Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 92 Part 2.djvu/925

 PUBLIC LAW 95-561—NOV. 1, 1978

92 STAT. 2205

children are able to master the basic skills of reading, mathematics, and effective communication, both written and oral; "(2) to provide assistance to local agencies in the development and implementation of comprehensive programs to improve basic skills proficiency and instruction in the elementary and secondary schools; "(3) to develop means by which parents working with the schools can contribute to improving the educational achievement of their children; "(4) to provide State leadership in the planning, execution, and evaluation of basic skills instructional programs in elementary and secondary schools; and "(5) to arrange for and assist in the training of educational staff, including special reading and mathematics personnel and specialists needed in programs assisted under this part. AGREEMENTS W I T H STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES

"SEC. 222. (a) Any State which desires to receive grants under this 20 USC 2902. part shall, through its State educational agency, enter into an agreement with the Secretary, in such detail as the Secretary deems necessary, which— "(1) designates the State educational agency as the agency for administration of the agreement; "(2) provides for a process of active and continuing consulta- Consultation tion with the State educational agency, by persons broadly representative of the educational resources of the State and of the general public, including persons representative of— "(A) public and private nonprofit elementary and secondary schoolchildren, "(B) institutions of higher education, "(C) parents of elementary and secondary schoolchildren, "(D) areas of professional competence relating to basic skills instruction in reading and mathematics, l), iS. f|,aift'i:i. " (E) classroom teachers in the State, and " (F) local administrators including principals and superintendents, to advise the State educational agency on the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive State program for improving basic skills; "(3) describes the basic skills instructional programs in elementary and secondary schools for which assistance is sought under this part and procedures for giving priority to basic skills programs which are already receiving Federal financial assistance and show reasonable promise of achieving success; " (4) sets forth criteria for achieving an equitable distribution Assistance, of that part of the assistance under this part which is made avail- equitable able to local educational agencies pursuant to the second sentence distribution criteria. of subsection (b) of this section, which criteria shall— " (A) take into account the size of the population to be served, beginning with preschool, the relative needs of pupils in different population groups within the State for the program authorized by this part, and the financial ability of the local educational agency serving such pupils, and "(B) assure that such distribution shall include grants to local educational agencies having high concentrations of children with low reading or mathematics proficiency;

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