 
         CHAPTER 33--EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
 
SUBCHAPTER IV--NATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH 
                              DISABILITIES
 
     Part B--Coordinated Research, Personnel Preparation, Technical 
          Assistance, Support, and Dissemination of Information
 
 subpart 1--improving early intervention, educational, and transitional 
services and results for children with disabilities through coordinated 
                   research and personnel preparation
 
Sec. 1472. Research and innovation to improve services and 
        results for children with disabilities
        

(a) In general

    The Secretary shall make competitive grants to, or enter into 
contracts or cooperative agreements with, eligible entities to produce, 
and advance the use of, knowledge--
        (1) to improve--
            (A) services provided under this chapter, including the 
        practices of professionals and others involved in providing such 
        services to children with disabilities; and
            (B) educational results for children with disabilities;

        (2) to address the special needs of preschool-aged children and 
    infants and toddlers with disabilities, including infants and 
    toddlers who would be at risk of having substantial developmental 
    delays if early intervention services were not provided to them;
        (3) to address the specific problems of over-identification and 
    under-identification of children with disabilities;
        (4) to develop and implement effective strategies for addressing 
    inappropriate behavior of students with disabilities in schools, 
    including strategies to prevent children with emotional and 
    behavioral problems from developing emotional disturbances that 
    require the provision of special education and related services;
        (5) to improve secondary and postsecondary education and 
    transitional services for children with disabilities; and
        (6) to address the range of special education, related services, 
    and early intervention needs of children with disabilities who need 
    significant levels of support to maximize their participation and 
    learning in school and in the community.

(b) New knowledge production; 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 lead to the production of new knowledge.

                      (2) Authorized activities

        Activities that may be carried out under this subsection include 
    activities such as the following:
            (A) Expanding understanding of the relationships between 
        learning characteristics of children with disabilities and the 
        diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, social, and economic 
        backgrounds of children with disabilities and their families.
            (B) Developing or identifying innovative, effective, and 
        efficient curricula designs, instructional approaches, and 
        strategies, and developing or identifying positive academic and 
        social learning opportunities, that--
                (i) enable children with disabilities to make effective 
            transitions described in section 1474(b)(3)(C) of this title 
            or transitions between educational settings; and
                (ii) improve educational and transitional results for 
            children with disabilities at all levels of the educational 
            system in which the activities are carried out and, in 
            particular, that improve the progress of the children, as 
            measured by assessments within the general education 
            curriculum involved.

            (C) Advancing the design of assessment tools and procedures 
        that will accurately and efficiently determine the special 
        instructional, learning, and behavioral needs of children with 
        disabilities, especially within the context of general 
        education.
            (D) Studying and promoting improved alignment and 
        compatibility of general and special education reforms concerned 
        with curricular and instructional reform, evaluation and 
        accountability of such reforms, and administrative procedures.
            (E) Advancing the design, development, and integration of 
        technology, assistive technology devices, media, and materials, 
        to improve early intervention, educational, and transitional 
        services and results for children with disabilities.
            (F) Improving designs, processes, and results of personnel 
        preparation for personnel who provide services to children with 
        disabilities through the acquisition of information on, and 
        implementation of, research-based practices.
            (G) Advancing knowledge about the coordination of education 
        with health and social services.
            (H) Producing information on the long-term impact of early 
        intervention and education on results for individuals with 
        disabilities through large-scale longitudinal studies.

(c) Integration of research and practice; 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 integrate research and practice, including 
    activities that support State systemic-change and local capacity-
    building and improvement efforts.

                      (2) Authorized activities

        Activities that may be carried out under this subsection include 
    activities such as the following:
            (A) Model demonstration projects to apply and test research 
        findings in typical service settings to determine the usability, 
        effectiveness, and general applicability of such research 
        findings in such areas as improving instructional methods, 
        curricula, and tools, such as textbooks and media.
            (B) Demonstrating and applying research-based findings to 
        facilitate systemic changes, related to the provision of 
        services to children with disabilities, in policy, procedure, 
        practice, and the training and use of personnel.
            (C) Promoting and demonstrating the coordination of early 
        intervention and educational services for children with 
        disabilities with services provided by health, rehabilitation, 
        and social service agencies.
            (D) Identifying and disseminating solutions that overcome 
        systemic barriers to the effective and efficient delivery of 
        early intervention, educational, and transitional services to 
        children with disabilities.

(d) Improving use of professional knowledge; 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 improve the use of professional knowledge, 
    including activities that support State systemic-change and local 
    capacity-building and improvement efforts.

                      (2) Authorized activities

        Activities that may be carried out under this subsection include 
    activities such as the following:
            (A) Synthesizing useful research and other information 
        relating to the provision of services to children with 
        disabilities, including effective practices.
            (B) Analyzing professional knowledge bases to advance an 
        understanding of the relationships, and the effectiveness of 
        practices, relating to the provision of services to children 
        with disabilities.
            (C) Ensuring that research and related products are in 
        appropriate formats for distribution to teachers, parents, and 
        individuals with disabilities.
            (D) Enabling professionals, parents of children with 
        disabilities, and other persons, to learn about, and implement, 
        the findings of research, and successful practices developed in 
        model demonstration projects, relating to the provision of 
        services to children with disabilities.
            (E) Conducting outreach, and disseminating information 
        relating to successful approaches to overcoming systemic 
        barriers to the effective and efficient delivery of early 
        intervention, educational, and transitional services, to 
        personnel who provide services to children with disabilities.

(e) Balance among activities and age ranges

    In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall ensure that there 
is an appropriate balance--
        (1) among knowledge production, integration of research and 
    practice, and use of professional knowledge; and
        (2) across all age ranges of children with disabilities.

(f) Applications

    An 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.

(g) 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.

(Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, Sec. 672, as added Pub. L. 105-17, title I, 
Sec. 101, June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 136.)


                            Prior Provisions

    A prior section 1472, Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, Sec. 672, as added 
Pub. L. 99-457, title I, Sec. 101(a), Oct. 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 1146; 
amended Pub. L. 100-630, title I, Sec. 108(b), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 
3301; Pub. L. 101-476, title VIII, Sec. 801, title IX, Sec. 901(b)(162), 
(163), Oct. 30, 1990, 104 Stat. 1141, 1149; Pub. L. 102-119, Secs. 12, 
25(b), Oct. 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 595, 607, related to definitions, prior 
to repeal by Pub. L. 105-17, title II, Sec. 203(b), June 4, 1997, 111 
Stat. 157, effective July 1, 1998.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 1461, 1471 of this title.
