 CHAPTER 70--STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                                 SCHOOLS
 
  SUBCHAPTER XIII--SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE EDUCATION
 
                   Part B--National Diffusion Network
 
Sec. 8651. Program authorized


(a) Authority

                           (1) In general

        In order to implement the purposes of this subchapter, the 
    Secretary is authorized to establish the National Diffusion Network 
    (hereafter referred to in this chapter as ``NDN'') to carry out a 
    State-based outreach, consultation, training, and dissemination 
    program.

                      (2) Program requirements

        In carrying out the program under this part, the Secretary shall 
    award grants and contracts to National Diffusion Network State 
    Facilitators in each State and outlying area, and to the Bureau of 
    Indian Affairs, in order to assist State and local educational 
    agencies, schools, and other appropriate educational entities--
            (A) to identify and secure appropriate, high-quality 
        technical assistance from the comprehensive regional assistance 
        centers under part A of this subchapter and other sources; and
            (B) to identify and implement exemplary or promising 
        educational programs and practices.

(b) Eligible entities

    The Secretary shall award grants and contracts under this section to 
public or private nonprofit organizations or institutions with 
demonstrated expertise in the areas of applied education research and 
program dissemination.

(c) Administration

    The program under this part shall be administered through the Office 
of Reform Assistance and Dissemination established under section 6041(b) 
of this title.

(d) Coordination

    The National Diffusion Network State Facilitators shall work in 
close cooperation, and coordinate their activities, with the 
comprehensive regional assistance centers established under part A of 
this subchapter.

(e) State facilitator activities

    The National Diffusion Network State Facilitators shall provide 
professional development and technical assistance services to assist 
State educational agencies, local educational agencies, tribal divisions 
of education, schools, family and adult literacy programs, and other 
entities assisted under this chapter, in--
        (1) defining such entities' technical assistance needs and 
    aligning such needs with school reform under subchapter I of this 
    chapter, professional development, and technology plans;
        (2) securing the technical assistance and professional 
    development services that can best fulfill such needs by utilizing 
    the services of the comprehensive regional assistance centers, the 
    regional education laboratories, the Eisenhower regional consortia, 
    State Literacy Resource Centers authorized under the National 
    Literacy Act of 1991 and other technical assistance providers, 
    including local providers of professional development services;
        (3) identifying educational technology needs and securing the 
    necessary technical assistance to address such needs in coordination 
    with the Eisenhower regional consortia under part C of this 
    subchapter and the regional technical assistance and professional 
    development consortia under subpart 3 \1\ of subchapter III of this 
    chapter; and
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    \1\ So in original. Probably should be ``subpart 3 of part A''.
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        (4) utilizing technology, including regional and national 
    electronic networks, to increase such entities' access to technical 
    assistance, professional development services, and dissemination of 
    effective programs and promising practices.

(f) Additional duties

    In addition, National Diffusion Network State Facilitators shall--
        (1) disseminate information about school reform and effective 
    and promising practices, and help local educational agencies and 
    schools adapt such reform and practices to such agencies' needs;
        (2) identify educational programs and practices for possible 
    dissemination throughout the State and Nation;
        (3) promote and facilitate teacher networks throughout the 
    State;
        (4) develop and implement an aggressive outreach plan for 
    reaching the local educational agencies and schools receiving 
    priority under section 8701 of this title; and
        (5) provide such other outreach, coordination, and dissemination 
    services as may be necessary to achieve the purposes of this 
    subchapter.

(g) National Diffusion Network effective programs and promising 
        practices system

                           (1) In general

        The Secretary shall develop a system of validating effective 
    programs and promising practices for dissemination through the 
    National Diffusion Network. Such system may include exemplary 
    programs funded through any office of the Department, the National 
    Science Foundation, or other Federal agencies and shall be 
    coordinated, aligned with, and administered by, the Office of Reform 
    Assistance and Dissemination established under section 6041(b) of 
    this title.

                            (2) Priority

        The Secretary shall give priority to identifying, validating, 
    and disseminating effective schoolwide projects, programs addressing 
    the needs of high poverty schools, and programs with the capacity to 
    offer high-quality, sustained technical assistance. The Office of 
    Educational Research and Improvement Office of Reform Assistance and 
    Dissemination shall also administer a grant program for the purpose 
    of dissemination and the provision of technical assistance regarding 
    such system.

                      (3) Priority of services

        The National Diffusion Network State Facilitators shall give 
    priority in providing the services described in this section to--
            (A) schoolwide program under section 6314 of this title; and
            (B) local educational agencies and Bureau-funded schools 
        with the highest percentages or numbers of children in poverty.

(Pub. L. 89-10, title XIII, Sec. 13201, as added Pub. L. 103-382, title 
I, Sec. 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3880.)

                       References in Text

    The National Literacy Act of 1991, referred to in subsec. (e)(2), 
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 sections 8622, 8623 of this title.
