To amend the Head Start Act to provide grants to Tribal Colleges and Universities to increase the number of postsecondary degrees in early childhood education and related fields earned by Indian Head Start agency staff members, parents of children served by such an agency, and members of the community involved.

July 28 (legislative day, JULY 21), 2003

Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. ENZI, Mr. DASCHLE, Mr. JOHNSON, and Mr. INOUYE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

To amend the Head Start Act to provide grants to Tribal Colleges and Universities to increase the number of postsecondary degrees in early childhood education and related fields earned by Indian Head Start agency staff members, parents of children served by such an agency, and members of the community involved.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Tribal Colleges and Universities Head Start Partnership Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds the following:

(1) The Head Start Act requires that 50 percent or more of teachers nationwide in center-based Head Start programs must have at least an associate degree in early childhood education, or a field related to early childhood education, by 2003.

(2) A goal of the Head Start Act is to ensure that all Head Start programs nationwide will provide accredited continuing education for Head Start staff that provides college or university credit for such staff. However, Indian Head Start programs are generally located in areas isolated from mainstream colleges or universities where such credit can be earned.

(3) The vast majority of the Nation's 34 Tribal Colleges and Universities have early childhood education programs and, of these, 32 are accredited, or designated candidates for accreditation, by national accrediting associations.

(4) Tribal Colleges and Universities were created by Indians for Indians primarily on rural and remote Indian reservations, which were virtually excluded from the Nation's system of higher education.

(5) Tribal Colleges and Universities are engaged community institutions, offering higher education and continuing education opportunities to individuals who otherwise might find attaining such education impossible due to family responsibilities, and financial and geographic barriers.

(6) Tribal Colleges and Universities have been more successful than any other institutions of higher education in educating Indians and helping to retain Indians in high-need fields such as nursing and teaching. According to a 2000 survey, over 80 percent of Tribal College and University graduates go on to further higher education or become employed in the local community.

(7) Through partnerships developed between Tribal Colleges and Universities and Head Start programs nationwide--

(A) Indian Head Start agency personnel can gain greater access to accredited college and university programs in their career field;

(B) the knowledge, skills, and aptitude of those working at Indian Head Start agencies will be increased, thus enabling them to provide high quality and comprehensive services to Indian children and their families; and

(C) the health, early childhood development, and school readiness of Indian children will be improved as a result of increased staff knowledge, skills, and aptitude.

(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are to--

(1) promote social competencies and school readiness in Indian children; and

(2) provide high quality, accredited educational opportunities to Indian Head Start agency staff so that they can better deliver services that enhance the social and cognitive development of low-income children through the provision of health, educational, nutritional, social, and other services to low-income children and their families.

SEC. 3. TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY-HEAD START PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 648A the following:

`SEC. 648B. TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY-HEAD START PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

`(a) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY-HEAD START PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM-

`(1) GRANTS- The Secretary is authorized to award grants, of not less than 5 years duration, to Tribal Colleges and Universities to--

`(A) implement education programs that include tribal culture and language and increase the number of associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees in early childhood education and related fields that are earned by Indian Head Start agency staff members, parents of children served by such an agency, and members of the tribal community involved;

`(B) develop and implement the programs under subparagraph (A) in technology-mediated formats; and

`(C) provide technology literacy programs for Indian Head Start agency staff members and children and families of children served by such an agency.

`(2) STAFFING- The Secretary shall ensure that the American Indian Programs Branch of the Head Start Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services shall have staffing sufficient to administer the programs under this section and to provide appropriate technical assistance to Tribal Colleges and Universities receiving grants under this section.

`(b) APPLICATION- Each Tribal College or University desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a certification that the Tribal College or University has established a partnership with 1 or more Indian Head Start agencies for the purpose of conducting the activities described in subsection (a).

`(c) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

`(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION- The term `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).

`(2) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY- The term `Tribal College or University' means an institution--

`(A) defined by such term in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)); and

`(B) determined to be accredited or a candidate for accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.

`(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2008.'.

END