295
ing students reach the challenging State aca-
demic content standards and developmental 
goals; 
‘‘(C) implementation of the professional de-
velopment activities assisted under this Act and 
the impact on instruction, student academic 
achievement, and teacher qualifications to en-
hance the ability of special education teachers 
and regular education teachers to improve results 
for children with disabilities; and 
‘‘(D) effectiveness of schools, local edu-
cational agencies, States, other recipients of as-
sistance under this Act, and the Secretary in 
achieving the purposes of this Act by—
‘‘(i) improving the academic achieve-
ment of children with disabilities and their 
performance on regular statewide assess-
ments as compared to nondisabled children, 
and the performance of children with dis-
abilities on alternate assessments; 
‘‘(ii) improving the participation of 
children with disabilities in the general 
education curriculum;
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‘‘(iii) improving the transitions of chil-
dren with disabilities at natural transition 
points; 
‘‘(iv) placing and serving children with 
disabilities, including minority children, in 
the least restrictive environment appro-
priate; 
‘‘(v) preventing children with disabil-
ities, especially children with emotional dis-
turbances and specific learning disabilities, 
from dropping out of school; 
‘‘(vi) addressing the reading and lit-
eracy needs of children with disabilities; 
‘‘(vii) reducing the overidentification of 
children, especially minority and limited 
English proficient children, as having a dis-
ability; 
‘‘(viii) improving the participation of 
parents of children with disabilities in the 
education of their children; and 
‘‘(ix) resolving disagreements between 
education personnel and parents through al-
ternate dispute resolution activities includ-
ing mediation and voluntary binding arbi-
tration.
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‘‘(4) INTERIM AND FINAL REPORTS.—The Sec-
retary shall submit to the President and the Con-
gress—
‘‘(A) an interim report that summarizes the 
preliminary findings of the assessment not later 
than 30 months after the date of the enactment 
of the Improving Education Results for Children 
With Disabilities Act of 2003; and 
‘‘(B) a final report of the findings of the as-
sessment not later than 5 years after the date of 
the enactment of such Act. 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall provide 
an annual report to the Congress that—
‘‘(1) summarizes the research conducted under 
section 663; 
‘‘(2) analyzes and summarizes the data reported 
by the States and the Secretary of the Interior under 
section 618; 
‘‘(3) summarizes the studies and evaluations con-
ducted under this section and the timeline for their 
completion; 
‘‘(4) describes the extent and progress of the na-
tional assessment; and
298
‘‘(5) describes the findings and determinations 
resulting from reviews of State implementation of this 
Act. 
‘‘SEC. 667. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
sections 663, 664, and 666 $171,861,000 for fiscal year 
2004 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
fiscal years 2005 through 2009. There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 665 $90,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for each of 
the fiscal years 2005 through 2009. 
‘‘Subpart 3—Supports To Improve Results for 
Children With Disabilities 
‘‘SEC. 671. PURPOSES. 
‘‘The purposes of this subpart are to ensure that—
‘‘(1) children with disabilities and their parents 
receive training and information on their rights, re-
sponsibilities, and protections under this Act, in order 
to develop the skills necessary to cooperatively and ef-
fectively participate in planning and decisionmaking 
relating to early intervention, educational, and tran-
sitional services; 
‘‘(2) parents, teachers, administrators, early 
intervention personnel, related services personnel, and 
transition personnel receive coordinated and acces-
299
sible technical assistance and information to assist 
them in improving early intervention, educational, 
and transitional services and results for children with 
disabilities and their families; and 
‘‘(3) appropriate technology and media are re-
searched, developed, and demonstrated, to improve 
and implement early intervention, educational, and 
transitional services and results for children with dis-
abilities and their families. 
‘‘SEC. 672. PARENT TRAINING AND INFORMATION CENTERS. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may 
make grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative 
agreements with, parent organizations to support parent 
training and information centers to carry out activities 
under this section. 
‘‘(b) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—Each parent and com-
munity training and information center that receives as-
sistance under this section shall—
‘‘(1) provide training and information that 
meets the needs of parents of children with disabilities 
living in the area served by the center, including un-
derserved parents and parents of children who may be 
inappropriately identified, to enable children with 
disabilities—
300
‘‘(A) to meet developmental and challenging 
academic achievement goals that have been estab-
lished for all children; and 
‘‘(B) to be prepared to lead productive inde-
pendent adult lives to the maximum extent pos-
sible; 
‘‘(2) ensure that the training and information 
provided meets the needs of low-income parents and 
parents of children with limited English proficiency; 
‘‘(3) serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and 
children with the full range of disabilities; 
‘‘(4) assist parents—
‘‘(A) to better understand the nature of their 
children’s disabilities and their educational, de-
velopmental, and transitional needs; 
‘‘(B) to communicate effectively and work 
collaboratively with personnel responsible for 
providing special education, early intervention, 
transition services, and related services; 
‘‘(C) to participate in decisionmaking proc-
esses and the development of individualized edu-
cation programs under part B and individual-
ized family service plans under part C; 
‘‘(D) to obtain appropriate information 
about the range, type and quality of options,
301
programs, services, and resources available to as-
sist children with disabilities and their families 
in school and at home; 
‘‘(E) to understand the provisions of this 
Act for the education of, and the provision of 
early intervention services to, children with dis-
abilities; and 
‘‘(F) to participate in activities at the 
school level which benefit their children; 
‘‘(5) assist parents in resolving disputes in the 
most expeditious way possible, including encouraging 
the use, and explaining the benefits, of alternative 
methods of dispute resolution, such as the use of indi-
vidualized education program facilitators and medi-
ation and voluntary binding arbitration processes de-
scribed in section 615(e); 
‘‘(6) assist parents to understand the availability 
of, and how to effectively use, procedural safeguards 
under this Act; 
‘‘(7) network with appropriate clearinghouses, 
including organizations conducting national dissemi-
nation activities under subpart 2 and the Institute of 
Educational Sciences, and with other national, State, 
and local organizations and agencies, such as protec-
tion and advocacy agencies, that serve parents and
302
families of children with the full range of disabilities; 
and 
‘‘(8) annually report to the Secretary on—
‘‘(A) the number and demographics of par-
ents to whom it provided information and train-
ing in the most recently concluded fiscal year; 
and 
‘‘(B) the effectiveness of strategies used to 
reach and serve parents, including underserved 
parents of children with disabilities. 
‘‘(c) OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES.—A parent training and 
community and information center that receives assistance 
under this section may—
‘‘(1) provide information to teachers and other 
professionals to assist them in improving results for 
children with disabilities; and 
‘‘(2) assist students with disabilities to under-
stand their rights and responsibilities under section 
615(l) on reaching the age of majority. 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—Each applica-
tion for assistance under this section shall identify with 
specificity the special efforts that the applicant will under-
take—
‘‘(1) to ensure that the needs for training and in-
formation of underserved parents of children with dis-
303
abilities in the area to be served are effectively met; 
and 
‘‘(2) to work with community-based organiza-
tions, including those that work with low-income par-
ents and parents of children with limited English 
proficiency. 
‘‘(e) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make at 
least 1 award to a parent organization in each State, 
unless the Secretary does not receive an application 
from such an organization in each State of sufficient 
quality to warrant approval. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary 
shall select among applications submitted by parent 
organizations in a State in a manner that ensures the 
most effective assistance to parents, including parents 
in urban and rural areas, in the State. 
‘‘(f) QUARTERLY REVIEW.—
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENTS.—
‘‘(A) MEETINGS.—The board of directors or 
special governing committee of each organization 
that receives an award under this section shall 
meet at least once in each calendar quarter to re-
view the activities for which the award was 
made.
304
‘‘(B) ADVISING BOARD.—Each special gov-
erning committee shall directly advise the orga-
nization’s governing board of its views and rec-
ommendations. 
‘‘(2) CONTINUATION AWARD.—When an organi-
zation requests a continuation award under this sec-
tion, the board of directors or special governing com-
mittee shall submit to the Secretary a written review 
of the parent training and information program con-
ducted by the organization during the preceding fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITION
OF PARENT ORGANIZATION.—As 
used in this section, the term ‘parent organization’ means 
a private nonprofit organization (other than an institution 
of higher education) that—
‘‘(1) has a board of directors—
‘‘(A) the majority of whom are parents of 
children with disabilities ages birth through 26; 
‘‘(B) that includes—
‘‘(i) individuals working in the fields 
of special education, related services, and 
early intervention; and 
‘‘(ii) individuals with disabilities; and 
‘‘(C) the parent and professional members of 
which are broadly representative of the popu-
305
lation to be served, including low-income and 
limited English proficient parents of children 
with disabilities; or 
‘‘(2) has—
‘‘(A) a membership that represents the in-
terests of individuals with disabilities and has 
established a special governing committee that 
meets the requirements of paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(B) a memorandum of understanding be-
tween the special governing committee and the 
board of directors of the organization that clearly 
outlines the relationship between the board and 
the committee and the decisionmaking respon-
sibilities and authority of each. 
‘‘SEC. 673. COMMUNITY PARENT RESOURCE CENTERS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants 
to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements 
with, local parent organizations to support parent training 
and information centers that will help ensure that under-
served parents of children with disabilities, including low-
income parents, parents of children with limited English 
proficiency, and parents with disabilities, have the training 
and information they need to enable them to participate 
effectively in helping their children with disabilities—
306
‘‘(1) to meet developmental goals and, to the 
maximum extent possible, those challenging standards 
that have been established for all children; and 
‘‘(2) to be prepared to lead productive inde-
pendent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible. 
‘‘(b) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—Each parent training 
and information center assisted under this section shall—
‘‘(1) provide training and information that 
meets the training and information needs of parents 
of children with disabilities proposed to be served by 
the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; 
‘‘(2) carry out the activities required of parent 
training and information centers under paragraphs 
(2) through (7) of section 672(b); 
‘‘(3) establish cooperative partnerships with the 
parent training and information centers funded 
under section 672; and 
‘‘(4) be designed to meet the specific needs of 
families who experience significant isolation from 
available sources of information and support. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—As used is this section, the term 
‘local parent organization’ means a parent organization, 
as defined in section 672(g), that either—
‘‘(1) has a board of directors the majority of 
whom are from the community to be served; or
307
‘‘(2) has—
‘‘(A) as a part of its mission, serving the 
interests of individuals with disabilities from 
such community; and 
‘‘(B) a special governing committee to ad-
minister the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement, a majority of the members of which 
are individuals from such community. 
‘‘SEC. 674. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR PARENT TRAINING 
AND INFORMATION CENTERS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may, directly or 
through awards to eligible entities (as defined in section 
662(b)), provide technical assistance for developing, assist-
ing, and coordinating parent training and information 
programs carried out by parent training and information 
centers receiving assistance under sections 672 and 673. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary may 
provide technical assistance to a parent training and infor-
mation center under this section in areas such as—
‘‘(1) effective coordination of parent training ef-
forts; 
‘‘(2) dissemination of scientifically based re-
search and information;
308
‘‘(3) promotion of the use of technology, includ-
ing assistive technology devices and assistive tech-
nology services; 
‘‘(4) reaching underserved populations, including 
parents of low-income and limited English proficient 
children with disabilities; 
‘‘(5) including children with disabilities in gen-
eral education programs; 
‘‘(6) facilitation of transitions from—
‘‘(A) early intervention services to preschool; 
‘‘(B) preschool to elementary school; 
‘‘(C) elementary school to secondary school; 
and 
‘‘(D) secondary school to postsecondary en-
vironments; and 
‘‘(7) promotion of alternative methods of dispute 
resolution, including mediation and voluntary bind-
ing arbitration. 
‘‘SEC. 675. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, 
AND UTILIZATION; AND MEDIA SERVICES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall competitively 
make grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative 
agreements with, eligible entities (as defined in section 
662(b)) to support activities described in subsections (b) 
and (c).
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‘‘(b) TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, 
AND UTILIZATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this section, 
the Secretary shall support activities to promote the 
development, demonstration, and utilization of tech-
nology. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—The following 
activities may be carried out under this subsection: 
‘‘(A) Conducting research on, and pro-
moting the demonstration and use of—
‘‘(i) innovative and emerging tech-
nologies for children with disabilities; and 
‘‘(ii) improved transfer of technology 
from research and development to practice. 
‘‘(B) Supporting research, development, and 
dissemination of technology with universal-de-
sign features, so that the technology is accessible 
to individuals with disabilities without further 
modification or adaptation. 
‘‘(C) Demonstrating the use of systems to 
provide parents and teachers with information 
and training concerning early diagnosis of, 
intervention for, and effective teaching strategies 
for, young children with reading disabilities.
310
‘‘(D) Supporting the implementation of re-
search programs. 
‘‘(E) Communicating information on avail-
able technology and the uses of such technology 
to assist children with disabilities. 
‘‘(c) EDUCATIONAL MEDIA SERVICES; OPTIONAL AC-
TIVITIES.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary may 
support—
‘‘(1) educational media activities that are de-
signed to be of educational value in the classroom set-
ting to children with disabilities; 
‘‘(2) providing video description, open cap-
tioning, or closed captioning of television programs, 
videos, or other materials with an education-based 
content for use in the classroom setting when such 
services are not provided by the producer or dis-
tributor of such information, including programs and 
materials associated with new and emerging tech-
nologies such as CDs, DVDs, video streaming, and 
other forms of multimedia; 
‘‘(3) distributing materials described in para-
graphs (1) and (2) through such mechanisms as a 
loan service; and 
‘‘(4) providing free educational materials, in-
cluding textbooks, in accessible media for visually im-
311
paired and print-disabled students in elementary, sec-
ondary, postsecondary, and graduate schools. 
‘‘(d) APPLICATIONS.—Any eligible entity (as defined 
in section 662(b)) that wishes to receive a grant, or enter 
into a contract or cooperative agreement, under this section 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require. For purposes of subsection (c)(4), 
such entity shall—
‘‘(1) be a national, nonprofit entity with a track 
record of meeting the needs of students with print dis-
abilities through services described in paragraph (4); 
‘‘(2) have the capacity to produce, maintain, 
and distribute in a timely fashion, up-to-date text-
books in digital audio formats to qualified students; 
and 
‘‘(3) have a demonstrated ability to significantly 
leverage Federal funds through other public and pri-
vate contributions, as well as through the expansive 
use of volunteers. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 674 
$32,710,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2009. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out sec-