276
‘‘(10) disseminating information on how to re-
duce racial and ethnic disproportionalities identified 
under section 618. 
‘‘(d) 
BALANCE
AMONG
ACTIVITIES
AND
AGE 
RANGES.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
ensure that there is an appropriate balance across all age 
ranges of children with disabilities. 
‘‘(e) LINKING STATES TO INFORMATION SOURCES.—
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall support 
projects that link States to technical assistance resources, 
including special education and general education re-
sources, and shall make research and related products avail-
able through libraries, electronic networks, parent training 
projects, and other information sources, including through 
the activities of the National Center for Evaluation and Re-
gional Assistance established under the Education Sciences 
Reform Act. 
‘‘(f) APPLICATIONS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that wish-
es to receive a grant, or enter into a contract or coop-
erative agreement, under this section shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require.
277
‘‘(2) STANDARDS.—To the maximum extent fea-
sible, each applicant shall demonstrate that the 
project described in its application is supported by 
scientifically valid research that has been carried out 
in accordance with the standards for the conduct and 
evaluation of all relevant research and development 
established by the National Center for Education Re-
search. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—As appropriate, the Secretary 
shall give priority to applications that propose to 
serve teachers and school personnel directly in the 
school environment. 
‘‘SEC. 665. PERSONNEL PREPARATION PROGRAMS TO IM-
PROVE SERVICES AND RESULTS FOR CHIL-
DREN WITH DISABILITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, on a competi-
tive basis, make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooper-
ative agreements with, eligible entities—
‘‘(1) to help address State-identified needs for 
qualified personnel in special education, related serv-
ices, early intervention, and regular education, to 
work with children with disabilities; 
‘‘(2) to ensure that those personnel have the nec-
essary skills and knowledge, derived from practices
278
that have been determined, through scientifically valid 
research, to be successful in serving those children; 
‘‘(3) to encourage increased focus on academics 
and core content areas in special education personnel 
preparation programs; 
‘‘(4) to ensure that regular education teachers 
have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide in-
struction to students with disabilities in the regular 
education classroom;
‘‘(5) to provide high-quality professional develop-
ment for principals, superintendents, and other ad-
ministrators, including training in—
‘‘(A) instructional leadership; 
‘‘(B) behavioral supports in the school and 
classroom; 
‘‘(C) paperwork reduction; 
‘‘(D) promoting improved collaboration be-
tween special education and general education 
teachers; 
‘‘(E) assessment and accountability; 
‘‘(F) ensuring effective learning environ-
ments; and 
‘‘(G) fostering positive relationships with 
parents; and
279
‘‘(6) to ensure that all special education teachers 
teaching in core academic subjects are highly quali-
fied. 
‘‘(b) PERSONNEL PREPARATION; AUTHORIZED ACTIVI-
TIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this section, 
the Secretary shall support activities, including ac-
tivities for high-incidence and low-incidence disabil-
ities, consistent with the objectives described in sub-
section (a). 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—Activities that 
may be carried out under this subsection include the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Promoting activities undertaken by in-
stitutions of higher education, local educational 
agencies, and other local entities—
‘‘(i) to improve and reform their exist-
ing programs, and to support effective exist-
ing programs, to prepare teachers and re-
lated services personnel—
‘‘(I) to meet the diverse needs of 
children with disabilities for early 
intervention, educational, and transi-
tional services; and
280
‘‘(II) to work collaboratively in 
regular classroom settings; and 
‘‘(ii) to incorporate best practices and 
scientifically based research about pre-
paring personnel—
‘‘(I) so they will have the knowl-
edge and skills to improve educational 
results for children with disabilities; 
and 
‘‘(II) so they can implement effec-
tive teaching strategies and interven-
tions to ensure appropriate identifica-
tion, 
and 
to 
prevent 
the 
misidentification or overidentification, 
of children as having a disability, espe-
cially minority and limited English 
proficient children. 
‘‘(B) Developing, evaluating, and dissemi-
nating innovative models for the recruitment, in-
duction, retention, and assessment of highly 
qualified teachers to reduce shortages in per-
sonnel. 
‘‘(C) Developing and improving programs 
for paraprofessionals to assist in the provision of 
special education, related services, and early
281
intervention services, including interdisciplinary 
training to enable them to improve early inter-
vention, educational, and transitional results for 
children with disabilities. 
‘‘(D) Demonstrating models for the prepara-
tion of, and interdisciplinary training of, early 
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 edu-
cation 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 teach-
ers, principals, school administrators, and school