268
‘‘(7) to examine State content standards and al-
ternate assessments for students with a significant 
cognitive impairment in terms of academic achieve-
ment, individualized instructional need, appropriate 
educational settings, and improved post-school results; 
‘‘(8) to examine the educational and develop-
mental needs of children with high-incidence and low-
incidence disabilities; 
‘‘(9) to examine the extent to which overidenti-
fication and underidentification of children with dis-
abilities occurs, and the causes thereof; 
‘‘(10) to improve reading and literacy skills for 
children with disabilities; 
‘‘(11) to examine and improve secondary and 
postsecondary education and transitional needs of 
children with disabilities; 
‘‘(12) to examine methods of early intervention 
for children with disabilities who need significant lev-
els of support; 
‘‘(13) to examine universal design concepts in 
the development of assessments, curricula, and in-
structional methods as a method to improve edu-
cational results for children with disabilities; 
‘‘(14) to improve the professional preparation for 
personnel who provide educational and related serv-
269
ices to children with disabilities, including children 
with low-incidence disabilities, to increase academic 
achievement of children with disabilities; 
‘‘(15) to examine the excess costs of educating a 
child with a disability and expenses associated with 
high-cost special education and related services; and
‘‘(16) to examine the special needs of limited 
English proficient children with disabilities. 
‘‘(d) PLAN.—The National Center for Special Edu-
cation Research shall propose to the Director a research 
plan, with the advice of the Assistant Secretary for Special 
Education and Rehabilitative Services, that—
‘‘(1) is consistent with the priorities and mission 
of the Institute of Educational Sciences and the mis-
sion of the Special Education Research Center and 
includes the activities described in paragraph (3); 
‘‘(2) shall be carried out pursuant to subsection 
(c) and, as appropriate, be updated and modified; 
and 
‘‘(3) carries out specific, long-term research ac-
tivities that are consistent with the priorities and 
mission of the Institute of Educational Sciences, and 
are approved by the Director. 
‘‘(e) IMPLEMENTATION.—The National Center for Spe-
cial Education Research shall implement the plan proposed
270
under subsection (d) to carry out scientifically valid re-
search that—
‘‘(1) is consistent with the purposes of this Act; 
‘‘(2) reflects an appropriate balance across all 
age ranges of children with disabilities; 
‘‘(3) provides for research that is objective and 
that uses measurable indicators to assess its progress 
and results; 
‘‘(4) includes both basic research and applied re-
search, which shall include research conducted 
through field-initiated studies and which may include 
ongoing research initiatives; 
‘‘(5) ensures that the research conducted under 
this section is relevant to special education practice 
and policy; 
‘‘(6) synthesize and disseminate, through the Na-
tional Center for Education Evaluation and Regional 
Assistance as well as activities authorized under this 
part, the findings and results of education research 
conducted or supported by the National Center for 
Special Education Research; and 
‘‘(7) assist the Director in the preparation of a 
biennial report, as a described in section 119 of the 
Education Sciences Reform Act of 2003.
271
‘‘(f) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity that wishes to 
receive a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative 
agreement, under this section shall submit an application 
to the Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Commissioner may rea-
sonably require. 
‘‘SEC. 
664. 
TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE, 
DEMONSTRATION 
PROJECTS, 
DISSEMINATION 
OF 
INFORMA-
TION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SCIENTIF-
ICALLY BASED RESEARCH. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make competi-
tive grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agree-
ments with, eligible entities including regional resource cen-
ters and clearinghouses to provide technical assistance, sup-
port model demonstration projects, disseminate useful infor-
mation, and implement activities that are supported by sci-
entifically based research. 
‘‘(b) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—Funds received under 
this section shall be used to support activities to improve 
services provided under this Act, including the practices of 
professionals and others involved in providing such services 
to children with disabilities, that promote academic 
achievement and improve results for children with disabil-
ities through—
272
‘‘(1) implementing effective strategies for ad-
dressing inappropriate behavior of students with dis-
abilities in schools, including strategies to prevent 
children with emotional and behavioral problems 
from developing emotional disturbances that require 
the provision of special education and related services; 
‘‘(2) improving the alignment, compatibility, 
and development of valid and reliable assessments 
and alternate assessments for assessing adequate year-
ly progress, as described under section 1111(b)(2)(B) 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965; 
‘‘(3) providing training for both regular edu-
cation teachers and special education teachers to ad-
dress the needs of students with different learning 
styles; 
‘‘(4) identifying innovative, effective, and effi-
cient curricula designs, instructional approaches, and 
strategies, and identifying positive academic and so-
cial learning opportunities, that—
‘‘(A) provide effective transitions between 
educational settings or from school to post school 
settings; and 
‘‘(B) improve educational and transitional 
results at all levels of the educational system in
273
which the activities are carried out and, in par-
ticular, that improve the progress of children 
with disabilities, as measured by assessments 
within the general education curriculum in-
volved; and 
‘‘(5) demonstrating and applying scientifically 
based findings to facilitate systemic changes, related 
to the provision of services to children with disabil-
ities, in policy, procedure, practice, and the training 
and use of personnel. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Activities that may 
be carried out under this section include activities to im-
prove services provided under this Act, including the prac-
tices of professionals and others involved in providing such 
services to children with disabilities, that promote academic 
achievement and improve results for children with disabil-
ities through—
‘‘(1) applying and testing research findings in 
typical service settings to determine the usefulness, ef-
fectiveness, and general applicability of such research 
findings in such areas as improving instructional 
methods, curricula, and tools, such as textbooks and 
media; 
‘‘(2) supporting and promoting the coordination 
of early intervention and educational services for chil-
274
dren with disabilities with services provided by 
health, rehabilitation, and social service agencies; 
‘‘(3) promoting improved alignment and com-
patibility of general and special education reforms 
concerned with curricular and instructional reform, 
and evaluation of such reforms; 
‘‘(4) enabling professionals, parents of children 
with disabilities, and other persons to learn about, 
and implement, the findings of scientifically based re-
search, and successful practices developed in model 
demonstration projects, relating to the provision of 
services to children with disabilities; 
‘‘(5) conducting outreach, and disseminating in-
formation, relating to successful approaches to over-
coming systemic barriers to the effective and efficient 
delivery of early intervention, educational, and tran-
sitional services to personnel who provide services to 
children with disabilities; 
‘‘(6) assisting States and local educational agen-
cies with the process of planning systemic changes 
that will promote improved early intervention, edu-
cational, and transitional results for children with 
disabilities; 
‘‘(7) promoting change through a multistate or 
regional framework that benefits States, local edu-
275
cational agencies, and other participants in partner-
ships that are in the process of achieving systemic-
change outcomes; 
‘‘(8) focusing on the needs and issues that are 
specific to a population of children with disabilities, 
such as the provision of single-State and multi-State 
technical assistance and in-service training—
‘‘(A) to schools and agencies serving deaf-
blind children and their families; 
‘‘(B) to programs and agencies serving other 
groups of children with low-incidence disabilities 
and their families; 
‘‘(C) addressing the postsecondary education 
needs of individuals who are deaf or hard-of-
hearing; and 
‘‘(D) to schools and personnel providing 
special education and related services for chil-
dren with autism spectrum disorders; 
‘‘(9) demonstrating models of personnel prepara-
tion to ensure appropriate placements and services for 
all students and reduce disproportionality in eligi-
bility, placement, and disciplinary actions for minor-
ity and limited English proficient children; and
289
who receive a scholarship under the proposed project 
will subsequently provide special education and re-
lated services to children with disabilities for a period 
of 2 years for every year for which assistance was re-
ceived or repay all or part of the cost of that assist-
ance, in accordance with regulations issued by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(2) LEADERSHIP PREPARATION.—Each appli-
cation for funds under subsection (d) shall include an 
assurance that the applicant will ensure that individ-
uals who receive a scholarship under the proposed 
project will subsequently perform work related to their 
preparation for a period of 2 years for every year for 
which assistance was received or repay all or part of 
such costs, in accordance with regulations issued by 
the Secretary. 
‘‘(h) SCHOLARSHIPS.—The Secretary may include 
funds for scholarships, with necessary stipends and allow-
ances, in awards under subsections (b), (c), and (d). 
‘‘SEC. 666. STUDIES AND EVALUATIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(1) PROGRESS
ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary 
shall, in accordance with the priorities determined 
under this section and in section 663, directly or 
through competitive grants, contracts, or cooperative