20 U.S.C. § 9561 — Establishment

Page 1717 TITLE 20—EDUCATION § 9562 PART D—NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION EVALUATION AND REGIONAL ASSISTANCE § 9561. Establishment (a) Establishment There is established in the Institute a Na- tional Center for Education Evaluation and Re- gional Assistance. (b) Mission The mission of the National Center for Edu- cation Evaluation and Regional Assistance shall be— (1) to provide technical assistance; (2) to conduct evaluations of Federal edu- cation programs administered by the Sec- retary (and as time and resources allow, other education programs) to determine the impact of such programs (especially on student aca- demic achievement in the core academic areas of reading, mathematics, and science); (3) to support synthesis and wide dissemina- tion of results of evaluation, research, and products developed; and (4) to encourage the use of scientifically valid education research and evaluation throughout the United States. (c) Grants, contracts, and cooperative agree- ments In carrying out the duties under this part, the Director may award grants, enter into contracts and cooperative agreements, and provide tech- nical assistance. (Pub. L. 107–279, title I, § 171, Nov. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 1962.) § 9562. Commissioner for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (a) In general The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance shall be headed by a Commissioner for Education Evaluation and Re- gional Assistance (in this part referred to as the ‘‘Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commis- sioner’’) who is highly qualified and has dem- onstrated a capacity to carry out the mission of the Center and shall— (1) conduct evaluations pursuant to section 9563 of this title; (2) widely disseminate information on sci- entifically valid research, statistics, and eval- uation on education, particularly to State educational agencies and local educational agencies, to institutions of higher education, to the public, the media, voluntary organiza- tions, professional associations, and other con- stituencies, especially with respect to infor- mation relating to, at a minimum— (A) the core academic areas of reading, mathematics, and science; (B) closing the achievement gap between high-performing students and low-per- forming students; (C) educational practices that improve academic achievement and promote learn- ing; (D) education technology, including soft- ware; and (E) those topics covered by the Edu- cational Resources Information Center Clearinghouses (established under section 941(f) of the Educational Research, Develop- ment, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 6041(f)) (as such provision was in effect on the day before November 5, 2002); (3) make such information accessible in a user-friendly, timely, and efficient manner (including through use of a searchable Inter- net-based online database that shall include all topics covered in paragraph (2)(E)) to schools, institutions of higher education, edu- cators (including early childhood educators), parents, administrators, policymakers, re- searchers, public and private entities (includ- ing providers of early childhood services), en- tities responsible for carrying out technical assistance through the Department, and the general public; (4) support the regional educational labora- tories in conducting applied research, the de- velopment and dissemination of educational research, products and processes, the provision of technical assistance, and other activities to serve the educational needs of such labora- tories’ regions; (5) manage the National Library of Edu- cation described in subsection (d), and other sources of digital information on education re- search; (6) assist the Director in the preparation of a biennial report, described in section 9519 of this title; and (7) award a contract for a prekindergarten through grade 12 mathematics and science teacher clearinghouse. (b) Additional duties In carrying out subsection (a), the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall— (1) ensure that information disseminated under this section is provided in a cost-effec- tive, nonduplicative manner that includes the most current research findings, which may in- clude through the continuation of individual clearinghouses authorized under the Edu- cational Research, Development, Dissemina- tion, and Improvement Act of 1994 (title IX of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act; 20 U.S.C. 6001 et seq.) (as such Act existed on the day be- fore November 5, 2002); (2) describe prominently the type of sci- entific evidence that is used to support the findings that are disseminated; (3) explain clearly the scientifically appro- priate and inappropriate uses of— (A) the findings that are disseminated; and (B) the types of evidence used to support those findings; and (4) respond, as appropriate, to inquiries from schools, educators, parents, administrators, policymakers, researchers, public and private entities, and entities responsible for carrying out technical assistance. (c) Continuation The Director shall continue awards for the support of the Educational Resources Informa- tion Center Clearinghouses and contracts for re- gional educational laboratories (established under subsections (f) and (h) of section 941 of the