 
 CHAPTER 70--STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                                 SCHOOLS
 
    SUBCHAPTER I--HELPING DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN MEET HIGH STANDARDS
 
 Part A--Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies
 
                  subpart 1--basic program requirements
 
Sec. 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, Sec. 1117, as added Pub. L. 103-382, title I, 
Sec. 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.
