15-191.01. Family literacy program; procedures; curriculum; eligibility plan

(Rpld. 1/2/14. Caution: 1998 Prop. 105 applies)

A. The family literacy program is established in the state board of education through the division of early childhood education programs to increase the basic academic and literacy skills of eligible parents and their preschool children in accordance with this article. The state board of education shall establish family literacy projects as part of the overall program at locations where there is a high incidence of economic and educational disadvantage as determined by the state board of education in consultation with the department of economic security and, as appropriate, other state agencies.

B. The state board of education shall adopt procedures necessary to implement the family literacy program.

C. The state board of education shall establish guidelines for requiring family literacy program participants to engage in community service activities in exchange for benefits received from the program. Participants shall be allowed to choose from a variety of community and faith-based service providers that are under contract with the department to provide community service opportunities or program services. Participants shall be allowed and encouraged to engage in community services within their own communities. Participants shall be allowed to fulfill the requirements of this subsection by providing community services to the program from which they received services.

D. The state board of education shall submit an annual report by December 31 to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate regarding the community service activities of family literacy program participants pursuant to subsection C, including information on the number of participants, the types of community service performed and the number of hours spent in community service activities.

E. Local education agencies and adult education programs funded by the department of education are eligible for grants if the state board of education determines that a high percentage of adults in the county, the local school district or the targeted local school service area have not graduated from high school. Selection criteria for grant awards shall include at a minimum the educational needs of the adult population, the incidence of unemployment in the county, district or local targeted school service area, the degree to which community collaboration and partnership demonstrate the ability to bring additional resources to the program and the readiness and likelihood of the proposing organizations to establish a successful family literacy project.

F. Each project team shall include representatives from each of the following:

1. One or more local school districts or the county school superintendent's office.

2. An adult education provider funded by the division of adult education or a provider that complies with the policies, academic standards, performance outcomes, assessment and data collection requirements of adult education as prescribed by the division of adult education.

3. A private or public early childhood education provider.

4. Any other social service, governmental or private agency that may provide assistance for the planning and operation of the project.

G. In addition to the grants prescribed in subsection H, the state board of education shall authorize two grants to existing literacy programs in this state that can offer training and serve as models and training resources for the establishment and expansion of other programs throughout this state. Existing literacy programs shall submit a grant application to the state board of education in the same manner as prescribed in subsection K.

H. The state board of education shall authorize additional grants through the division of early childhood education programs in areas of educational and economic need.

I. Selected projects shall use either:

1. A nationally recognized family literacy model such as models developed by the national center for family literacy or its successor.

2. A model that, in the determination of the project team and the state board of education, is superior to a nationally recognized family literacy model.

J. Eligible parents shall be instructed in adult basic education and general educational development. Preschool children shall receive instruction in developmentally appropriate early childhood programs. Other planned, structured activities involving parents and children in learning activities may be established as a part of the curriculum.

K. Each grant application shall include a plan to address at least the following:

1. Identification and recruitment of eligible parents and children.

2. Screening and preparation of parents and children for participation in the family literacy program.

3. Instructional programs and assessment practices that promote academic and literacy skills and that equip parents to provide needed support for the educational growth and success of their children.

4. A determination that at least ten but no more than twenty parents with children will be eligible for and be enrolled in the family literacy program at all times, or that the family literacy programs shall document efforts to continually recruit eligible families.

5. Provision of child care through either private or public providers.

6. A transportation plan for participants.

7. An organizational partnership involving at a minimum a common school, a private or publicly funded preschool provider and an adult education program funded by the department of education or by an outside funding source.

L. This section shall be enforced without regard to race, religion, gender, ethnicity or national origin.

M. The state board of education shall report on December 31 and June 30 of each year to the joint legislative budget committee the total number of parents who applied to participate in a program under this article and the total number of parents who were not eligible under this article because the parent was not an eligible parent as defined in section 15-191, paragraph 1, subdivision (c).

15-191.01. Family literacy program; procedures; curriculum; eligibility plan

(Rpld. 1/2/14. Caution: 1998 Prop. 105 applies)

A. The family literacy program is established in the state board of education through the division of early childhood education programs to increase the basic academic and literacy skills of eligible parents and their preschool children in accordance with this article. The state board of education shall establish family literacy projects as part of the overall program at locations where there is a high incidence of economic and educational disadvantage as determined by the state board of education in consultation with the department of economic security and, as appropriate, other state agencies.

B. The state board of education shall adopt procedures necessary to implement the family literacy program.

C. The state board of education shall establish guidelines for requiring family literacy program participants to engage in community service activities in exchange for benefits received from the program. Participants shall be allowed to choose from a variety of community and faith-based service providers that are under contract with the department to provide community service opportunities or program services. Participants shall be allowed and encouraged to engage in community services within their own communities. Participants shall be allowed to fulfill the requirements of this subsection by providing community services to the program from which they received services.

D. The state board of education shall submit an annual report by December 31 to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate regarding the community service activities of family literacy program participants pursuant to subsection C, including information on the number of participants, the types of community service performed and the number of hours spent in community service activities.

E. Local education agencies and adult education programs funded by the department of education are eligible for grants if the state board of education determines that a high percentage of adults in the county, the local school district or the targeted local school service area have not graduated from high school. Selection criteria for grant awards shall include at a minimum the educational needs of the adult population, the incidence of unemployment in the county, district or local targeted school service area, the degree to which community collaboration and partnership demonstrate the ability to bring additional resources to the program and the readiness and likelihood of the proposing organizations to establish a successful family literacy project.

F. Each project team shall include representatives from each of the following:

1. One or more local school districts or the county school superintendent's office.

2. An adult education provider funded by the division of adult education or a provider that complies with the policies, academic standards, performance outcomes, assessment and data collection requirements of adult education as prescribed by the division of adult education.

3. A private or public early childhood education provider.

4. Any other social service, governmental or private agency that may provide assistance for the planning and operation of the project.

G. In addition to the grants prescribed in subsection H, the state board of education shall authorize two grants to existing literacy programs in this state that can offer training and serve as models and training resources for the establishment and expansion of other programs throughout this state. Existing literacy programs shall submit a grant application to the state board of education in the same manner as prescribed in subsection K.

H. The state board of education shall authorize additional grants through the division of early childhood education programs in areas of educational and economic need.

I. Selected projects shall use either:

1. A nationally recognized family literacy model such as models developed by the national center for family literacy or its successor.

2. A model that, in the determination of the project team and the state board of education, is superior to a nationally recognized family literacy model.

J. Eligible parents shall be instructed in adult basic education and general educational development. Preschool children shall receive instruction in developmentally appropriate early childhood programs. Other planned, structured activities involving parents and children in learning activities may be established as a part of the curriculum.

K. Each grant application shall include a plan to address at least the following:

1. Identification and recruitment of eligible parents and children.

2. Screening and preparation of parents and children for participation in the family literacy program.

3. Instructional programs and assessment practices that promote academic and literacy skills and that equip parents to provide needed support for the educational growth and success of their children.

4. A determination that at least ten but no more than twenty parents with children will be eligible for and be enrolled in the family literacy program at all times, or that the family literacy programs shall document efforts to continually recruit eligible families.

5. Provision of child care through either private or public providers.

6. A transportation plan for participants.

7. An organizational partnership involving at a minimum a common school, a private or publicly funded preschool provider and an adult education program funded by the department of education or by an outside funding source.

L. This section shall be enforced without regard to race, religion, gender, ethnicity or national origin.

M. The state board of education shall report on December 31 and June 30 of each year to the joint legislative budget committee the total number of parents who applied to participate in a program under this article and the total number of parents who were not eligible under this article because the parent was not an eligible parent as defined in section 15-191, paragraph 1, subdivision (c).