‘‘(B) assure that the resources (which may
be cash or in-kind) contributed by the State
government to child care for preschool-aged
children and other preschool programs, includ-
ing Head Start, in the State (or, if applicable,
in the geographic area included in the State
program) for each fiscal year in which the pro-
gram under this section is in effect shall be in
an amount at least equal to the total amount of
such State governmental resources contributed
to support such programs in the State (or geo-
graphic area) for the base year.
‘‘(16) TRAINING
AND
TECHNICAL
ASSIST-
ANCE.—The State plan shall describe the training
and technical assistance activities that shall provide
high quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-fo-
cused training and technical assistance in order to
have a positive and lasting impact on classroom in-
struction.
‘‘(i) RECORDS, REPORTS AND AUDITS.—The State
agency administering the State program, and each entity
participating as a Head Start service provider, shall main-
tain such records, make such reports, and cooperate with
such audits as the Secretary may require for oversight of
program activities and expenditures.
‘‘(j) INAPPLICABILITY OF PROVISIONS CONCERNING
PRIORITY IN AGENCY DESIGNATION.—The provisions of
subsections (c) and (d) of section 641 (concerning priority
in designation of Head Start agencies, successor agencies,
and delegate agencies) shall not apply to a State program
under this section.
‘‘(k) CONSULTATION.—A State proposing to admin-
ister a program under this section shall submit, with the
plan under this section, assurances that the plan was de-
veloped through timely and meaningful consultation with
appropriate public and private sector entities, including—
‘‘(1) representatives of agencies responsible for
administering early education and care programs in
the State, including Head Start providers;
‘‘(2) parents;
‘‘(3) the State educational agency and local
educational agencies;
‘‘(4) early childhood education professionals;
‘‘(5) kindergarten teachers and teachers in
grades 1 through 4;
‘‘(6) child welfare agencies;
‘‘(7) child care resource and referral agencies;
‘‘(8) child care providers; and
‘‘(9) a wide array of persons interested in and
involved with early care and early education issues
in the State, such as representatives of—
‘‘(A) health care professionals;
‘‘(B) the State agency with responsibility
for the special supplemental nutrition program
for women, infants, and children established by
section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966;
‘‘(C) institutions of higher education;
‘‘(D) community-based and faith-based or-
ganizations;
‘‘(E) the business community;
‘‘(F) State legislators and local officials;
‘‘(G) museums and libraries;
‘‘(H) other relevant entities in the State;
and
‘‘(I) other agencies that provide resources
for young children.
‘‘(l) STATE PLAN SUBMISSION.—An application shall
be submitted by a State pursuant to this section to the
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Edu-
cation, and shall be deemed to be approved by the Sec-
retary unless the Secretary makes a written determina-
tion, prior to the expiration of a reasonable time beginning
on the date on which the Secretary received the applica-
tion, that the application is not in compliance with this
section.
‘‘(m) TREATMENT OF FUNDS.—If a State or local
government contributes its own funds to supplement ac-
tivities carried out under the applicable programs, the
State or local government has the option to separate out
the Federal funds or commingle them. If the funds are
commingled, the provisions of this subchapter shall apply
to all of the commingled funds in the same manner, and
to the same extent, as the provisions apply to the Federal
funds.
‘‘(n) FEDERAL OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY; CORREC-
TIVE ACTION; WITHDRAWAL OF APPROVAL.—
‘‘(1) FEDERAL
OVERSIGHT.—The Secretary
shall retain the authority to oversee the operation of
the State program under this section, including
through review of records and reports, audits, and
onsite inspection of records and facilities and moni-
toring of program activities and operations.
‘‘(2) CORRECTION
OF
DEFICIENCIES.—If the
Secretary determines that a State program under
this section substantially fails to meet the require-
ments of this section, the Secretary shall notify the
State of the deficiencies identified and require cor-
rective action as follows:
‘‘(A) DEFICIENCIES
CAUSING
IMMEDIATE
JEOPARDY.—The Secretary shall require imme-
diate corrective action to eliminate a deficiency
that the Secretary finds threatens the health or
safety of staff or program participants or poses
a threat to the integrity of Federal funds.
‘‘(B) OTHER
DEFICIENCIES.—The Sec-
retary, taking into consideration the nature and
magnitude of a deficiency not described in sub-
paragraph (A), and the time reasonably re-
quired for correction, may—
‘‘(i) require the State to correct the
deficiency within 90 days after notification
under this paragraph; or
‘‘(ii) require the State to implement a
quality improvement plan designed to cor-
rect the deficiency within one year from
identification of the deficiency.
‘‘(3) WITHDRAWAL OF APPROVAL.—If the defi-
ciencies identified under paragraph (2) are not cor-
rected by the deadlines established by the Secretary,
the Secretary shall initiate proceedings to withdraw
approval of the State program under this section.
‘‘(4) PROCEDURAL RIGHTS.—A State subject to
adverse action under this subsection shall have the
same procedural rights as a Head Start agency sub-
ject to adverse action under section 641A.
‘‘(o) INDEPENDENT EVALUATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall con-
tract with an independent organization outside of
the Department to design and conduct a multi-year,
rigorous, scientifically valid, quantitative evaluation
of the State demonstration program.
‘‘(2) PROCESS.—The Secretary shall award a
contract within 180 days of the date of enactment
of the School Readiness Act of 2003, to an organiza-
tion that is capable of designing and carrying out an
independent evaluation described in this subsection.
‘‘(3) ANALYSIS.—The evaluation shall include
an analysis of each State participating in the State
demonstration program, including—
‘‘(A) A quantitative description of the
State prekindergarten program and Head Start
programs within such State, as such programs
existed prior to participation in the State dem-
onstration program, including:
‘‘(i) data on the characteristics of the
children served, including the overall num-
ber and percentages of children served
disaggregated by socioeconomic status,
race and ethnicity of those served;
‘‘(ii) the quality and characteristics of
the services provided to such children; and
‘‘(iii) the education attainment of in-
structional staff.
‘‘(B) A quantitative and qualitative de-
scription of the State program after each year
of participation in the State demonstration,
which shall include each of the following:
‘‘(i) A description of changes in the
administration of the State program, in-
cluding the Head Start program, within
such State.
‘‘(ii) The rate of progress of the State
in improving the school readiness of dis-
advantaged children in the key domains of
development.
‘‘(iii) Data as described in subpara-
graph (A), as updated annually.
‘‘(iv) The extent to which each State
has met the goals established by such
State with respect to annual goals as de-
scribed under section 643(h)(10).
lected by the Secretary to participate in the demonstration
program under this section shall:
‘‘(1) maintain or increase fiscal year 2003 State
funding levels for early childhood education;
‘‘(2) provide an additional contribution of non-
federal funds equal to 5 percent of the State’s Fed-
eral Head Start allotment;
‘‘(3) use Head Start funding only for the pur-
poses of Head Start as described in section 636;
‘‘(4) provide all comprehensive social services
currently available to Head Start children, including
health and nutrition;
‘‘(5) develop a strategy to maximize parental in-
volvement to enable parents to become full partners
in the education of their children;
‘‘(6) demonstrate that the qualifications and
credentials for early childhood teachers meet or ex-
ceed the standards in section 648A(a)(2)(A), (B),
and (C);
‘‘(7) enforce quality standards for school readi-
ness that are aligned with K–12 educational stand-
ards and generally meet or exceed the Federal Head
Start performance standards;
‘‘(8) continue funding, for a period of 60
months, all current Head Start grantees as de-
scribed in section 643A(d);
‘‘(9) provide services described in section 641A
that are at least as extensive as were provided, and
to at least as many low-income children and families
in the State, in each fiscal year as were provided
such services in the base year;
‘‘(10) establish a comprehensive collaboration
effort to integrate Head Start, state-funded pre-kin-
dergarten programs, Even Start, Title I preschool,
and Early Reading First;
‘‘(11) participate in independent evaluations of
the demonstration program authorized under this
subchapter; and
‘‘(12) submit to Federal oversight by the Sec-
retary.
‘‘(q) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the
term ‘base year’ means the fiscal year 2003.’’.
Passed the House of Representatives July 25 (legis-
lative day, July 24), 2003.
Attest:
Clerk.
108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2210
AN ACT
To reauthorize the Head Start Act to improve the
school readiness of disadvantaged children, and
for other purposes.