national institute of education

national institute of education Sec. 403. (a) Section 405(b) (2) of the General Education Provisions Act is amended to read as follows: “(2) The Institute shall, in accordance with the provisions of this section, seek to improve education in the United States through concentrating the resources of the Institute on the following priority research and development needs— “(A) improvement in student achievement in the basic educational skills, including reading and mathematics; “(B) overcoming problems of finance, productivity, and management in educational institutions; “(C) improving the ability of schools to meet their responsibilities to provide equal educational opportunities for students of limited English-speaking ability, women, and students who are socially, economically, or educationally disadvantaged; “(D) preparation of youths and adults for entering and progressing in careers; and “(E) improved dissemination of the results of, and knowledge gained from, educational research and development, including assistance to educational agencies and institutions in the application of such results and knowledge.”. (b) (1) Section 405(c) (1) of the General Education Provisions Act is amended by striking out “Eight members” and inserting in lieu thereof “A majority of the members”, and by adding at the end thereof the following new sentence : “The members of the Council shall be appointed so that the Council shall be broadly representative of the general public; of the education professions, including practitioners and researchers; and of the various fields of education, including preschool, elementary and secondary, post secondary, continuing, vocational, special, and compensatory education.”, (2) Section 405(c) (2) of the General Education Provisions Act is amended by striking out “and” immediately before “(B)” in the first sentence and by inserting immediately before the period at the end of such sentence the following: “, and (C) the term of office of each member shall expire on September 30 of the year in which such term would otherwise expire, unless a successor to such member has not been appointed and confirmed by the Senate by such date, in which case such member shall continue to serve until a successor has been appointed and confirmed”. (3) Section 405(c) (3) of the General Education Provisions Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new sentence: “The Council may employ, without the approval of the Director, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, not to exceed seven technical and professional employees, as the Council deems necessary to carry out its functions.”. (c) Section 405(e) of the General Education Provisions Act is amended by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (4) end (5), respectively, and by inserting immediately after paragraph ( 1 ) the following new paragraphs :90 STAT. 2228 (1) Funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (b) for any fiscal year may be expended on projects and activities to disseminate (A) information on the results of educational research and development; and (B) other educational information. Projects and activities funded under this paragraph may include cooperative and jointly funded arrangements for such dissemination utilizing individuals who may be designated as ‘Education Extension Agents’. Employment opportunities at the local level which are generated and funded through projects and activities carried out under the preceding sentence of this paragraph shall be made available to residents of the area to be served, if any such residents are qualified for, and apply for, such employment. “(3) The Director may establish and maintain research fellowships in the Institute, with such stipends and allowances, including travel and subsistence expenses, as the Director may deem necessary to procure the assistance of highly qualified research fellows from the United States and abroad.”. (d) Section 405 of the General Education Provisions Act is amended by redesignating subsection (g) and subsection (h), and any reference thereto, as subsection (i) and subsection (j), respectively, and by inserting immediately after subsection (e) the following new subsections : “(f) (1) In carrying out the functions of the Institute under this section, the Director shall, in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, make grants to, and enter into contracts with— “(A) regional educational laboratories established by public agencies or private nonprofit organizations; and “(B) research and development centers established by institutions of higher education or by interstate agencies established by compact which operate subsidiary bodies established to conduct postsecondary educational research and development. “(2) No grants shall be made and no contract entered into under this subsection unless— “(A) proposals for assistance under this subsection are solicited from regional educational laboratories and research and development centers by the Director; “(B) proposals for such assistance are developed by the regional educational laboratories and the research and development centers in consultation with the Director; “(C) proposals are submitted in an application, containing or accompanied by such information as is essential to carry out the provisions of this section, including assurances that the laboratory or center involved will— “(i) be responsible for the conduct of the research and development activities; “(ii) prepare a long-range plan relating to the conduct of such research and development activities; “(iii) ensure that information developed as a result of such research and development activities, including new educational methods, practices, techniques, and products, be disseminated; “(iv) provide technical assistance to appropriate educational agencies and institutions; and “(v) to the extent practicable, provide training for individuals, emphasizing training opportunities for women and members of minority groups, in the use of new educational methods, practices, techniques, and products developed in connection with such activities; and 90 STAT. 2229 “(D) the Director determines that the proposed activities will be consistent with the education research and development program and dissemination activities which are being conducted by the Institute. “(3) (A) The Director shall establish a Panel for the Review of Laboratory and Center Operations composed of not less than 10 members nor more than 20 members who shall be appointed by the Director from written recommendations submitted by educational laboratories and research and development center’s which have submitted applications under the provisions of this subsection, and by associations of professional, commercial, scholarly, and educational associations, particularly associations or organizations engage in educational research. “(B) The Panel shall— “(i) review, and prepare recommendations on, initial long-range plans submitted under paragraph (2) (C) (ii); (ii) review the operation of the laboratories and centers receiving assistance under this subsection and make recommendations for the improvement and continuation of individual laboratories and centers and for the support of new laboratories and centers; and “(iii) not later than January 1, 1979, submit a final report to the Director and to the Congress containing such recommendations as the Panel considers appropriate and such interim reports as the Panel considers appropriate. “(C) Each member of the Panel who is not an officer or employee of the United States shall, while engaged in the business of the Panel, be entitled to receive compensation at not to exceed the daily rate specified at the time of such service for Grade GS–18 under section 5332 of title. 5, United States Code, including travel-time. While so serving on the business of the Panel away from his home or regular place of business, each such member shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, for persons intermittently employed in the Government service. “(D) The Director, for the use of the Panel, and pursuant to the recommendations of the Panel, is authorized— “(i) to appoint, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in competitive service, and fix the compensation for, without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and general pay rates, such professional, technical, and clerical personnel as may be necessary; and “(ii) to procure the services of experts and consultants in accordance with section 3109 of title 5, United States Code. “(4) No regional educational laboratory or research and development center receiving assistance under this subsection shall by reason of the receipt of such assistance be ineligible to receive any other assistance from the Institute authorized by law. “(g) (1) There is established within the Institute a Federal Council on Educational Research and Development (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the ‘Federal Council’). “(2) The Federal Council shall be composed of representatives of Federal agencies engaged in research and development relating to education, and shall include, but not be limited to, a representative desig-90 STAT. 2230nated by the Secretary of Defense, a representative designated by the Secretary of Labor, the Director of the National Institutes of Education, the Director of the National Institute of Health, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Director of the Office of Child Development of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Commissioner of Education, “(3) The President shall designate the Director of the Institute to be the Chairman of the Federal Council, “(4) The President shall appoint additional representatives of Federal agencies and may alter the membership of the Federal Council from time to time as he considers necessary to meet changes in Federal programs or in the organization of the executive branch of the Federal Government. “(5) The Federal Council shall— “(A) advise, and consult with, the Director of the Institute with respect to major problems arising in connection with carrying out the purposes of the Institute; “(B) promote coordination between the programs and activities of the Institute and related programs and activities of other Federal agencies, including the joint support of activities to the extent such support is appropriate; “(C) make an annual report to the Congress and the President on the status of educational research and development in the United States, including (i) a catalog of federally assisted programs in educational research and development; (ii) a report of the most significant findings of such research and development; and (hi) recommendations with respect to the manner in which such Federal research and development efforts may be improved; and “(D) make recommendations to the Congress and the President with respect to effective means for the dissemination throughout the United States of information relating to educational research and development, and carry out an assessment of existing efforts used by Federal agencies for the dissemination of such information. “(h) (1) In conducting educational research under subsection (e) which deals with specific education programs or the target populations of such programs, the Director shall consult with the appropriate administrators of such programs within appropriate Federal agencies. “(2) The head of any Federal agency which conducts educational research or provides financial assistance for such research shall consult with the Director with respect to the design of programs of such research.”. (e) Section 405 (i) of the General Education Provisions Act, as so redesignated by subsection (d), is amended by adding at the end thereof the fol lowing new sentence: “There are also authorized to be appropriated for such purpose $100,000,000 for fiscal year 1977 and $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1978 and 1979.”.