[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1668 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1668
To establish a competitive grant program to support the development,
implementation, and evaluation of successful educator and school leader
professional development programs on family engagement that will
increase the capacity of educators and school leaders to work with
families to develop and support the social-emotional learning of
children.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 18, 2021
Mr. King (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a competitive grant program to support the development,
implementation, and evaluation of successful educator and school leader
professional development programs on family engagement that will
increase the capacity of educators and school leaders to work with
families to develop and support the social-emotional learning of
children.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Social-Emotional Learning for
Families Act of 2021'' or the ``SELF Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--From amounts appropriated to carry out this
section, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to
local educational agencies to develop, implement, and evaluate educator
and school leader professional development programs on social-emotional
learning and family engagement. Local educational agencies may work in
partnership with the entities described in subsection (e)(3) to carry
out such programs. The objective of such programs will be to increase
the capacity of educators and school leaders to work with families to
develop and support the social-emotional learning of children.
(b) Grant Awards.--
(1) Maximum grant amount.--The total amount of each grant
awarded under this section may not exceed $1,200,000.
(2) Grant period.--A grant awarded under this section shall
be for a period of 5 years, and may be renewed.
(3) Number of grants.--The Secretary shall award not more
than 100 grants under this section.
(4) Rural set aside.--The Secretary shall reserve 10
percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this section to
award grants to rural local educational agencies that are
eligible local educational agencies under section 5211(b) of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7345(b)).
(c) Applications.--An application submitted by a local educational
agency for a grant under this section shall demonstrate through
descriptions in the grant application--
(1) the ability to provide instructional space for proposed
programming;
(2) a commitment to the development, implementation, and
evaluation of successful educator and school leader
professional development programs on family engagement that
will increase the capacity of educators and school leaders to
work with families to develop and support the social-emotional
learning of children;
(3) a plan to ensure that the proposed programs will serve
diverse groups, such as Native Americans and underrepresented
or economically disadvantaged families;
(4) a long-term commitment to the proposed programs to be
carried out with the grant, including a plan to continue the
actions described in paragraphs (1) through (3) for a period of
not less than 5 years;
(5) how the local educational agency intends to measure
outcomes related to the grant; and
(6) how the population to be served with grant funds is
experiencing youth trauma resulting from recent natural
disasters (such as hurricanes, wildfires, or tornados), the
opioid epidemic, or a qualifying emergency.
(d) Selection.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall--
(1) give priority to--
(A) high-need local educational agencies, as
defined in section 200 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021); and
(B) local educational agencies that serve
populations that are likely to have an increased
likelihood of youth trauma resulting from recent
natural disasters (such as hurricanes, wildfires, or
tornados), the opioid epidemic, or a qualifying
emergency; and
(2) ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, the
projects funded under this section are located in diverse
geographic regions of the United States.
(e) Uses of Funds.--
(1) In general.--A local educational agency receiving a
grant under this section shall use such funds to carry out
programs at elementary schools and secondary schools served by
the local educational agency that--
(A) involves instruction of evidence-based social-
emotional learning through locally relevant materials
for educators and school leaders and families;
(B) provides professional development for educators
and school leaders to engage families and support the
development of the social-emotional learning of
families;
(C) provides direct instruction on social-emotional
learning to families during times when families are
available and in places that are safe, convenient, and
easily accessible;
(D) encourages participation of families in the
programs offered by the local educational agency under
this section, including programs supported by partner
entities as described under paragraph (3); and
(E) is designed to result in improved measurable
outcomes related to children, including positive social
behavior and academic outcomes.
(2) State educational agencies.--In the case of a local
educational agency that is a State educational agency, such
entity shall award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to local
educational agencies to carry out the program described in
paragraph (1).
(3) Public-private partnerships.--Each local educational
agency awarded a grant under this section may carry out the
program funded under the grant in partnership with one or more
of the following:
(A) Institutions of higher education, including
Tribal Colleges and Universities.
(B) Nonprofit organizations.
(C) Community-based organizations.
(f) Reports.--
(1) Reports from grant recipients.--A local educational
agency that receives a grant under this section shall submit to
the Secretary, not later than 1 year after the date of receipt
of grant funds, a report containing any relevant information,
as requested by the Secretary, in accordance with the
information required of the Secretary under paragraph (2).
(2) Annual report to congress.--Not later than 2 years
after the first grant is awarded under this section, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives and make publicly available, a report on
activities and results under this section. Such report shall
describe--
(A) the total number of grant applications received
during the year preceding the report;
(B) the number and geographic distribution of the
grants for such year and for all grants awarded under
this section;
(C) participation of minority-serving institutions,
including Tribal Colleges and Universities;
(D) participation of underrepresented and
economically disadvantaged families;
(E) overall program outcomes and issues of concern;
and
(F) recommendations for program revisions to
achieve the desired program outcome.
(g) Definitions.--
(1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local
educational agency'', ``professional development'', ``secondary
school'', ``specialized instructional support personnel'', and
``State educational agency'' have the meanings given the terms
in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Educator and school leader professional development
programs.--The term ``educator and school leader professional
development programs'' includes professional development
programs for educators, principals, school leaders, specialized
instructional support personnel, and other school-based
personnel.
(3) Educators and school leaders.--The term ``educators and
school leaders'' means educators, principals, school leaders,
specialized instructional support personnel, and other school-
based personnel.
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(5) Instruction.--The term ``instruction'' means activities
that--
(A) emphasize communication of knowledge concerning
social-emotional learning in adults and children;
(B) provide opportunities to practice social-
emotional learning through interactive activities
between families and their children; and
(C) are aligned with and integrated into family
involvement and engagement standards that may exist in
the applicable State or that may be developed.
(6) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means an institution of higher education
described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
(7) Qualifying emergency.--The term ``qualifying
emergency'' means--
(A) a public health emergency related to the
coronavirus declared by the Secretary of Health and
Human Services pursuant to section 319 of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d);
(B) an event related to the coronavirus for which
the President declared a major disaster or an emergency
under section 401 or 501, respectively, of the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5191); or
(C) a national emergency related to the coronavirus
declared by the President under section 201 of the
National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(9) Social-emotional learning.--The term ``social-emotional
learning'' includes--
(A) self-awareness, or having a realistic
perception of one's own values, interests, and
strengths, and being able to recognize one's own
emotions;
(B) self-management, or how well one manages
emotions, impulses, and stress, and is able to
establish and achieve goals and exercise self-
discipline;
(C) social awareness, or the ability to take the
perspective of and empathize with someone else and to
appreciate and respect diversity;
(D) relationship skills, or the ability to
participate in healthy, cooperative, and caring
relationships, and effectively resolve conflicts; and
(E) responsible decision making, or the ability to
recognize and generate good choices, evaluate the
likely consequences of actions, and take responsibility
for one's decisions.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $130,000,000, of which not more
than $10,000,000 may be used by the Secretary for reports and technical
assistance.
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