The education department must run a competitive grant program for pilot after-school educational programs, and the state board may promulgate rules to carry it out.
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires: “ACT” means the ACT assessment administered by ACT; “EXPLORE” means the EXPLORE assessment for students in the eighth and ninth grades administered by the ACT; “PLAN” means the PLAN assessment for students in the tenth grade administered by the ACT; “PSAT/NMSQT” means the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test administered by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation; and “SAT” means the Scholastic Aptitude Test administered by the College Board. The department of education shall establish, administer and monitor a system of competitive grants for eligible organizations providing pilot after school educational programs consistent with the Constitution of Tennessee, Article XI, § 5. The grants shall be available in any fiscal year in which funds are available in the LEAP grant fund for such grants. The grants shall supplement, not supplant, nonlottery educational resources for after school educational programs and purposes. The purpose of the pilot after school educational programs shall be to increase performance for at-risk students on the ACT or SAT examinations, in order to expand the number of students in the at-risk population eligible for lottery scholarships and to increase the abilities of students to excel in postsecondary education. The programs shall serve at-risk students in grades seven through nine (7-9). The programs shall prepare students to take the EXPLORE and PLAN ACT preparatory examinations or the PSAT/NMSQT preparatory examination and eventually to take the ACT or SAT examinations. Six (6) pilot after school educational programs shall be established with two (2) programs in each grand division of the state. One (1) program in each grand division shall be in a rural area. The other program in each grand division shall be in an urban area. Each pilot program shall serve no more than sixty (60) students. In accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the state board of education and on the recommendation of the commissioner of education, grants shall be awarded to public schools, public charter schools or public and not-for-profit organizations that propose to provide pilot after school educational programs. A pilot after school educational program grant shall be awarded for a period of three (3) years with moneys for the grant earmarked in the LEAP grant fund and disbursed annually during the life of the grant according to the terms of the grant in accordance with the method of administration of the grant program adopted by the department of education pursuant to § 49-6-701(d)(2). An organization shall be eligible if the organization proposes to operate a program that provides: Academic tutoring and skills development in subjects covered by EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT examinations or PSAT/NMSQT and SAT examinations; and Test taking skills and strategies. The state board of education, on the recommendation of the commissioner of education, is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate this part. All rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.