20 U.S.C. § 6674 — Technical assistance and national evaluation

(a) In general. From funds reserved under section 6671(3), the Secretary (1) must establish, consistently with section 9602, a comprehensive center serving students at risk of not attaining full literacy because of a disability; and (2) may provide technical assistance to States and local educational agencies directly or through grants or contracts, and evaluate their activities through a third party or the Institute of Education Sciences.

(b) Purposes. The center must: (1) identify or develop free or low-cost evidence-based assessments for students at risk because of disabilities, including dyslexia affecting reading or writing and developmental delay affecting reading, writing, language processing, comprehension, or executive functioning; (2) identify evidence-based literacy instruction, strategies, and accommodations, including assistive technology, for those students; (3) give their families useful information; (4) identify or develop evidence-based professional development for teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other leaders, and specialized support staff so they can (A) understand early indicators, (B) use evidence-based screening beginning no later than kindergarten, and (C) provide instruction meeting the students’ specific needs; and (5) share the center’s products with regionally diverse State^* educational agencies, local educational agencies, regional educational agencies, and schools, including when appropriate through partnerships with other comprehensive centers and regional educational laboratories.