Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 122.djvu/3399

 12 2 STA T .3 3 76PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 31 5— AU G .1 4, 200 8‘ ‘ (v)adescript i on o f strate g ies w it h ade m onstrated record of effectiveness in improving the s u ccess of such students in postsecondar y education . ‘‘( F ) STAF F INGO FT HEC ENTE R . —I n hiring emp l oyees of the N ational C enter , the National Center shall consider the e x pertise and experience of prospective employees in providing training and technical assistance to practitioners. ‘‘( b ) COOR D INATING CENTER.— ‘‘( 1 ) D EFINITION OF E L IGI B LE ENTIT Y .—In this subsection, the term ‘eligible entity ’ means an entity, or a partnership of entities, that has demonstrated expertise in the fields of— ‘‘( A ) higher education ‘‘( B ) the education of students with intellectual disabil - ities; ‘‘(C) the development of comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities; and ‘‘(D) evaluation and technical assistance. ‘‘( 2 ) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated under sec- tion 7 7 8, the Secretary shall enter into a cooperative agreement, on a competitive basis, with an eligible entity for the purpose of establishing a coordinating center for institutions of higher education that offer inclusive comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabil- ities, including institutions participating in grants authori z ed under subpart 2, to provide— ‘‘(A) recommendations related to the development of standards for such programs; ‘‘(B) technical assistance for such programs; and ‘‘(C) evaluations for such programs. ‘‘( 3 )AD M INI S TRATION.— T he program under this subsection shall be administered by the office in the Department that administers other postsecondary education programs. ‘‘( 4 )D U RATION.—The Secretary shall enter into a coopera- tive agreement under this subsection for a period of five years. ‘‘( 5 ) R E Q UIREMENTS OF COO P ERATI V E AGREEMENT.—The eligible entity entering into a cooperative agreement under this subsection shall establish and maintain a coordinating center that shall— ‘‘(A) serve as the technical assistance entity for all comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities; ‘‘(B) provide technical assistance regarding the develop- ment, evaluation, and continuous improvement of such pro- grams; ‘‘(C) develop an evaluation protocol for such programs that includes q ualitative and quantitative methodologies for measuring student outcomes and program strengths in the areas of academic enrichment, socialization, inde- pendent living, and competitive or supported employment; ‘‘(D) assist recipients of grants under subpart 2 in efforts to award a meaningful credential to students with intellectual disabilities upon the completion of such pro- grams, which credential shall ta k e into consideration unique State factors; ‘‘( E ) develop recommendations for the necessary compo- nents of such programs, such as— Contrac t s. Contracts.

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