given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801). 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’— 
(A) means— 
(i) a local educational agency; 
(ii) a consortium of local educational 
agencies; 
(iii) a State educational agency; 
(iv) an educational service agency; 
(v) a partnership between a nonprofit 
organization, including a provider of early 
childhood education, an institution of high-
er education, a community-based organiza-
tion, or a national intermediary, and 1 or 
more local educational agencies; or 
(vi) the Bureau of Indian Education; 
and 
(B) shall not include any for-profit entity. 
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
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(4) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(6) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘State educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary 
shall establish an Educational Equity Challenge Grant 
program through which the Secretary awards grants to 
eligible entities to— 
(1) adopt and implement evidence-based activi-
ties, strategies, and interventions to address aca-
demic, social-emotional, mental, behavioral, and 
physical health needs associated with the COVID–19 
pandemic that meet the standard of evidence de-
scribed in section 8101(21)(A)(i) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801(21)(A)(i)); or 
(2) design or replicate and implement field- and 
educator-initiated proposals to address academic, so-
cial-emotional, mental, behavioral, and physical 
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health needs associated with the COVID–19 pan-
demic that— 
(A) are independently evaluated by the 
grantee for efficacy; and 
(B) meet the standard of evidence de-
scribed in section 8101(21)(A)(i) of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)(i)). 
(c) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.— 
(1) ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—The Sec-
retary may use not more than 5 percent of funds 
available to carry out this section for administration 
of the Educational Equity Challenge Grant program, 
including technical assistance, collaboration with 
other relevant agencies, and dissemination of best 
practices. 
(2) 
RESERVATION
FOR
TRIBES.—From 
amounts appropriated to carry out this section for a 
fiscal year and not used under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall reserve 5 percent to award grants to 
the outlying areas and the Bureau of Indian Edu-
cation to carry out activities described in this section 
in schools operated or funded by the Bureau of In-
dian Education. 
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(3) EVIDENCE-BASED
AND
FIELD-INITIATED 
PROPOSALS.—From the funds remaining after car-
rying out paragraphs (1) and (2), in awarding 
grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure 
that— 
(A) 75 percent of the grant funds are 
awarded to evidence-based proposals, as de-
scribed in subsection (b)(1); and 
(B) 25 percent of the grant funds are 
awarded to field- and educator-initiated pro-
posals, as described in subsection (b)(2). 
(4) RURAL AREAS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—From the funds re-
maining after carrying out paragraphs (1) and 
(2), in awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall ensure that not less than 25 
percent of the grant funds are awarded to eligi-
ble entities— 
(i) that have a locale code of 32, 33, 
41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Sec-
retary; or 
(ii) for which a majority of the schools 
to be served by the program funded by the 
grant awarded under this section to such 
an eligible entity are designated with a lo-
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cale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43, or a 
combination of such codes, as determined 
by the Secretary. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding sub-
paragraph (A), the Secretary shall reduce the 
amount of funds made available under such 
subparagraph if the Secretary does not receive 
a sufficient number of applications of sufficient 
quality. 
(5) LOW-INCOME STUDENTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—From the funds re-
maining after carrying out paragraphs (1) and 
(2), in awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall ensure that not less than 50 
percent of the grant funds are awarded to eligi-
ble entities that serve student populations in 
which 20 percent or more of school-age children 
live in low-income families, according to the 
most recent Small Area Income and Poverty 
Estimates of the Bureau of the Census. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding sub-
paragraph (A), the Secretary shall reduce the 
amount of funds made available under such 
subparagraph if the Secretary does not receive 
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a sufficient number of applications of sufficient 
quality. 
(6) RURAL AND LOW-INCOME STUDENTS.—An 
eligible entity that is described in paragraph (4)(A) 
and also described in paragraph (5)(A) may count 
as an eligible entity under both paragraphs for pur-
poses of the requirements under such paragraphs. 
(d) PUBLICATION OF APPLICATION.—Not later than 
60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) publish the applications for grants under 
this section; and 
(2) post on the public website of the Depart-
ment of Education resources regarding identified 
evidence-based activities, strategies, and interven-
tions. 
(e) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity that desires to 
receive a grant under this section shall submit an applica-
tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
require, including the following: 
(1) Identification by the eligible entity of the in-
equities experienced by students during the COVID– 
19 pandemic, including the impact on academic 
progress and social-emotional, mental, behavioral, 
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and physical health needs, identified through trau-
ma-informed academic, social-emotional, and health 
needs assessments or assessments used in multi- 
tiered systems of support. Where possible, applicants 
shall utilize existing assessments and validated tools, 
such as surveys, to avoid duplicative or excessive 
student testing. 
(2) The differential impact of the COVID–19 
pandemic on increased academic, social-emotional, 
mental, and physical health needs for specific groups 
of students, including low-income students, students 
of color and Native American students, homeless 
students, migrant students, students in foster care, 
English learners, students involved with the juvenile 
justice system, and students with disabilities, and 
other 
specific 
groups 
identified 
in 
section 
1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
6311(b)(2)(B)(xi)), in a manner that protects per-
sonally identifiable information. 
(3) The evidence-based strategies the eligible 
entity will use to address these inequities if applying 
for a grant described in subsection (b)(1). 
(4) How academic, social-emotional, mental, be-
havioral, and physical health, access to accelerated 
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student learning and mastery of content, and related 
outcomes will be measured, including how the eligi-
ble entity will use existing assessments and validated 
tools, such as surveys, to avoid duplicative or exces-
sive student testing. 
(5) How the eligible entity will partner and seek 
ongoing feedback with the parents, families, teach-
ers, paraprofessionals, local stakeholders, and com-
munity members, including those from marginalized 
communities, to identify academic, social-emotional, 
mental, behavioral, and physical health needs of stu-
dents and collaborate on provision of high-quality 
services where appropriate. 
(6) How the proposed strategies and interven-
tions will accelerate student learning, promote mas-
tery of content, and expand student access to and 
opportunity for well-rounded, culturally and linguis-
tically responsive, and rigorous standards-aligned 
curricula. 
(7) Identification by the eligible entity of the 
mental and physical health impacts on school staff 
during the COVID–19 pandemic. 
(8) A proposed detailed budget, including how 
the applicant plans to distribute funds among 
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schools and groups of students identified as highest 
need. 
(9) For eligible entities that intend to carry out 
field- and educator-initiated proposals described in 
subsection (b)(2), a proposal for conducting an inde-
pendent evaluation of the effectiveness of the pro-
posal. 
(f) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants serving 
disproportionately higher percentages of high-need stu-
dents, including low-income students, students of color 
and Native American students, homeless students, mi-
grant students, students in foster care, English learners, 
students involved with the juvenile justice system, stu-
dents with disabilities, and students that have been dis-
proportionately affected by COVID–19. 
(g) USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall carry out 1 of the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Implementation of evidence-based activities, 
strategies, and interventions that meet the require-
ments described in section 8101(21)(A)(i) of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)(i)), which shall include at least 
1 of the following: 
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(A) Developing, administering, and using 
high-quality, universally designed assessments 
that are valid and reliable, to accurately assess 
students’ academic needs and progress and as-
sist educators in meeting students’ academic 
needs, including through differentiating instruc-
tion, progress monitoring, and providing profes-
sional development on how to develop univer-
sally designed, high-quality assessments that 
are aligned with curricula or how to effectively 
implement and use existing high-quality assess-
ments for these purposes. 
(B) Supporting social and emotional learn-
ing, including through integrated systems of 
support, counseling, and the explicit teaching of 
cognitive, social, and emotional skills and com-
petencies, by building social and emotional in-
struction into all classes, and which may in-
clude instituting restorative practices. 
(C) Implementing school- and district-wide 
practices that support students holistically, in-
cluding mental health services, early interven-
tion and prevention practices, trauma-informed 
practices, and efforts to improve family engage-
ment and staff well-being. 
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(D) Implementing culturally and linguis-
tically responsive practices. 
(E) Extending instructional time, which 
may include— 
(i) before or after school programs 
and extending the school day or year, in-
cluding through summer learning pro-
grams; or 
(ii) high-quality distance instruction, 
during non-traditional school days and 
hours (including during the summer), in-
cluding providing professional development 
to support effective, personalized instruc-
tion. 
(F) Implementing high-quality structured 
individual or small group tutoring. 
(G) Implementing and providing profes-
sional development on the use of rigorous, cul-
turally and linguistically competent, universally 
designed, and well-rounded curriculum. 
(H) Recruiting and supporting racially, 
ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse, 
well-prepared educators, including those with 
disabilities, through comprehensive State-ac-
credited teacher preparation programs. 
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