CSSB 197(EDC): "An Act establishing a grant program in the Department of Education and Early Development for achieving excellence in public schools."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 197(EDC) 01 "An Act establishing a grant program in the Department of Education and Early 02 Development for achieving excellence in public schools." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.17 is amended by adding a new section to read: 05 Sec. 14.17.485. Achieving excellence grant program. (a) A grant program is 06 established in the department for the purpose of awarding competitive grants to 07 achieve excellence in public schools that have been designated as low performing 08 under AS 14.03.123. The program is subject to appropriation. Total annual awards 09 may not exceed an amount equal to the number of students who drop out of school in 10 the fiscal year in which the grants are awarded, multiplied by $400. 11 (b) A school district may apply for a project grant under this section on a form 12 approved by the department. The district shall provide a matching cash amount equal 13 to not less than 10 percent or more than 40 percent of the total project cost from any 14 source of funds available to the district. The department shall annually determine the
01 percentage for the match required for all districts on the basis of the availability of 02 state funding for the program so that a higher match will result from lower state 03 funding. 04 (c) The department may not approve a grant application for a proposed grant 05 project unless the district provides persuasive evidence that the project 06 (1) addresses known causes for designation of a school in the district 07 as low performing under AS 14.03.123; 08 (2) applies best practices that are research-based; 09 (3) will be sustainable beyond the grant funding period; 10 (4) establishes locally determined and measurable goals for success 11 that include improvements in student achievement, academic interest, attendance, and 12 graduation rates; 13 (5) includes a process for providing regular evaluations and reporting 14 to the department. 15 (d) A grant to a district under (c) of this section may include a grant for a pre- 16 elementary program. If the department awards a grant under this section for a pre- 17 elementary program, the program must 18 (1) utilize the Alaska Early Learning Guidelines; 19 (2) demonstrate, based on testing by the department, improvement in 20 specific child outcomes in all developmental domains; 21 (3) be certified as a pre-elementary school under AS 14.07.020; and 22 (4) prioritize family and community engagement and involvement. 23 (e) The department shall review the progress of a grant project funded under 24 this section at least once every two years. A project that the department determines is 25 making sufficient progress toward the short-term and long-term goals established for 26 the project may, at the discretion of the department, be continued for not more than 27 two additional years on request of the grantee. Thirty days after notice to the grantee, 28 the department shall discontinue a project that is failing to make sufficient progress 29 toward the short-term and long-term goals established for the project. 30 (f) The department may provide grant funding beyond an initial four-year 31 grant period if the district reapplies and the department determines the project is
01 demonstrating significant success. 02 (g) If appropriations are insufficient to fund all qualified grant projects in a 03 year, the department shall allocate annual appropriations to the program established 04 under this section to qualified grant projects on a pro rata basis. 05 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 06 read: 07 ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE GRANT PROGRAM; FIRST YEAR. Notwithstanding 08 the maximum amount established for annual grant awards under AS 14.17.485, added by sec. 09 1 of this Act, the maximum cumulative grants awarded by the Department of Education and 10 Early Development for the first year of the program shall be calculated by multiplying the 11 number of students who drop out of school each year, averaged over the 10 years preceding 12 the effective date of this Act, by $1,800. If insufficient money is appropriated for the first year 13 of the program to meet the number of qualified grant projects, the department shall allocate 14 the awards on a pro rata basis.