‘‘(2) A listing of the State educational agencies, 
local educational agencies, and schools the labora-
tory assisted during the previous year. 
‘‘(3) Using the measurable performance indica-
tors established under subsection (e)(5), a descrip-
tion of how well the laboratory is meeting edu-
cational needs of the region served by the laboratory. 
‘‘(4) Any changes to the laboratory’s plan under 
subsection (d)(2) to improve its activities in the re-
maining years of the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement.’’; and 
(9) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(o) 
APPROPRIATIONS
RESERVATION.—Of 
the 
amounts appropriated under section 194(a), the Director 
shall reserve 16.13 percent of such funds to carry out this 
section, of which the Director shall use not less than 25 
percent to serve rural areas (including schools funded by 
the Bureau which are located in rural areas).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents in section 1 of the Act of November 5, 2002 (Public 
Law 107–279; 116 Stat. 1940) is amended by striking 
the item relating to section 174 and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘Sec. 174. Regional educational laboratories for research, development, dissemi-
nation, and evaluation.’’. 
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PART E—NATIONAL CENTER FOR SPECIAL 
EDUCATION RESEARCH 
SEC. 175. ESTABLISHMENT. 
Section 175(b) (20 U.S.C. 9567(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and chil-
dren’’ and inserting ‘‘children, and youth’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) to promote quality and integrity through 
the use of accepted practices of scientific inquiry to 
obtain knowledge and understanding of the validity 
of education theories, practices, or conditions with 
respect to special education research and evaluation 
described in paragraphs (1) through (3); and 
‘‘(5) to promote scientifically valid research 
findings in special education that may provide the 
basis for improving academic instruction and lifelong 
learning.’’. 
SEC. 176. COMMISSIONER FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION RE-
SEARCH. 
Section 176 (20 U.S.C. 9567a) is amended by insert-
ing ‘‘and youth’’ after ‘‘children’’. 
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SEC. 177. DUTIES. 
Section 177 (20 U.S.C. 9567b) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘and 
youth’’ after ‘‘children’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘scientif-
ically based educational practices’’ and inserting 
‘‘educational practices, including the use of 
technology based on scientifically valid re-
search,’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘based’’ 
and inserting ‘‘valid’’; 
(D) in paragraph (10), by inserting before 
the semicolon the following: ‘‘, including how 
secondary school credentials are related to post-
secondary and employment outcomes’’; 
(E) by redesignating paragraphs (11) 
through (15) and paragraphs (16) and (17) as 
paragraphs (12) through (16), respectively, and 
paragraphs (18) and (19), respectively; 
(F) by inserting after paragraph (10), the 
following: 
‘‘(11) examine the participation and outcomes 
of students with disabilities in secondary and post-
secondary career and technical education pro-
grams;’’; 
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(G) in paragraph (14), as so redesignated, 
by inserting ‘‘and professional development’’ 
after ‘‘preparation’’; 
(H) in paragraph (16), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘help parents’’ and inserting ‘‘exam-
ine the methods by which parents may’’; 
(I) by inserting after paragraph (16), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(17) assist the Board in the preparation and 
dissemination of each evaluation report under sec-
tion 116(d);’’; 
(J) in paragraph (18), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(K) by amending paragraph (19) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(19) examine the needs of children with dis-
abilities who are English Learners, gifted and tal-
ented, or who have other unique learning needs; 
and’’; and 
(L) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(20) examine innovations in the field of special 
education, such as multi-tiered systems of support.’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph 
(1)— 
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(i) by inserting ‘‘for the activities of 
the Special Education Research Center’’ 
after ‘‘research plan’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘and, subject to the 
approval of the Director, implement such 
plan’’ after ‘‘Services’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘de-
scribed in section 175(b)’’ after ‘‘Center’’; 
(C) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(2) is carried out, and, as appropriate, up-
dated and modified, including by using the results of 
the Special Education Research Center’s most recent 
evaluation report under section 116(d);’’; 
(D) by striking paragraph (5); 
(E) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), 
and (6) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (7), respec-
tively; 
(F) by inserting after paragraph (2), as so 
amended, the following: 
‘‘(3) provides for research that addresses sig-
nificant questions of practice where such research is 
lacking;’’; 
(G) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘and types of children with’’ and in-
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serting ‘‘, student subgroups, and types of’’; 
and 
(H) by inserting after paragraph (5), as so 
redesignated and amended, the following: 
‘‘(6) describes how the Special Education Re-
search Center will use the performance management 
system described in section 185 to assess and im-
prove the activities of the Center; and’’; 
(3) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Direc-
tor’’ and inserting ‘‘Special Education Research 
Commissioner’’; 
(B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(3) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible applicant 
that wishes to receive a grant, or enter into a 
contract or cooperative agreement, under this 
section shall submit an application to the Spe-
cial Education Research Commissioner at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Special Education Research 
Commissioner may require. 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—An application sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) shall describe 
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SEC. 185. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT. 
Section 185 (20 U.S.C. 9575) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 185. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT. 
‘‘The Director shall establish a system for managing 
the performance of all activities authorized under this title 
to promote continuous improvement of the activities and 
to ensure the effective use of Federal funds by— 
‘‘(1) developing and using measurable perform-
ance indicators, including timelines, to evaluate and 
improve the effectiveness of the activities; 
‘‘(2) using the performance indicators described 
in paragraph (1) to inform funding decisions, includ-
ing the awarding and continuation of all grants, con-
tracts, and cooperative agreements under this title; 
‘‘(3) establishing and improving formal feed-
back mechanisms to— 
‘‘(A) anticipate and meet stakeholder 
needs; and 
‘‘(B) incorporate, on an ongoing basis, the 
feedback of such stakeholders into the activities 
authorized under this title; and 
‘‘(4) promoting the wide dissemination and uti-
lization, consistent with section 114(j), of all infor-
mation, products, and publications of the Institute.’’. 
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SEC. 186. AUTHORITY TO PUBLISH. 
Section 186(b) (20 U.S.C. 9576(b)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘any information to be published under this sec-
tion before publication’’ and inserting ‘‘publications under 
this section before the public release of such publications’’. 
SEC. 187. REPEALS. 
(a) REPEALS.—Sections 187 (20 U.S.C. 9577) and 
193 (20 U.S.C. 9583) are repealed. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The table of con-
tents in section 1 of the Act of November 5, 2002 (Public 
Law 107–279; 116 Stat. 1940) is amended by striking 
the items relating to sections 187 and 193. 
SEC. 188. FELLOWSHIPS. 
Section 189 (20 U.S.C. 9579) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘and the mission of each Na-
tional Education Center authorized under this title,’’ 
after ‘‘related to education’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘historically Black colleges and 
universities’’ and inserting ‘‘minority-serving institu-
tions’’. 
SEC. 189. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 194 (20 U.S.C. 9584) is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows: 
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‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to administer and carry out this title (except 
part E)— 
‘‘(1) for fiscal year 2015, $337,343,000; 
‘‘(2) for fiscal year 2016, $338,017,686; 
‘‘(3) for fiscal year 2017, $345,454,075; 
‘‘(4) for fiscal year 2018, $353,744,974; 
‘‘(5) for fiscal year 2019, $363,296,087; and 
‘‘(6) for fiscal year 2020, $368,745,528.’’; and 
(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(b) RESERVATIONS.—Of the amounts appropriated 
under subsection (a) for each fiscal year— 
‘‘(1) not less than the amount provided to the 
National Center for Education Statistics (as such 
Center was in existence on the day before the date 
of enactment of the Strengthening Education 
through Research Act) for fiscal year 2014 shall be 
provided to the National Center for Education Sta-
tistics, as authorized under part C; and 
‘‘(2) not more than the lesser of 2 percent of 
such funds or $2,000,000 shall be made available to 
carry out section 116 (relating to the National 
Board for Education Sciences).’’. 
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TITLE II—EDUCATIONAL 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 201. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in 
this title an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi-
sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a 
section or other provision of the Education Technical As-
sistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.). 
SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 202 (20 U.S.C. 9601) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (3); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1), the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) SCHOOL LEADER.—The term ‘school lead-
er’ has the meaning given the term in section 102.’’. 
SEC. 203. COMPREHENSIVE CENTERS. 
Section 203 (20 U.S.C. 9602)— 
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (3), 
the Secretary is authorized to award not more than 
17 grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to 
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eligible applicants to establish comprehensive cen-
ters. 
‘‘(2) MISSION.—The mission of the comprehen-
sive centers is to provide State educational agencies 
and local educational agencies technical assistance, 
analysis, and training to build their capacity in im-
plementing the requirements of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.) and other Federal education laws, and re-
search-based practices. 
‘‘(3) REGIONS.—In awarding grants, contracts, 
or cooperative agreements under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall establish at least one com-
prehensive center for each of the 10 geographic 
regions served by the regional educational lab-
oratories established under section 941(h) of 
the Educational Research, Development, Dis-
semination, and Improvement Act of 1994 (as 
such provision existed on the day before the 
date of enactment of this Act); and 
‘‘(B) may establish additional comprehen-
sive centers— 
‘‘(i) for one or more of the regions de-
scribed in subparagraph (A); or 
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‘‘(ii) to serve the Nation as a whole by 
providing technical assistance on a par-
ticular content area of importance to the 
Nation, as determined by the Secretary 
with the advice of the regional advisory 
committees 
established 
under 
section 
206(a). 
‘‘(4) NATION.—In the case of a comprehensive 
center established to serve the Nation as described 
in paragraph (3)(B)(ii), the Nation shall be consid-
ered to be a region served by such Center. 
‘‘(5) AWARD PERIOD.—A grant, contract, or co-
operative agreement under this section may be 
awarded, on a competitive basis, for a period of not 
more than 5 years. 
‘‘(6) RESPONSIVENESS.—The Secretary shall 
ensure that each comprehensive center established 
under this section has the ability to respond in a 
timely fashion to the needs of State educational 
agencies and local educational agencies, including 
through using the results of the center’s interim 
evaluation under section 204(c), to improve and 
modify the activities of the center before the end of 
the award period.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
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(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, contracts, or coop-
erative agreements’’ after ‘‘Grants’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘research organiza-
tions, institutions, agencies, institutions of 
higher education,’’ and inserting ‘‘public or 
private, nonprofit or for-profit research or-
ganizations, other organizations, or institu-
tions of higher education,’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘, or individuals,’’; 
(iv) by striking ‘‘subsection (f)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subsection (e)’’; and 
(v) by striking ‘‘, including regional’’ 
and all that follows through ‘‘107–110))’’; 
and 
(B) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) OUTREACH.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In conducting com-
petitions for grants, contracts, or cooperative 
agreements under this section, the Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(i) by making widely available infor-
mation and technical assistance relating to 
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the competition, actively encourage eligible 
applicants to compete for such awards; and 
‘‘(ii) seek input from chief executive 
officers of States, chief State school offi-
cers, educators, parents, superintendents, 
and other individuals with knowledge of 
the needs of the regions to be served by 
the awards, regarding— 
‘‘(I) the needs in the regions for 
technical assistance authorized under 
this title; and 
‘‘(II) how such needs may be ad-
dressed most effectively. 
‘‘(B) REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES.— 
The individuals described in subparagraph 
(A)(ii) may include members of the regional ad-
visory committees established under section 
206(a). 
‘‘(3) 
PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT.—Before 
awarding a grant, contract, or cooperative agree-
ment under this section, the Secretary shall establish 
measurable performance indicators to be used to as-
sess the ongoing progress and performance of the 
comprehensive centers to be established under this 
title that address— 
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‘‘(A) paragraphs (1) through (3) of the 
performance management system described in 
section 185; and 
‘‘(B) the relevant results of the regional 
assessments under section 206(e). 
‘‘(4) REQUIRED
CONSIDERATION.—In deter-
mining whether to award a grant, contract, or coop-
erative agreement under this section to an eligible 
applicant that previously established a comprehen-
sive center under this section, the Secretary shall 
consider the results of such center’s summative eval-
uation under section 204(b). 
‘‘(5) CONTINUATION OF AWARDS.— 
‘‘(A) CONTINUATION
OF
AWARDS.—The 
Secretary shall continue awards made to each 
eligible applicant for the support of comprehen-
sive centers established under this section prior 
to the date of enactment of the Strengthening 
Education through Research Act, as such 
awards were in effect on the day before the 
date of enactment of the Strengthening Edu-
cation through Research Act, for the duration 
of those awards, in accordance with the terms 
and agreements of such awards. 
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‘‘(B) RECOMPETITION.—Not later than the 
end of the period of the awards described in 
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) hold a competition to make 
grants, contracts, or cooperative agree-
ments under this section to eligible appli-
cants, which may include eligible appli-
cants that held awards described in sub-
paragraph (A); and 
‘‘(ii) in determining whether to select 
an eligible applicant that held an award 
described in subparagraph (A) for an 
award under clause (i) of this subpara-
graph, 
consider 
the 
results 
of 
the 
summative evaluation under section 204(b) 
of the center established with the eligible 
applicant’s award described in subpara-
graph (A). 
‘‘(6) ELIGIBLE APPLICANT DEFINED.—For pur-
poses of this section, the term ‘eligible applicant’ 
means an entity described in paragraph (1).’’; 
(3) by amending subsection (c) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) SUBMISSION.— 
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‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Each eligible appli-
cant seeking a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement under this section shall submit an 
application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such additional information as the 
Secretary may reasonably require. 
‘‘(B) INPUT.—To ensure that applications 
submitted under this paragraph are reflective of 
the needs of the regions to be served, each eligi-
ble applicant submitting such an application 
shall seek input from State educational agencies 
and local educational agencies in the region 
that the award will serve, and other individuals 
with knowledge of the region’s needs. Such indi-
viduals may include members of the regional 
advisory committee for the region under section 
206(a). 
‘‘(2) PLAN.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each application sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) shall contain a plan 
for the comprehensive center to be established 
under this section, which shall be updated, 
modified, and improved, as appropriate, on an 
ongoing basis, including by using the results of 
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the center’s interim evaluation under section 
204(c). 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—A plan described in 
subparagraph (A) shall address— 
‘‘(i) the priorities for technical assist-
ance established under section 207; 
‘‘(ii) the needs of State educational 
agencies and local educational agencies, on 
an ongoing basis, using available State and 
local data, including the relevant results of 
the regional assessments under section 
206(e); and 
‘‘(iii) if available, demonstrated sup-
port from State educational agencies and 
local educational agencies, such as letters 
of support or signed memoranda of under-
standing. 
‘‘(3) NON-FEDERAL SUPPORT.—In conducting a 
competition for grants, contracts, or cooperative 
agreements under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
give priority to eligible applicants that will provide 
a portion of non-Federal funds to maximize support 
for activities of the comprehensive centers to be es-
tablished under this section.’’; 
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(4) in subsection (d), by inserting ‘‘the number 
of low-performing schools in the region,’’ after ‘‘eco-
nomically disadvantaged students,’’; 
(5) by striking subsection (e) and redesignating 
subsections (f), (g), and (h) as subsections (e), (f), 
and (g), respectively; 
(6) in subsection (e), as so redesignated— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘support dissemination 
and technical assistance activities by’’ and 
inserting ‘‘support State educational agen-
cies and local educational agencies, includ-
ing by—’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A)(i), by insert-
ing ‘‘and other Federal education laws’’ be-
fore the semicolon; 
(iii) in subparagraph (A)(ii)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘and assessment 
tools’’ and inserting ‘‘, assessment 
tools, and other educational strate-
gies’’; and 
(II) in subclause (III), by insert-
ing ‘‘, including innovative tools and 
methods’’ before the semicolon; 
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