§ 6674 — Technical Assistance And National Evaluation

(a) From the funds reserved under section 6671(3) of this title for a fiscal year, the Secretary— (1) shall establish, in a manner consistent with section 9602 of this title, a comprehensive center on students at risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a disability that meets the purposes of subsection (b); and (2) may— (A) provide technical assistance, which may be carried out directly or through grants or contracts, to States and local educational agencies carrying out activities under this part; and (B) carry out evaluations of activities by States and local educational agencies under this part, which shall be conducted by a third party or by the Institute of Education Sciences. (b) The comprehensive center established by the Secretary under subsection (a)(1) shall— (1) identify or develop free or low-cost evidence-based assessment tools for identifying students at risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a disability, including dyslexia impacting reading or writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, writing, language processing, comprehension, or executive functioning; (2) identify evidence-based literacy instruction, strategies, and accommodations, including assistive technology, designed to meet the specific needs of such students; (3) provide families of such students with information to assist such students; (4) identify or develop evidence-based professional development for teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel to— (A) understand early indicators of students at risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a disability, including dyslexia impacting reading or writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, writing, language processing, comprehension, or executive functioning; (B) use evidence-based screening assessments for early identification of such students beginning not later than kindergarten; and (C) implement evidence-based instruction designed to meet the specific needs of such students; and (5) disseminate the products of the comprehensive center to regionally diverse State educational agencies, local educational agencies, regional educational agencies, and schools, including, as appropriate, through partnerships with other comprehensive centers established under section 9602 of this title, and regional educational laboratories established under section 9564 of this title.