General Information

1. What is authorizing statute for the Improving Literacy through School Libraries Program?

   Title I, Part B, Subpart 4 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, P.L. 107-335. It is one part of the reading skills improvement grants (Title I, Part B) which includes Reading First, Early Reading First, and the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program.

2. What is the purpose of this program?

   The purpose of this program is to improve student literacy skills and academic achievement by providing increased access to up-to-date library materials, a well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media center, and well-trained, professionally certified school library media specialists.

   The Improving Literacy through School Libraries (LSL) program promotes comprehensive local strategies to improve student reading achievement by improving school library services and resources. The LSL program is one component of the Department's commitment to improve student achievement by focusing available resources, including those of school library media centers, to ensure that no child is left behind. School library media centers have an important role to contribute to the success of local reading improvement efforts by increasing collaboration between instructional and school library media center staff, providing additional instructional materials and resources, and extending hours of operation during non-school hours.

Eligibility Questions

3. What are the eligibility requirements for the LSL program?

   There are two eligibility requirements for the LSL program:

   1. The applicant must be a local educational agency (LEA), as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Generally, State educational agencies (SEA) designate LEAs for purposes of Federal education programs.

      • School districts are the most familiar form of LEAs.

      • Some charter schools in some states are also considered LEAs. Charter Schools should check with their chartering agency to see if they are considered an LEA. Charter Schools applying for this grant must include information on their LEA designation in the abstract of their application.

      • The following States consider all or some charter schools LEAs: AR, AZ, CA, CT, DE, IL, IN, LA, MA, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, UT, WI and Washington, DC. Please note that this list may not be all inclusive. Charter Schools should always check with their state for the current status of Charter Schools to see if they are considered LEAs.

      • Regional Service Agencies in many states are considered LEAs by the SEA. These entities may apply as part of a consortium with eligible LEAs in their service areas. They may also apply directly for the schools they administer if they meet the family poverty eligibility requirement discussed below.

      • State Administered Schools, such as Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, State Arts Schools, etc., may also be eligible to apply if they are considered LEAs by the SEA.

   2. The second eligibility criterion is that the LEA must have at least 20% of its students from families below the poverty line. Note: this is not the free and reduced priced lunch statistic. The family poverty rate is the base poverty rate. It is based on Census Bureau data.

      • School district family poverty rates are posted on the web at http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html prior to each competition. If a school district's family poverty rate is 20% or above it is eligible to apply.

      • Charter Schools that are considered LEAs will have their family poverty rate computed by the SEA, Federal Program, or Title I office. You must contact that office in your State to have them compute the family poverty rate for your organization. Note: a charter school must meet the eligibility requirement of at least 20 percent of the students served from families with incomes below the poverty line.

        State Title I Coordinators
        MS WORD (62K)

      • Regional Service Units that are LEAs applying for schools they administer must have the family poverty rate computed for those schools. They need to contact the SEA, Federal Program, or Title I office. If the computed family poverty rate is 20% or above, the regional service unit is eligible to apply.

      • A State Administered School that is an LEA must have the family poverty rate computed for that school. The school needs to contact the SEA, Federal Program, or Title I office. If the computed family poverty rate is 20% or above, the school is eligible to apply.

4. How are poverty rates computed?

   The Census Bureau computes these rates based on the most up-to-date data available including Census 2000, the Current Population Survey, and other administrative sources, such as Food Stamp data.

   If you would like more information on the Census Bureau's methodology, please see:

   http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html

5. Can an individual school apply for a grant?

   No. Individual schools are not eligible to apply for a grant.

6. Can a group of LEAs apply as a group for this grant?

   Yes. A group of eligible LEAs may apply for a grant under this program. A description of Group Applications is found in EDGAR at 75.127-129. EDGAR is available online at:

   http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html

   However, each LEA must be eligible.

7. Are private schools eligible to apply for this grant?

   No, private schools are not eligible to apply for this grant nor are they eligible to receive services through an eligible LEA for this program.