BOARD AUTHORIZED.

SEC. 3231. BOARD AUTHORIZED. (a) Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching Board Established.— (1) There is established the Fund Board. (2)(A) The Board shall— (i) advise the Secretary concerning developments in education that merit the attention of the Secretary; (ii) identify promising initiatives to be supported under this part; and (iii) advise the Secretary and the Director of the Fund on the selection of projects under consideration for support, planning documents, guidelines, and procedures for grant competitions carried out by the Fund. (B) The Secretary shall provide such information and assistance as may be necessary to enable the Board to carry out its functions under this part. (3)(A) The Board shall be composed of 15 members and the Secretary. Appointed members of the Board shall be appointed from among individuals who have extensive backgrounds in the field of education and shall represent a broad range of viewpoints and experience. (B)(i) The term of office of each member of the Board shall be 3 years, except that, subject to the provisions of paragraphs (4) and (5), the members first taking office shall serve as designated by the Secretary, one-third of the members for terms of 1 year, one-third of the members for terms of 2 years, and one-third of the members for terms of 3 years; (ii) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term for which the predecessor of such member was appointed. No Board member may serve more than 2 consecutive terms. (4) The initial membership of the Board shall be appointed by the Secretary after consultation with appropriate educational organizations and other interest groups. (5) As vacancies occur, new members of the Board shall be appointed by the Secretary from among individuals who are nominated by the Board. The Board shall nominate at least 3 individuals for each vacancy. (6) The Board shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership. (7) The Board shall meet at least 3 times each year. A meeting shall also be held whenever one-third of the Board members request 102 STAT. 342in writing that a meeting be held. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. (b) Director of the Fund.—(1) The Secretary shall appoint a Director of the Fund to serve a 4-year term. No individual may serve as Director for more than 8 years. (2) The Director shall advise the Board about developments in education that merit the attention of the Board, identify promising initiatives, coordinate the work of the Fund with the work of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, and provide such information and assistance as may be necessary to enable the Board to carry out its functions. The Director may offer comments to the Board on any application to the Fund. (3) The Director shall— (A) consult with the Board on priorities for the improvement of education, (B) design grant competitions, (C) solicit proposals, (D) administer grant competitions, (E) review and prioritize proposals, (F) monitor funded projects, and (G) disseminate the results of successful projects. (c) Priorities Rule.—In January of every calendar year, the Board shall advise the Secretary and the Congress of the priorities of the Board for the improvement of education and the implications of the priorities for the Fund. The Secretary shall give careful consideration to the priorities set forth by the Board. By December 31 of each calendar year, the Director shall provide the Congress with a report for that year summarizing the projects funded for that year. (d) Review and Evaluation Procedures.—The Director shall establish procedures for reviewing and evaluating grants and con-tracts made or entered into under this part. The procedures established under this subsection for reviewing grant applications or contracts for financial assistance under this Act may not be subject to any review outside of officials responsible for the administration of the Fund. (e) Proposal Review.—In reviewing proposals, the Director shall consider the need for the proposed project and its plan of operation, educational value, budget and cost effectiveness, plan for evaluation, proposed impact, expected outcomes, potential transferability to other settings, and other factors as appropriate with respect to the goals and priorities of the Fund. The Secretary shall also consider, to the extent practicable, the geographic distribution of the projects selected for funding. The Secretary shall take appropriate steps to ensure that new applicants are encouraged to participate in any grant competition sponsored by the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching, (f) Personnel.—The Secretary may appoint for terms not to exceed 3 years, without regard to the provisions of title 5 of the United States Code governing appointments in the competitive service, not more than 7 technical employees to administer this part who may be paid 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.