Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 88 Part 1.djvu/633

 88 STAT. ]

PUBLIC LAW 93-380-AUG. 21. 1974

589

(4) to develop the capacity of preelementary school children for reading, and to establish and improve preelementary school programs in language arts and reading; and (5) to provide financial assistance to promote literacy among youth and adults. PART A—READING IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS PROJECTS A U T H O R I Z E D

SEC. 705. (a)(1) The Commissioner is authorized to enter into agreements with either State educational agencies or local educational agencies, or both, for the carrying out by such agencies, in schools having large numbers or a high percentage of children with reading deficiencies, of projects involving the use of innovative methods, systems, materials, or programs which show promise of overcoming such reading deficiencies. (2) The Commissioner is further authorized to enter into agreements with State educational agencies, local educational agencies, or with nonprofit educational or child care institutions for the carrying out by such agencies and institutions, in areas where such schools are located, of such projects for preelementary school children. Such projects are to be instituted in kindergartens, nursery schools, or other preschool institutions. (b) No agreement may be entered into under this part, unless upon an application made to the Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and including or accompanied by such information as he may reasonably require. Each such application shall set forth a reading program which provides for— (1) diagnostic testing designed to identify preelementary and elementary school children with readitig deficiencies, including the identification of conditions which, without appropriate other treatment, can be expected to impede or prevent children from learning to read; (2) planning for and establishing comprehensive reading programs; (3) reading instruction for elementary school pupils whose reading achievement is less than that which would normally be expected for pupils of comparable ages and in comparable grades of school; (4) preservice training programs for teaching personnel including teacher-aides and other ancillary educational personnel, and in-service training and development programs, where feasible, designed to enable such personnel to improve their ability to teach students to read; (5) participation of the school faculty, school board members, administration, parents, and students in reading-related activities which stimulate an interest in reading and are conducive to the improvement of reading skills; (6) parent participation in development and implementation of the program for which assistance is sought; (7) local educational agency school board participation in the development of programs; (8) periodic testing in programs for elementary school children on a sufficiently frequent basis to measure accurately reading achievement, and for programs for preelementary school children a test of reading proficiency at the conclusion, minimally, of the first-grade program into which the nursery and kindergarten programs are integrated;

20 USC 1921.

Applications,

reading program requirements.

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