Language arts: reading: grant program.

The Comprehensive Reading Leadership Program Act of 1996 authorizes county offices of education to apply to the State Board of Education to design a reading leadership program and develop materials that focus on reading skills, including phonics. This bill would establish the Golden State Reading Guarantee grant program, which would be administered by the State Department of Education. The bill would require a local educational agency that chooses to apply for a grant to submit an application that contains certain minimum information to the department, in a format and by a date determined by the department. The bill would provide requirements for eligibility for a grant and for spending grant funds. The bill would require that implementation of the grant program be contingent upon the appropriation of funds for purposes of the grant program in the annual Budget Act or other statute. The bill would require the department to establish a process to provide professional development training to local educational agencies on, among other things, the existing diagnostic, formative, and interim assessment tools that are available from the state, including those that are appropriate for pupils who are English learners.