Who May Apply: (specifically)
Eligible applicants for Striving Readers include:
- Local education agencies (LEAs) that (a) are eligible to receive funds under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, pursuant to Sec. 1113 of the ESEA, and (b) serve students in one or more of grades 6 through 12. Eligible LEAs may apply individually, with other eligible LEAs, or in partnership with one or more of the following entities:
- State education agencies (SEAs);
- Intermediate service agencies;
- Public or private institutions of higher education (IHEs); and
- Public or private organizations with expertise in adolescent literacy, rigorous evaluation, or both.
- SEAs on behalf of one or more LEAs that meet the requirements above. SEAs must apply on behalf of one or more eligible LEAs and may also partner with one or more of the following entities:
- Intermediate service agencies;
- Public or private IHEs; and
- Public or private organizations with expertise in adolescent literacy, rigorous evaluation, or both.
For any application, the fiscal agent must be an eligible LEA or an SEA.
Schools that receive support from Striving Readers funds must be eligible for, but not necessarily receiving, funds under Part A of Title I. Information on Title I eligibility can be found in Section 1113 of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the regulations at 34 CFR 200.77 and 200.78. For further information on Title I eligibility see Title I program guidance (especially Question 10 on middle and high schools) at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/wdag.doc
Students who are reading at least two years below grade level expectations would be eligible to participate in the grantee's literacy intervention for struggling readers component of their Striving Readers program. Any student within an eligible school would benefit from the grantee's classroom level, cross-disciplinary efforts to improve literacy skills.
In addition to meeting eligibility requirements, applicants will need to demonstrate that the schools proposed to be served have significant numbers or percentages of students reading below grade level and/or are not or are in danger of not meeting Title I adequate yearly progress requirements under NCLB.
