§1473. Personnel preparation to improve services and results for children with disabilities
(a) In general
The Secretary shall, on a competitive basis, make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, eligible entities-
(1) to help address State-identified needs for qualified personnel in special education, related services, early intervention, and regular education, to work with children with disabilities; and
(2) to ensure that those personnel have the skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined, through research and experience, to be successful, that are needed to serve those children.
(b) Low-incidence disabilities; authorized activities
(1) In general
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall support activities, consistent with the objectives described in subsection (a) of this section, that benefit children with low-incidence disabilities.
(2) Authorized activities
Activities that may be carried out under this subsection include activities such as the following:
(A) Preparing persons who-
(i) have prior training in educational and other related service fields; and
(ii) are studying to obtain degrees, certificates, or licensure that will enable them to assist children with disabilities to achieve the objectives set out in their individualized education programs described in section 1414(d) of this title, or to assist infants and toddlers with disabilities to achieve the outcomes described in their individualized family service plans described in section 1436 of this title.
(B) Providing personnel from various disciplines with interdisciplinary training that will contribute to improvement in early intervention, educational, and transitional results for children with disabilities.
(C) Preparing personnel in the innovative uses and application of technology to enhance learning by children with disabilities through early intervention, educational, and transitional services.
(D) Preparing personnel who provide services to visually impaired or blind children to teach and use Braille in the provision of services to such children.
(E) Preparing personnel to be qualified educational interpreters, to assist children with disabilities, particularly deaf and hard-of-hearing children in school and school-related activities and deaf and hard-of-hearing infants and toddlers and preschool children in early intervention and preschool programs.
(F) Preparing personnel who provide services to children with significant cognitive disabilities and children with multiple disabilities.
(3) "Low-incidence disability" defined
As used in this section, the term "low-incidence disability" means-
(A) a visual or hearing impairment, or simultaneous visual and hearing impairments;
(B) a significant cognitive impairment; or
(C) any impairment for which a small number of personnel with highly specialized skills and knowledge are needed in order for children with that impairment to receive early intervention services or a free appropriate public education.
(4) Selection of recipients
In selecting recipients under this subsection, the Secretary may give preference to applications that propose to prepare personnel in more than one low-incidence disability, such as deafness and blindness.
(5) Preparation in use of Braille
The Secretary shall ensure that all recipients of assistance under this subsection who will use that assistance to prepare personnel to provide services to visually impaired or blind children that can appropriately be provided in Braille will prepare those individuals to provide those services in Braille.
(c) Leadership preparation; authorized activities
(1) In general
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall support leadership preparation activities that are consistent with the objectives described in subsection (a) of this section.
(2) Authorized activities
Activities that may be carried out under this subsection include activities such as the following:
(A) Preparing personnel at the advanced graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels of training to administer, enhance, or provide services for children with disabilities.
(B) Providing interdisciplinary training for various types of leadership personnel, including teacher preparation faculty, administrators, researchers, supervisors, principals, and other persons whose work affects early intervention, educational, and transitional services for children with disabilities.
(d) Projects of national significance; authorized activities
(1) In general
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall support activities, consistent with the objectives described in subsection (a) of this section, that are of national significance and have broad applicability.
(2) Authorized activities
Activities that may be carried out under this subsection include activities such as the following:
(A) Developing and demonstrating effective and efficient practices for preparing personnel to provide services to children with disabilities, including practices that address any needs identified in the State's improvement plan under subchapter III of this chapter;
(B) Demonstrating the application of significant knowledge derived from research and other sources in the development of programs to prepare personnel to provide services to children with disabilities.
(C) Demonstrating models for the preparation of, and interdisciplinary training of, early intervention, special education, and general education personnel, to enable the personnel-
(i) to acquire the collaboration skills necessary to work within teams to assist children with disabilities; and
(ii) to achieve results that meet challenging standards, particularly within the general education curriculum.
(D) Demonstrating models that reduce shortages of teachers, and personnel from other relevant disciplines, who serve children with disabilities, through reciprocity arrangements between States that are related to licensure and certification.
(E) Developing, evaluating, and disseminating model teaching standards for persons working with children with disabilities.
(F) Promoting the transferability, across State and local jurisdictions, of licensure and certification of teachers and administrators working with such children.
(G) Developing and disseminating models that prepare teachers with strategies, including behavioral interventions, for addressing the conduct of children with disabilities that impedes their learning and that of others in the classroom.
(H) Institutes that provide professional development that addresses the needs of children with disabilities to teachers or teams of teachers, and where appropriate, to school board members, administrators, principals, pupil-service personnel, and other staff from individual schools.
(I) Projects to improve the ability of general education teachers, principals, and other administrators to meet the needs of children with disabilities.
(J) Developing, evaluating, and disseminating innovative models for the recruitment, induction, retention, and assessment of new, qualified teachers, especially from groups that are underrepresented in the teaching profession, including individuals with disabilities.
(K) Supporting institutions of higher education with minority enrollments of at least 25 percent for the purpose of preparing personnel to work with children with disabilities.
(e) High-incidence disabilities; authorized activities
(1) In general
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall support activities, consistent with the objectives described in subsection (a) of this section, to benefit children with high-incidence disabilities, such as children with specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, or mental retardation.
(2) Authorized activities
Activities that may be carried out under this subsection include the following:
(A) Activities undertaken by institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, and other local entities-
(i) to improve and reform their existing programs to prepare teachers and related services personnel-
(I) to meet the diverse needs of children with disabilities for early intervention, educational, and transitional services; and
(II) to work collaboratively in regular classroom settings; and
(ii) to incorporate best practices and research-based knowledge about preparing personnel so they will have the knowledge and skills to improve educational results for children with disabilities.
(B) Activities incorporating innovative strategies to recruit and prepare teachers and other personnel to meet the needs of areas in which there are acute and persistent shortages of personnel.
(C) Developing career opportunities for paraprofessionals to receive training as special education teachers, related services personnel, and early intervention personnel, including interdisciplinary training to enable them to improve early intervention, educational, and transitional results for children with disabilities.
(f) Applications
(1) In general
Any eligible entity that wishes to receive a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement, under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(2) Identified State needs
(A) Requirement to address identified needs
Any application under subsection (b), (c), or (e) of this section shall include information demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the activities described in the application will address needs identified by the State or States the applicant proposes to serve.
(B) Cooperation with State educational agencies
Any applicant that is not a local educational agency or a State educational agency shall include information demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the applicant and one or more State educational agencies have engaged in a cooperative effort to plan the project to which the application pertains, and will cooperate in carrying out and monitoring the project.
(3) Acceptance by States of personnel preparation requirements
The Secretary may require applicants to provide letters from one or more States stating that the States-
(A) intend to accept successful completion of the proposed personnel preparation program as meeting State personnel standards for serving children with disabilities or serving infants and toddlers with disabilities; and
(B) need personnel in the area or areas in which the applicant proposes to provide preparation, as identified in the States' comprehensive systems of personnel development under subchapters II and III of this chapter.
(g) Selection of recipients
(1) Impact of project
In selecting recipients under this section, the Secretary may consider the impact of the project proposed in the application in meeting the need for personnel identified by the States.
(2) Requirement on applicants to meet State and professional standards
The Secretary shall make grants under this section only to eligible applicants that meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the preparation of special education and related services personnel, if the purpose of the project is to assist personnel in obtaining degrees.
(3) Preferences
In selecting recipients under this section, the Secretary may-
(A) give preference to institutions of higher education that are educating regular education personnel to meet the needs of children with disabilities in integrated settings and educating special education personnel to work in collaboration with regular educators in integrated settings; and
(B) give preference to institutions of higher education that are successfully recruiting and preparing individuals with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the profession for which they are preparing individuals.
(h) Service obligation
(1) In general
Each application for funds under subsections (b) and (e) of this section, and to the extent appropriate subsection (d) of this section, shall include an assurance that the applicant will ensure that individuals who receive a scholarship under the proposed project will subsequently provide special education and related services to children with disabilities for a period of 2 years for every year for which assistance was received or repay all or part of the cost of that assistance, in accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary.
(2) Leadership preparation
Each application for funds under subsection (c) of this section shall include an assurance that the applicant will ensure that individuals who receive a scholarship under the proposed project will subsequently perform work related to their preparation for a period of 2 years for every year for which assistance was received or repay all or part of such costs, in accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary.
(i) Scholarships
The Secretary may include funds for scholarships, with necessary stipends and allowances, in awards under subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section.
(j) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002.
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Prior Provisions
A prior section 1473,
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1417, 1461, 1471 of this title.