250
‘‘SEC. 665. PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE SERV-
ICES AND RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DIS-
ABILITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, on a com-
petitive basis, make grants to, or enter into contracts or 
cooperative agreements with, eligible entities—
‘‘(1) to help address State-identified needs for 
highly qualified personnel in special education, re-
lated services, early intervention, and regular edu-
cation, to work with children with disabilities; 
‘‘(2) to ensure that those personnel have the 
necessary skills and knowledge, derived from prac-
tices that have been determined, through scientif-
ically-based research, to be successful in serving 
those children; 
‘‘(3) to encourage increased focus on academics 
and core content areas in special education per-
sonnel preparation programs; 
‘‘(4) to ensure that regular education teachers 
have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide 
instruction to students with disabilities in the reg-
ular education classroom; and 
‘‘(5) to ensure that all special education teach-
ers teaching in core academic subjects are highly 
qualified.
251
‘‘(b) PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT; AUTHORIZED AC-
TIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall support activities, consistent 
with the objectives described in subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Activities that 
may be carried out under this subsection include the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Promoting activities undertaken by 
institutions of higher education, local edu-
cational agencies, and other local entities—
‘‘(i) to improve and reform their exist-
ing programs, and to support effective ex-
isting programs, to prepare teachers and 
related services personnel—
‘‘(I) to meet the diverse needs of 
children with disabilities for early 
intervention, educational, and transi-
tional services; and 
‘‘(II) to work collaboratively in 
regular classroom settings; and 
‘‘(ii) to incorporate best practices and 
scientifically based research about pre-
paring personnel—
252
‘‘(I) so they will have the knowl-
edge and skills to improve educational 
results for children with disabilities; 
and 
‘‘(II) 
to 
implement 
effective 
teaching strategies and interventions 
to prevent the mis-identification or 
over-identification of children as hav-
ing a disability, especially minority 
and limited English proficient chil-
dren. 
‘‘(B) Developing, evaluating, and dissemi-
nating innovative models for the recruitment, 
induction, retention, and assessment of highly 
qualified teachers to reduce shortages in per-
sonnel. 
‘‘(C) Developing and improving programs 
for paraprofessionals to receive training as spe-
cial education teachers, related services per-
sonnel, and early intervention personnel, includ-
ing interdisciplinary training to enable them to 
improve early intervention, educational, and 
transitional results for children with disabilities. 
‘‘(D) Demonstrating models for the prepa-
ration of, and interdisciplinary training of, early
253
intervention, special education, and general edu-
cation personnel, to enable the personnel to ac-
quire the collaboration skills necessary to work 
within teams to improve results for children 
with disabilities, particularly within the general 
education curriculum. 
‘‘(E) Promoting the transferability, across 
State and local jurisdictions, of licensure and 
certification of teachers and administrators 
working with such children. 
‘‘(F) Developing and disseminating models 
that prepare teachers with strategies, including 
behavioral interventions, for addressing the con-
duct of children with disabilities that impedes 
their learning and that of others in the class-
room. 
‘‘(G) Developing and improving programs 
to enhance the ability of general education 
teachers, principals, school administrators, and 
school board members to improve results for 
children with disabilities; 
‘‘(H) Supporting institutions of higher 
education with minority enrollments of at least 
25 percent for the purpose of preparing per-
sonnel to work with children with disabilities.
254
‘‘(I) Developing and improving programs 
to train special education teachers with an ex-
pertise in autism spectrum disorders. 
‘‘(c) LOW-INCIDENCE DISABILITIES; AUTHORIZED 
ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall support activities, consistent 
with the objectives described in subsection (a), that 
benefit children with low-incidence disabilities. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Activities that 
may be carried out under this subsection include ac-
tivities such as the following: 
‘‘(A) Preparing persons who—
‘‘(i) have prior training in educational 
and other related service fields; and 
‘‘(ii) are studying to obtain degrees, 
certificates, or licensure that will enable 
them to assist children with low-incidence 
disabilities to achieve the objectives set out 
in their individualized education programs 
described in section 614(d), or to assist in-
fants and toddlers with low incidence dis-
abilities to achieve the outcomes described 
in their individualized family service plans 
described in section 636.
255
‘‘(B) Providing personnel from various dis-
ciplines with interdisciplinary training that will 
contribute to improvement in early intervention, 
educational, and transitional results for children 
with low-incidence disabilities. 
‘‘(C) Preparing personnel in the innovative 
uses and application of technology to enhance 
learning by children with low-incidence disabil-
ities through early intervention, educational, 
and transitional services. 
‘‘(D) Preparing personnel who provide 
services to visually impaired or blind children to 
teach and use Braille in the provision of serv-
ices to such children. 
‘‘(E) Preparing personnel to be qualified 
educational interpreters, to assist children with 
low-incidence disabilities, particularly deaf and 
hard-of-hearing children in school and school-
related activities and deaf and hard-of-hearing 
infants and toddlers and preschool children in 
early intervention and preschool programs. 
‘‘(3) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the 
term ‘low-incidence disability’ means—
‘‘(A) a visual or hearing impairment, or si-
multaneous visual and hearing impairments;
256
‘‘(B) a significant cognitive impairment; or 
‘‘(C) any impairment for which a small 
number of personnel with highly specialized 
skills and knowledge are needed in order for 
children with that impairment to receive early 
intervention services or a free appropriate pub-
lic education. 
‘‘(4) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.—In selecting 
recipients under this subsection, the Secretary may 
give preference to applications that propose to pre-
pare personnel in more than one low-incidence dis-
ability, such as deafness and blindness. 
‘‘(5) PREPARATION IN USE OF BRAILLE.—The 
Secretary shall ensure that all recipients of assist-
ance under this subsection who will use that assist-
ance to prepare personnel to provide services to vis-
ually impaired or blind children that can appro-
priately be provided in Braille will prepare those in-
dividuals to provide those services in Braille. 
‘‘(d) LEADERSHIP PREPARATION; AUTHORIZED AC-
TIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall support leadership prepara-
tion activities that are consistent with the objectives 
described in subsection (a).
257
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Activities that 
may be carried out under this subsection include ac-
tivities such as the following: 
‘‘(A) Preparing personnel at the graduate, 
doctoral, and postdoctoral levels of training to 
administer, enhance, or provide services to im-
prove results for children with disabilities. 
‘‘(B) Providing interdisciplinary training 
for various types of leadership personnel, in-
cluding teacher preparation faculty, administra-
tors, researchers, supervisors, principals, and 
other persons whose work affects early interven-
tion, educational, and transitional services for 
children with disabilities. 
‘‘(e) APPLICATIONS.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Any eligible entity that 
wishes to receive a grant, or enter into a contract or 
cooperative agreement, under this section shall sub-
mit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(2) IDENTIFIED STATE NEEDS.—
‘‘(A) REQUIREMENT TO ADDRESS IDENTI-
FIED
NEEDS.—Any application under sub-
section (b), (c), or (d) shall include information
258
demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Sec-
retary that the activities described in the appli-
cation will address needs identified by the State 
or States the applicant proposes to serve. 
‘‘(B) COOPERATION
WITH
STATE
EDU-
CATIONAL
AGENCIES.—Any applicant that is 
not a local educational agency or a State edu-
cational agency shall include information dem-
onstrating to the satisfaction of the Secretary 
that the applicant and one or more State edu-
cational agencies or local educational agencies 
will cooperate in carrying out and monitoring 
the project. 
‘‘(3) ACCEPTANCE BY STATES OF PERSONNEL 
PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary may 
require applicants to provide assurances from one or 
more States that such States—
‘‘(A) intend to accept successful completion 
of the proposed personnel preparation program 
as meeting State personnel standards for serv-
ing children with disabilities or serving infants 
and toddlers with disabilities; and 
‘‘(B) need personnel in the area or areas 
in which the applicant proposes to provide prep-
aration, as identified in the States’ comprehen-
259
sive systems of personnel development under 
parts B and C. 
‘‘(f) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.—
‘‘(1) Impact of project.—In selecting recipients 
under this section, the Secretary shall consider the 
impact of the project proposed in the application in 
meeting the need for personnel identified by the 
States. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT ON APPLICANTS TO MEET 
STATE AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.—The Sec-
retary shall make grants under this section only to 
eligible applicants that meet State and profes-
sionally-recognized standards for the preparation of 
special education and related services personnel, if 
the purpose of the project is to assist personnel in 
obtaining degrees. 
‘‘(3) PREFERENCES.—In selecting recipients 
under this section, the Secretary may—
‘‘(A) give preference to institutions of 
higher education that are educating regular 
education personnel to meet the needs of chil-
dren with disabilities in integrated settings and 
educating special education personnel to work 
in collaboration with regular educators in inte-
grated settings; and
260
‘‘(B) give preference to institutions of 
higher education that are successfully recruiting 
and preparing individuals with disabilities and 
individuals from groups that are underrep-
resented in the profession for which they are 
preparing individuals. 
‘‘(g) SERVICE OBLIGATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each application for funds 
under subsections (b) and (c) shall include an assur-
ance that the applicant will ensure that individuals 
who receive a scholarship under the proposed project 
will subsequently provide special education and re-
lated services to children with disabilities for a pe-
riod of 2 years for every year for which assistance 
was received or repay all or part of the cost of that 
assistance, 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 in-
dividuals who receive a scholarship under the pro-
posed 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
261
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 
agreements, assess the progress in the implementa-
tion of this Act, including the effectiveness of State 
and local efforts to provide—
‘‘(A) a free appropriate public education to chil-
dren with disabilities; and 
‘‘(B) early intervention services to infants and 
toddlers with disabilities and infants and toddlers 
who would be at risk of having substantial develop-
mental delays if early intervention services were not 
provided to them. 
‘‘(2) DELEGATION.—The Secretary shall des-
ignate the Director of the Institute for Education 
Sciences to carry out this section.
262
‘‘(3) AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—In carrying 
out this subsection, the Secretary may support ob-
jective studies, evaluations, and assessments, includ-
ing studies that—
‘‘(A) analyze issues identified in the re-
search agenda in section 663(d); 
‘‘(B) meets the standards in section 
663(c); and 
‘‘(C) undertake one or more of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(i) An analysis of the measurable im-
pact, outcomes, and results achieved by 
State educational agencies and local edu-
cational agencies through their activities to 
reform policies, procedures, and practices 
designed to improve educational and tran-
sitional services and results for children 
with disabilities. 
‘‘(ii) An analysis of State and local 
needs for professional development, parent 
training, and other appropriate activities 
that can reduce the need for disciplinary 
actions involving children with disabilities. 
‘‘(iii) An assessment of educational 
and transitional services and results for
263
children with disabilities from minority 
backgrounds, including—
‘‘(I) data on—
‘‘(aa) the number of minor-
ity children who are referred for 
special education evaluation; 
‘‘(bb) the number of minor-
ity children who are receiving 
special education and related 
services and their educational or 
other service placement; 
‘‘(cc) the number of minor-
ity children who graduated from 
secondary programs with a reg-
ular diploma in the standard 
number of years; and 
‘‘(dd) the number of minor-
ity children who drop out of the 
educational system without a reg-
ular diploma; and 
‘‘(II) the performance of children 
with disabilities from minority back-
grounds on State assessments and 
other performance indicators estab-
lished for all students.
264
‘‘(iv) A measurement of educational 
and transitional services and results of 
children with disabilities served under this 
Act, including longitudinal studies that—
‘‘(I) examine educational and 
transitional services and results for 
children with disabilities who are 3 
through 17 years of age and are re-
ceiving special education and related 
services under this Act, using a na-
tional, representative sample of dis-
tinct age cohorts and disability cat-
egories; and 
‘‘(II) examine educational results, 
transition 
services, 
postsecondary 
placement, and employment status of 
individuals 
with 
disabilities, 
through 21 years of age, who are re-
ceiving or have received special edu-
cation and related services under this 
Act; and 
‘‘(v) An identification and report on 
the placement of children with disabilities 
by disability category. 
‘‘(b) NATIONAL ASSESSMENT.—
265
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out a national assessment of activities carried out 
with Federal funds under this Act in order—
‘‘(A) to determine the effectiveness of this 
Act in achieving its purposes; 
‘‘(B) to provide timely information to the 
President, the Congress, the States, local edu-
cational agencies, and the public on how to im-
plement the Act more effectively; and 
‘‘(C) to provide the President and the Con-
gress with information that will be useful in de-
veloping legislation to achieve the purposes of 
this Act more effectively. 
‘‘(2) PUBLIC COMMENT.— 
‘‘(A) PLAN.—Not later than 12 months 
after the date of enactment of the Improving 
Education Results for Children With Disabil-
ities Act of 2003, the Secretary shall publish in 
the Federal Register for public comment a com-
prehensive plan for developing and conducting 
the national assessment. 
‘‘(B) COMMENT
PERIOD.—The Secretary 
shall provide a public comment period of at 
least 30 days on such plan.
266
‘‘(3) SCOPE OF ASSESSMENT.—The national as-
sessment shall assess the—
‘‘(A) implementation of programs assisted 
under this Act and the impact of such pro-
grams on addressing the developmental needs 
of, and improving the academic achievement of, 
children with disabilities to enable them to 
reach challenging developmental goals and chal-
lenging State academic content standards based 
on State academic assessments; 
‘‘(B) types of programs and services that 
have demonstrated the greatest likelihood of 
helping students reach the challenging State 
academic content standards and developmental 
goals; 
‘‘(C) implementation of the professional 
development activities assisted under this Act 
and the impact on instruction, student aca-
demic achievement, and teacher qualifications 
to enhance the ability of special education 
teachers and regular education teachers to im-
prove results for children with disabilities; 
‘‘(D) effectiveness of schools, local edu-
cational agencies, States, other recipients of as-
267
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 State-wide assess-
ments as compared to nondisabled chil-
dren, and the performance of children with 
disabilities on alternate assessments; 
‘‘(ii) improving the participation of 
children with disabilities in the general 
education curriculum; 
‘‘(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;
268
‘‘(vii) reducing the over-identification 
of children, especially minority and limited 
English proficient children, as having a 
disability; 
‘‘(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 
alternate dispute resolution activities in-
cluding mediation and voluntary binding 
arbitration. 
‘‘(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 en-
actment of the Improving Education Results for 
Children With Disabilities Act of 2003; and 
‘‘(B) a final report of the findings of the 
assessment 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—
269
‘‘(1) summarizes the research conducted under 
section 663; 
‘‘(2) analyzes and summarizes the data re-
ported by the States and the Secretary of the Inte-
rior under section 618; 
‘‘(3) summarizes the studies and evaluations 
conducted under this section and the timeline for 
their completion; 
‘‘(4) describes the extent and progress of the 
national assessment; and 
‘‘(5) 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 
this subpart such sums as may be necessary for each of 
the fiscal years 2003 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 effectively participate in planning and decision
273
‘‘(7) network with appropriate clearinghouses, 
including organizations conducting national dissemi-
nation activities under subpart 2, and with other na-
tional, State, and local organizations and agencies, 
such as protection and advocacy agencies, that serve 
parents and 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; 
‘‘(B) the effectiveness of strategies used to 
reach and serve parents, including underserved 
parents of children with disabilities; and 
‘‘(C) the number of parents served who 
have resolved disputes through alternative 
methods of dispute resolution. 
‘‘(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
274
‘‘(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 
information of underserved parents of children with 
disabilities 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 
parents 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 appli-
cation from such an organization in each State of 
sufficient quality to warrant approval. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION
REQUIREMENT.—The Sec-
retary shall select among applications submitted by 
parent organizations in a State in a manner that en-
sures the most effective assistance to parents, in-
275
cluding 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 organi-
zation that receives an award under this section 
shall meet at least once in each calendar quar-
ter to review the activities for which the award 
was made. 
‘‘(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 fis-
cal 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—
276
‘‘(1) has a board of directors—
‘‘(A) the majority of whom are parents of 
children with disabilities ages birth through 21; 
‘‘(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-
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 decision-
making responsibilities and authority of each. 
‘‘(h) EXCEPTIONS.—
277
‘‘(1) FEDERAL RELATIONS.—Any organization 
or affiliated entity that conducts, in whole or in 
part, Federal relations, is ineligible to serve as a 
parent and community training and information cen-
ter and ineligible to be considered a parent organiza-
tion under subsection (g). 
‘‘(2) PROHIBITION
ON
CENTER
BOARD
MEM-
BERS AND STAFF.—No member of the board of di-
rectors, or paid staff, of a parent and community 
training and information center may serve on the 
board of directors, or as paid staff, of any organiza-
tion (whether profit or non-profit) that conducts 
Federal relations in whole or in part. 
‘‘(i) LOBBYING ORGANIZATIONS INELIGIBLE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No organization is eligible 
for an award under this section if it, or an affiliated 
organization, engages in lobbying with the Federal 
Government with respect to this Act. 
‘‘(2) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN BOARD MEM-
BERS AND STAFF.—An organization that receives a 
grant under this section may not have, on its board 
of directors or in any paid position on its staff, an 
individual who serves on the board of directors as a 
paid staff member of any organization that engages