1. What is the purpose of the Reading Excellence Act?

   The Reading Excellence Act amends Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by adding a reading component to:

   • provide children with the readiness skills and support they need in early childhood to learn to read once they enter school;
   • teach every child to read by the end of the third grade;
   • improve the instructional practices of teachers and other instructional staff in elementary schools; and
   • provide additional support for students having difficulty making the transition from kindergarten to grade 1, particularly students experiencing difficulty with reading skills.

   The Reading Excellence Act supports four primary activities: (1) professional development; (2) out-of-school tutoring; (3) family literacy; and (4) transitional programs for kindergarten students.

2. How much money was appropriated for REA?

   In FY 1999, $260 million was appropriated for the Reading Excellence Act. This includes $10 million for Even Start Statewide family literacy initiative grants, $3.9 million for national evaluation activities, $5 million for National Institute for Literacy dissemination, and $241.1 million for Reading Excellence Act grants to States.

3. How will the Reading Excellence Act funds flow from the Department to the schools?

   Under the Act, the Secretary of Education is authorized to make competitive grants to State Educational Agencies (SEAs). All States are eligible to apply. A SEA may not receive more than one grant.

   State educational agencies that receive funding are required to make subgrants under two separate parts of the program, Local Reading Improvement and Tutorial Assistance.

   • Local Reading Improvement subgrants are awarded on a competitive basis to: (1) local districts that have at least one school in Title I school improvement status; (2) districts with the highest or second highest number of poor children in the State; or (3) State districts with the highest or second highest percentages of poverty in the State.
   • Tutorial Assistance subgrants are awarded on a competitive basis to local districts that meet one of the eligibility criteria listed for the Local Reading Improvement subgrants plus districts that have at least one school in the geographic area served by the agency that is located in an area designated as an empowerment zone under part I of sub-chapter U of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or is located in an area designated as an enterprise community under part I of subchapter U of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

4. What does REA mean for the America Reads Challenge (ARC) office? Will the ARC move to OESE?

   The America Reads Challenge (ARC) office will remain in the Secretary's office at the U.S. Department of Education. The goal and mission of America Reads remains the same and that is that all children will read independently and well by the end of the third grade. The Reading Excellence Act supports this goal. Although the Reading Excellence Act program will be housed in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, both offices will be integrally involved in the implementation of the REA. Additionally, the America Reads Challenge office will continue to operate as it has been in addressing the numerous strategies for meeting the goal and mission of the Challenge.

5. Why is REA needed?

   Unfortunately, too many children fail to read at grade level. In 1994, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress, 40 percent of our nation's fourth graders failed to read at the basic level. Sixty-nine percent of African American and 64 percent of Hispanic American fourth graders read below the basic level.

   We know that to succeed in school, be prepared for more advanced courses in college, and participate in the high-skill workplace of the 21st century, all students need good reading skills. The Reading Excellence Act targets the children who are most in need of additional assistance at the most critical period, the primary grades. Research shows that students who are behind in reading can catch up to grade level with additional reading instruction.

6. How can Community-based organizations get involved? Get funded?

   To the extent feasible, a local educational agency that desires to receive a grant shall form a partnership with one or more community-based organizations of demonstrated effectiveness in early childhood literacy, reading readiness, reading instruction, and reading achievement for both adults and children to carry out the functions described in the Act. Examples of these community-based organizations are a Head Start program, family literacy program, public library, or adult education program.

   Therefore, community-based organizations (CBO) should contact their chief State school officer to become part of the State literacy partnership. Additionally, CBOs should contact their local schools and form the partnerships that are required under this Act.

7. What if there isn't a CBO in a district that applies for a grant?

   The applicant must provide information on why it would not be feasible to form a partnership with a CBO.

8. How will States apply for funds?

   A State that wishes to participate must establish a reading and literacy partnership with the Governor, chief State school officer, the chair and ranking minority member of committees in the State legislature responsible for education policy, and representatives of: local districts eligible to receive subgrants under this program, community-based organizations, State directors of federal programs supporting reading instruction, parents, teachers, and family literacy service providers, plus a variety of optional participants. Similar pre-existing partnerships may be substituted to meet this requirement if the State so chooses.

   A State educational agency that desires to receive a grant shall submit an application to the Secretary of Education at such time and in such form as the Secretary may require.

9. Who will review the SEAs' applications?

   State applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts convened by the Secretary of Education and the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL). At a minimum, the panel shall include: representatives of the National Institute for Literacy, the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD). The Secretary, NIFL, NRC, NICHHD will each select three individuals.

10. Will priority be given for anything?

    Priority will be given to applications from States that have, or that provide assurances that they will (within 18 months), revise the training required for certification as an elementary school teacher in the State to reflect "scientifically based reading research."

11. How will LEAs apply for funds?

    Local Reading Improvement subgrants are awarded to local educational agencies (LEAs) based on a competitive review process. The subgrants must be for two years.

    The subgrants provide support to local educational agencies in advance reform of reading instruction in participating schools. This must include:

    • improving the reading instruction practice of teachers and other appropriate instructional staff through professional development,
    • expanding family literacy programs (early childhood education, adult parenting training and literacy education)
    • providing early literacy intervention to children experiencing reading difficulties, including kindergarten transition programs, and
    • providing supplementary tutoring.

    Key features include the requirement that the LEA will base the project’s activities on scientifically-based reading research and will enter into an agreement with an expert on the particular reading program being implemented to gain assistance with its implementation.

    Other important features are:

    • Participating LEAs and schools must either be in Title I school improvement status or have the first or second high poverty numbers or rates.
    • The LEA must also try to form a partnership with one or more community-based family literacy organizations in carrying out the project’s activities.

12. What is the minimum subgrant amount to be awarded to LEAs?

    Subgrants shall consist of an amount sufficient to enable the subgrant recipient to operate a program for a two-year period. Beyond this provision, the Act sets no minimum (or maximum) funding requirements for LEAs.

13. How much money can the SEAs and the LEAs set aside for administration costs?

    They can each use up to 5 percent of their grant awards.

14. Are all States eligible to receive grants? If so, how many?

    All States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, are eligible to receive grants. The minimum grant award for States is $500,000. States may only apply for one award.

15. Are Bureau of Indian Affairs schools eligible for funds?

    Bureau of Indian Affairs schools may be eligible to apply if they qualify as a LEA under the specific definition of LEA in section 14101(18)(A), (b), or (C) of ESEA. A consortium of BIA schools that meets the requirements of section 14103 of ESEA would also be eligible. Because the BIA is not eligible to receive a State grant, individual BIA schools or a consortium of BIA schools would apply for subgrants directly to the SEAs of their respective States.

16. Which territories are eligible for funds?

    The Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible for funds not less than $100,000.

    The Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are not eligible.

17. What is a Tutorial Assistance Subgrant?

    Tutorial Assistance Subgrants are awarded to local educational agencies (LEAs) based on a competitive review process. SEAs may reserve up to 15 percent of their overall grant for this subgrant program, and must award at least one Tutorial Assistance Subgrant. The Tutorial Assistance subgrants provide support to local educational agencies to provide tutorial assistance in reading to children having difficulty in reading.

    • The tutoring programs can be before or after school, on weekends, or during the summer.
    • Tutoring providers must include the school system itself as well as at least one independent provider under contract to the LEA. The contract provider must be independent, in the provision of these services, of any private school whose children are being served and any religious organization.

    As with the Local Reading Improvement Grants, a key feature is the requirement that the tutoring provided under the TAS must be based on scientifically based reading research and also be consistent with the reading program used by the child's school. Further, the tutorial assistance providers accepted for this program must have a record of effectiveness in providing tutorial services in reading readiness, reading instruction, or early childhood literacy.

    Parents receive the following information and choices of services under this program:

    • The LEA must be able to offer parents multiple choices for providers, including a school-based program and at least one non-LEA provider under contract.
    • The LEA must develop information for parents of eligible children on their choices for tutorial assistance, including information on the quality and effectiveness of the tutorial assistance offered by each approved provider.

    Eligible LEAs must have schools in empowerment zones, enterprise communities, in Title I school improvement status, or have the first or second highest poverty numbers or rates among districts in the State. Schools that participate, however, must either be in Title I improvement status or be first or second in poverty numbers or rate among district schools.

    The LEA must give public notice of the availability of the subgrant funding to possible providers and to parents, within 30 days of receiving the state notice.

18. What if no LEA applies for a TAS?

    The 15 percent of the SEAs total grant award that could be used for TAS can be rolled over into the Reading and Literacy Grants.

19. Who does the REA target?

    The REA targets the neediest children:

    • local school districts that have at least one school in Title I school improvement status;

    • districts with the highest or second highest percentages of poverty in the State; or

    • districts with the highest or second highest number of poor children in the State.

20. How will REA help teachers?

    LEAs that receive subgrants shall include an assurance that they will carry out professional development for the classroom teacher and other instructional staff on the teaching of reading based on scientifically based reading research.

21. How will REA use volunteers?

    LEAs that receive subgrants shall include an assurance that they will use supervised individuals (including tutors), who have been appropriately trained using scientifically based reading research, to provide additional support, before school, after school, on weekends, during non-instructional periods of the school day, or during the summer.

22. Will REA support family literacy?

    Yes. LEAs shall include an assurance that they will provide family literacy services based on programs such as the Even Start family literacy model to enable parents to be their child's first and most important teacher.

    Under the REA, "family literacy services" means, "services provided to participants on a voluntary basis that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours, and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a family, and that integrate all of the following activities: (a) interactive literacy activities between parents and their children; (b) training for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their children; (c) parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency; and (d) an age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences."

23. Is there an evaluation component?

    The Reading Excellence Act also provides for two levels of evaluation -- a national evaluation by the Secretary funded with 1.5 percent of the total dollars appropriated for the Act ($3.9 million for the current fiscal year), and a State-level evaluation for which each State may reserve up to 2 percent of the amount it receives under this Act (which is part of the five percent a State may reserve for administrative costs).

24. Are States required to evaluate this program?

    Yes. SEAs that receive a grant shall evaluate the success of the agency's subgrantees in meeting the purposes of the Act. At a minimum, the evaluation shall measure the extent to which students who are the intended beneficiaries of the subgrants have improved their reading skills.

25. How does Even Start fit in?

    Even Start (Part B of Title I of the ESEA) will receive $10 million for competitive grants to States to implement Statewide family literacy initiatives.

26. What is the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL)?

    NIFL was created as part of the 1991 Literacy Act by a bipartisan Congressional coalition to be the hub of national literacy efforts. By serving as a resource for the literacy community, the Institute assists in addressing urgent national priorities -- upgrading the workforce, reducing welfare dependency, raising the standard of living, and creating safer communities. NIFL is administered by an interagency group, a unique collaboration between the Secretaries of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services.

27. What role does the National Institute for Literacy play with respect to REA?

    The National Institute for Literacy will receive $5 million to distribute information on the best reading research and practices. Additionally, the Secretary along with NIFL will convene a panel to evaluate SEA applications. Additionally, NIFL will assist SEAs, if requested, in determining whether their applications meet the requirements relating to scientifically based research and in developing subgrant applications forms.

28. What programs are acceptable programs for LEAs to use in order to receive an REA subgrant? Do you have a list?

    We do not have a list of eligible programs. We will not create such a list. However, we will put out guidance regarding the types of programs that would qualify.

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