SEC. 2244

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND NATIONAL EVALUATION

Section Summary

ESSA Update

``SEC. 2244. <<NOTE: 20 USC 6674.>> TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND
                          NATIONAL EVALUATION.

    ``(a) In General.--From the funds reserved under section 2241(3) for
a fiscal year, the Secretary--
            ``(1) shall establish, in a manner consistent with section
        203 of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20
        U.S.C. 9602), a comprehensive center on students at risk of not
        attaining full literacy skills due to a disability that meets
        the purposes of subsection (b); and
            ``(2) may--
                    ``(A) provide technical assistance, which may be
                carried out directly or through grants or contracts, to
                States and local educational agencies carrying out
                activities under this part; and
                    ``(B) carry out evaluations of activities by States
                and local educational agencies under this part, which
                shall be conducted by a third party or by the Institute
                of Education Sciences.

    ``(b) Purposes.--The comprehensive center established by the
Secretary under subsection (a)(1) shall--
            ``(1) identify or develop free or low-cost evidence-based
        assessment tools for identifying students at risk of not
        attaining full literacy skills due to a disability, including
        dyslexia impacting reading or writing, or developmental delay
        impacting reading, writing, language processing, comprehension, 
        or executive functioning;
            ``(2) identify evidence-based literacy instruction, 
        strategies, and accommodations, including assistive technology, 
        designed to meet the specific needs of such students;

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            ``(3) provide families of such students with information to
        assist such students;
            ``(4) identify or develop evidence-based professional
        development for teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other
        school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel
        to--
                    ``(A) understand early indicators of students at
                risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a
                disability, including dyslexia impacting reading or
                writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, 
                writing, language processing, comprehension, or
                executive functioning;
                    ``(B) use evidence-based screening assessments for
                early identification of such students beginning not
                later than kindergarten; and
                    ``(C) implement evidence-based instruction designed
                to meet the specific needs of such students; and
            ``(5) disseminate the products of the comprehensive center
        to regionally diverse State educational agencies, local
        educational agencies, regional educational agencies, and
        schools, including, as appropriate, through partnerships with
        other comprehensive centers established under section 203 of the
        Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602), 
        and regional educational laboratories established under section
        174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 
        9564).

NCLB Text

Previously not included in NCLB.