A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

``SEC. 2207. STATE-LEVEL ACTIVITIES.

``Each State may use funds made available under section 2203(1)(A) to carry out activities described in the plan under section 2205(b), such as--

``(1) reviewing and reforming State requirements for teacher and administrator licensure, including certification and recertification, to align such requirements with the State's challenging State content standards and ensure that teachers and administrators have the knowledge and skills necessary to help students meet challenging State student performance standards;

``(2) developing performance assessments and peer review procedures, as well as other methods, for licensing teachers and administrators;

``(3) providing technical assistance to schools and local educational agencies, especially schools and local educational agencies that receive assistance under part A of title I, to help such schools and agencies provide effective professional development in the core academic subjects;

``(4) developing or supporting professional development networks, either within a State or in a regional consortium of States, that provide a forum for interaction among teachers and that allow exchange of information on advances in content and pedagogy;

``(5) supporting partnerships between schools, consortia of schools, or local educational agencies and institutions of higher education, including schools of education, which encourage--

``(A) teachers to participate in intensive, ongoing professional development programs, both academic and pedagogical, at institutions of higher education; and

``(B) students at institutions of higher education studying to become teachers to have direct, practical experience at the schools;

``(6) providing professional development in the effective use of educational technology as an instructional tool for increasing student understanding of the core academic subjects, including efforts to train teachers in methods of achieving gender equity both in students' access to computers and other educational technology and in teaching practices used in the application of educational technology;

``(7) providing incentives for teachers to be involved in assessment, curriculum development, and technical assistance processes for teachers and students;

``(8) providing professional development to enable teachers, and, where appropriate, pupil services personnel, and other school staff, to ensure that girls and young women, minorities, limited English proficient students, individuals with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students have the full opportunity to achieve challenging State content standards and challenging State student performance standards in the core academic subjects by, for example, encouraging girls and young women and minorities to pursue advanced courses in mathematics and science;

``(9) professional development and recruitment activities designed to increase the numbers of minorities, individuals with disabilities, and women teaching in the core academic subjects in which such individuals are underrepresented;

``(10) providing financial or other incentives for teachers to become certified by nationally recognized professional teacher enhancement organizations;

``(11) providing professional development activities which prepare teachers, and where appropriate, pupil services personnel, paraprofessionals, and other staff in the collaborative skills needed to appropriately teach children with disabilities, in the core academic subjects;

``(12) identifying, developing, or supporting professional development strategies to better equip parents to assist their children in raising their children's achievement in the core academic subjects; and

``(13) professional development activities designed to increase the number of women and other underrepresented groups in the administration of schools.

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SEC. 2206. PRIORITY FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE. SEC. 2208. LOCAL PLAN AND APPLICATION FOR IMPROVING TEACHING AND LEARNING.