 
 CHAPTER 70--STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                                 SCHOOLS
 
    SUBCHAPTER I--HELPING DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN MEET HIGH STANDARDS
 
                       Part F--General Provisions
 
Sec. 6512. Coordination of Federal, State, and local 
        administration
        

(a) Program assistance manual

    The Secretary shall, not later than six months after the publication 
of final regulations under this subchapter, prepare and distribute to 
State educational agencies, State agencies operating programs under 
parts C and D of this subchapter, and local educational agencies, and 
shall make available to parents and other interested individuals, 
organizations, and agencies, a manual for this subchapter to--
        (1) assist such agencies in--
            (A) enhancing the quality, increasing the depth, or 
        broadening the scope of activities for programs under this 
        subchapter;
            (B) applying for program funds under this subchapter; and
            (C) meeting the program objectives under this subchapter;

        (2) assist State educational agencies in achieving proper and 
    efficient administration of programs funded under this subchapter;
        (3) assist parents to become involved in the planning for, and 
    implementation and evaluation of, programs and projects under this 
    subchapter; and
        (4) ensure that officers and employees of the Department, 
    including officers and employees of the Secretary and officers and 
    employees of the Department charged with auditing programs carried 
    on under this subchapter, uniformly interpret, apply, and enforce 
    requirements under this subchapter throughout the United States.

(b) Contents of policy manual

    The policy manual shall, with respect to programs carried out under 
this subchapter, contain descriptions, statements, procedural and 
substantive rules, opinions, policy statements and interpretations and 
indices to and amendments of the foregoing, and in particular, whether 
or not such descriptions, statements, procedural and substantive rules, 
opinions, policy statements and interpretations and indices are required 
under section 552 of title 5 to be published or made available. The 
manual shall include--
        (1) a statement of the requirements applicable to the programs 
    carried out under this subchapter, including such requirements 
    contained in this subchapter, the General Education Provisions Act 
    [20 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.], other applicable statutes, and regulations 
    issued under the authority of such statutes;
        (2) an explanation of the purpose of each requirement and its 
    interrelationship with other applicable requirements; and
        (3) model forms and instructions developed by the Secretary for 
    use by State and local educational agencies, at the discretion of 
    such agencies, including, application forms, application review 
    checklists, and instruments for monitoring programs under this 
    subchapter.

(c) Response to inquiries

    The Secretary shall respond with written guidance not later than 90 
days after any written request (return receipt requested) from a State 
or local educational agency regarding a policy, question, or 
interpretation under this subchapter is received. In the case of a 
request from a local educational agency, such agency is required to 
address its request to the State educational agency first.

(Pub. L. 89-10, title I, Sec. 1602, as added Pub. L. 103-382, title I, 
Sec. 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3610.)

                       References in Text

    The General Education Provisions Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), 
is title IV of Pub. L. 90-247, Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 814, as amended, 
which is classified generally to chapter 31 (Sec. 1221 et seq.) of this 
title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 
1221 of this title and Tables.
