(iii) 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; 

‘‘(iv) to provide professional development for Head 

Start teachers and staff, including joint training, for 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
183 

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; 

‘‘(v) 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 their ability to 

work effectively with low-income, at-risk children and 

their families; 

‘‘ (vi) 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 

‘‘(vii) 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.—The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of funds to carry out this subsection, award a grant or 

contract to an independent organization to conduct research on 

the ability of the centers of excellence to use the funds received 

under this section to improve the school readiness of children 

receiving Head Start services, and to positively impact school 

results in the earliest grades. The organization shall also conduct research to measure the success of the centers of excellence at encouraging the center’s delegate agencies, additional 

Head Start agencies, and other providers of early childhood 

education and development programs in the communities involved to meet measurable improvement goals, particularly in 

the area of school readiness. 

‘‘(2) RESEARCH REPORT.—Not later than 48 months after 

the date of enactment of the Head Start for School Readiness 

Act, the organization shall prepare and submit to the Secretary 

and Congress a report containing the results of the research 

described in paragraph (1). 

‘‘(3) REPORTS TO THE SECRETARY.—Centers of excellence 

shall annually submit to the Secretary, at such time and in 

such manner as the Secretary may require, a report containing 

a description of the activities the center carried out with funds 

received under this section, including a description of how such 

funds improved services for children and families. 

‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 

years 2008 through 2012 to make bonus grants to centers of excellence under subsection (b) to carry out activities described in subsection (d) and research activities described in subsection (e).’’


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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Section 27. General provisions 

472. The House bill and the Senate amendment contain similar 

provisions. The House bill requires written consent for each specific 

health care service. The Senate amendment also requires consent 

for referral to services. 

House recedes with an amendment to strike ‘‘Rule of Construction’’ and insert ‘‘General Provisions’’. 

473. The House bill requires consent for any health care services. The Senate amendment does not include similar provisions. 

House recedes. 

Section 28. Compliance with Improper Payments Information Act of 

2002 

474. The Senate amendment includes a provision on improper 

payments. The House bill does not include a similar provision. 

House recedes. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI

Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives, this conference report contains no congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI. 

GEORGE MILLER, 

DALE E. KILDEE, 

LYNN WOOLSEY, 

DANNY K. DAVIS, 

RAU ́ L M. GRIJALVA, 

LINDA T. SA ́ NCHEZ, 

JOHN P. SARBANES, 

JOE SESTAK, 

DAVID LOEBSACK, 

MAZIE K. HIRONO, 

CAROL SHEA-PORTER, 

HOWARD ‘‘BUCK’’ MCKEON, 

MICHAEL N. CASTLE, 

LUIS FORTUN ̃ O, 

RIC KELLER, 

JOE WILSON, 

C. W. BOUSTANY, 

DEAN HELLER, Managers on the Part of the House. 

TED KENNEDY, 

CHRIS DODD, 

TOM HARKIN, 

BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, 

JEFF BINGAMAN, 

PATTY MURRAY, JACK REED, 

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, BARACK OBAMA, BERNARD SANDERS, SHERROD BROWN, 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING
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MICHAEL B. ENZI, JUDD GREGG, LAMAR ALEXANDER, RICHARD BURR, JOHNNY ISAKSON, LISA MURKOWSKI, ORRIN HATCH, PAT ROBERTS, WAYNE ALLARD, Managers on the Part of the Senate. 

Æ 


CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC77 with HEARING