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

``SEC. 2210. LOCAL ALLOCATION OF FUNDS AND ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES.

``(a) Local Allocation of Funds.--Each local educational agency that receives funds under this part for any fiscal year--

``(1) shall use not less than 80 percent of such funds for professional development of teachers, and, where appropriate, administrators, and, where appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff of individual schools in a manner that--

``(A) is determined by such teachers and staff;

``(B) to the extent practicable, takes place at the individual school site; and

``(C) is consistent with the local educational agency's application under section 2208, any school plan under part A of title I, and any other plan for professional development carried out with Federal, State, or local funds that emphasizes sustained, ongoing activities; and

``(2) may use not more than 20 percent of such funds for school district-level professional development activities, including, where appropriate, the participation of administrators, policymakers, and parents, if such activities directly support instructional personnel.

``(b) Authorized Activities.--

``(1) In general.--Each local educational agency and school that receives funds under this part shall use such funds for activities that give teachers and administrators the knowledge and skills to provide students with the opportunity to meet challenging State or local content standards and student performance standards.

``(2) Professional development activities.--Professional development activities funded under this part shall--

``(A) be tied to challenging State content standards or challenging local content standards, and challenging State student performance standards or challenging local student performance standards;

``(B) take into account recent research on teaching and learning;

``(C) provide professional development which incorporates effective strategies, techniques, methods, and practices for meeting the educational needs of diverse groups of students, including girls and women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, limited English proficient individuals, and economically disadvantaged individuals;

``(D) include strong academic content and pedagogical components; and

``(E) be of sufficient intensity and duration to have a positive and lasting impact on the teacher's performance in the classroom.

``(3) Activities.--Funds under this part may be used for professional development activities such as--

``(A) professional development for teams of teachers, and, where appropriate, administrators, pupil services personnel, or other staff from individual schools, to support teaching consistent with challenging State content standards and challenging State student performance standards;

``(B) support and time, which in the case of teachers may include release time with pay, for teachers, and, where appropriate, pupil services personnel and other school staff to enable such teachers, personnel, and staff to participate in professional development in the core academic subjects that are offered through professional associations, universities, community-based organizations, and other providers, such as educational partnership organizations, science centers, and museums;

``(C) activities that provide followup for teachers who have participated in professional development activities that are designed to ensure that the knowledge and skills learned by the teacher are implemented in the classroom;

``(D) support for partnerships between schools, consortia of schools, or local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education, including schools of education, which partnerships shall encourage--

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

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

``(E) the establishment and maintenance of local professional networks that provide a forum for interaction among teachers and that allow exchange of information on advances in content and pedagogy;

``(F) preparing teachers in the effective use of educational technology and assistive technology as instructional tools for increasing student understanding of the core academic subjects;

``(G) 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 the economically disadvantaged have full opportunity to achieve the challenging State content standards and challenging State student performance standards in the core academic subjects;

``(H) professional development and recruitment activities designed--

``(i) to increase the number of minorities, individuals with disabilities, and females teaching in the core academic subjects in which such individuals are underrepresented; and

``(ii) to increase the numbers of women and members of other underrepresented groups who are science and mathematics teachers, through such programs as career ladder programs that assist educational paraprofessionals to obtain teaching credentials in the core academic subjects;

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

``(J) support and time for teachers, and, where appropriate, pupil services personnel, and other school staff to learn and implement effective collaboration for the instruction of children with disabilities in the core academic subject areas;

``(K) preparing teachers, and, where appropriate, pupil services personnel to work with parents and families on fostering student achievement in the core academic subjects;

``(L) professional development activities and other support for new teachers as such teachers move into the classroom to provide such teachers with practical support and to increase the retention of such teachers;

``(M) professional development for teachers, parents, early childhood educators, administrators, and other staff to support activities and services related to preschool transition programs to raise student performance in the core academic subjects;

``(N) professional development activities to train teachers in innovative instructional methodologies designed to meet the diverse learning needs of individual students, including methodologies which integrate academic and vocational learning and applied learning, interactive and interdisciplinary team teaching, and other alternative teaching strategies such as service learning, experiential learning, career-related education, and environmental education, that integrate real world applications into the core academic subjects;

``(O) developing professional development strategies and programs to more effectively involve parents in helping their children achieve in the core academic subjects;

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

``(Q) release time with pay for teachers.

SEC. 2209. LOCAL COST-SHARING.

SEC. 2211. HIGHER EDUCATION ACTIVITIES.