S 929 112th Congress Senate

LEARN Act

Official title: A bill to establish a comprehensive literacy program.

Introduced: July 7, 2011 Introduced by: Murray, Patty Democratic · Washington See on congress.gov

Education Academic performance and assessmentsEducation of the disadvantagedEducation programs fundingElementary and secondary education

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Government information and archivesLanguage artsPerformance measurementPreschool educationTeaching, teachers, curricula

Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

May 10, 2011

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

May 10, 2011

Introduced in Senate

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Latest action May 10, 2011

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation Act or LEARN Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states for comprehensive planning to improve the literacy of children from birth through grade 12.

Directs the Secretary to award grants to states to implement their comprehensive literacy plans for such children through: (1) competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or early childhood education programs to carry out certain high quality early literacy initiatives for children from birth through kindergarten entry; (2) competitive subgrants to LEAs for certain initiatives to improve the literacy of students in kindergarten through grade 12, provided such LEAs have jurisdiction over a significant number or percentage of underperforming schools or have a high number or percentage of underperforming or impoverished students; and (3) state activities that include providing technical assistance to subgrantees, coordinating literacy programs and resources throughout the state, disseminating information on promising literacy programs, and enhancing the credentials of literacy instructors.

Gives subgrant priority to applicants serving a high number or percentage of impoverished children and, for those serving students from kindergarten through grade 12, a high number or percentage of students reading and writing below grade level.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) contract with an independent organization for a five-year national evaluation of the implementation and effect of the literacy initiatives supported by this Act, and (2) provide technical assistance and information on literacy instruction to educational entities.

Authorizes the Secretary to withhold this Act's funding from states and subgrantees, and states to withhold funding from subgrantees, whose initiatives are not making significant progress in improving student literacy.

Bill text 1 version