Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 2.djvu/190

 112 STAT. 1074 PUBLIC LAW 105-220—AUG. 7, 1998 of Health and Human Services the purpose of which is determined by the Interagency Group to be related to the purpose of the Institute. (2) OFFICES. —The Institute shall have offices separate from the offices of the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services. (3) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Interagency Group shall consider the recommendations of the National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (in this section referred to as the "Board") established under subsection (e) in planning the goals of the Institute and in the implementation of any programs to achieve the goals. If the Board's recommendations are not followed, the Interagency Group shall provide a written explanation to the Board concerning actions the Interagency Group takes that are inconsistent with the Board's recommendations, including the reasons for not following the Board's recommendations with respect to the actions. The Board may also request a meeting of the Interagency Group to discuss the Board's recommendations. (4) DAILY OPERATIONS.—The daily operations of the Institute shall be administered by the Director of the Institute, (c) DUTIES.— (1) IN GENERAL.—In order to provide leadership for the improvement and expansion of the system for delivery of literacy services, the Institute is authorized— (A) to establish a national electronic data base of information that disseminates information to the broadest possible audience within the literacy and basic skills field, and that includes— (i) effective practices in the provision of literacy and basic skills instruction, including instruction in phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension, and the integration of literacy and basic skills instruction with occupational skills training; (ii) public and private literacy and basic skills programs, and Federal, State, and local policies, affecting the provision of literacy services at the national. State, and local levels; (iii) opportunities for technical assistance, meetings, conferences, and other opportunities that lead to the improvement of literacy and basic skills services; and (iv) a communication network for literacy programs, providers, social service agencies, and students; (B) to coordinate support for the provision of literacy and basic skills services across Federal agencies and at the State and local levels; (C) to coordinate the support of reliable and replicable research and development on literacy and basic skills in families and adults across Federal agencies, especially with the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the Department of Education, and to carry out basic and applied research and development on topics that are not being investigated by other organizations or agencies, such as the special literacy needs of individuals with learning disabilities;

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