I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2794 
To amend titles I and II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 to strengthen connections to early childhood education programs, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 5, 2011 
Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. JONES, Mr. POLIS, and Mr. YOUNG of Alaska) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend titles I and II of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 to strengthen connections to early 
childhood education programs, 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 ‘‘Continuum of Learn-
ing Act of 2011’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. References. 
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Sec. 4. Findings. 
TITLE I—IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE 
DISADVANTAGED 
Sec. 101. Statement of purpose. 
Sec. 102. School improvement. 
Sec. 103. State plans. 
Sec. 104. Local educational agency plans. 
Sec. 105. Academic assessment and local educational agency and school im-
provement. 
Sec. 106. Qualifications for teachers and paraprofessionals. 
Sec. 107. Coordination requirements. 
Sec. 108. Prohibited use of assessments for young children. 
TITLE II—PREPARING, TRAINING, AND RECRUITING HIGH- 
QUALITY TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS 
Sec. 201. Purpose. 
Sec. 202. State applications. 
Sec. 203. State use of funds. 
Sec. 204. Local applications and needs assessment. 
Sec. 205. Local use of funds. 
Sec. 206. Definitions. 
Sec. 207. Use of funds for eligible partnerships. 
TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS 
Sec. 301. Definitions. 
SEC. 3. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in 
this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi-
sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a 
section or other provision of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.). 
SEC. 4. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Research conclusively shows that children’s 
experiences in the early years of life influence the 
developing brain and have a significant and lasting 
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impact upon their ability to succeed in school and in 
life. 
(2) All children deserve access to high-quality 
early childhood education programs that support 
their social, emotional, and cognitive development 
and help prepare them to enter school ready to 
learn. 
(3) Research conclusively shows that high-qual-
ity early childhood education programs lead to an in-
crease in positive outcomes for children in multiple 
arenas, including— 
(A) improved socialization skills; 
(B) higher early reading and early mathe-
matics skills; 
(C) decreased grade retention; 
(D) decreased special education or reme-
dial education services, or both; 
(E) decreased involvement with the juve-
nile justice system; 
(F) increased likelihood that children will 
graduate from high school; and 
(G) increased likelihood of employment, 
thus helping support America’s long-term na-
tional economic strength. 
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(4) High-quality early childhood education pro-
grams provide parents the means to work and be fi-
nancially responsible for their families. 
(5) Research conclusively shows the cost-effec-
tiveness of investments in high-quality early child-
hood education programs, with cost savings ranging 
from $7 to $17 for every dollar invested. 
(6) Aligning and connecting Federal and State 
early education efforts with the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et 
seq.) is critical to establishing quality care and 
learning opportunities for children, beginning at 
birth and continuing through adulthood, thereby 
closing the achievement gap, and improving high 
school graduation rates and college enrollment rates. 
(7) Utilizing existing partnerships, as well as 
instituting new partnerships, between high-quality 
early childhood education programs, particularly in 
high-need communities, and elementary schools will 
provide opportunities for meaningful transitions for 
children and result in a successful elementary and 
secondary education experience. 
(8) Under section 1112(b)(1)(K) of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6312(b)(1)(K)), local educational agencies 
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may, but are not required to, support preschool-age 
and younger children through direct services or sub-
contracts with Head Start or other early childhood 
programs, but more effort is required to ensure that 
early learning programs and elementary schools are 
meeting the educational needs of young children. 
(9) There is widespread acknowledgment among 
experts on child education that prior to entrance in 
kindergarten, and in the early grades, children re-
main on a path of development that requires atten-
tion to and support for their emotional, social, and 
physical development and their creativity, curiosity 
and tenacity. 
(10) Better alignment between early childhood 
education programs and elementary schools, and 
greater support for elementary school leadership in 
instituting more developmentally appropriate and 
comprehensive learning approaches for young chil-
dren, are widely acknowledged within the education 
community as areas ripe for improvement that would 
lead to better outcomes for children. 
(11) Through several laws enacted in the past 
2 decades, Congress has signified its interest in en-
suring that young children’s learning opportunities 
are enhanced by requiring States to develop and im-
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plement guidelines and standards to support devel-
opmentally appropriate instruction across com-
prehensive domains of learning. 
TITLE I—IMPROVING THE ACA-
DEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE 
DISADVANTAGED 
SEC. 101. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 
Section 1001 (20 U.S.C. 6301) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and other types of’’ after 
‘‘high-quality academic’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘developmentally appro-
priate’’ after ‘‘challenging’’; and 
(C) by inserting ‘‘and other learning’’ after 
‘‘State academic’’; 
(2) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘between stu-
dents who are children with disabilities and students 
without disabilities,’’ after ‘‘minority and non-
minority students,’’; 
(3) in paragraph (6), by inserting ‘‘and other 
early learning guidelines’’ after ‘‘content standards’’; 
and 
(4) in paragraph (11), by inserting ‘‘with com-
munity-based providers of early childhood education 
programs,’’ after ‘‘educational services,’’. 
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SEC. 102. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT. 
Section 1003(c) (20 U.S.C. 6303(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) with respect to the elementary schools 
served by the local educational agencies, dem-
onstrate a commitment to long-term, high-quality, 
evidence-based strategies for school improvement 
through coordination with early childhood education 
programs and early childhood home visitation pro-
grams, as described under section 511 of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 711).’’. 
SEC. 103. STATE PLANS. 
Section 1111 (20 U.S.C. 6311) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘and par-
ents,’’ and inserting ‘‘parents, the State Advisory 
Council on Early Childhood Education and Care 
designated or established under section 642B of the 
Head Start Act and preschool through grade 20 (P– 
20) councils, to the extent that such councils exist, 
and other community-based providers of early child-
hood education programs,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(1)— 
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(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘standards and challenging student academic 
achievement standards’’ and inserting ‘‘stand-
ards, challenging student academic achievement 
standards, and other learning standards (such 
as social, emotional, and physical development 
and approaches to learning for children in the 
early elementary grades and younger children) 
that are challenging and grounded in the appro-
priate developmental expectations for children 
and youth,’’; 
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) 
and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respec-
tively; and 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) 
the following: 
‘‘(E) EARLY LEARNING GUIDELINES AND 
EARLY GRADES STANDARDS.—Not later than 3 
years after the date of enactment of the Con-
tinuum of Learning Act of 2011, the State shall 
carry out the following: 
‘‘(i) EARLY LEARNING GUIDELINES.— 
In collaboration and agreement with the 
State Advisory Council on Early Childhood 
Education and Care designated or estab-
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lished under section 642B of the Head 
Start Act, the State agency designated to 
administer State programs under the Child 
Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), and the 
State educational agency, shall complete a 
review and create or revise, as necessary, 
the State’s early learning guidelines for 
young children in order to promote devel-
opmentally appropriate, high-quality pro-
grams so that the guidelines— 
‘‘(I) address infants, toddlers, 
and preschool age children; 
‘‘(II) are developed in all do-
mains of child development and learn-
ing, as appropriate, for each age 
group (including language, literacy, 
mathematics, creative arts, science, 
social studies, social and emotional de-
velopment, physical development and 
health, and approaches to learning); 
‘‘(III) reflect research and evi-
dence-based developmental and learn-
ing expectations, including the foun-
dation for and progression in how 
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children develop and learn the req-
uisite skills and content forward from 
one stage to the next, including what 
children should know and be able to 
do; 
‘‘(IV) address cultural, linguistic, 
and ability diversity of young children; 
‘‘(V) can inform teaching prac-
tices, improve professional develop-
ment, and support quality services in 
early childhood education programs; 
‘‘(VI) are disseminated to par-
ents, educators, and other stake-
holders; and 
‘‘(VII) for preschool age children, 
appropriately assist in the transition 
of such children to kindergarten; and 
‘‘(ii) EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS.— 
Review and revise, as needed, standards 
for kindergarten through grade 3 to ensure 
that such standards— 
‘‘(I) are developed in all domains 
of child development and learning (in-
cluding language, literacy, mathe-
matics, creative arts, science, social 
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studies, social and emotional develop-
ment, 
physical 
development 
and 
health, and approaches to learning); 
‘‘(II) reflect research and evi-
dence-based development and learning 
expectations for each level and ad-
dress cultural, linguistic, and ability- 
level diversity; and 
‘‘(III) across grade levels, reflect 
progression in how children develop 
and learn the requisite skills and con-
tent from earlier grades forward, in-
cluding preschool.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (13), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(B) in paragraph (14), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(15) the State educational agency will develop 
a plan to encourage local educational agencies and 
individual elementary schools that are participating 
in a program assisted under this part to offer early 
childhood education programs from birth to the age 
of mandatory school entry (using funds under this 
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part), by disseminating information through publica-
tions, conferences, and other events, that describe 
how such funds may best be used to support early 
childhood education programs and evidence-based 
and promising early childhood home visitation pro-
grams, as described under section 511 of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 711).’’; 
(4) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) reflect the diversity of family cultures, 
structures, and languages.’’; 
(5) in subsection (h)(2)(B)(i)— 
(A) in subclause (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(III) information that shows 
how children younger than the man-
datory age of school entry are served 
directly by the local educational agen-
cy, or through contract or other col-
laboration with early childhood pro-
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grams, including early childhood home 
visitation 
programs, 
as 
described 
under section 511 of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 711), including— 
‘‘(aa) the number of children 
served, disaggregated by income, 
race, and disability status; 
‘‘(bb) a description of the 
services received; and 
‘‘(cc) the amount each local 
educational agency spent using 
grant funds awarded under this 
title on services for such children; 
and’’; and 
(6) by striking subsection (l) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(l) CONSTRUCTION.— 
‘‘(1) STUDENT PROMOTION OR GRADUATION.— 
Nothing in this part shall be construed to prescribe 
the use of the academic assessments described in 
this part for student promotion or graduation pur-
poses. 
‘‘(2) COMPULSORY
EDUCATION
AND
SPECIAL 
EDUCATION SERVICES.—Nothing in this title shall 
be construed to limit a child’s right to compulsory 
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education under State law, or to special education 
and related services under the Individuals with Dis-
abilities Education Act.’’. 
SEC. 104. LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY PLANS. 
Section 1112 (20 U.S.C. 6312) is amended as fol-
lows: 
(1) GENERAL
PLAN
PROVISIONS.—Subsection 
(b)(1) is amended as follows: 
(A) 
JOINT
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOP-
MENT.—In subparagraph (D), by inserting 
‘‘and joint high-quality, evidence-based profes-
sional development between preschool through 
grade 3 teachers in Head Start programs and, 
as feasible, other community-based early child-
hood education programs,’’ after ‘‘teachers and 
principals,’’. 
(B) READY SCHOOL NEEDS REVIEW.—By 
amending subparagraph (E) to read as follows: 
‘‘(E) a description of how the local edu-
cational agency will assist each elementary 
school that is served by the local educational 
agency and that receives assistance under this 
part, in conducting, not less often than once 
every 3 years (depending on the needs of the 
school), a ready school needs review that— 
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‘‘(i) will be used by the school in de-
veloping and implementing policies and 
procedures that create a school environ-
ment and classroom practices that— 
‘‘(I) support each child in meet-
ing State and grade level expectations 
and challenges, including the aca-
demic content standards and academic 
achievement standards under section 
1111(b); and 
‘‘(II) support successful transi-
tions for children; and 
‘‘(ii) includes, at a minimum, the 
needs of the school regarding— 
‘‘(I) the use of developmentally 
appropriate (including culturally and 
linguistically appropriate) curricula, 
classroom materials, teaching prac-
tices, instructional assessments, and 
accommodations; 
‘‘(II) appropriate services and 
supports for children with disabilities 
and children who are limited English 
proficient; 
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‘‘(III) family and community en-
gagement policies and practices; 
‘‘(IV) building and maintaining a 
school climate that supports positive 
development and learning; 
‘‘(V) leadership and support for 
school staff, including— 
‘‘(aa) professional develop-
ment for elementary school prin-
cipals, 
other 
school 
leaders, 
teachers, and specialized instruc-
tional support personnel in the 
development 
and 
learning 
of 
young 
children 
and 
develop-
mentally appropriate practice; 
‘‘(bb) the assignment of 
teachers based on degrees and 
certification 
or 
licensure 
for 
teaching children in prekinder-
garten through grade 3 and ap-
propriate student-to-teacher ra-
tios for such children; and 
‘‘(cc) teacher and student 
interactions in the classroom that 
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improve instruction and learning; 
and 
‘‘(VI) outreach and collaboration 
with— 
‘‘(aa) early childhood care 
and education providers in the 
school attendance area, including 
ongoing channels of communica-
tion on— 
‘‘(AA) issues relating to 
continuity of high-quality, 
developmentally appropriate, 
and well-aligned standards, 
curricula, classroom prac-
tices, and instructional as-
sessment and supports; 
‘‘(BB) transitions be-
tween program settings; and 
‘‘(CC) other services to 
support learning and devel-
opment; and 
‘‘(bb) other providers of 
services that support learning 
and development, such as nutri-
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tion, health, and mental health 
services;’’. 
(C) ALLOWABLE
USE.—By striking sub-
paragraph (K) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(K) if appropriate, a description of how 
the local educational agency will use funds 
under this part to support educational and de-
velopmental opportunities for young children 
from birth to the age of mandatory school entry 
through early childhood education programs, in-
cluding providing full-day and full-year services, 
or early childhood home visitation programs, as 
described under section 511 of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 711);’’. 
(2) NOT AN EVALUATION UNDER IDEA.—Sub-
section (b)(2) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) to constitute, or construed to con-
stitute, an evaluation required under the Indi-
viduals with Disabilities Education Act.’’. 
(3) CONSULTATION.—By striking paragraph 
(1) of subsection (d) and inserting the following: 
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‘‘(1) CONSULTATION.—Each local educational 
agency plan shall be developed in consultation 
with— 
‘‘(A) teachers, principals, and administra-
tors (including administrators of programs de-
scribed in other parts of this title); 
‘‘(B) other appropriate school personnel; 
‘‘(C) parents of children in schools served 
under this part; and 
‘‘(D) local early childhood councils and 
representatives of community-based early child-
hood education programs, such as Head Start, 
State-funded prekindergarten programs, early 
intervention programs, and child care pro-
viders.’’. 
SEC. 
105. 
ACADEMIC 
ASSESSMENT 
AND 
LOCAL 
EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCY AND SCHOOL IMPROVE-
MENT. 
Section 1116(c)(7)(A) (20 U.S.C. 6316(c)(7)) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating clauses (vi), (vii), and 
(viii), as clauses (vii), (viii), and (ix) respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after clause (v) the following: 
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