H. R. 5—100
‘‘(A) by supporting models of personnel development
that reflect successful practice, including strategies for
recruiting, preparing, and retaining personnel;
‘‘(B) by promoting the coordination and integration of—
‘‘(i) personnel-development activities for teachers
of children with disabilities; and
‘‘(ii) other personnel-development activities sup-
ported under Federal law, including this chapter;
‘‘(C) by supporting the development and dissemination
of information about teaching standards; and
‘‘(D) by promoting the coordination and integration
of personnel-development activities through linkage with
systemic-change activities within States and nationally.
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this chapter is to provide Federal
funding for coordinated research, demonstration projects, outreach,
and personnel-preparation activities that—
‘‘(1) are described in sections 672 through 674;
‘‘(2) are linked with, and promote, systemic change; and
‘‘(3) improve early intervention, educational, and transi-
tional results for children with disabilities.
‘‘SEC. 672. RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND
RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make competitive grants
to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, eligible
entities to produce, and advance the use of, knowledge—
‘‘(1) to improve—
‘‘(A) services provided under this Act, including the
practices of professionals and others involved in providing
such services to children with disabilities; and
‘‘(B) educational results for children with disabilities;
‘‘(2) to address the special needs of preschool-aged children
and infants and toddlers with disabilities, including infants
and toddlers who would be at risk of having substantial devel-
opmental delays if early intervention services were not provided
to them;
‘‘(3) to address the specific problems of over-identification
and under-identification of children with disabilities;
‘‘(4) to develop and implement effective strategies for
addressing inappropriate behavior of students with disabilities
in schools, including strategies to prevent children with emo-
tional and behavioral problems from developing emotional
disturbances that require the provision of special education
and related services;
‘‘(5) to improve secondary and postsecondary education and
transitional services for children with disabilities; and
‘‘(6) to address the range of special education, related serv-
ices, and early intervention needs of children with disabilities
who need significant levels of support to maximize their partici-
pation and learning in school and in the community.
‘‘(b) NEW KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION; AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall support activities, consistent with the objectives
described in subsection (a), that lead to the production of new
knowledge.
H. R. 5—101
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Activities that may be car-
ried out under this subsection include activities such as the
following:
‘‘(A) Expanding understanding of the relationships
between learning characteristics of children with disabil-
ities and the diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, social, and
economic backgrounds of children with disabilities and
their families.
‘‘(B) Developing or identifying innovative, effective, and
efficient curricula designs, instructional approaches, and
strategies, and developing or identifying positive academic
and social learning opportunities, that—
‘‘(i) enable children with disabilities to make effec-
tive transitions described in section 674(b)(3)(C) or
transitions between educational settings; and
‘‘(ii) improve educational and transitional results
for children with disabilities at all levels of the edu-
cational system in which the activities are carried out
and, in particular, that improve the progress of the
children, as measured by assessments within the gen-
eral education curriculum involved.
‘‘(C) Advancing the design of assessment tools and
procedures that will accurately and efficiently determine
the special instructional, learning, and behavioral needs
of children with disabilities, especially within the context
of general education.
‘‘(D) Studying and promoting improved alignment and
compatibility of general and special education reforms con-
cerned with curricular and instructional reform, evaluation
and accountability of such reforms, and administrative
procedures.
‘‘(E) Advancing the design, development, and integra-
tion of technology, assistive technology devices, media, and
materials, to improve early intervention, educational, and
transitional services and results for children with disabil-
ities.
‘‘(F) Improving designs, processes, and results of
personnel preparation for personnel who provide services
to children with disabilities through the acquisition of
information on, and implementation of, research-based
practices.
‘‘(G) Advancing knowledge about the coordination of
education with health and social services.
‘‘(H) Producing information on the long-term impact
of early intervention and education on results for individ-
uals with disabilities through large-scale longitudinal
studies.
‘‘(c) INTEGRATION
OF RESEARCH
AND PRACTICE; AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this section, the Sec-
retary shall support activities, consistent with the objectives
described in subsection (a), that integrate research and practice,
including activities that support State systemic-change and
local capacity-building and improvement efforts.
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Activities that may be car-
ried out under this subsection include activities such as the
following:
H. R. 5—102
‘‘(A) Model demonstration projects to apply and test
research findings in typical service settings to determine
the usability, effectiveness, and general applicability of
such research findings in such areas as improving instruc-
tional methods, curricula, and tools, such as textbooks and
media.
‘‘(B) Demonstrating and applying research-based find-
ings to facilitate systemic changes, related to the provision
of services to children with disabilities, in policy, procedure,
practice, and the training and use of personnel.
‘‘(C) Promoting and demonstrating the coordination of
early intervention and educational services for children
with 
disabilities 
with 
services 
provided 
by 
health,
rehabilitation, and social service agencies.
‘‘(D) Identifying and disseminating solutions that over-
come systemic barriers to the effective and efficient delivery
of early intervention, educational, and transitional services
to children with disabilities.
‘‘(d) IMPROVING
THE
USE
OF
PROFESSIONAL
KNOWLEDGE;
AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this section, the Sec-
retary shall support activities, consistent with the objectives
described in subsection (a), that improve the use of professional
knowledge, including activities that support State systemic-
change and local capacity-building and improvement efforts.
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES.—Activities that may be
carried out under this subsection include activities such as
the following:
‘‘(A) Synthesizing useful research and other informa-
tion relating to the provision of services to children with
disabilities, including effective practices.
‘‘(B) 
Analyzing 
professional 
knowledge 
bases 
to
advance an understanding of the relationships, and the
effectiveness of practices, relating to the provision of serv-
ices to children with disabilities.
‘‘(C) Ensuring that research and related products are
in appropriate formats for distribution to teachers, parents,
and individuals with disabilities.
‘‘(D) Enabling professionals, parents of children with
disabilities, and other persons, to learn about, and imple-
ment, the findings of research, and successful practices
developed in model demonstration projects, relating to the
provision of services to children with disabilities.
‘‘(E) Conducting outreach, and disseminating informa-
tion relating to successful approaches to overcoming
systemic barriers to the effective and efficient delivery of
early intervention, educational, and transitional services,
to personnel who provide services to children with disabil-
ities.
‘‘(e) BALANCE AMONG ACTIVITIES AND AGE RANGES.—In carrying
out this section, the Secretary shall ensure that there is an appro-
priate balance—
‘‘(1) among knowledge production, integration of research
and practice, and use of professional knowledge; and
‘‘(2) across all age ranges of children with disabilities.
‘‘(f ) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity that wishes to receive
a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement, under
H. R. 5—103
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may
be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002.
‘‘SEC. 673. PERSONNEL PREPARATION TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND
RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, on a competitive basis,
make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements
with, eligible entities—
‘‘(1) to help address State-identified needs for qualified
personnel in special education, related services, early interven-
tion, and regular education, to work with children with
disabilities; and
‘‘(2) to ensure that those personnel have the skills and
knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined,
through research and experience, to be successful, that are
needed to serve those children.
‘‘(b) LOW-INCIDENCE DISABILITIES; AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out this section, 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 car-
ried out under this subsection include activities 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 disabilities to achieve the objectives set out in
their individualized education programs described in
section 614(d), or to assist infants and toddlers with
disabilities to achieve the outcomes described in their
individualized family service plans described in section
636.
‘‘(B) Providing personnel from various disciplines with
interdisciplinary training that will contribute to improve-
ment in early intervention, educational, and transitional
results for children with disabilities.
‘‘(C) Preparing personnel in the innovative uses and
application of technology to enhance learning by children
with disabilities through early intervention, educational,
and transitional services.
‘‘(D) Preparing personnel who provide services to vis-
ually impaired or blind children to teach and use Braille
in the provision of services to such children.
‘‘(E) Preparing personnel to be qualified educational
interpreters, to assist children with 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.