(a) Each applicant seeking funding through the Head Start Educational Component Grant Program under the Texas Education Code, §29.156, must submit an application in a format prescribed by the commissioner of education through a request for application (RFA). Once funded, the applicant shall comply with the provisions of the Texas Education Code, §29.156, and the Texas Human Resources Code, Chapter 72.
(b) Eligible applicants include public, private, nonprofit, or for-profit organizations or agencies operating a federal Head Start Program or similar government-funded early childhood care and education programs. Head Start Program is defined as the federal program established under the Head Start Act (42 United States Code, §9831 et seq.) and its subsequent amendments.
(c) An eligible applicant receiving funds under this program must provide educational services to all children participating in the program so that each child is prepared to enter school and is ready to learn after completing the program. The educational services must include components designed to enable a child to:
  (1) develop phonemic, print, and numeracy awareness, including the ability to:
    (A) recognize that letters of the alphabet are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named;
    (B) recognize a word as a unit of print;
    (C) identify at least ten letters of the alphabet; and
    (D) associate sounds with written words;
  (2) understand and use language to communicate for various purposes;
  (3) understand and use an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary;
  (4) develop and demonstrate an appreciation of books; and
  (5) progress toward mastery of the English language, if the child's primary language is a language other than English.
(d) Minimal levels of overall program performance, including education performance standards, must be incorporated into the program to ensure the school readiness of children participating in the program upon completion of the Head Start Program and prior to entering school.
(e) Applicants will be required to assess the impact of the services provided to children to ensure that the children participating in the program are able to demonstrate the educational components specified in subsection (c) of this section.
(f) Program funds must be used in accordance with the requirements stated in the RFA. All costs under the Head Start Educational Component Grant Program must be necessary and reasonable for carrying out the objectives of the program and for the proper and efficient performance and administration of the program.
(g) For audit purposes, applicants must maintain documentation to support each of the requirements of this section.

Source Note: The provisions of this §102.1001 adopted to be effective December 26, 1999, 24 TexReg 11334