20 USC 1473 - Technical assistance for parent training and information centers

Collapse to view only § 1473. Technical assistance for parent training and information centers

§ 1470. Purposes
§ 1471. Parent training and information centers
§ 1472. Community parent resource centers
§ 1473. Technical assistance for parent training and information centers
§ 1474. Technology development, demonstration, and utilization; media services; and instructional materials
§ 1475. Authorization of appropriations

§ 1470. Purposes

The purposes of this part are to ensure that—

(1) children with disabilities and their parents receive training and information designed to assist the children in meeting developmental and functional goals and challenging academic achievement goals, and in preparing to lead productive independent adult lives;

(2) children with disabilities and their parents receive training and information on their rights, responsibilities, and protections under this chapter, in order to develop the skills necessary to cooperatively and effectively participate in planning and decision making relating to early intervention, educational, and transitional services;

(3) parents, teachers, administrators, early intervention personnel, related services personnel, and transition personnel receive coordinated and accessible technical assistance and information to assist such personnel in improving early intervention, educational, and transitional services and results for children with disabilities and their families; and

(4) appropriate technology and media are researched, developed, and demonstrated, to improve and implement early intervention, educational, and transitional services and results for children with disabilities and their families.

(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 670, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2788.)

§ 1471. Parent training and information centers

(a) Program authorized

(1) In general

(2) Definition of parent organizationIn this section, the term “parent organization” means a private nonprofit organization (other than an institution of higher education) that—

(A) has a board of directors—

(i) the majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26;

(ii) that includes—(I) individuals working in the fields of special education, related services, and early intervention; and(II) individuals with disabilities; and

(iii) the parent and professional members of which are broadly representative of the population to be served, including low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children; and

(B) has as its mission serving families of children with disabilities who—

(i) are ages birth through 26; and

(ii) have the full range of disabilities described in section 1401(3) of this title.

(b) Required activitiesEach parent training and information center that receives assistance under this section shall—

(1) provide training and information that meets the needs of parents of children with disabilities living in the area served by the center, particularly underserved parents and parents of children who may be inappropriately identified, to enable their children with disabilities to—

(A) meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging academic achievement goals that have been established for all children; and

(B) be prepared to lead productive independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible;

(2) serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children with the full range of disabilities described in section 1401(3) of this title;

(3) ensure that the training and information provided meets the needs of low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children;

(4) assist parents to—

(A) better understand the nature of their children’s disabilities and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs;

(B) communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel responsible for providing special education, early intervention services, transition services, and related services;

(C) participate in decisionmaking processes and the development of individualized education programs under subchapter II and individualized family service plans under subchapter III;

(D) obtain appropriate information about the range, type, and quality of—

(i) options, programs, services, technologies, practices and interventions based on scientifically based research, to the extent practicable; and

(ii) resources available to assist children with disabilities and their families in school and at home;

(E) understand the provisions of this chapter for the education of, and the provision of early intervention services to, children with disabilities;

(F) participate in activities at the school level that benefit their children; and

(G) participate in school reform activities;

(5) in States where the State elects to contract with the parent training and information center, contract with State educational agencies to provide, consistent with subparagraphs (B) and (D) of section 1415(e)(2) of this title, individuals who meet with parents to explain the mediation process to the parents;

(6) assist parents in resolving disputes in the most expeditious and effective way possible, including encouraging the use, and explaining the benefits, of alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation process described in section 1415(e) of this title;

(7) assist parents and students with disabilities to understand their rights and responsibilities under this chapter, including those under section 1415(m) of this title upon the student’s reaching the age of majority (as appropriate under State law);

(8) assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to effectively use, procedural safeguards under this chapter, including the resolution session described in section 1415(e) of this title;

(9) assist parents in understanding, preparing for, and participating in, the process described in section 1415(f)(1)(B) of this title;

(10) establish cooperative partnerships with community parent resource centers funded under section 1472 of this title;

(11) network with appropriate clearinghouses, including organizations conducting national dissemination activities under section 1463 of this title and the Institute of Education Sciences, and with other national, State, and local organizations and agencies, such as protection and advocacy agencies, that serve parents and families of children with the full range of disabilities described in section 1401(3) of this title; and

(12) annually report to the Secretary on—

(A) the number and demographics of parents to whom the center provided information and training in the most recently concluded fiscal year;

(B) the effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities; and

(d) Application requirementsEach application for assistance under this section shall identify with specificity the special efforts that the parent organization will undertake—

(1) to ensure that the needs for training and information of underserved parents of children with disabilities in the area to be served are effectively met; and

(2) to work with community based organizations, including community based organizations that work with low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children.

(e) Distribution of funds

(1) In generalThe Secretary shall—

(A) make not less than 1 award to a parent organization in each State for a parent training and information center that is designated as the statewide parent training and information center; or

(B) in the case of a large State, make awards to multiple parent training and information centers, but only if the centers demonstrate that coordinated services and supports will occur among the multiple centers.

(2) Selection requirement

(f) Quarterly review

(1) Meetings

(2) Continuation award

(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 671, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2788.)

§ 1472. Community parent resource centers

(a) Program authorized

(1) In generalThe Secretary may award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, local parent organizations to support community parent resource centers that will help ensure that underserved parents of children with disabilities, including low income parents, parents of limited English proficient children, and parents with disabilities, have the training and information the parents need to enable the parents to participate effectively in helping their children with disabilities—

(A) to meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging academic achievement goals that have been established for all children; and

(B) to be prepared to lead productive independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible.

(2) Definition of local parent organizationIn this section, the term “local parent organization” means a parent organization, as defined in section 1471(a)(2) of this title, that—

(A) has a board of directors the majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26 from the community to be served; and

(B) has as its mission serving parents of children with disabilities who—

(i) are ages birth through 26; and

(ii) have the full range of disabilities described in section 1401(3) of this title.

(b) Required activitiesEach community parent resource center assisted under this section shall—

(1) provide training and information that meets the training and information needs of parents of children with disabilities proposed to be served by the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement;

(2) carry out the activities required of parent training and information centers under paragraphs (2) through (9) of section 1471(b) of this title;

(3) establish cooperative partnerships with the parent training and information centers funded under section 1471 of this title; and

(4) be designed to meet the specific needs of families who experience significant isolation from available sources of information and support.

(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 672, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2791.)

§ 1473. Technical assistance for parent training and information centers

(a) Program authorized

(1) In general

(2) Definition of eligible entity

(b) Authorized activitiesThe Secretary may provide technical assistance to a parent training and information center or a community parent resource center under this section in areas such as—

(1) effective coordination of parent training efforts;

(2) dissemination of scientifically based research and information;

(3) promotion of the use of technology, including assistive technology devices and assistive technology services;

(4) reaching underserved populations, including parents of low-income and limited English proficient children with disabilities;

(5) including children with disabilities in general education programs;

(6) facilitation of transitions from—

(A) early intervention services to preschool;

(B) preschool to elementary school;

(D) secondary school to postsecondary environments; and

(7) promotion of alternative methods of dispute resolution, including mediation.

(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 673, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2791.)

§ 1474. Technology development, demonstration, and utilization; media services; and instructional materials

(a) Program authorized

(1) In general

(2) Definition of eligible entity

(b) Technology development, demonstration, and use

(1) In general

(2) Authorized activitiesThe following activities may be carried out under this subsection:

(A) Conducting research on and promoting the demonstration and use of innovative, emerging, and universally designed technologies for children with disabilities, by improving the transfer of technology from research and development to practice.

(B) Supporting research, development, and dissemination of technology with universal design features, so that the technology is accessible to the broadest range of individuals with disabilities without further modification or adaptation.

(C) Demonstrating the use of systems to provide parents and teachers with information and training concerning early diagnosis of, intervention for, and effective teaching strategies for, young children with reading disabilities.

(D) Supporting the use of Internet-based communications for students with cognitive disabilities in order to maximize their academic and functional skills.

(1) In generalIn carrying out this section, the Secretary shall support—

(A) educational media activities that are designed to be of educational value in the classroom setting to children with disabilities;

(B) providing video description, open captioning, or closed captioning, that is appropriate for use in the classroom setting, of—

(i) television programs;

(ii) videos;

(iii) other materials, including programs and materials associated with new and emerging technologies, such as CDs, DVDs, video streaming, and other forms of multimedia; or

(iv) news (but only until September 30, 2006);

(D) providing free educational materials, including textbooks, in accessible media for visually impaired and print disabled students in elementary schools and secondary schools, postsecondary schools, and graduate schools.

(2) Limitation

(d) Applications

(1) In general

(2) Special ruleFor the purpose of an application for an award to carry out activities described in subsection (c)(1)(D), such eligible entity shall—

(A) be a national, nonprofit entity with a proven track record of meeting the needs of students with print disabilities through services described in subsection (c)(1)(D);

(B) have the capacity to produce, maintain, and distribute in a timely fashion, up-to-date textbooks in digital audio formats to qualified students; and

(C) have a demonstrated ability to significantly leverage Federal funds through other public and private contributions, as well as through the expansive use of volunteers.

(e) National Instructional Materials Access Center

(1) In general

(2) DutiesThe duties of the National Instructional Materials Access Center are the following:

(A) To receive and maintain a catalog of print instructional materials prepared in the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, as established by the Secretary, made available to such center by the textbook publishing industry, State educational agencies, and local educational agencies.

(B) To provide access to print instructional materials, including textbooks, in accessible media, free of charge, to blind or other persons with print disabilities in elementary schools and secondary schools, in accordance with such terms and procedures as the National Instructional Materials Access Center may prescribe.

(C) To develop, adopt and publish procedures to protect against copyright infringement, with respect to the print instructional materials provided under sections 1412(a)(23) and 1413(a)(6) of this title.

(3) DefinitionsIn this subsection:

(A) Blind or other persons with print disabilities

(B) National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard

(D) Specialized formats

(4) Applicability

(5) Liability of the Secretary

(6) Inapplicability

(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 674, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2792.)

§ 1475. Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2010.

(Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 675, as added Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101, Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2795.)