 CHAPTER 70--STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                                 SCHOOLS
 
  SUBCHAPTER XIII--SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE EDUCATION
 
            Part A--Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers
 
Sec. 8622. Requirements of comprehensive regional assistance 
        centers
        

(a) In general

    Each comprehensive regional assistance center established under 
section 8621(a) of this title shall--
        (1) maintain appropriate staff expertise and provide support, 
    training, and assistance to State educational agencies, tribal 
    divisions of education, local educational agencies, schools, and 
    other grant recipients under this chapter, in--
            (A) improving the quality of instruction, curricula, 
        assessments, and other aspects of school reform, supported with 
        funds under subchapter I of this chapter;
            (B) implementing effective schoolwide programs under section 
        6314 of this title;
            (C) meeting the needs of children served under this chapter, 
        including children in high-poverty areas, migratory children, 
        immigrant children, children with limited-English proficiency, 
        neglected or delinquent children, homeless children and youth, 
        Indian children, children with disabilities, and, where 
        applicable, Alaska Native children and Native Hawaiian children;
            (D) implementing high-quality professional development 
        activities for teachers, and where appropriate, administrators, 
        pupil services personnel and other staff;
            (E) improving the quality of bilingual education, including 
        programs that emphasize English and native language proficiency 
        and promote multicultural understanding;
            (F) creating safe and drug-free environments, especially in 
        areas experiencing high levels of drug use and violence in the 
        community and school;
            (G) implementing educational applications of technology;
            (H) coordinating services and programs to meet the needs of 
        students so that students can fully participate in the 
        educational program of the school;
            (I) expanding the involvement and participation of parents 
        in the education of their children;
            (J) reforming schools, school systems, and the governance 
        and management of schools;
            (K) evaluating programs; and
            (L) meeting the special needs of students living in urban 
        and rural areas and the special needs of local educational 
        agencies serving urban and rural areas;

        (2) ensure that technical assistance staff have sufficient 
    training, knowledge, and expertise in how to integrate and 
    coordinate programs under this chapter with each other, as well as 
    with other Federal, State, and local programs and reforms;
        (3) provide technical assistance using the highest quality and 
    most cost-effective strategies possible;
        (4) coordinate services, work cooperatively, and regularly share 
    information with, the regional educational laboratories, the 
    Eisenhower regional consortia under part C of this subchapter, 
    research and development centers, State literacy centers authorized 
    under the National Literacy Act of 1991, and other entities engaged 
    in research, development, dissemination, and technical assistance 
    activities which are supported by the Department as part of a 
    Federal technical assistance system, to provide a broad range of 
    support services to schools in the region while minimizing the 
    duplication of such services;
        (5) work collaboratively with the Department's regional offices;
        (6) consult with representatives of State educational agencies, 
    local educational agencies, and populations served under this 
    chapter;
        (7) provide services to States, local educational agencies, 
    tribes, and schools, in coordination with the National Diffusion 
    Network State Facilitators activities under section 8651 of this 
    title, in order to better implement the purposes of this part and 
    provide the support and assistance diffusion agents need to carry 
    out such agents' mission effectively; and
        (8) provide professional development services to State 
    educational agencies, local educational agencies, and the National 
    Diffusion Network State Facilitators to increase the capacity of 
    such entities to provide high-quality technical assistance in 
    support of programs under this chapter.

(b) Priority

    Each comprehensive regional assistance center assisted under this 
part shall give priority to servicing--
        (1) schoolwide programs under section 6314 of this title; and
        (2) local educational agencies and Bureau-funded schools with 
    the highest percentages or numbers of children in poverty.

(Pub. L. 89-10, title XIII, Sec. 13102, as added Pub. L. 103-382, title 
I, Sec. 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3878.)

                       References in Text

    The National Literacy Act of 1991, referred to in subsec. (a)(4), 
was Pub. L. 102-73, July 25, 1991, 105 Stat. 333, as amended, which was 
repealed by Pub. L. 105-220, title II, Sec. 251(a)(2), Aug. 7, 1998, 112 
Stat. 1079. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see 
Tables.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 8623 of this title.
