§1453 Applications

Summary

States that want a grant must send an application to the Secretary at the time and in the form the Secretary requires. The application must include a plan that shows how the State will train and support staff and people who give direct help to children with disabilities. The plan must help the State meet the requirements in sections 1412(a)(14) and 1435(a)(8) and (9). It must be based on a review of State and local needs, including current and expected staff vacancies and the number of preservice and inservice programs. The plan should be aligned, as much as possible, with State activities under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Higher Education Act. The State must also promise to carry out the strategies in subsection (b)(4). The plan must show a partnership agreement that names each partner and their roles. It must explain how the strategies will be coordinated with other public and private resources (including part B and part C funds), and how the plan aligns with ESEA plans under sections 1111 and 2101(d). It must describe the training programs to be used, how they link to grants under section 1462, and how the State will help local agencies and early intervention programs improve training. The plan must explain how the State will recruit and keep qualified teachers (see section 1412(a)(14)(C)), prevent poor and minority children from being taught more often by unqualified teachers, and regularly check whether the strategies meet the performance goals in section 1412(a)(15). The Secretary will use a mostly non‑Federal panel of experts to review applications and may pay their fees. States that get a grant must send yearly reports on progress, effectiveness, and any changes made.