PUBLIC LAW 103-382—OCT. 20, 1994 108 STAT. 3729 "Subpart 2—Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination "SEC. 7131. AUTHORITY. 20 USC 7451. "(a) IN GENERAL.— The Secretary is authorized to conduct data collection, dissemination, research, and ongoing program evaluation activities in accordance with the provisions of this subpart for the purpose of improving bilingual education and special alternative instruction programs for children and youth of limited English proficiency. "(b) COMPETITIVE AWARDS. —Research and program evaluation activities carried out under this subpart shall be supported through competitive grants, contracts and cooperative agreements awarded institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and State and local educational agencies. "(c) ADMINISTRATION,—The Secretary shall conduct data collection, dissemination, and ongoing program evaluation activities authorized by this subpart through the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs. "SEC. 7132. RESEARCH. 20 USC 7452. "(a) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall conduct research activities authorized by this subpart through the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in cooroination and collaboration with the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs. "(b) REQUIREMENTS.— Such research activities— "(1) shall have a practical application to teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, school administrators, parents, and others involved in improving the education of limited English proficient students and their families; "(2) may include research on effective instructional practices for multilingual classes, and on effective instruction strategies to be used by teachers and other staff who do not know the native language of a limited English proficient child or youth in their classrooms; "(3) may include establishing (through the National Center for Education Statistics in consultation with experts in bilingual education, second language acquisition, and English-as -a -sec - ond-language) a common definition of 'limited English proficient student' for purposes of national data collection; and "(4) shall be administered by individuals with expertise in bilingual education and the needs of limited English proficient students and their families. "(c) FIELD-INITIATED RESEARCH.— "(1) IN GENERAL.— The Secretary shall reserve not less than 5 percent of the funds made available to carry out this section for field-initiated research conducted by current or recent recipients of grants under subpart 1 or 2 who have received such grants within the previous five years. Such research may provide for longitudinal studies of students or teachers in bilingual education, monitoring the education of such students from entry in bilingual education through secondary school completion. "(2) APPLICATIONS. —Applicants for assistance under this subsection may submit an application for such assistance to the Secretary at the same time as applications are submitted
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