 
         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. 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.

(Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, Sec. 673, as added Pub. L. 105-17, title I, 
Sec. 101, June 4, 1997, 111 Stat. 139.)


                            Prior Provisions

    A prior section 1473, Pub. L. 91-230, title VI, Sec. 673, as added 
Pub. L. 99-457, title I, Sec. 101(a), Oct. 8, 1986, 100 Stat. 1147; 
amended Pub. L. 101-476, title IX, Sec. 901(b)(164), Oct. 30, 1990, 104 
Stat. 1150; Pub. L. 102-119, Sec. 25(b), Oct. 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 607, 
related to general authority of Secretary to make grants to States for 
development of system to provide early intervention services for infants 
and toddlers with disabilities and their families, 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 1417, 1461, 1471 of this 
title.
