SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘English Learning and 
Innovation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ENGLISH LEARNER INNOVATION GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6801 et 
seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 3001(a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and 
part C’’ after ‘‘part B’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end of the following: 
‘‘(3) 
ENGLISH
LEARNER
INNOVATION 
GRANTS.—There are authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out part C, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 
2015 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.’’; 
(2) by redesignating part C as part D; 
(3) by redesignating sections 3301 through 
3304 as sections 3401 through 3404, respectively; 
(4) in section 3111(c)(1)(C), by striking 
‘‘3303’’ each place the term appears and inserting 
‘‘3403’’; 
(5) in section 3116(d)(1), by striking ‘‘3302’’ 
and inserting ‘‘3402’’; and 
(6) by inserting after part B the following: 
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‘‘PART C—ENGLISH LEARNER INNOVATION 
GRANTS. 
‘‘SEC. 3301. PURPOSE. 
‘‘The purposes of this part are— 
‘‘(1) to support eligible entities and eligible 
agencies in developing and strengthening innovative 
systems that support high-quality instruction for a 
diverse group of English learners, including English 
learners who have entered a school in the United 
States after elementary school or English learners 
who have been in schools in the United States for 
more than 5 years without achieving English lan-
guage proficiency (as determined through the assess-
ment described in section 1111(b)(7)), or both; and 
‘‘(2) to encourage successful strategies in pro-
viding coordinated literacy and parent engagement 
service models for low-literate limited English pro-
ficient parents of English learners. 
‘‘SEC. 3302. INNOVATION GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts ap-
propriated under section 3001(a)(3), the Secretary may 
award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities 
that have demonstrated progress in establishing and com-
mitting to provide high-quality instruction that results in 
the ability of English learners to achieve English language 
proficiency and to demonstrate content mastery in core 
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academic subjects to enable such eligible entities to carry 
out the activities described in subsection (f). 
‘‘(b) DURATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under this 
section shall be for a period of not more than 4 
years. 
‘‘(2) RENEWAL.—The Secretary may renew a 
grant under this section for an additional 2-year pe-
riod, if the eligible entity demonstrates success in— 
‘‘(A) improving the English language pro-
ficiency of students served by the grant pro-
gram, as measured by the assessment described 
in section 1111(b)(7); 
‘‘(B) increasing the percentage of English 
learners who achieve proficiency on the State 
academic assessment in mathematics, reading 
or language arts, and science, as described in 
section 1111(b)(3); 
‘‘(C) increasing the percentage of sec-
ondary school students who achieve proficiency 
in core academic subjects; 
‘‘(D) increasing the awareness and knowl-
edge of the education system for parents of 
English learners; 
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‘‘(E) improving the English language pro-
ficiency and literacy skills of parents served by 
the grant program; and 
‘‘(F) increasing the graduation rate, as de-
fined in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(vi) and clarified 
in section 200.19(b)(1) of title 34, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, for English learners. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible entity’ 
means— 
‘‘(1) a State educational agency; 
‘‘(2) a local educational agency; or 
‘‘(3) a public charter school or a charter school 
management organization. 
‘‘(d) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity desiring a 
grant under this section shall submit an application 
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—At a minimum, the applica-
tion described in paragraph (1) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) A description of how the eligible enti-
ty will use grant funds to implement English 
language proficiency standards, and the aca-
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demic content standards and student academic 
achievement standards required under section 
1111(b)(1), to assist English learners in— 
‘‘(i) improving English language pro-
ficiency, 
academic 
achievement, 
and 
achievement in core academic subject 
areas; and 
‘‘(ii) improving preparation for post-
secondary education and careers. 
‘‘(B) A description of the benchmarks, con-
sistent with section 3304(b)(1), that the eligible 
entity will establish to demonstrate improve-
ments in outcomes for students who are 
English learners. 
‘‘(C) A description of how the eligible enti-
ty has used the metrics described in subpara-
graphs (A) through (D) of subsection (b)(2) 
and the benchmarks described in subparagraph 
(B) to create a data-driven needs assessment 
that the eligible entity will use to determine 
how grant funds will be used. 
‘‘(D) A description of how the eligible enti-
ty will use Federal funds received under this 
section only to supplement the funds that 
would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be 
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made available from non-Federal sources for 
the education of students participating in pro-
grams assisted under this section, and not to 
supplant such funds. 
‘‘(e) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 
that— 
‘‘(1) use funds, or propose to use grant funds 
under this section, to— 
‘‘(A) implement evidence-based strategies, 
as determined by the Secretary, for activities 
described in subsection (f); 
‘‘(B) provide educational opportunities for 
English learners who have entered a school in 
the United States after elementary school or 
English learners who have been in schools in 
the United States for more than 5 years with-
out achieving English language proficiency (as 
determined through the assessment described in 
section 1111(b)(7)), or both; 
‘‘(C) provide a continuum of literacy, par-
enting, and parent engagement services for low- 
literate limited English proficient parents of 
young English learners; or 
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‘‘(D) serve populations of rural students 
and students who are migratory children, as de-
fined in section 1309(2); 
‘‘(2) form partnerships with entities to carry 
out activities under the grant; or 
‘‘(3) work with an educational research entity 
that is, at the time of the application, implementing 
research-based programs or interventions in schools 
that serve a significant percentage of English learn-
ers. 
‘‘(f) USE OF FUNDS.—Each eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds 
to carry out activities that lead to English learners becom-
ing proficient in English in order to access the academic 
content knowledge that English learners need to meet the 
State challenging academic content standards under sec-
tion 1111(b)(1) and to be ready for postsecondary edu-
cation and careers, which may include— 
‘‘(1) improving instructional programs by— 
‘‘(A) implementing evidence-based lan-
guage instruction programs, including— 
‘‘(i) technology-based programs; and 
‘‘(ii) early childhood education pro-
grams, if applicable; 
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‘‘(B) consistent with State law, imple-
menting a program that uses instruction in the 
native language as a basis for English language 
acquisition, such as— 
‘‘(i) a dual-language program; or 
‘‘(ii) a bilingual education program; or 
‘‘(C) obtaining technical assistance from 
an expert to develop or implement materials for 
English learner instruction; 
‘‘(2) ensuring that English learners are taught 
by effective teachers and attend schools that are ad-
ministered by effective principals, by— 
‘‘(A) developing or implementing a strat-
egy to recruit effective teachers and principals; 
‘‘(B) developing or implementing a strat-
egy to retain effective teachers and principals; 
or 
‘‘(C) developing or implementing a strategy 
to improve the effectiveness of teachers and 
principals; 
‘‘(3) increasing the ability of families of English 
learners to be engaged in their child’s education and 
development; 
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‘‘(4) expanding best practices to other schools 
or local educational agencies that are served by the 
eligible entity; or 
‘‘(5) carrying out other activities consistent 
with the purpose of this part. 
‘‘SEC. 3303. CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—From amounts appro-
priated under section 3001(a)(3), the Secretary may 
award capacity-building grants, on a competitive 
basis, to eligible agencies that demonstrate a com-
mitment to establishing and maintaining a system of 
high-quality instruction for English learners to en-
able such eligible agencies to carry out the activities 
described in subsection (g). 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.—The Secretary shall not 
award a grant under this section to an eligible agen-
cy that has received a grant under section 3302. 
‘‘(b) DURATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under this 
section shall be for a period of not more than 4 
years. 
‘‘(2) RENEWAL.—The Secretary shall not renew 
a grant under this section. 
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‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE AGENCY.—The term ‘eligible agency’ 
means a State educational agency or local educational 
agency that has experienced a significant increase, as de-
termined by the Secretary, in the number of English learn-
ers that the State educational agency or local educational 
agency, respectively, serves. 
‘‘(d) FUNDING REQUIREMENT.—Continued funding 
after the second year of the grant period for a grant 
awarded under this section shall be contingent on the eligi-
ble agency’s progress in— 
‘‘(1) meeting the benchmarks described in sub-
section (e)(2)(B); 
‘‘(2) improving the English language proficiency 
of students served by the grant program, as meas-
ured by the assessment described in section 
1111(b)(7); 
‘‘(3) increasing the percentage of English learn-
ers who achieve proficiency on State academic as-
sessments in mathematics, reading or language arts, 
and science, as described in section 1111(b)(3); 
‘‘(4) increasing the percentage of secondary 
school students who achieve proficiency in core aca-
demic subjects; 
‘‘(5) increasing the graduation rate, as defined 
in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(vi) and clarified in section 
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200.19(b)(1) of title 34, Code of Federal Regula-
tions, for English learners; 
‘‘(6) increasing the awareness and knowledge of 
the education system for parents of English learners; 
and 
‘‘(7) improving the English language proficiency 
and literacy skills of parents of English learners. 
‘‘(e) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible agency desiring 
a grant under this section shall submit an applica-
tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—At a minimum, the applica-
tion described in paragraph (1) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) A description of how the eligible enti-
ty will use grant funds to implement English 
language proficiency standards and challenging 
student academic achievement standards and 
academic content standards under section 
1111(b)(1) to assist English learners in— 
‘‘(i) improving English language pro-
ficiency; 
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‘‘(ii) improving preparation for post-
secondary education and careers; 
‘‘(iii) improving the English language 
proficiency and literacy skills of their par-
ents; and 
‘‘(iv) improving the knowledge and 
ability of their parents to navigate the edu-
cation system. 
‘‘(B) A description of the benchmarks, con-
sistent with section 3304(b), that the eligible 
agency will establish to demonstrate improve-
ments in outcomes for students who are 
English learners. 
‘‘(C) A description of how the eligible 
agency will efficiently use funds to build upon 
previous efforts to educate English learners and 
their parents. 
‘‘(D) A description of how the eligible enti-
ty will use Federal funds received under this 
section only to supplement the funds that 
would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be 
made available from non-Federal sources for 
the education of students participating in pro-
grams assisted under this section, and not to 
supplant such funds. 
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