§6318. State assistance for school support and improvement

(a) System for support

(1) State support

Each State educational agency shall establish a statewide system of intensive and sustained support and improvement for schools receiving funds under this part, including schoolwide programs and schools in need of program improvement, in order to increase the opportunity for all students in such schools to meet the State's content standards and student performance standards.

(2) Meeting requirements

Funds reserved under section 6303(a) of this title or appropriated under section 6302(f) of this title shall be used to meet the requirements of this section. In addition to such funds a State educational agency may use State administrative funds reserved under section 6513(c) of this title to meet such requirements.

(b) Regional centers

Such a statewide system shall work with and receive support and assistance from the comprehensive regional technical assistance centers under part A of subchapter XIII of this chapter and the educational regional laboratories under section 6041(h) of this title.

(c) Provisions

The system shall include at a minimum, the following:

(1) School support teams

(A) Each State educational agency, in consultation with local educational agencies and schools, shall establish a system of school support teams to provide information and assistance to schoolwide programs and to assist such programs in providing an opportunity to all students to meet the State's student performance standards.

(B) If funds are sufficient, school support teams shall provide information and assistance to-

(i) schools-

(I) in which the number of students in poverty is equal to or greater than 75 percent of the total number of students enrolled in such school; and

(II) identified as in need of improvement under section 6317(c)(1) of this title; and

(ii) other schools in need of improvement.

(C) Each such team shall be composed of persons, including teachers, pupil services personnel, representatives of organizations knowledgeable about successful schoolwide projects or comprehensive school reform (especially distinguished educators described in paragraph (3)), and other persons who are knowledgeable about research and practice on teaching and learning, particularly about strategies for improving the educational opportunities for low-achieving students (including alternative and applied learning), such as representatives of institutions of higher education, regional educational laboratories or research centers, and outside consultant groups.

(D) A school support team shall work cooperatively with each school and make recommendations as the school develops the school's schoolwide program plan or school improvement plan, review each plan, and make recommendations to the school and the local educational agency.

(E) During the operation of the schoolwide program or during school improvement activities, a school support team shall-

(i) periodically review the progress of the school in enabling children in the school to meet the State's student performance standards under this part;

(ii) identify problems in the design and operation of the instructional program; and

(iii) make recommendations for improvement to the school and the local educational agency.

(2) Distinguished schools

(A) Each State shall designate as a distinguished school any school served under this part which, for three consecutive years, has exceeded the State's definition of adequate progress as defined in section 6311(b)(2)(A)(i) of this title, and, any school in which-

(i) virtually all students have met the State's advanced level of student performance; and

(ii) equity in participation and achievement of students by sex has been achieved or significantly improved.

(B) Schools designated under this paragraph may serve as models and provide support to other schools, especially schoolwide programs and schools in school improvement, to assist such schools in meeting the State's student performance standards.

(C) States shall use funds reserved under section 6303(a) of this title and funds made available under section 6302(f) of this title to allow schools identified under this paragraph to carry out the activities described in subparagraph (B) and may use such funds to provide awards to such schools to further such school's education programs under this part, provide additional incentives for continued success, and reward individuals or groups in the school for exemplary performance.

(D) A local educational agency may also recognize the success of a distinguished school by providing additional institutional and individual rewards, such as greater decisionmaking authority at the school building level, increased access to resources or supplemental services such as summer programs that may be used to sustain or increase success, additional professional development opportunities, opportunities to participate in special projects, and individual financial bonuses.

(3) Distinguished educators

(A) In order to provide assistance to schools and local educational agencies identified as needing improvement and schools participating in schoolwide programs, each State, in consultation with local educational agencies and using funds reserved under section 6303(a) of this title and made available under section 6302(f) of this title, shall establish a corps of distinguished educators.

(B) When possible, distinguished educators shall be chosen from schools served under this part that have been especially successful in enabling children to meet or make outstanding progress toward meeting the State's student performance standards, such as the schools described in paragraph (2).

(C) Distinguished educators shall provide, as part of the statewide system, intensive and sustained assistance to the schools and local educational agencies farthest from meeting the State's student performance standards and to schoolwide programs as such programs develop and implement their plans, including participation in the support teams described in paragraph (1).

(d) Implementation

In order to implement this section funds reserved under section 6303(a) of this title and funds made available under section 6302(f) of this title may be used by a State for release time for teachers and administrators, travel, training, and other related costs.

(e) Alternatives

The State may devise additional approaches to providing the assistance described in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (c) of this section, such as providing assistance through institutions of higher education and educational service agencies or other local consortia, and the State may seek approval from the Secretary to use funds reserved under section 6303 of this title and funds made available under section 6302(f) of this title for such approaches as part of the State plan.

(Pub. L. 89–10, title I, §1117, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, §101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3548 .)

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 6302, 6303, 6311, 6314, 6317, 7351 of this title.