Sec. 201. Educational technical assistance
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The Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) is amended to read as follows: This title may be cited as the . Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 In this title: The terms child with a disability , English learner , Secretary , and school leader have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The terms Bureau-funded school , evidence-based , evidence use , geographic region , institution of higher education , regional educational laboratory , and subgroup of students have the meanings given those terms in section 102.
The term comprehensive center means a technical assistance center authorized under section 207. The term national comprehensive center means a comprehensive center established or supported through an award under section 207(a)(2)(A) to support regional comprehensive centers by scaling effective technical assistance, minimizing duplication, and addressing common implementation challenges faced by States and emerging national education issues. The term regional comprehensive center means a comprehensive center established or supported through an award under section 207(a)(2)(B) that serves 1 geographic region.
The term focus center means a technical assistance center authorized under section 208. It is the purpose of this section to improve educational opportunities and outcomes, particularly academic achievement, for all students, particularly for each subgroup of students, through the coordination of technical assistance to support the effective implementation of— the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006; the Higher Education Act of 1965; section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (commonly known as the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974”); and other relevant Federal education laws.
In meeting the purpose of subsection (a), the Secretary shall— provide technical assistance to practitioners, education system leaders, elementary and secondary schools, local educational agencies, State educational agencies, institutions of higher education, families, local boards and State boards (as defined under section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), and other appropriate agencies, to support effective implementation of the laws described in subsection (a); encourage evidence use and support the implementation of evidence-based practices to improve educational outcomes, particularly academic achievement, for all students, and particularly for each subgroup of students; and align technical assistance efforts across the Department of Education to minimize duplication of technical assistance and increase client satisfaction in a manner that— promotes high-quality, actionable, timely, and easily accessible information; and is responsive to the educational challenges facing students, families, practitioners, and education system leaders.
The technical assistance provided under this section may include— an evaluation of the implementation of Federal programs at the local or State level, or building local or State capacity to carry out such an evaluation; and improving or streamlining data collections, and increasing the capacity of agencies to analyze and communicate such data and carry out evidence use to support practitioners and education system leaders in evidence-based decisionmaking. The Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner for Education Evaluation and Evidence Use described in section 152, shall ensure that regional comprehensive centers and regional educational laboratories that serve the same geographic regions are effectively coordinated to minimize duplication and increase client satisfaction.
Each regional comprehensive center and regional educational laboratory that serve the same geographic region, to the greatest extent practicable, shall— carry out local needs assessments and related input gathering in a coordinated manner; be familiar with each other's work plan and areas of expertise, and with other federally funded technical assistance centers; be responsive, in a timely and effective manner, to the State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and, if applicable, Bureau-funded schools located in such geographic region, which may include referring such an agency to a more appropriate federally funded technical assistance center; develop and maintain a shared regional governing board, in accordance with the requirements of section 206(a)(1); and identify challenges facing students and practitioners in the region so as to inform the work of focus centers authorized under section 208.
The Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner for Education Evaluation and Evidence Use, shall, to the greatest extent practicable, ensure that the duration of grants, contacts, or cooperative agreements awarded for comprehensive centers under this title is consistent with the duration of contracts awarded by such Commissioner for the regional educational laboratory program. The Secretary shall establish priorities for the regional educational laboratories and comprehensive centers, taking into account input from regional governing boards.
Each regional comprehensive center and regional educational laboratory that serve the same geographic region shall have a shared regional governing board that shall guide and direct the work of such center and such laboratory. In supporting and maintaining the regional governing board required under this paragraph, each regional comprehensive center and regional educational laboratory shall equally divide any costs related to developing, operating, or staffing such board. Such center or laboratory may enter into a contract with each other to carry out such activities.
Each regional governing board established under paragraph
(1)shall advise the relevant regional comprehensive center and regional educational laboratory on— the comprehensive center’s activities described in section 207(f) and the laboratory’s activities to satisfy the terms and conditions of the contract award under section 154; the regional agenda of such center and such laboratory, in a manner that is responsive to the challenges facing students and practitioners of the region, which may include the identification of exemplary, innovative, and promising practices in the region for additional study; ensuring the work of the comprehensive center and the laboratory is high-quality, actionable, timely, and easily accessible; identifying challenges facing students and practitioners of the region, which shall inform the work of focus centers authorized under section 208; and the implementation of such center’s and such laboratory’s respective duties in a manner that promotes progress toward providing all students, particularly each subgroup of students, access to high-quality educational opportunities and improves educational outcomes, particularly student academic achievement. Each regional governing board shall be composed of— the chief State school officers, or such officers’ designees or other State officials, in each State located in the corresponding geographic region; and not more than 10 other members who are representative of the educational interests in the corresponding geographic region, which may include the following: Representatives of local educational agencies and educational service agencies, including representatives of local educational agencies serving urban and rural areas. Representatives of institutions of higher education. Parents. Practitioners, including classroom teachers, principals, and other school leaders. Representatives of workforce development. Policymakers, expert practitioners, and researchers with knowledge of, and experience using research, development, evaluation, and statistics. The National Comprehensive Center shall have a governing board that shall— guide and direct the work of such center; and support such center in scaling effective technical assistance, minimizing duplication, and addressing common implementation challenges faced by States and emerging national education issues. The governing board described this subsection shall be composed of— not less than 1 member of each regional governing board described in subsection (a); and a variety of members described in subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii). The Secretary shall award 11 grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, on a competitive basis, to establish national or regional comprehensive centers, in accordance with paragraph (2). In awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under paragraph (1), the Secretary— shall award 1 grant, contract, or cooperative agreement to an eligible entity to enable that eligible entity to establish a national comprehensive center that will support regional comprehensive centers by— scaling effective technical assistance; minimizing duplication; and addressing— common implementation challenges faced by States; and emerging national education issues; and shall ensure that 1 regional comprehensive center is established in each of the geographic regions. In the case of— a national comprehensive center described in paragraph (2)(A), the Nation shall be considered to be the region served by the comprehensive center; and a regional comprehensive center described in paragraph (2)(B), the geographic region shall be considered to be the region served by the comprehensive center. Grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section may be made with research organizations, public agencies, private entities, institutions of higher education, or partnerships among such entities, with the demonstrated ability or capacity to carry out the activities described in subsection
(f)(referred to in this section as eligible entities ). In conducting competitions for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary shall— actively encourage eligible entities to apply for such awards by making widely available information and technical assistance relating to the awards described under this section; and seek input from chief executive officers of States, chief State school officers, teachers, principals, other school leaders, parents, administrators, paraprofessionals, and other individuals with knowledge of the needs of the regions to be served by the awards, regarding— the needs in the regions for technical assistance authorized under this title; and how such needs may be addressed most effectively. In determining whether to award a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that an eligible entity has a history of effectiveness in providing high-quality technical assistance, including by considering the results of any completed evaluation required under this title or part D of title I if such entity previously received a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this title or title I. Each eligible entity, seeking a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such additional information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including the plan described in paragraph (2). To help ensure applications submitted under this paragraph are responsive to challenges facing students, practitioners, and education system leaders in the region proposed to be served, each eligible entity submitting such an application shall meaningfully engage with not less than 1 individual or entity located in such region from each of the following categories, to inform the application: State educational agencies. Local educational agencies. Practitioners, including teachers, principals, and other school leaders. Students and parents. Policymakers, expert practitioners, and researchers with knowledge of, and experience using, the findings from research, evaluation, and statistics. Each application submitted under paragraph
(1)shall contain— an assurance that such applicant will develop and regularly update a 5-year service plan for carrying out the technical assistance and capacity-building activities for the region in a manner that addresses— the priorities described under section 205; and the needs of all States (and to the extent practicable, of local educational agencies) within the region to be served by the national or regional comprehensive center, on an ongoing basis; and an assurance that such entity will develop and regularly update and submit to the Secretary a State service plan that includes— a description of the capacity-building supports to be delivered by the center in response to educational challenges facing students, practitioners, and education system leaders in a manner that supports evidence use; and a description of the technical assistance to be provided to support the effective implementation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Each regional comprehensive center established under this section shall allocate such center’s resources to and within each State in a manner which reflects the need for assistance, taking into account such factors as— the proportion and number of students from low-income backgrounds counted under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; the number of schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities, targeted support and improvement activities, and additional targeted support, under section 1111(d) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in the region; the increased cost burden of service delivery in rural areas; and any special initiatives being undertaken by State, intermediate, local educational agencies, or Bureau-funded schools, as appropriate, that may require special assistance from the center. In allocating resources in accordance with paragraph (1), each regional comprehensive center shall reserve not more than 15 percent of funds awarded by the Secretary for a fiscal year to respond in a timely fashion to urgent needs of State educational agencies and local educational agencies served by such center for such fiscal year, which may also include modifying the activities of the center and the State service plan described in subsection (c)(2)(B). Each comprehensive center established under this section shall work with State educational agencies, local educational agencies, educational service agencies, and schools, including Bureau-funded schools, in the region where such center is located on school improvement activities that take into account factors such as the proportion and number of students from low-income backgrounds counted under section 1113(a)(5) of Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in the region, and give priority to— schools in the region with high percentages or numbers of students from low-income backgrounds, as determined under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, including such schools in rural and urban areas, and schools receiving assistance under title I of that Act; local educational agencies in the region in which high percentages or numbers of school-age children are from low-income families, as determined under section 1124(c)(1)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, including such local educational agencies in rural and urban areas; and schools in the region that are implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities, targeted support and improvement activities, and additional targeted support under section 1111(d) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. A comprehensive center established under this section shall provide high-quality, high-impact technical assistance and capacity-building supports to State educational agencies, local educational agencies, educational service agencies, and schools, including Bureau-funded schools, located in the region served by such center by— providing capacity-building supports described in subsection (c)(2)(B)(i), which may include supports to— strengthen data privacy and security; or coordinate with other State and local public agencies, institutions of higher education, and entities to address challenges facing students, practitioners, and education system leaders; providing training, professional development, and technical assistance regarding implementation of laws described in subsection (c)(2)(B)(ii); facilitating communication between teachers, principals, other school leaders, paraprofessionals, parents, families, librarians, and education system leaders, as appropriate; supporting evidence use amongst practitioners and education system leaders, at a minimum, in— the core academic subjects of mathematics, science, and reading or language arts; meeting the needs of English learners and children with disabilities; and education technology (including assistive and adaptive technology); in coordination with the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, disseminating and providing information, reports, and publications that support teaching and learning to improve educational opportunities and student outcomes, particularly academic achievement, and particularly for each subgroup of students, to students, families, practitioners, education system leaders, and policymakers within the region served by the center; bringing teams of experts together to develop and implement school improvement plans and strategies, especially in schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities, targeted support and improvement activities, and additional targeted support under section 1111(d) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and supporting high-quality teacher and school leader preparation, recruitment, and retention practices, including evidenced-based clinical experiences, and improving the teacher pipeline in critical areas. The Secretary may award not more than 3 grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities (as described in section 207(b)(1)) to enable those eligible entities to establish and operate focus centers on topics described in subsection (b). Each eligible entity, seeking a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such additional information as the Secretary may reasonably require. Focus centers authorized under paragraph
(1)shall— address 1 or more topics described in subsection (b); carry out activities that increase evidence use on such topic amongst practitioners, education system leaders, elementary schools and secondary schools, local educational agencies, and State educational agencies; and in a timely manner, develop evidence-based products or tools regarding such topic and widely disseminate such products or tools to practitioners, education system leaders, and policymakers in formats that are high-quality, easily accessible, understandable, and actionable. The Secretary shall engage with— regional governing boards, in accordance with in section 206(a)(2)(D), to identify challenges facing students and practitioners that are of shared importance and urgency across geographic regions; and the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences to examine the evidence bases of research that may address the challenges identified in subparagraph (A). After carrying out the engagement requirements in paragraph (1), the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, shall identify topics for focus centers that address educational challenges of shared importance and urgency and that may be addressed through the mobilization of robust evidence bases of research. In making awards under this section, the Secretary may carry out distinct award competitions for each topic developed under subsection (b). The Secretary shall provide for ongoing independent evaluations by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Evidence Use of the comprehensive centers receiving assistance under this title, the results of which shall be transmitted to the Committee on Heath, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, and the public. Such evaluations shall include an analysis of the services provided under this title, the extent to which each of the comprehensive centers meets the objectives of its respective plan, and the extent to which— technical assistance provided by such centers— was high quality and high impact; was responsive to the needs of clients in the region; and improved implementation of the laws described in section 207(c)(2)(C)(ii); capacity-building services were high quality and high impact, and responsive to the educational challenges of State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools in the region; and such centers effectively coordinated with regional educational laboratories and other federally funded technical assistance centers to align technical assistance, minimize duplication, and increase client satisfaction. In addition to the evaluation described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that each comprehensive center receiving assistance under this title is evaluated by an independent entity, which shall be completed not less than 1 fiscal year prior to the end of the period of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement with the eligible entity that operates the comprehensive center, and which shall— include each of the analyses and assessments described in paragraph (1); and determine the extent to which such center effectively supported the decisionmaking of practitioners, education system leaders, and policymakers located in the region served by the center. The Secretary shall provide for ongoing independent evaluations by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Evidence Use of the focus centers receiving assistance under this title, the results of which shall be transmitted to the Committee on Heath, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, and the public. Such evaluations shall include an analysis of the evidence use activities carried out by such center, and such center’s effectiveness in addressing topics of shared importance and urgency. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024 and for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years. . Section 2244 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended— in subsection (a)(1), by striking section 203 and inserting section 207 ; and in subsection (b)(5), by striking section 203 and inserting section 207 .
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Sec. 201
Educational technical assistance
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