20 U.S.C. § 9515 — Priorities

(a) The Director^* must propose Institute^* priorities, considering long-term work through national research and development^* centers. The Director must identify long-term topics and topics focused on particular education problems, including those under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Higher Education Act, such as (1) closing achievement gaps, especially gaps involving minority and disadvantaged children; and (2) ensuring (A) all children can obtain high-quality education from early childhood through postsecondary study and at least reach proficiency on challenging State^* standards and assessments, especially in mathematics, science, and reading or language arts; (B) postsecondary access and opportunity; and (C) effective, achievement-improving, cost-effective technology use in schools. (b) The Board^* must approve or reject the proposed priorities, including needed revisions, and send approved priorities to the proper congressional committees. (c) The Board must ensure Institute and Center priorities match the Institute’s mission. (d)(1) Before submission, the Director must publish priorities for public comment for at least 60 days, including online and in the Federal Register, and give the Board every comment. (2) After approval, the Director must make the Institute plan for addressing the priorities available for comment in the same way.