Subpart 2 – Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination

SEC. 3221. AUTHORITY.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary is authorized to conduct data collection, dissemination, research, and ongoing program evaluation activities in accordance with the provisions of this subpart for the purpose of improving language instruction educational programs and special alternative instruction programs for limited English proficient children.

(b) COMPETITIVE AWARDS- Research and program evaluation activities carried out under this subpart shall be supported through competitive grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements awarded to institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, State educational agencies, and local educational agencies.

(c) ADMINISTRATION- The Secretary shall conduct data collection, dissemination, and ongoing program evaluation activities authorized by this subpart through the Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students.

SEC. 3222. RESEARCH.

(a) ADMINISTRATION- The Secretary shall conduct research activities authorized by this subpart through the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in coordination and collaboration with the Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students.

(b) REQUIREMENTS- Such research activities —

(1) shall have a practical application to teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, school administrators, parents, and others involved in improving the education of limited English proficient children and their families;

(2) may include research on effective instruction practices for multilingual classes, and on effective instruction strategies to be used by a teacher or other staff member who does not know the native language of a limited English proficient child in the teacher’s or staff member’s classroom;

(3) may include establishing (through the National Center for Education Statistics in consultation with experts in second language acquisition and scientifically based research on teaching limited English proficient children) a common definition of limited English proficient child’ for purposes of national data collection; and

(4) shall be administered by individuals with expertise in second language acquisition, scientifically based research on teaching limited English proficient children, and the needs of limited English proficient children and their families.

(c) FIELD-INITIATED RESEARCH-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall reserve not less than 5 percent of the funds made available to carry out this section for field-initiated research conducted by recipients of grants under subpart 1 or this subpart who have received such grants within the previous 5 years. Such research may provide for longitudinal studies of limited English proficient children or teachers who serve such children, monitoring the education of such children from entry into language instruction educational programs through secondary school completion.

(2) APPLICATIONS- An applicant for assistance under this subsection may submit an application for such assistance to the Secretary at the same time as the applicant submits another application under subpart 1 or this subpart. The Secretary shall complete a review of such applications on a timely basis to allow the activities carried out under research and program grants to be coordinated when recipients are awarded two or more of such grants.

(d) CONSULTATION- The Secretary shall consult with agencies, organizations, and individuals that are engaged in research and practice on the education of limited English proficient children, language instruction educational programs, or related research, to identify areas of study and activities to be funded under this section.

(e) DATA COLLECTION- The Secretary shall provide for the collection of data on limited English proficient children as part of the data systems operated by the Department.

SEC. 3223. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS.

(a) AUTHORITY- The Secretary may make grants to State educational agencies to assist the agencies in recognizing local educational agencies and other public and nonprofit entities whose programs have —

(1) demonstrated significant progress in assisting limited English proficient children to learn English according to age appropriate and developmentally appropriate standards; and

(2) demonstrated significant progress in assisting limited English proficient children to meet, according to age appropriate and developmentally appropriate standards, the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet.

(b) APPLICATIONS- A State educational agency desiring a grant under this section shall include an application for such grant in the application submitted by the agency under section 3224(e).

SEC. 3224. STATE GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) STATE GRANT PROGRAM- The Secretary is authorized to make an award to a State educational agency that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that such agency, through such agency’s programs and other Federal education programs, effectively provides for the education of limited English proficient children within the State.

(b) PAYMENTS- The amount paid to a State educational agency under subsection (a) shall not exceed 5 percent of the total amount awarded to local educational agencies and entities within the State under subpart 1 for the previous fiscal year, except that in no case shall the amount paid by the Secretary to any State educational agency under this subsection for any fiscal year be less than $100,000.

(c) USE OF FUNDS-

(1) IN GENERAL- A State educational agency shall use funds awarded under this section —

(A) to assist local educational agencies in the State with activities that —

(i) consist of program design, capacity building, assessment of student academic achievement, program evaluation, and development of data collection and accountability systems for limited English proficient children; and

(ii) are aligned with State reform efforts; and

(B) to collect data on the State’s limited English proficient populations and document the services available to all such populations.

(2) TRAINING- The State educational agency may also use funds provided under this section for the training of State educational agency personnel in educational issues affecting limited English proficient children.

(3) SPECIAL RULE- Recipients of funds under this section shall not restrict the provision of services under this section to federally funded programs.

(d) STATE CONSULTATION- A State educational agency receiving funds under this section shall consult with recipients of grants under this subpart and other individuals or organizations involved in the development or operation of programs serving limited English proficient children to ensure that such funds are used in a manner consistent with the requirements of this subpart.

(e) APPLICATIONS- A State educational agency desiring to receive funds under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may require.

(f) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT- Federal funds made available under this section for any fiscal year shall be used by the State educational agency to supplement and, to the extent practical, to increase the State funds that, in the absence of such Federal funds, would be made available for the purposes described in this section, and in no case to supplant such State funds.

(g) REPORT TO THE SECRETARY- A State educational agency receiving an award under this section shall provide for the annual submission of a summary report to the Secretary describing such State’s use of the funds made available through the award.

SEC. 3225. INSTRUCTION MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may make grants for the development, publication, and dissemination of high-quality instruction materials —

(1) in Native American languages (including Native Hawaiian languages and the language of Native American Pacific Islanders), and the language of natives of the outlying areas, for which instruction materials are not readily available; and

(2) in other low-incidence languages in the United States for which instruction materials are not readily available.

(b) PRIORITY- In making the grants, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants for the grants who propose —

(1) to develop instruction materials in languages indigenous to the United States or the outlying areas; and

(2) to develop and evaluate materials, in collaboration with entities carrying out activities assisted under subpart 1 and this subpart, that are consistent with challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards.

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