From the funds reserved by the Secretary under section 6671(1) of this title for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for the purposes of—

(1) providing teachers, principals, or other school leaders from nontraditional preparation and certification routes or pathways to serve in traditionally underserved local educational agencies;

(2) providing evidence-based professional development activities that address literacy, numeracy, remedial, or other needs of local educational agencies and the students the agencies serve;

(3) providing teachers, principals, or other school leaders with professional development activities that enhance or enable the provision of postsecondary coursework through dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high school settings across a local educational agency;

(4) making freely available services and learning opportunities to local educational agencies, through partnerships and cooperative agreements or by making the services or opportunities publicly accessible through electronic means; or

(5) providing teachers, principals, or other school leaders with evidence-based professional enhancement activities, which may include activities that lead to an advanced credential.

A grant awarded by the Secretary to an eligible entity under this section shall be for a period of not more than 3 years.

(1) In general A grant awarded by the Secretary to an eligible entity under this section shall be for a period of not more than 3 years.

(2) Renewal The Secretary may renew a grant awarded under this section for 1 additional 2-year period.

(3) Diversity of projects In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, grants are distributed among eligible entities that will serve geographically diverse areas, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.

(4) Limitation The Secretary shall not award more than 1 grant under this section to an eligible entity during a grant competition.

An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall provide, from non-Federal sources, not less than 25 percent of the funds for the total cost for each year of activities carried out under this section.

(1) In general An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall provide, from non-Federal sources, not less than 25 percent of the funds for the total cost for each year of activities carried out under this section.

(2) Acceptable contributions An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may meet the requirement of paragraph (1) by providing contributions in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, and services.

(3) Waivers The Secretary may waive or modify the requirement of paragraph (1) in cases of demonstrated financial hardship.

In order to receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require. Such application shall include, at a minimum, a certification that the services provided by an eligible entity under the grant to a local educational agency or to a school served by the local educational agency will not result in direct fees for participating students or parents.

In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity that will implement evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this subsection as activities meeting the requirements of section 7801(21)(A)(i) of this title.

In this section, the term “eligible entity” means—

(1) an institution of higher education that provides course materials or resources that are evidence-based in increasing academic achievement, graduation rates, or rates of postsecondary education matriculation;

(2) a national nonprofit entity with a demonstrated record of raising student academic achievement, graduation rates, and rates of higher education attendance, matriculation, or completion, or of effectiveness in providing preparation and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school leaders;

(3) the Bureau of Indian Education; or

a partnership consisting of—

(A) 1 or more entities described in paragraph (1) or (2); and

(B) a for-profit entity.

(Pub. L. 89–10, title II, § 2242, as added Pub. L. 114–95, title II, § 2002, Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 1948.)