Framework developed by the Secretary and to 
the early learning standards in State in which 
such program would operate; 
‘‘(R) the plan of such applicant to enter 
into memoranda of understanding with local 
educational agencies within the service area, as 
described in section 642B(a); and 
‘‘(S) other factors related to the require-
ments of this subchapter. 
‘‘(3) CONTINUED
ELIGIBILITY.—Faith-based 
and community-based organizations continue to be 
eligible, on the same basis as other organizations, to 
participate in any program under this subchapter for 
which they are otherwise eligible. 
‘‘(f) INTERIM PROVIDER.—If no agency in the com-
munity receives priority designation under subsection (c), 
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 
so designated. 
‘‘(g) PARENT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.—
The Secretary shall require that the practice of signifi-
cantly involving parents and area residents affected by the
program in the selection of Head Start agencies be contin-
ued. 
‘‘(h) COMMUNITY.—For purposes of this subchapter, 
a community may be a city, county, or multicity or multi-
county unit within a State, an Indian reservation (includ-
ing 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) which provides a 
suitable organizational base and possesses the com-
monality of interest needed to operate a Head Start pro-
gram.’’. 
SEC. 7. QUALITY 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. QUALITY STANDARDS; MONITORING OF HEAD 
START AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) QUALITY STANDARDS.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
STANDARDS.—The 
Secretary shall modify, as necessary, program per-
formance standards by regulation applicable to Head 
Start agencies, programs, and projects under this 
subchapter, including—
‘‘(A) performance standards with respect 
to services required to be provided, including 
health, parental involvement, nutritional, social, 
transition activities described in section 642(d), 
and other services; 
‘‘(B) scientifically based and develop-
mentally appropriate early learning 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 dem-
onstrate—
‘‘(i) language knowledge and skills, in-
cluding oral language and listening com-
prehension; 
‘‘(ii) prereading knowledge and skills 
that prepare children for early literacy in 
schools including phonological awareness, 
print awareness and print skills, and al-
phabetic knowledge; 
‘‘(iii) mathematics knowledge and 
skills, including aspects of classification, 
seriation, number, spatial relations, and 
time;
‘‘(iv) science knowledge and skills, in-
cluding measurement; 
‘‘(v) cognitive abilities related to aca-
demic achievement and general knowledge; 
‘‘(vi) social and emotional develop-
ment related to early learning, school suc-
cess, social problem-solving, and overall 
well-being; 
‘‘(vii) approaches to learning related 
to child development and early learning; 
‘‘(viii) creative arts; and 
‘‘(ix) in the case of limited-English 
proficient children, progress toward acqui-
sition of the English language while mak-
ing meaningful progress in attaining the 
knowledge, skills, abilities, and develop-
ment described in clauses (i) through (viii), 
including progress made through the use of 
culturally and linguistically appropriate in-
structional services; 
‘‘(C) administrative and financial manage-
ment standards; 
‘‘(D) standards relating to the condition 
and location of facilities for such agencies, pro-
grams, and projects; and
‘‘(E) such other standards as the Secretary 
finds to be appropriate. 
‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS IN DEVELOPING STAND-
ARDS.—In developing the 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 lin-
guistically and culturally appropriate services to 
limited English proficient children and their 
families), administration, and financial manage-
ment, 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 October 27, 1998; 
‘‘(ii) changes over the period since Oc-
tober 27, 1998, in the circumstances and 
problems typically facing children and fam-
ilies served by Head Start agencies; 
‘‘(iii) recommendations from the re-
port on Developmental Outcomes and As-
sessments for Young Children by the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences, when it be-
comes available; 
‘‘(iv) developments concerning re-
search-based practices with respect to early 
childhood education and development, chil-
dren with disabilities, family services, pro-
gram administration, and financial man-
agement; 
‘‘(v) projected needs of an expanding 
Head Start program; 
‘‘(vi) guidelines and standards cur-
rently in effect or under consideration that 
promote child health services and physical 
development, including outdoor activity 
that supports children’s motor development 
and overall health and nutrition; 
‘‘(vii) changes in the population of 
children who are eligible to participate in 
Head Start programs, including the lan-
guage and cultural background and family 
structure of such children; 
‘‘(viii) mechanisms to ensure that chil-
dren participating in Head Start programs 
make a successful transition to the schools 
that the children will be attending; and