Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 116 Part 3.djvu/376

 116 STAT. 1968 PUBLIC LAW 107-279—NOV. 5, 2002 agencies, librarians, and State educational agencies within the region; (4) in the event such quality applied research does not exist as determined by the regional educational laboratory or the Department, carrying out applied research projects that are designed to serve the particular educational needs (in prekindergarten through grade 16) of the region in which the regional educational laboratory is located, that reflect findings from scientifically valid research, and that result in userfriendly, replicable school-based classroom applications geared toward promoting increased student achievement, including using applied research to assist in solving site-specific problems and assisting in development activities (including high-quality and on-going professional development and effective parental involvement strategies); (5) supporting and serving the educational development activities and needs of the region by providing educational applied research in usable forms to promote school-improvement, academic achievement, and the closing of achievement gaps and contributing to the current base of education knowledge by addressing enduring problems in elementary and secondary education and access to postsecondary education; (6) collaborating and coordinating services with other technical assistance providers funded by the Department of Education; (7) assisting in gathering information on school finance systems to promote improved access to educational opportunities and to better serve all public school students; (8) assisting in gathering information on alternative administrative structures that are more conducive to planning, implementing, and sustaining school reform and improved academic achievement; (9) bringing teams of experts together to develop and implement school improvement plans and strategies, especially in low-performing or high poverty schools; and (10) developing innovative approaches to the application of technology in education that are unlikely to originate from within the private sector, but which could result in the development of new forms of education software, education content, and technology-enabled pedagogy. (g) ACTIVITIES. —Each regional educational laboratory awarded a contract under this section shall carry out the following activities: (1) Collaborate with the National Education Centers in order to— (A) maximize the use of research conducted through the National Education Centers in the work of such laboratory; (B) keep the National Education Centers apprised of the work of the regional educational laboratory in the field; and (C) inform the National Education Centers about additional research needs identified in the field. (2) Consult with the State educational agencies and local educational agencies in the region in developing the plan for serving the region.

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