§ 7315. State flexibility
(a)
Flexibility authority
Except as otherwise provided in this division, the Secretary shall, on a competitive basis, grant flexibility authority to not more than seven eligible State educational agencies, under which the agencies may consolidate and use funds in accordance with section
7315a of this title.
(b)
Definitions
In this division:
(1)
Eligible State educational agency
The term “eligible State educational agency” means a State educational agency that—
(c)
State applications
(1)
Applications
To be eligible to receive flexibility authority under this division, a State educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including—
(A)
information demonstrating, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that the grant of authority offers substantial promise of—
(B)
the performance agreements that the State educational agency proposes to enter into with eligible local educational agencies under paragraph (2);
(C)
information demonstrating that the State educational agency has consulted with and involved parents, representatives of local educational agencies, and other educators in the development of the terms of the grant of authority;
(D)
a provision specifying that the grant of flexibility authority shall be for a term of not more than 5 years;
(E)
a list of the programs described in section
7315a
(b) of this title that are included in the scope of the grant of authority;
(F)
a provision specifying that no requirements of any program described in section
7315a
(b) of this title and included by a State educational agency in the scope of the grant of authority shall apply to that agency, except as otherwise provided in this division;
(G)
a 5-year plan describing how the State educational agency intends to consolidate and use the funds from programs included in the scope of the grant of authority, for any educational purpose authorized under this chapter, in order to make adequate yearly progress and advance the education priorities of the State and the local educational agencies with which the State educational agency enters into performance agreements;
(H)
an assurance that the State educational agency will provide parents, teachers, and representatives of local educational agencies and schools with notice and an opportunity to comment on the proposed terms of the grant of authority;
(I)
an assurance that the State educational agency, and the local educational agencies with which the State educational agency enters into performance agreements, will use fiscal control and fund accounting procedures that will ensure proper disbursement of, and accounting for, Federal funds consolidated and used under the grant of authority;
(J)
an assurance that the State educational agency, and the local educational agencies with which the State educational agency enters into performance agreements, will meet the requirements of all applicable Federal civil rights laws in carrying out the grant of authority, including consolidating and using funds under the grant of authority;
(K)
an assurance that, in consolidating and using funds under the grant of authority—
(i)
the State educational agency, and the local educational agencies with which the State educational agency enters into performance agreements, will provide for the equitable participation of students and professional staff in private schools consistent with section
7881 of this title; and
(L)
an assurance that the State educational agency will, for the duration of the grant of authority, use funds consolidated under section
7315a of this title only to supplement the amount of funds that would, in the absence of those Federal funds, be made available from non-Federal sources for the education of students participating in programs assisted with the consolidated funds, and not to supplant those funds; and
(M)
an assurance that the State educational agency shall, not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary makes the grant of authority, and annually thereafter during the term of the grant of authority, disseminate widely to parents and the general public, transmit to the Secretary, distribute to print and broadcast media, and post on the Internet, a report, which shall include a detailed description of how the State educational agency, and the local educational agencies with which the State educational agency enters into performance agreements, used the funds consolidated under the grant of authority to make adequate yearly progress and advance the education priorities of the State and local educational agencies in the State.
(2)
Proposed performance agreements with local educational agencies
(A)
In general
A State educational agency that wishes to receive flexibility authority under this subpart shall propose performance agreements that meet the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (b)(1)(B) of this section (subject to approval of the application or amendment involved under subsection (d) or (e) of this section).
(B)
Performance agreements
Each proposed performance agreement with a local educational agency shall—
(i)
contain plans for the local educational agency to consolidate and use funds in accordance with section
7321a of this title, for activities that are aligned with the State educational agency’s plan described in paragraph (1)(G);
(ii)
be subject to the requirements of division B of this subpart relating to agreements between the Secretary and a local educational agency, except—
(iii)
contain an assurance that the local educational agency will, for the duration of the grant of authority, use funds consolidated under section
7321a of this title only to supplement the amount of funds that would, in the absence of those Federal funds, be made available from non-Federal sources for the education of students participating in programs assisted with the consolidated funds, and not to supplant those funds.
(d)
Approval and selection
The Secretary shall—
(1)
establish a peer review process to assist in the review of proposed State applications under this section; and
(e)
Amendment to grant of authority
(1)
In general
Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall amend the grant of flexibility authority made to a State educational agency under this division, in each of the following circumstances:
(B)
Expansion of scope of the grant of authority
Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant of flexibility authority, the State educational agency seeks to amend the grant of authority to include in the scope of the grant of authority any additional program described in section
7315a
(b) of this title or any additional achievement indicators for which the State will be held accountable.
(C)
Changes with respect to number of performance agreements
The State educational agency seeks to amend the grant of authority to include or remove performance agreements that the State educational agency proposes to enter into with eligible local educational agencies, except that in no case may the State educational agency enter into performance agreements that do not meet the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (b)(1)(B) of this section.
(2)
Approval and disapproval
(A)
Deemed approval
A proposed amendment to a grant of flexibility authority submitted by a State educational agency pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be deemed to be approved by the Secretary unless the Secretary makes a written determination, prior to the expiration of the 120-day period beginning on the date on which the Secretary received the proposed amendment, that the proposed amendment is not in compliance with this division.
(B)
Disapproval
The Secretary shall not finally disapprove the proposed amendment, except after giving the State educational agency notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
(C)
Notification
If the Secretary finds that the proposed amendment is not in compliance, in whole or in part, with this division, the Secretary shall—
(D)
Response
If the State educational agency responds to the Secretary’s notification described in subparagraph (C)(ii) during the 45-day period beginning on the date on which the agency received the notification, and resubmits the proposed amendment with the requested information described in subparagraph (C)(ii)(II), the Secretary shall approve or disapprove such proposed amendment prior to the later of—
(3)
Treatment of program funds withdrawn from grant of authority
Beginning on the effective date of an amendment executed under paragraph (1)(A), each program requirement of each program removed from the scope of a grant of authority shall apply to the use of funds made available under the program by the State educational agency and each local educational agency with which the State educational agency has a performance agreement.