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ment programs which reflect actual edu-
cation practices and techniques;
‘‘(iv) the State’s requirements for licen-
sure of teachers and administrators, includ-
ing certification and recertification, will be
modified to support an adequate supply of
personnel with the necessary skills and
knowledge (including, where appropriate,
strategies for developing reciprocal certifi-
cation agreements and common certification
requirements with other States); and
‘‘(v) the State will work to develop col-
laborative agreements with other States for
the joint support and development of pro-
grams to prepare personnel for which there
is not sufficient demand within a single
State to justify support or development of
such a program of preparation;
‘‘(D) how it will work in collaboration with
other States, particularly neighboring States, to
address the lack of uniformity and reciprocity in
the credentialing of teachers and other personnel;
‘‘(E) strategies that will address systemic
problems identified in Federal compliance re-
224
views, including shortages of qualified personnel;
and
‘‘(F) how the State will assess, on a regular
basis, the extent to which the strategies imple-
mented under this subpart have been effective;
and
‘‘(2) describe how the improvement strategies
under paragraph (1) will be coordinated with public
and private sector resources.
‘‘(d) REPORTING PROCEDURES.—Each State that re-
ceives a grant under this subpart shall submit performance
reports to the Secretary pursuant to a schedule to be deter-
mined by the Secretary, but not more frequently that annu-
ally.
‘‘(e) PLAN APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall approve a
State improvement plan under this section if it—
‘‘(1) meets the requirements of this part;
‘‘(2) has been developed in accordance with the
requirements of section 682; and
‘‘(3) in the opinion of the Secretary, has a rea-
sonable chance of achieving the purposes of the grant.
‘‘(f) PLAN AMENDMENTS.—
‘‘(1) MODIFICATIONS MADE BY STATE.—Subject
to paragraph (2), a plan submitted by a State in ac-
cordance with this section shall remain in effect until
225
the State submits to the Secretary such modifications
as the State determines necessary. This section shall
apply to a modification to a plan to the same extent
and in the same manner as this section applies to
the original plan.
‘‘(2) 
MODIFICATIONS
REQUIRED
BY
SEC-
RETARY.—The Secretary may require a State to
amend its State improvement plan at any time as a
result of the Secretary’s compliance reviews under
parts B and C. The Secretary may not provide fur-
ther funding under this subpart to the State until
such amendments are made.
‘‘SEC. 684. USE OF FUNDS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A State that receives a grant
under this subpart may use the grant to carry out any ac-
tivities that are described in the State improvement plan
and that are consistent with the purpose of this subpart.
Such activities may include the awarding of subgrants, but
only if the subgrants are made to local educational agencies.
Any such local educational agency may award subgrants
to any person. Such activities may also include the award-
ing of contracts to appropriate entities.
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP-
MENT.—A State that receives a grant under this subpart
shall use not less than 75 percent of the funds it receives
226
under the grant for any fiscal year to ensure that there is
a sufficient supply of personnel who have the skills and
knowledge necessary to enable children with disabilities to
meet developmental goals and to meet the needs of such chil-
dren, including working with other States on common cer-
tification criteria.
‘‘(c) GRANTS
TO TERRITORIES.—The provisions of
Public Law 95–134, permitting the consolidation of grants
to the territories, shall not apply to funds received under
this subpart.
‘‘SEC. 685. MINIMUM STATE ALLOTMENTS.
‘‘A State that receives a grant under this subpart shall
receive an amount that is—
‘‘(1) not less than $200,000, in the case of the 50
States, the District of Columbia, and the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico; and
‘‘(2) not less than $40,000, in the case of a terri-
tory.
‘‘SEC. 686. 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 1997 through 2001.
227
‘‘Subpart 4—Parent Training
‘‘SEC. 691. GRANTS FOR PARENT TRAINING AND INFORMA-
TION 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 subpart.
‘‘(b) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—A parent training and
information center that receives assistance under this sec-
tion shall—
‘‘(1) assist parents to understand the availability
of, and how effectively to use, procedural safeguards
under this title, including the use of alternative meth-
ods of dispute resolution, such as mediation;
‘‘(2) serve the parents of children with the full
range of disabilities; and
‘‘(3) annually report to the Secretary on—
‘‘(A) the number of parents to whom it pro-
vided information and training in the most re-
cently concluded fiscal year; and
‘‘(B) the effectiveness of strategies used to
reach and serve parents of children with disabil-
ities, including underserved parents of children
with disabilities.
228
‘‘(c) OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES.—A parent training and
information center that receives assistance under this sec-
tion may—
‘‘(1) provide information to teachers and other
professionals who provide special education and relat-
ed services to children with disabilities;
‘‘(2) assist students with disabilities to under-
stand their rights and responsibilities under section
615(j) on reaching the age of majority; and
‘‘(3) establish cooperative partnerships with par-
ent organizations, and other organizations assisting
families of children with disabilities, in the commu-
nity.
‘‘(d) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—Each applica-
tion for assistance under this section shall identify with
specificity the special efforts that the applicant will under-
take to—
‘‘(1) ensure that the needs for training and infor-
mation of parents of underserved children with dis-
abilities in the area to be served are effectively met;
and
‘‘(2) work with community-based organizations.
‘‘(e) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) INITIAL AWARDS.—