20 U.S.C. § 7544 — Program authorized

(a) General authority

(1) Grants and contracts. The Secretary is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts with—

(A) Alaska Native^* organizations that have experience operating programs that fulfill the purposes of this part;

(B) Alaska Native organizations that do not have that experience but are partnered with—

(i) a State educational agency or a local educational agency; or

(ii) an Alaska Native organization^* that operates a program fulfilling this part's purposes; or

(C) an entity located in Alaska and predominantly governed by Alaska Natives that does not meet this part's definition of an Alaska Native organization but—

(i) has experience operating programs that fulfill this part's purposes; and

(ii) has been given an official charter or sanction, as described in the definition of a tribal organization under 25 U.S.C. § 5304, by at least one Alaska Native tribe or Alaska Native organization to carry out programs that meet this part's purposes.

This section does not define the terms “Alaska Native organization,” “State educational agency,” “local educational agency,” “tribal organization,” “Alaska Native tribe,” or “part.”

(2) Mandatory activities. Programs carried out under this part must include—

(A) developing and carrying out plans, methods, strategies, and activities to improve Alaska Natives' educational outcomes; and

(B) collecting data to help evaluate the programs carried out under this part.

(3) Permissible activities. Programs carried out under this part may include—

(A) developing curricula and programs that address Alaska Native students' educational needs, including—

(i) curriculum materials that are culturally informed and reflect Alaska Native people's cultural diversity, languages, history, or contributions, including curricula meant to preserve and promote Alaska Native culture;

(ii) instructional programs that use Alaska Native languages and cultures; and

(iii) networks that develop, test, and share best practices and introduce successful programs, materials, and techniques to meet Alaska Native students' educational needs in urban and rural schools;

(B) educator training and professional development, including—

(i) before-service and in-service training and professional development that prepare teachers to appreciate and understand Alaska Native history, cultures, values, and ways of knowing and learning, so they can address the cultural diversity and unique needs of Alaska Native students effectively and improve educators' teaching methods;

(ii) recruiting and preparing Alaska Native teachers; and

(iii) programs leading to certification and licensing of Alaska Native teachers, principals, other school leaders, and superintendents;

(C) early-childhood and parenting education activities designed to improve Alaska Native children's readiness for school, including—

(i) developing and operating home-visiting programs for Alaska Native preschool children to ensure that parents are actively involved in their children's education from the earliest ages;

(ii) training, education, and support, including visits in the home, for parents and caregivers of Alaska Native children to improve parenting and caregiving skills, including skills involving discipline, cognitive development, reading readiness, observation, storytelling, and critical thinking;

(iii) family-literacy services;

(iv) activities carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. § 9831 and following sections);

(v) programs for parents and their infants, from the infant's prenatal period through age 3;

(vi) early-childhood education programs; and

(vii) Native-language immersion within early-childhood education programs, Head Start, or preschool programs;

(D) developing and operating student-enrichment programs, including programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that—

(i) are designed to prepare Alaska Native students to excel in those subjects;

(ii) provide appropriate support services so those students can benefit from the programs; and

(iii) include activities that recognize and support Alaska Native children's unique cultural and educational needs and include appropriately qualified Alaska Native elders and other tradition bearers;

(E) research and data collection to determine the educational status and needs of Alaska Native children and adults, and other research and evaluation related to programs funded under this part;

(F) activities designed to help Alaska Native students served under this part meet the challenging State academic standards or increase their graduation rates, such as—

(i) remedial and enrichment programs;

(ii) culturally based education programs, such as—

(I) programs of study and other instruction in Alaska Native history and ways of living to share Alaska Natives' rich and diverse cultures among Alaska Native youth and elders, non-Native students and teachers, and the larger community;

(II) teaching Alaska Native youth leadership, communication, and Alaska Native culture, arts, history, and languages;

(III) intergenerational learning and internship opportunities for Alaska Native youth and young adults;

(IV) cultural-immersion activities aimed at preserving Alaska Native culture;

(V) Native-language instruction and immersion activities, including Native-language immersion nests or schools;

(VI) school-within-a-school model programs; and

(VII) preparation for postsecondary education and career planning; and

(iii) comprehensive school-based or community-based support services, including services that—

(I) address family instability and trauma; and

(II) improve learning conditions at home, in the community, and at school;

(G) student and teacher exchange programs, cross-cultural immersion programs, and culture camps designed to build mutual respect and understanding among participants;

(H) education programs for at-risk urban Alaska Native students designed to improve academic proficiency and graduation rates, use strategies otherwise permitted under this part, and include strong data collection and continuous evaluation;

(I) strategies designed to increase parents' involvement in their children's education;

(J) programs and strategies that increase connections among schools, families, and communities, including positive youth-adult relationships, to—

(i) promote Alaska Native children's and youth's academic progress and positive development; and

(ii) improve learning conditions at home, in the community, and at school;

(K) career-preparation activities to help Alaska Native children and adults prepare for meaningful employment, including mentoring, training, and apprenticeship programs;

(L) support for developing and operating regional vocational schools in rural Alaska to provide students with the resources they need to prepare for skilled employment opportunities;

(M) regional leadership academies that show they are effective at building respect and understanding and fostering a sense of Alaska Native identity in Alaska Native students, to promote those students' pursuit of and success in completing higher education or career training; and

(N) other activities consistent with this part's purposes that meet Alaska Native children's and adults' educational needs.

This section does not define the terms “challenging State academic standards,” “at-risk,” “tradition bearers,” “meaningful employment,” “skilled employment opportunities,” “higher education,” or “career training.”

(b) Authorization of appropriations. The law authorizes $31,453,000 to be appropriated to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.