1304.31 Requirements of alternative agency.
The alternative agency identified by the Indian tribe must establish that it meets all Head Start Act requirements and the standards for designation as a Head Start grant recipient.
The Designation Renewal System (DRS) holds Head Start and Early Head Start agencies accountable for delivering high-quality and comprehensive services to the children and families they serve, and meeting program and financial requirements. The DRS establishes seven conditions to determine whether programs qualify for continued Head Start funding for five years without competing for those funds with other local agencies. Open competitions are held in communities in which a program meets one or more specified conditions. In this case, interested agencies may apply to provide Head Start and Early Head Start services in that area through a funding opportunity announcement (FOA). Any agencies that do not meet one of the seven DRS conditions become eligible to receive a new five-year grant noncompetitively. The DRS was established in 2011 and revised in 2020.
The alternative agency identified by the Indian tribe must establish that it meets all Head Start Act requirements and the standards for designation as a Head Start grant recipient.
Review the procedure for identifying an alternative agency when an Indian tribe's Head Start grant has been terminated, relinquished, designated for competition, or which has been denied refunding.
This standard describes the use of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS): Pre-K instrument in the Designation Renewal System to conduct observations.
Review the designation request, review and notification process.
This standard describes tribal government consultation under the Designation Renewal System for when an Indian Head Start grant is being considered for competition.
Find designation consideration requirements for a five-year period when the existing grant recipient is not delivering a high-quality and comprehensive Head Start program and is not automatically renewed.
Review grant recipient reporting requirements concerning certain conditions, such as license revocation, bankruptcy filing, and debarment from receiving federal or state funds.
The purpose of this part is to set forth policies and procedures for the designation renewal of Head Start programs. It is intended that these programs be administered effectively and responsibly.
Learn more about DRS. This report provides extensive data, including characteristics of the programs required to compete and the competition outcomes across all four cohorts of DRS implementation. Learn more about past findings by grant size, geography, and grant type, including Tribal grants.
Awardees Resulting from Designation Renewal System (DRS) Cohort 4
Awards Made for DRS Cohort 4 Service Areas