 CHAPTER 70--STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                                 SCHOOLS
 
             SUBCHAPTER X--PROGRAMS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE
 
              Part A--Fund for the Improvement of Education
 
Sec. 8005. Smaller learning communities


(a) In general

    Each local educational agency desiring a grant under this section 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
require. Each such application shall describe--
        (1) strategies and methods the applicant will use to create the 
    smaller learning community or communities;
        (2) curriculum and instructional practices, including any 
    particular themes or emphases, to be used in the learning 
    environment;
        (3) the extent of involvement of teachers and other school 
    personnel in investigating, designing, implementing and sustaining 
    the smaller learning community or communities;
        (4) the process to be used for involving students, parents and 
    other stakeholders in the development and implementation of the 
    smaller learning community or communities;
        (5) any cooperation or collaboration among community agencies, 
    organizations, businesses, and others to develop or implement a plan 
    to create the smaller learning community or communities;
        (6) the training and professional development activities that 
    will be offered to teachers and others involved in the activities 
    assisted under this part;
        (7) the goals and objectives of the activities assisted under 
    this part, including a description of how such activities will 
    better enable all students to reach challenging State content 
    standards and State student performance standards;
        (8) the methods by which the applicant will assess progress in 
    meeting such goals and objectives;
        (9) if the smaller learning community or communities exist as a 
    school-within-a-school, the relationship, including governance and 
    administration, of the smaller learning community to the rest of the 
    school;
        (10) a description of the administrative and managerial 
    relationship between the local educational agency and the smaller 
    learning community or communities, including how such agency will 
    demonstrate a commitment to the continuity of the smaller learning 
    community or communities, including the continuity of student and 
    teacher assignment to a particular learning community;
        (11) how the applicant will coordinate or use funds provided 
    under this part with other funds provided under this chapter or 
    other Federal laws;
        (12) grade levels or ages of students who will participate in 
    the smaller learning community or communities; and
        (13) the method of placing students in the smaller learning 
    community or communities, such that students are not placed 
    according to ability, performance or any other measure, so that 
    students are placed at random or by their own choice, not pursuant 
    to testing or other judgments.

(b) Authorized activities

    Funds under this section may be used--
        (1) to study the feasibility of creating the smaller learning 
    community or communities as well as effective and innovative 
    organizational and instructional strategies that will be used in the 
    smaller learning community or communities;
        (2) to research, develop and implement strategies for creating 
    the smaller learning community or communities, as well as effective 
    and innovative changes in curriculum and instruction, geared to high 
    State content standards and State student performance standards;
        (3) to provide professional development for school staff in 
    innovative teaching methods that challenge and engage students to be 
    used in the smaller learning community or communities; and
        (4) to develop and implement strategies to include parents, 
    business representatives, local institutions of higher education, 
    community-based organizations, and other community members in the 
    smaller learning communities, as facilitators of activities that 
    enable teachers to participate in professional development 
    activities, as well as to provide links between students and their 
    community.

(Pub. L. 89-10, title X, Sec. 10105, as added Pub. L. 103-382, title I, 
Sec. 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3818.)

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 8001 of this title.
