Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 121.djvu/1455

 121 STAT. 1434

PUBLIC LAW 110–134—DEC. 12, 2007

dkrause on GSDDPC44 with PUBLAW

‘‘(7) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary shall require that any Federal funds provided directly or indirectly to comply with paragraph (2)(A) shall be used toward degrees awarded by an institution of higher education, as defined by section 101 or 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002).’’; (2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows: ‘‘(c) FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS.—To improve the quality and effectiveness of staff providing in-home and other services (including needs assessment, development of service plans, family advocacy, and coordination of service delivery) to families of children participating in Head Start programs, the Secretary, in coordination with concerned public and private agencies and organizations examining the issues of standards and training for family service workers, shall— ‘‘(1) review and, as necessary, revise or develop new qualification standards for Head Start staff providing such services; ‘‘(2) review, and as necessary, revise or develop maximum caseload requirements, as suggested by best practices; ‘‘(3) promote the development of model curricula (on subjects including parenting training and family literacy) designed to ensure the attainment of appropriate competencies by individuals working or planning to work in the field of early childhood and family services; ‘‘(4) promote the establishment of a credential that indicates attainment of the competencies and that is accepted nationwide; and ‘‘(5) promote the use of appropriate strategies to meet the needs of special populations (including populations of limited English proficient children).’’; (3) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (3)(C), by inserting ‘‘(including a center)’’ after ‘‘agency’’; and (B) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘amounts appropriated under this subchapter and allotted under section 640(a)(2)(D)’’ and inserting ‘‘amounts made available under section 640(a)(2)(E)’’; and (4) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(f) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS.—Each Head Start agency and program shall create, in consultation with an employee, a professional development plan for all full-time Head Start employees who provide direct services to children and shall ensure that such plans are regularly evaluated for their impact on teacher and staff effectiveness. The agency and the employee shall implement the plan to the extent feasible and practicable. ‘‘(g) STAFF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCEDURES.—Before a Head Start agency employs an individual, such agency shall— ‘‘(1) conduct an interview of such individual; ‘‘(2) verify the personal and employment references provided by such individual; and ‘‘(3) obtain— ‘‘(A) a State, tribal, or Federal criminal record check covering all jurisdictions where the grantee provides Head Start services to children; ‘‘(B) a State, tribal, or Federal criminal record check as required by the law of the jurisdiction where the grantee provides Head Start services; or

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