109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2123
AN ACT 
To reauthorize the Head Start Act to improve the school 
readiness of disadvantaged children, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘School Readiness Act 
of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. 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 
school readiness by enhancing the development of low-in-
come children, including development of cognitive abilities, 
through educational instruction in prereading skills, 
premathematics skills, language, and social and emotional 
development linked to school readiness and 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. 
Section 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832) 
is amended—
(1) in paragraph (17) by striking ‘‘, but for fis-
cal years’’ and all that follows down to the period; 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (16) and (17) 
as paragraphs (23) and (24), respectively; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (15) as para-
graph (21);
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (11) through 
(14) as paragraphs (16) through (19), respectively; 
(5) by redesignating paragraph (10) as para-
graph (14); 
(6) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through 
(9) as paragraphs (6) through (12), respectively; 
(7) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (4); 
(8) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) The term ‘challenging State developed aca-
demic content standards’ has the meaning given 
such term in paragraphs (1) and (5) of section 
1111(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘deficiency’ means—
‘‘(A) systemic or significant failure of a 
Head Start 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; 
‘‘(ii) a denial to parents of the exer-
cise of their full roles and responsibilities 
related to program governance;
‘‘(iii) a failure to perform the require-
ments of section 641A(a), as determined 
by the Secretary; 
‘‘(iv) the misuse of funds received 
under this subchapter; 
‘‘(v) loss of legal status (as deter-
mined by the Secretary) or financial viabil-
ity, loss of permits, debarment from receiv-
ing Federal grants or contracts, or the im-
proper use of Federal funds; or 
‘‘(vi) failure to meet any other Fed-
eral or State requirement; 
‘‘(B) failure of the board of directors of a 
Head Start agency to fully exercise its legal and 
fiduciary responsibilities; 
‘‘(C) failure of a Head Start agency to 
meet the administrative requirements of section 
644(b); or 
‘‘(D) failure of a Head Start agency to 
meet the integration requirements of section 
642B(a).’’; 
(9) by inserting after paragraph (4), as so re-
designated, the following: 
‘‘(5) The term ‘eligible entities’ means an insti-
tution of higher education or other agency with ex-
pertise in delivering training in early childhood de-
velopment, family support, and other assistance de-
signed to improve the quality of early childhood edu-
cation programs.’’; 
(10) by inserting after paragraph (12), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(13) The term ‘homeless children’ has the 
meaning given such term in subtitle B of title VII 
of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 11431–11435).’’; 
(11) by inserting after paragraph (14), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(15) LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT; LIMITED 
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY.—The terms ‘limited English 
proficient’ and ‘limited English proficiency’ mean 
with respect to an individual, that such individual—
‘‘(A)(i) was not born in the United States 
or has a native language that is not English; 
‘‘(ii)(I) is a Native American, an Alaska 
Native, or a native resident of a territory or 
possession of the United States; and 
‘‘(II) comes from an environment in which 
a language that is not English has had a sig-
nificant impact on such individual’s level of 
English language proficiency; or
‘‘(iii) is migratory, has a native language 
that is not English, and comes from an environ-
ment in which a language that is not English 
is dominant; and 
‘‘(B) has difficultly in speaking or under-
standing the English language to an extent that 
may be sufficient to deny such individual—
‘‘(i) the ability to successfully achieve 
in classrooms in which the language of in-
struction is English; or 
‘‘(ii) the opportunity to fully partici-
pate in society.’’; 
(12) by inserting after paragraph (19), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(20) 
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT.—The 
term ‘professional development’ means high quality 
activities that will enhance the school readiness of el-
igible children and prevent such children from en-
countering difficulties once they enter school by im-
proving the knowledge and skills of Head Start 
teachers and staff, as relevant to their roles and 
functions, including activities that—
‘‘(A) provide teachers with the content 
knowledge and teaching strategies needed to 
provide effective instruction and other school
readiness services in early language and lit-
eracy, early mathematics, cognitive skills, ap-
proaches to learning, creative arts, science, 
physical health and development, and social and 
emotional development linked to school readi-
ness; 
‘‘(B) assist teachers in meeting the re-
quirements in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 
648A(a), as appropriate; 
‘‘(C) improve teachers’ classroom manage-
ment skills, as appropriate; 
‘‘(D) for teachers, are sustained, intensive, 
and classroom-focused in order to have a posi-
tive and lasting impact on classroom instruction 
and teachers’ performance in the classroom; 
‘‘(E) are not primarily 1-day or short-term 
workshops or conferences, and attendance at 
activities that are 1-day or short-term work-
shops or conferences must be as part of the 
professional development plan defined in section 
648A(f); 
‘‘(F) assist teachers and staff in increasing 
their knowledge and skills in program adminis-
tration, program quality, and the provision of 
services and instruction, as appropriate, in a
manner that improves service delivery to eligible 
children and families; 
‘‘(G) are part of a sustained effort to im-
prove overall program quality and outcomes for 
eligible children and families; 
‘‘(H) advance teacher understanding of ef-
fective instructional strategies that are—
‘‘(i) based on scientifically based re-
search; and 
‘‘(ii) strategies for improving school 
readiness or substantially increasing the 
knowledge and teaching skills of teachers; 
‘‘(I) are, where applicable, aligned with 
and directly related to—
‘‘(i) challenging State academic con-
tent standards, student academic achieve-
ment standards, assessments, and the 
Head Start Child Outcomes Framework 
developed by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(ii) the curricula, ongoing assess-
ments, and other instruction and services 
designed to help meet the standards de-
scribed in section 641A(a)(1);
‘‘(J) are developed or selected with exten-
sive participation of administrators and teach-
ers from Head Start programs; 
‘‘(K) are developmentally appropriate for 
the children being served; 
‘‘(L) are designed to give teachers of lim-
ited English proficient children, and other 
teachers and instructional staff, the knowledge 
and skills to provide instruction and appro-
priate language and support services to increase 
the English language skills of such children, as 
appropriate; 
‘‘(M) as a whole, are regularly evaluated 
for their impact on increased teacher and staff 
effectiveness and improved ability of teachers to 
support learning and increase participating chil-
dren’s school readiness, with the findings of the 
evaluations used to improve the quality of pro-
fessional development; 
‘‘(N) provide instruction in methods of 
teaching children with special needs, as appro-
priate; 
‘‘(O) include instruction in ways that Head 
Start personnel may work more effectively with 
parents, as appropriate; and
‘‘(P) are designed to give teachers and 
staff the knowledge and skills to provide in-
struction and appropriate support services to 
children of diverse backgrounds, as appro-
priate.’’; 
(13) by inserting after paragraph (21), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(22) The term ‘scientifically based research’—
‘‘(A) means research that involves the ap-
plication of rigorous, systematic and objective 
procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowl-
edge relevant to education activities and pro-
grams; and 
‘‘(B) includes research that—
‘‘(i) employs systematic, empirical 
methods that draw on observation or ex-
periment; 
‘‘(ii) involves rigorous data analyses 
that are adequate to test the stated 
hypotheses and justify the general conclu-
sions drawn; 
‘‘(iii) relies on measurements or obser-
vational methods that provide reliable and 
valid data across evaluators and observers, 
across multiple measurements and observa-
tions, and across studies by the same or 
different investigators; 
‘‘(iv) is evaluated using experimental 
or quasi-experimental designs in which in-
dividuals, entities, programs or activities 
are assigned to different conditions and 
with appropriate controls to evaluate the 
effects of the condition of interest, with a 
preference for random assignment experi-
ments, or other designs to the extent that 
those designs contain within-condition or 
across-condition controls; 
‘‘(v) ensures that experimental studies 
are presented in sufficient detail and clar-
ity to allow for replication or, at a min-
imum, offer the opportunity to build sys-
tematically on their findings; and 
‘‘(vi) has been accepted by a peer-re-
viewed journal or approved by a panel of 
independent experts through a comparably 
rigorous, objective, and scientific review.’’; 
and 
(14) by inserting after paragraph (24), as so 
redesignated, the following:
‘‘(25) The term ‘State educational agency’ has 
the meaning given such term in the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965. 
‘‘(26) The term ‘unresolved area of noncompli-
ance’ means a failure to correct a noncompliance 
item within 90 days, or within such additional time 
(if any) authorized by the Secretary, after receiving 
from the Secretary notice of such noncompliance 
item. 
‘‘(27) The term ‘auditor’ means a certified pub-
lic accountant or a Federal, State, or local govern-
ment audit organization, which meets the general 
standards specified in generally accepted government 
auditing standards.’’. 
SEC. 4. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HEAD START PRO-
GRAMS. 
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. 
Section 639 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9834) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 639. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated for carrying out the provisions of this sub-
chapter $6,899,000,000 for the fiscal year 2006 and such 
sums as may be necessary for the fiscal years 2007 
through 2011. 
‘‘(b) SPECIFIC PROGRAMS.—From the amount ap-
propriated under subsection (a), the Secretary shall make 
available not more than $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, 
and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2007 
through 2011 to carry out such other research, dem-
onstration, and evaluation activities, including longitu-
dinal studies, under section 649, of which not more than 
$7,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2011 
to carry out impact studies under section 649(g).’’. 
SEC. 6. ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS; LIMITATIONS ON ASSIST-
ANCE. 
(a) ALLOTMENTS.—Section 640(a) of the Head Start 
Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)—
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(A) Indian Head Start programs, services 
for children with disabilities, and migrant and 
seasonal Head Start programs, except that—
‘‘(i) there shall be made available for 
each fiscal year for use by Indian Head 
Start programs and by migrant and sea-
sonal Head Start programs, on a nation-
wide basis, not less than the amount that 
was obligated for use by Indian Head 
Start programs and by migrant and sea-
sonal Head Start programs for fiscal year 
2005 (including under any decision made 
by the Secretary under clause (ii) or (iv)); 
‘‘(ii) migrant and seasonal Head Start 
programs shall receive at least 5 percent of 
the amount appropriated for such fiscal 
year until such time as the Secretary can 
make funding decisions to ensure access to 
funding for eligible children of migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers is comparable to ac-
cess to funding for other eligible children 
based on the data collected and reported 
pursuant to section 648(i), except that no 
future reduction in funding shall result in 
the termination of Head Start services pro-
vided to any eligible child 3 years of age or 
older who is participating in any such pro-
gram on the date a reduction in funding 
occurs, and shall, to the extent possible, 
continue participation for children less
than 3 years of age receiving services prior 
to such reduction in funding; and 
‘‘(iii) Indian Head Start programs 
shall receive at least 3.5 percent of the 
amount appropriated for such fiscal year 
until such time as the Secretary can make 
funding decisions to ensure access to fund-
ing for eligible Indian children is com-
parable to access to funding for other eligi-
ble children based on the data collected, 
and in accordance with the requirements 
of, section 648(i), except that no future re-
duction in funding shall result in the ter-
mination of Head Start services provided 
to any eligible child 3 years of age or older 
who is participating in any such program 
on the date a reduction in funding occurs, 
and shall, to the extent possible, continue 
participation for children less than 3 years 
of age receiving services prior to such re-
duction in funding;’’; and 
(B) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(B) payments, subject to paragraph (7) to 
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands of 
the United States, and subject to the requirements 
of section 105(f)(1)(B)(ix) of Public Law 108–188 
to Palau;’’; 
(C) by amending (C) to read as follows: 
‘‘(C) training and technical assistance activities 
to foster program quality and management improve-
ment as described in section 648, in an amount for 
each fiscal year which is equal to 2 percent of the 
amount appropriated for such fiscal year, of which—
‘‘(i) not less than 50 percent shall be made 
available to local Head Start agencies to make 
program improvements identified by such agen-
cies and comply with the standards described in 
section 641A(a)(1), of which not less than 50 
percent shall be used to comply with the stand-
ards described in section 641A(a)(1)(B) and for 
the uses described in clauses (iii), (iv), and (vii) 
of subsection (a)(3)(B); 
‘‘(ii) not less than 20 percent shall be 
made available to support a State system of 
early childhood education training and technical 
assistance, including the State Early Learning 
Council described in section 642B(b);
‘‘(iii) not less than 30 percent shall be 
made available to the Secretary to assist local 
programs in meeting the standards described in 
section 641A(a)(1) and shall be allocated to ad-
dress program weaknesses identified by moni-
toring activities conducted by the Secretary 
under section 641A(c); and 
‘‘(iv) not less than $3,000,000 of the 
amount in clause (iii) appropriated for such fis-
cal year shall be made available to carry out ac-
tivities described in section 648(d)(4);’’; and 
(D) by striking the last sentence. 
(2) in paragraph (3)—
(A) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) in clause (i)(I) by striking ‘‘year 
1999’’ and all that follows down to the 
semicolon and inserting ‘‘years 2006 
through 2011’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) After the reservation of amounts under para-
graph (2) and the 60 percent amount referred to in sub-
paragraph (A) of this paragraph, a portion of the remain-
ing funds shall be made available—
‘‘(I) to expand services to underserved popu-
lations, such as children receiving services under 
Early Head Start programs and under migrant and 
seasonal Head Start programs; and 
‘‘(II) to increase funding to grantees with full 
enrollment and whose aggregate amount of financial 
assistance provides funding per child that is below 
the national average.’’; 
(B) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(B) Funds reserved under this paragraph (in this 
paragraph referred to as ‘quality improvement funds’) 
shall be used to accomplish the following goals: 
‘‘(i) Ensuring that Head Start programs meet 
or exceed standards pursuant to section 641A(a)(1). 
‘‘(ii) Ensuring that such programs have ade-
quate numbers of qualified staff, and that such staff 
is furnished adequate training, including developing 
skills to promote the development of language skills, 
premathematic skills, and prereading in young chil-
dren and in working with children with limited 
English proficiency, children referred by child wel-
fare services, and children with disabilities, when ap-
propriate.
‘‘(iii) Developing and financing the salary scales 
described under section 644(a)(3) and section 653, 
in order to ensure that salary levels and benefits are 
adequate to attract and retain qualified staff for 
such programs. 
‘‘(iv) Using salary increases—
‘‘(I) to assist with the implementation of 
quality programs and improve staff qualifica-
tions; 
‘‘(II) to ensure that staff can promote the 
language skills and literacy growth of children 
and can provide children with a variety of skills 
that have been identified, through scientifically 
based early reading research, as predictive of 
later reading achievement; and 
‘‘(III) to encourage the staff to continually 
improve their skills and expertise by informing 
the staff of the availability of Federal and State 
incentive and loan forgiveness programs for 
professional development. 
‘‘(v) Improving community-wide strategic plan-
ning and needs assessments for such programs and 
collaboration efforts for such programs, including 
collaborations to increase program participation by 
underserved populations of eligible children.
‘‘(vi) 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 
their parents. 
‘‘(vii) Ensuring that such programs have quali-
fied staff that can promote language skills and lit-
eracy growth of children and that can provide chil-
dren with a variety of skills that have been identi-
fied, through scientifically based reading research, as 
predictive of later reading achievement. 
‘‘(viii) Providing assistance to complete postsec-
ondary course work including scholarships or other 
financial incentives, such as differential and merit 
pay, to enable Head Start teachers to improve com-
petencies and the resulting child outcomes. 
‘‘(ix) Upgrading the qualifications and skills of 
educational personnel to meet the professional 
standards established under section 648A(a)(1), in-
cluding certification and licensure as bilingual edu-
cation teachers and other educational personnel who 
serve limited English proficient children. 
‘‘(x) Promoting the regular attendance and sta-
bility of all children participating in Head Start pro-
grams, with particular attention to highly mobile
children, including children from migrant and sea-
sonal farm worker families (if appropriate), homeless 
children, and children in foster care. 
‘‘(xi) Making such other improvements in the 
quality of such programs as the Secretary may des-
ignate.’’; and 
(C) by amending subparagraph (C) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(C) Quality improvement funds shall be used to 
carry out the activities in any or all of the following 
clauses: 
‘‘(i)(I) Not less than one-half of the amount re-
served under this paragraph, to improve the com-
pensation (including benefits) of classroom teachers 
and other staff of Head Start agencies providing in-
structional services and thereby enhancing recruit-
ment and retention of qualified staff, including re-
cruitment and retention pursuant to achieving the 
requirements set forth in section 648A(a). The ex-
penditure of funds under this clause shall be subject 
to section 653. Salary increases, in excess of cost-of-
living allowance, provided with such funds shall be 
subject to the specific standards governing salaries 
and salary increases established pursuant to section 
644(a).
‘‘(II) If a Head Start agency certifies to the 
Secretary for such fiscal year that part of the funds 
set aside under subclause (I) to improve wages can-
not be expended by such agency to improve wages 
because of the operation of section 653, then such 
agency may expend such part for any of the uses 
specified in this subparagraph (other than wages). 
‘‘(III) From the remainder of the amount re-
served under this paragraph (after the Secretary 
carries out subclause (I)), the Secretary may carry 
out the activities described in clauses (ii) through 
(vii). 
‘‘(ii) To train classroom teachers and other 
staff to meet the education standards described in 
section 641A(a)(1)(B), through activities—
‘‘(I) to promote children’s language and 
prereading growth, through techniques identi-
fied through scientifically based reading re-
search; 
‘‘(II) to promote the acquisition of the 
English language for limited English proficient 
children and families, while ensuring that chil-
dren are making meaningful progress in attain-
ing the knowledge, skills, abilities, and develop-
ment described in section 641A(a)(1)(B);
‘‘(III) to foster children’s school readiness 
through 
activities 
described 
in 
section 
648A(a)(1); and 
‘‘(IV) to provide education and training 
necessary to improve the qualifications of Head 
Start staff, particularly assistance to enable 
more instructors to be fully competent and to 
meet the degree requirements under section 
648A(a)(2)(A), and to support staff training, 
child counseling, and other services necessary to 
address the challenges of children participating 
in Head Start programs, including children 
from immigrant, refugee, and asylee families, 
children from families in crisis, children who ex-
perience chronic violence in their communities, 
children who experience substance abuse in 
their families, and children with emotional and 
behavioral problems. 
‘‘(iii) To employ additional Head Start staff, in-
cluding staff necessary to reduce the child-staff 
ratio, lead instructors who meet the qualifications of 
section 648A(a) and staff necessary to coordinate a 
Head Start program with other services available to 
children participating in such program and to their 
families.
‘‘(iv) To pay costs incurred by Head Start 
agencies to purchase insurance (other than employee 
benefits) and thereby maintain or expand Head 
Start services. 
‘‘(v) To supplement amounts provided under 
paragraph (2)(C) to provide training necessary to 
improve the qualifications of the staff of the Head 
Start agencies, and to support staff training, child 
counseling, and other services necessary to address 
the problems of children participating in Head Start 
programs, including children from dysfunctional 
families, children who experience chronic violence in 
their communities, and children who experience sub-
stance abuse in their families. 
‘‘(vi) To conduct outreach to homeless families 
in an effort to increase the program participation of 
homeless children. 
‘‘(vii) To conduct outreach to migrant and sea-
sonal farm-working families and families with chil-
dren with a limited English proficiency. 
‘‘(viii) Such other activities as the Secretary 
may designate.’’; 
(3) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘1998’’ in sub-
paragraph (A) and inserting ‘‘2005’’;
(4) in paragraph (5) by amending subpara-
graphs (A), (B), and (C) to read as follows: 
‘‘(A) From amounts reserved and allotted pursuant 
to paragraph (4), the Secretary shall award the collabora-
tion grants described in subparagraphs (B) and (D). 
‘‘(B) From the reserved sums in paragraph (4), the 
Secretary shall award a collaboration grant to any State 
that submits a written request. Such grant shall be equal 
to the amount the State received under this paragraph for 
such activity for fiscal year 2005. Such grant shall be used 
by the State to facilitate collaboration regarding activities 
carried out in the State under this subchapter, and other 
activities carried out in and by the State that are designed 
to benefit low-income children and families and to encour-
age Head Start agencies to collaborate with entities in-
volved in State and local planning processes (including the 
State lead agency administering the financial assistance 
under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act 
of 1990 and the entities that provide child care resource 
and referral services in the State) in order to better meet 
the needs of low-income children and their families. 
‘‘(C) In order to improve results for children, a State 
that receives a grant under subparagraph (B) shall ap-
point an individual to serve as the State Director of Head 
Start Collaboration to be a liaison between the appropriate
regional office of the Administration for Children and 
Families and agencies carrying out Head Start programs 
in the State. The State shall—
‘‘(i) ensure that such Director holds a position 
with sufficient authority and access to ensure that 
the collaboration described in subparagraph (B) is 
effective and involves a range of State agencies and 
local entities, including—
‘‘(I) the State educational agency; 
‘‘(II) the State Department of Health and 
Human Services; 
‘‘(III) the State agency that oversees child 
care; 
‘‘(IV) the State agency that assists chil-
dren with developmental disabilities; 
‘‘(V) the State Head Start Association; 
‘‘(VI) the State network of child care re-
source and referral agencies; 
‘‘(VII) local educational agencies; 
‘‘(VIII) community-based and faith-based 
organizations; 
‘‘(IX) representatives of migrant and sea-
sonal Head Start programs located in the 
State;
‘‘(X) representatives of Indian Head Start 
programs located in the State; 
‘‘(XI) State and local providers of early 
childhood education and child care, including 
providers with experience serving children with 
limited English proficiency; and 
‘‘(XII) other entities carrying out pro-
grams serving low-income children and families 
in the State; 
‘‘(ii) involve the entities described in clause (i) 
to develop a strategic plan for the coordinated out-
reach to identify eligible children and to implement 
strategies based on a needs assessment, which shall 
include an assessment of the availability of high 
quality prekindergarten services for low-income chil-
dren in the State. Such assessment shall be com-
pleted not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of the School Readiness Act of 2005 and be 
updated on an annual basis and shall be made avail-
able to the general public within the State; 
‘‘(iii) ensure that the collaboration described in 
subparagraph (B) involves coordination of Head 
Start services with health care, welfare, child care, 
child protective services, education, community serv-
ice activities, family literacy services, activities relat-
ing to children with disabilities (including coordina-
tion of services with those State officials who are re-
sponsible for administering part C and section 619 
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
(20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.)), and services for 
homeless children (including coordination of services 
with the Office of Coordinator for Education of 
Homeless Children and Youth designated under sec-
tion 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Home-
less 
Assistance 
Act 
of 
2001 
(42 
U.S.C. 
11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)); 
‘‘(iv) require the State Director of Head Start 
Collaboration to—
‘‘(I) serve on the Early Learning Council 
pursuant to section 642B(b); 
‘‘(II) consult with the Early Learning 
Council, chief State school officer, local edu-
cational agencies, representatives of local Head 
Start agencies and providers of early childhood 
education and care in unified planning regard-
ing early care and education services at both 
the State and local levels, including collabo-
rative efforts to develop school readiness stand-
ards;
‘‘(III) consult with the chief State school 
officer, local educational agencies, State child 
care administrators, State human services ad-
ministrators, representatives of local child care 
resource and referral agencies, local early child-
hood councils, providers of early childhood edu-
cation and care, and other relevant State and 
local agencies, and representatives of the State 
Head Start Association to plan for the provision 
of full-working-day, full-calendar-year early care 
and education services for eligible children with 
working parents who have a demonstrated need; 
‘‘(IV) consult with the chief State school 
officer, local educational agencies, other State 
and local agencies administering the State pre-
kindergarten program, as applicable, and Head 
Start agencies to improve alignment between 
Head Start programs and State-funded pre-
kindergarten activities to meet shared goals of 
school readiness; and 
‘‘(V) establish improved linkages between 
Head Start agencies and other children and 
family agencies, including agencies that provide 
health, mental health or family services or other 
child and family support services.’’;
(C) in subparagraph (D)(i) by inserting 
‘‘and providers of services supporting early 
childhood education and child care’’ after ‘‘As-
sociations’’; and 
(D) by amending paragraph (6)(A) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(A) From amounts reserved and allotted pursuant 
to paragraphs (2) and (4), the Secretary shall use, for 
grants for programs described in section 645A(a) of this 
subchapter, a portion of the combined total of such 
amounts equal to at least 10 percent for each of the fiscal 
years 2006 through 2011, of the amount appropriated 
pursuant to section 639(a), except as provided in subpara-
graph (B).’’. 
(b) SERVICE DELIVERY MODELS.—Section 640(f) of 
the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(f)) is amended by 
inserting before the period at the end the following: ‘‘, in-
cluding models that leverage the existing capacity and ca-
pabilities of the delivery system of early childhood edu-
cation and child care’’. 
(c) MAINTENANCE
OF SERVICE LEVELS.—Section 
640(g)(2) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(g)(2)) 
is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘For the purpose of expanding 
Head Start programs, in’’ and inserting ‘‘In’’;
(2) by amending subparagraph (C) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(C) the extent to which the applicant has un-
dertaken community-wide strategic planning and 
needs assessments involving other community orga-
nizations and Federal, State, and local public agen-
cies serving children and families (including organi-
zations and agencies providing family support serv-
ices and protective services to children and families 
and organizations serving families in whose homes 
English is not the language customarily spoken), 
and individuals, organizations, and public entities 
serving children with disabilities and homeless chil-
dren including the local educational agency liaison 
designated under section 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the 
McKinney-Veto Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
11432(g)(1)(J)(ii));’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (D) by striking ‘‘other 
local’’ and inserting ‘‘the State and local’’; 
(4) in subparagraph (E) by inserting ‘‘would 
like to participate but’’ after ‘‘community who’’; 
(5) in subparagraph (G)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘leverage the existing de-
livery systems of such services and’’ after 
‘‘manner that will’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(6) in subparagraph (H)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘, including the local edu-
cational agency liaison designated under section 
722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Home-
less 
Assistance 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)),’’ 
after 
‘‘community 
in-
volved’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘plans to coordinate’’ and 
inserting ‘‘successfully coordinated its activi-
ties’’; and 
(C) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(7) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(I) the amount of funds used by such agency 
to pay administrative expenses and the amount of 
available funds received by such agency under this 
section to serve each enrolled child.’’. 
(d) VEHICLE
SAFETY
REQUIREMENTS.—Section 
640(i) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(i)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(i) The’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(i) TRANSPORTATION SAFETY.—
‘‘(1) REGULATIONS.—The’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
waive for a period of up to one year the require-
ments of regulations promulgated under para-
graph (1) for one or more vehicles used by the 
agency or its designee in transporting children 
enrolled in a Head Start program or an Early 
Head Start program if—
‘‘(i) such requirements pertain to 
child restraint systems and bus monitors; 
‘‘(ii) the agency demonstrates that 
compliance with such requirements will re-
sult in a significant disruption to the Head 
Start program or the Early Head Start 
program; and 
‘‘(iii) is in the best interest of the 
child. 
‘‘(B) 
RENEWAL.—The 
Secretary 
may 
renew a waiver under subparagraph (A).’’. 
(e) MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START PRO-
GRAMS.—Section 640(l) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
9835(l)) is amended—
(1) by amending paragraph (3) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(3) In carrying out this subchapter, the Secretary 
shall continue the administrative arrangement at the na-
tional level for meeting the needs of Indian children and 
children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and shall 
ensure that appropriate funding is provided to meet such 
needs, including training and technical assistance and the 
appointment of a national migrant and seasonal Head 
Start collaboration director and a national Indian Head 
Start collaboration director.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4)(A) For the purposes of paragraph (3), the Sec-
retary shall conduct an annual consultation in each af-
fected Head Start region, with tribal governments oper-
ating Head Start programs and Early Head Start pro-
grams. 
‘‘(B) The consultations shall be for the purpose of 
better meeting the needs of American Indian and Alaska 
Native children and families pertinent to subsections (a), 
(b), and (c) of section 641, taking into consideration fund-
ing allocations, distribution formulas, and other issues af-
fecting the delivery of Head Start services within tribal 
communities. 
‘‘(C) The Secretary shall publish a notification of the 
consultations in the Federal Register prior to conducting 
the consultations.
‘‘(D) A detailed report of each consultation shall be 
prepared and made available, on a timely basis, to all trib-
al governments receiving funds under this subchapter.’’. 
(f) ENROLLMENT OF HOMELESS CHILDREN.—Sec-
tion 640 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(m) ENROLLMENT OF HOMELESS CHILDREN.—The 
Secretary shall by regulation prescribe policies and proce-
dures to remove barriers to the enrollment and participa-
tion of homeless children in Head Start programs. Such 
regulations shall require Head Start agencies—
‘‘(1) to implement policies and procedures to 
ensure that homeless children are identified and 
prioritized for enrollment; 
‘‘(2) to allow homeless families to apply to, en-
roll in and attend Head Start programs while re-
quired documents, such as proof of residency, immu-
nization and other medical records, birth certificates 
and other documents, are obtained within a reason-
able time frame; and 
‘‘(3) coordinate individual Head Start centers 
and programs with efforts to implement subtitle B 
of title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431–11435).
‘‘(n) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sub-
chapter shall be construed to require a State to establish 
a program of early education for children in the State, 
to require any child to participate in a program of early 
education, to attend school, or to participate in any initial 
screening prior to participation in such program, except 
as provided under section 612(a)(3), (consistent with sec-
tion 614(a)(1)(C)), of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act. 
‘‘(o) MATERIALS.—All curricula and instructional 
materials funded under this subchapter shall be scientif-
ically based and age and developmentally appropriate. 
Parents shall have the ability to inspect, upon request, any 
curricula or instructional materials.’’. 
SEC. 7. DESIGNATION OF AGENCIES. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE.—Section 641(a) of 
the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836(a)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to designate as a Head Start agency any local public 
or private nonprofit or for-profit agency within a 
State, including a community-based or faith-based 
organization that—
‘‘(A) has power and authority to carry out 
the purpose of this subchapter and perform the 
functions set forth in section 642 within a 
State; and 
‘‘(B) is determined to be capable of plan-
ning, conducting, administering, and evaluating, 
either directly or by other arrangements, a 
Head Start program. 
‘‘(2) DESIGNATION
REQUIREMENTS.—To be 
designated as a Head Start agency and to receive fi-
nancial assistance under this subparagraph, an enti-
ty described in sub paragraph (1) shall—
‘‘(A) establish measurable objectives for—
‘‘(i) the school readiness of children 
participating in the program under this 
subchapter; 
‘‘(ii) meeting the performance stand-
ards described in section 641A; 
‘‘(iii) 
educational 
instruction 
in 
prereading, premathematics, and language 
skills; and 
‘‘(iv) the provision of health, edu-
cational, nutritional, social and other serv-
ices related to school readiness; and
‘‘(B) align curricula to challenging State 
developed academic content standards and the 
Head Start Child Outcomes Framework devel-
oped by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY FOR SUBSEQUENT FINANCIAL 
ASSISTANCE.—In order to receive financial assist-
ance under this subchapter subsequent to the initial 
financial assistance provided following the effective 
date of this subsection, an entity described in para-
graph (1) shall demonstrate that the entity has met 
the measurable objectives described in paragraph 
(2); 
‘‘(4) 
MEASURING
PROGRESS.—Progress 
in 
meeting such measurable objectives shall not be 
measured primarily or solely by the results of assess-
ments.’’. 
(b) PRIORITY IN DESIGNATION.—Section 641(c) of 
the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836(c)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—In the administration of this 
section, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the chief 
executive officer of the State involved, give priority in the 
designation of Head Start agencies to Head Start agencies 
that—
‘‘(1) are receiving assistance under this sub-
chapter on the effective date of this subsection; 
‘‘(2) meet or exceed program and financial 
management requirements, standards described in 
section 641A(a); 
‘‘(3) meet or exceed the education standards 
and 
requirements 
described 
in 
section 
641A(a)(1)(B); 
‘‘(4) have no unresolved area of noncompliance; 
‘‘(5) have not been deemed to have a deficiency 
since the then most recent designation; 
‘‘(6) employ qualified staff (including in center-
based programs, a teaching staff of whom at least 
50 percent have an associate, baccalaureate, or ad-
vanced degree in early child education or a related 
field), except that the Secretary may waive the appli-
cation of this paragraph, for a period not to exceed 
3 years, for Head Start programs operating in rural 
areas, for migrant and seasonal Head Start pro-
grams, and for Indian Head Start programs, on a 
case-by-case basis, if the program demonstrates 
progress in increasing the qualifications of teaching 
staff and demonstrates adequate instructional super-
vision by qualified staff;
‘‘(7) were not deemed by the Secretary as 
chronically under-enrolled since the then most recent 
designation; 
‘‘(8) utilize curricula based on scientifically 
based research that are aligned with challenging 
State developed academic content standards and the 
Head Start Child Outcomes Framework developed 
by the Secretary; 
‘‘(9) demonstrate active partnerships with local 
educational agencies serving the same communities 
to facilitate smooth transitions to kindergarten; 
‘‘(10) actively implement a memorandum of un-
derstanding described in section 642B(a) and addi-
tional collaborative partnerships with organizations 
that enhance the delivery of services to children; 
‘‘(11) demonstrate success in improving child 
outcomes across all domains of development, includ-
ing 
measurable 
progress 
in 
language 
skills, 
prereading knowledge, and premathematics knowl-
edge; 
‘‘(12) maintain classroom environments con-
structive to early learning and future school success; 
‘‘(13) demonstrate strong parental involvement 
and activities to develop parent skills to support 
their children’s educational development and ability
to participate effectively in decisions relating to the 
education of their children; 
‘‘(14) are overseen by a board described in sec-
tion 642(b) that provides direction and actively over-
sees all program activities; 
‘‘(15) document strong fiscal controls, includ-
ing—
‘‘(A) the employment of well-qualified fis-
cal staff with a history of successful manage-
ment of a public or private organization; 
‘‘(B) having no reportable material weak-
nesses with applicable laws and regulations on 
all annual financial audits performed since the 
most recent designation; 
‘‘(C) meeting or exceeding annual require-
ments for financial support under section 
640(b); and 
‘‘(D) maintaining total administrative costs 
at or below 15 percent of total program costs; 
‘‘(16) are licensed to operate in accordance with 
all applicable State child care regulations; 
‘‘(17) conduct outreach activities to ensure that 
services are provided to the most at-risk families in 
the community;
‘‘(18) have developed strong community part-
nerships with public and private organizations, such 
as businesses, health, providers of early childhood 
education, and social service providers; and 
‘‘(19) provide opportunities for ongoing profes-
sional development.’’. 
(c) DESIGNATION WHEN NO ENTITY HAS PRI-
ORITY.—Section 641(d) of the Head Start Act (43 U.S.C. 
9836(d)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(d) DESIGNATION WHEN NO ENTITY HAS PRI-
ORITY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If no entity in a commu-
nity is entitled to the priority 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
IN
DESIGNATION.—In 
selecting from among qualified applicants for des-
ignation 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 appli-
cant 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 (including mental and be-
havioral health), educational, nutritional, social, 
and other services needed to prepare children to 
succeed in school; 
‘‘(C) the capacity of such applicant to 
serve eligible children with curriculum and 
teaching practices based on scientifically based 
research that promote the school readiness of 
children participating in the program; 
‘‘(D) the plan of such applicant to meet 
standards set forth in section 641A(a)(1), with 
particular attention to the standards set forth 
in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of such section; 
‘‘(E) the proposed budget and plan of such 
applicant to maintain strong fiscal controls and 
cost effective fiscal management; 
‘‘(F) the plan of such applicant to coordi-
nate the Head Start program the applicant pro-
poses to carry out with other educational pro-
grams for young children, including—
‘‘(i) the Early Reading First and 
Even Start programs under subparts 2
and 3 of part B of title I of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6371 et seq., 6381 et seq.); 
‘‘(ii) programs under section 619 and 
part C of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et 
seq.); 
‘‘(iii) State prekindergarten programs; 
‘‘(iv) child care programs; 
‘‘(v) the educational programs that 
the children participating in the Head 
Start program involved will enter at the 
age of compulsory school attendance; and 
‘‘(vi) reading readiness programs such 
as those conducted by public and school li-
braries; 
‘‘(G) the plan of such applicant to coordi-
nate 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; 
‘‘(H) the plan of such applicant—
‘‘(i) to seek the involvement of parents 
(including grandparents and kinship care-
givers, as appropriate) of children partici-
pating in the proposed Head Start pro-
gram, in activities (at home and, if prac-
ticable, at the location of the Head Start 
program) designed to help such parents be-
come full partners in the education of their 
children; 
‘‘(ii) to afford such parents the oppor-
tunity to participate in the development 
and overall conduct of the program at the 
local level; 
‘‘(iii) to offer (directly or through re-
ferral to local entities, such as entities car-
rying out Even Start programs under sub-
part 3 of part B of title I of the Elemen-
tary 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 partici-
pating children, substance abuse coun-
seling (either directly or through referral 
to local entities), 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 devel-
opment (including cognitive develop-
ment); 
‘‘(II) assistance in developing lit-
eracy and communication skills; 
‘‘(III) opportunities to share ex-
periences with other parents (includ-
ing parent mentor relationships); 
‘‘(IV) regular in-home visitation; 
‘‘(V) 
mental 
and 
behavioral 
health services; or 
‘‘(VI) any other activity designed 
to help such parents become full part-
ners in the education of their children; 
‘‘(vi) to provide, with respect to each 
participating family, a family needs assess-
ment that includes consultation with such 
parents about the benefits of parent in-
volvement and about the activities de-
scribed in subparagraph (H) in which such
parents may choose to become involved 
(taking into consideration their specific 
family needs, work schedules, and other re-
sponsibilities); and 
‘‘(vii) to extend outreach to fathers, in 
appropriate cases, in order to strengthen 
the role of fathers in families, in the edu-
cation of their young children, and in the 
Head Start program, by working directly 
with fathers and father figures through ac-
tivities such as—
‘‘(I) in appropriate cases, includ-
ing fathers in home visits and pro-
viding opportunities for direct father-
child interactions; and 
‘‘(II) targeting increased male 
participation in the conduct of the 
program; 
‘‘(I) the ability of such applicant to carry 
out the plans described in paragraphs (2), (4), 
and (5); 
‘‘(J) 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 per-
sonnel, and plans to provide services to assist 
the children in making progress toward the ac-
quisition of the English language, while making 
meaningful progress in attaining the knowledge, 
skills, abilities, and development described in 
section 641A(a)(1)(B); 
‘‘(K) the plan of such applicant to meet 
the diverse cultural needs of the population 
served; 
‘‘(L) the plan of such applicant to meet 
the needs of children with disabilities; 
‘‘(M) the plan of such applicant who choos-
es to assist younger siblings of children who will 
participate in the Head Start program, to ob-
tain health services from other sources; 
‘‘(N) the plan of such applicant to collabo-
rate with other entities carrying out early child-
hood education and child care programs in the 
community, including private entities and char-
ter schools offering pre-kindergarten; 
‘‘(O) the plan of such applicant to meet 
the needs of homeless children, including trans-
portation needs, and children in foster care; 
‘‘(P) the plan of such applicant to main-
tain a qualified staff, including a teaching staff
qualified to implement research-based edu-
cational curricula aligned with challenging 
State-developed academic content standards, 
the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework de-
veloped by the Secretary, and the State early 
learning standards in States in which such 
standards are developed; 
‘‘(Q) the plan of such applicant to enter 
into memoranda of understanding with local 
educational agencies, child care providers, and 
other entities within the service area; and 
‘‘(R) other factors related to the require-
ments of this subchapter.’’. 
(d) SELECTION OF APPLICANTS.—Section 641(g) of 
the Head Start Act (43 U.S.C. 9836(g)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(g) ISSUANCE OF RULES.—Not later than 180 days 
after the enactment of the School Readiness Act of 2005, 
the Secretary shall issue rules to carry out this section.’’. 
SEC. 8. QUALITY STANDARDS; MONITORING OF HEAD 
START AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS. 
(a) QUALITY STANDARDS.—Section 641A(a) of the 
Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836a(a)) is amended—
(1) by amending paragraph (1)(B)—
(A) in clause (i)—
(i) by inserting ‘‘based on sound sci-
entific evidence’’ after ‘‘standards’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘and sustained aca-
demic gains’’ after ‘‘readiness’’; and 
(B) by amending clause (ii) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(ii) additional scientifically-based edu-
cation standards to ensure that the children 
participating in the program, at a minimum de-
velop and demonstrate—
‘‘(I) language knowledge and skills, 
including 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) premathematics knowledge and 
skills, including aspects of classification, 
seriation, number, spatial relations, and 
time; 
‘‘(IV) cognitive abilities related to aca-
demic achievement and child development;
‘‘(V) social and emotional development 
related to early learning, school success, 
and sustained academic gains; 
‘‘(VI) approaches to learning related 
to child development and early learning; 
and 
‘‘(VII) 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 subclauses (I) through 
(IV);’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(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) 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; 
‘‘(iv) projected needs of an expanding 
Head Start program; 
‘‘(v) 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; 
‘‘(vi) changes in the population of 
children who are eligible to participate in 
Head Start programs, including the lan-
guage background and family structure of 
such children; 
‘‘(vii) scientifically based research to 
ensure that children participating in Head 
Start programs make a successful transi-
tion to schools that the children will be at-
tending; and
‘‘(viii) the unique challenges faced by 
individual programs, including those that 
are seasonal or short term, and those that 
serve rural populations; and’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (C)(ii) by striking 
‘‘the date’’ and all that follows through ‘‘Act of 
1998’’, and inserting ‘‘October 27, 1998’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) EVALUATIONS AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS 
FOR DELEGATE AGENCIES.—
‘‘(A) 
PROCEDURES.—The 
Head 
Start 
agency shall establish procedures relating to its 
delegate agencies, including—
‘‘(i) procedures for evaluating delegate 
agencies; 
‘‘(ii) procedures for defunding dele-
gate agencies; and 
‘‘(iii) procedures for appealing a 
defunding decision relating to a delegate 
agency. 
‘‘(B) EVALUATIONS.—Each Head Start 
agency—
‘‘(i) shall evaluate its delegate agen-
cies using the procedures established pur-