collection and dissemination of information

collection and dissemination of information Sec. 303. (a) For the purpose of carrying out more effectively the provisions of the programs administered by him (including those administered by him by delegation), the Commissioner of Education— (1) shall prepare and disseminate to all appropriate Stale and local agencies and institutions and others concerned with education, complete information on programs of Federal assistance; (2) shall inform the public on federally supported programs for education by providing information to communications media; such dissemination activity shall include the development and issuance of materials which inform teachers, students, the disadvantaged, and dropouts of new and expanding opportunities for education, together with materials specifically directed to institutions or individuals vested with responsibility for one or more programs administered by the Commissioner; (3) shall develop, on both formal and informal bases, a close liaison for interchange of ideas and information with representatives of American business and with service, labor, or other organizations, both public and private, to advance American education; (4) shall collect data and information on programs qualifying for assistance under programs administered by him for the purpose of obtaining objective measurements of the effectiveness achieved in carrying out the purposes of such programs; (5) may upon request provide advice, counsel, technical assistance, and demonstrations to State educational agencies, local educational agencies, or institutions of higher education undertaking to initiate or expand programs in order to increase the quality or depth or broaden the scope of such programs, and shall inform such agencies and institutions of the availability of assistance pursuant to this clause; (6) shall prepare and disseminate to State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and other appropriate agencies and institutions an annual report setting forth developments in the utilization and adaptation of programs administered by him; and (7) may enter into contracts with public or private agencies, organizations, groups, or individuals to carry out the provisions of this section. (b) (1) For such purpose and also for the purpose of carrying out more effectively other provisions of Federal law, the Commissioner, upon request from a state educational agency, shall provide counseling and technical assistance to elementary and secondary schools in rural areas, as defined by the Commissioner, of such State (A) in determining benefits available to such agencies and schools under Federal laws, and (B) in preparing applications and meeting other requirements for such benefits. Assistance pursuant to this subsection may, in accordance with such request, be provided by personnel from the Office of Education or be provided in the form of grants in such 82 Stat. 1096amounts as may be necessary for such State educational agency to employ such personnel as may be necessary to provide such assistance. (2) The Commissioner is further authorized to provide the types of assistance available to elementary and secondary schools under paragraph (1) to institutions of higher education. (c) The Commissioner shall prepare and make available in such form as he deems appropriate a catalog of all Federal education assistance programs whether or not such programs are administered by him. The catalog shall— (1) identify’ each such program, and include the name of the program, the authorizing statute, the specific Federal administering officials and a brief description of such program; (2) set forth the availability of benefits and eligibility restrictions in each such program; (3) set forth the budget requests for each such program, past appropriations, obligations incurred, the average assistance provided under each such program, and pertinent financial information indicating (A) the size of each such program for selected fiscal years, and (B) any funds remaining available; (4) set forth the prerequisites, including the cost to the recipient of receiving assistance under each such program, and any duties required of the recipient after receiving benefits; (5) identify appropriate officials, in Washington, District of Columbia, as well as in each State and locality (if applicable), to whom application or reference for information for each such program may be made; (6) set forth the application procedures; (7) contain a detailed index designed to assist the potential beneficiary to identify all education assistance programs related to a particular need or category of potential beneficiaries; (8) contain such other program information and data as the Commissioner deems necessary or desirable in order to assist the potential program beneficiary to understand and take advantage of each Federal education, assistance program; and (9) be transmitted to Congress within the first month of each regular session, together with a report setting forth the specific measures taken in the past year to simplify the various application forms and program guidelines a potential beneficiary would use to benefit from each Federal education assistance program, and to coordinate, simplify application forms and program guidelines. (d) There are authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1970, and each succeeding fiscal year ending prior to July 1, 1972, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. (e) Section 806 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 shall become ineffective the first fiscal year for which funds are appropriated to carry out the provisions of this section.