§8283. Urban school grants

(a) Authority

The Secretary is authorized to make grants to eligible local educational agencies serving an urban area or State educational agencies in the case where the State educational agency is the local educational agency for activities designed to assist in local school improvement efforts and school reform, and to assist the schools of such agencies in meeting the National Education Goals.

(b) Authorized activities

Funds under this section may be used to-

(1) increase the academic achievement of urban public school children to at least the national average, such as-

(A) effective public schools programs;

(B) tutoring, mentoring, and other activities to improve academic achievement directly;

(C) activities designed to increase the participation of minority and female students in entry level and advanced courses in mathematics and science;

(D) supplementary academic instruction;

(E) efforts to improve problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills;

(F) programs to increase student motivation for learning; and

(G) efforts to lengthen the school day or school year, or to reduce class sizes;

(2) ensure the readiness of all urban public school children for school, such as-

(A) full workday, full calendar-year comprehensive early childhood development programs;

(B) parenting classes and parent involvement activities;

(C) activities designed to coordinate prekindergarten and child care programs;

(D) efforts to integrate developmentally appropriate prekindergarten services into the overall public school program;

(E) upgrading the qualifications of early childhood education staff and standards for programs;

(F) collaborative efforts with health and social service agencies to provide comprehensive services and to facilitate the transition from home to school;

(G) establishment of comprehensive child care centers in public secondary schools for students who are parents and their children; and

(H) augmenting early childhood development programs to meet the special educational and cultural needs of limited-English-proficient preschool children;

(3) increase the graduation rates of urban public school students to at least the national average, such as-

(A) dropout prevention activities and support services for public school students at-risk of dropping out of school;

(B) reentry, outreach, and support activities to recruit students who have dropped out of school to return to school;

(C) development of systemwide policies and practices that encourage students to stay in school;

(D) efforts to provide individualized student support, such as mentoring programs;

(E) collaborative activities between schools, parents, community groups, agencies, and institutions of higher education aimed at preventing individuals from dropping out of school;

(F) programs to increase student attendance; and

(G) alternative programs for students, especially bilingual and special education students, who have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out of school;

(4) prepare urban public school students to enter higher education, pursue careers, and exercise their responsibilities as citizens, such as-

(A) activities designed to increase the number and percentages of students, particularly minority students, enrolling in postsecondary educational institutions after graduation from public secondary schools;

(B) in-school youth employment, vocational education, and career education programs that improve the transition from school to work;

(C) activities designed in collaboration with colleges and universities to assist urban public school graduates in completing higher education;

(D) efforts to increase voter registration among eligible public secondary school students;

(E) activities designed to promote community service and volunteerism among students, parents, teachers, and the community; and

(F) civic education and other programs designed to enhance responsible citizenship and understanding of the political process;

(5) recruit and retain qualified teachers, such as-

(A) school-based management projects and activities;

(B) programs designed to test efforts to increase the professionalization of teachers or to bring teachers up to national voluntary standards;

(C) alternative routes to certification for qualified individuals from business, the military, and other fields;

(D) efforts to recruit and retain teachers, particularly minority teachers, specializing in critical shortage areas, including early childhood teachers, mathematics and science teachers, and special education and bilingual teachers;

(E) upgrading the skills of teacher aides and paraprofessionals to permit such individuals to become certified teachers;

(F) activities specifically designed to increase the number of minority teachers in urban schools;

(G) incentives for teachers to work in inner-city public schools; and

(H) collaborative activities with urban universities to revise and upgrade teacher training programs;

(6) provide for ongoing staff development to increase the professional capacities of the teaching staff and the skills of teacher aides and paraprofessionals;

(7) decrease the use of drugs and alcohol among urban public school students and enhance the physical and emotional health of such students, such as-

(A) activities designed to improve the self-esteem and self-worth of urban public school students;

(B) the provision of health care services and other social services and the coordination of such services with other health care providers;

(C) programs designed to improve safety and discipline and reduce in-school violence, vandalism, and gang activity;

(D) activities that begin in the early grades and are designed to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and smoking among students and teachers;

(E) collaborative activities with other agencies, businesses, and community groups to discourage the advertisement and glorification of drugs and alcohol;

(F) efforts to enhance health education and nutrition education; and

(G) alternative public schools, and schools-within-schools programs, including bilingual and special education programs for public school students with special needs; or

(8) plan, develop, operate, or expand programs and activities that are designed to assist urban public schools in meeting the National Education Goals, including-

(A) training of teachers and other educational personnel in subject areas, or in instructional technology and methods that will improve the delivery of services in urban settings and assist in the achievement of the National Education Goals, including staff development efforts that emphasize multicultural and gender and disability bias-free curricula;

(B) coordination and collaboration with other municipal agencies, child care organizations, universities, or the private sector;

(C) parental involvement and outreach efforts and other activities designed to enhance parental encouragement of student learning;

(D) pupil services and other support services that contribute to progress in achieving National Education Goals;

(E) efforts to acquire and improve access to educational technology;

(F) assist the schools most in need of services by replicating successful efforts of other urban local educational agencies and expanding successful programs within the eligible agency; or

(G) efforts to improve and strengthen the curriculum and coordinate services across grade levels.

(c) Applications

(1) In general

An eligible local educational agency desiring to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, consistent with this section.

(2) Duration

An application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) may be for a period of not more than five years.

(d) Payments

The Secretary shall make an award only to urban eligible local educational agencies that-

(1) comply with the provisions of section 10966; ¹ and

(2) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the data submitted pursuant to section 8281 ² of this title shows progress toward meeting National Education Goals.

(e) Administrative costs

Not more than five percent of any award made under this subpart may be used for administrative costs.

(Pub. L. 89–10, title X, §10963, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, §101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3849 .)

References in Text

Section 10966, referred to in subsec. (d)(2), meaning section 10966 of Pub. L. 89–10, could not be translated because Pub. L. 89–10 does not contain a section 10966.

¹ See References in Text note below.

² So in original. Section 8281 relates to findings, not to submission of data.