cussed as the compact relates to the individual child's achievement;

(B) frequent reports to parents on their children's progress; and

(C) reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child's class, and observation of classroom activities.

(e) BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT.-To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student achievement, each school and local educational agency

(1) shall provide assistance to participating parents in such areas as understanding the National Education Goals, the State's content standards and State student performance standards, the provisions of section 1111(b)(8), State and local assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child's progress and work with educators to improve the performance of their children as well as information on how parents can participate in decisions relating to the education of their children;

(2) shall provide materials and training, such as

(A) coordinating necessary literacy training from other sources to help parents work with their children to improve their children's achievement; and

(B) training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children's achievement;

(3) shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between home and school;

(4) shall coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool programs and other programs, to the extent feasible and appropriate;

(5) shall develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parent involvement activities, including providing information about opportunities for organizations and businesses to work with parents and schools, and encouraging the formation of partnerships between elementary, middle, and secondary schools and local businesses that include a role for parents;

(6) shall conduct other activities, as appropriate and feasible, such as parent resource centers and providing opportunities for parents to learn about child development and child rearing issues beginning at the birth of a child, that are designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their children;

(7) shall ensure, to the extent possible, that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the homes of participating children in the language used in such homes;

(8) may involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training in improving instruction and services to the children of such parents;

(9) may provide necessary literacy training from funds received under this part if the local educational agency has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for such activities;

(10) may pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions;

(11) may train and support parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;

(12) may arrange meetings at a variety of times, such as in the mornings and evenings, in order to maximize the opportunities for parents to participate in school related activities;

(13) may arrange for teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, to conduct in-home conferences with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school;

(14) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement, such as Even Start; and

(15) shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request.

(f) ACCESSIBILITY.-In carrying out the parental involvement requirements of this part, local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency or with disabilities, including providing information and school profiles in a language and form such parents understand.

(g) PARENTAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCE CENTERS.—In States where parental information and resource centers have been established pursuant to section 401 of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994 (to provide training, information, and support to parents and individuals who work with parents), local educational agencies and schools receiving assistance under this part shall assist parents and parent organizations by informing such parents and organizations of the existence and purpose of such centers, providing such parents and organizations with a description of the services and programs provided by such centers, advising parents on how to use such centers, and helping parents to contact such centers.

SEC. 1119. [20 U.S.C. 6301] PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. (a) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

(1) IN GENERAL.-Each local educational agency receiving assistance under this part shall provide high-quality professional development that will improve the teaching of the academic subjects, consistent with the State content standards, in order to enable all children to meet the State's student performance standards.

(2) PROGRAM DESIGN. Such professional development activities shall be designed by principals, teachers, and other school staff in schools receiving assistance under this part. (b) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.—

(1) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.-Such professional development activities shall

(A) support instructional practices that are geared to challenging State content standards and create a school environment conducive to high achievement in the academic subjects;

(B) support local educational agency plans under section 1112 and school plans under section 1114;

(C) draw on resources available under this part, title III of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, title II of this Act, and from other sources;

(D) where appropriate, as determined by the local educational agency, include strategies for developing curricula and teaching methods that integrate academic and vocational instruction (including applied learning and team teaching strategies); and

(E) include strategies for identifying and eliminating gender and racial bias in instructional materials, methods, and practices.

(2) OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES.-Such professional development activities may include

(A) instruction in the use of assessments;

(B) instruction in ways that teachers, principals, pupil services personnel, and school administrators may work more effectively with parents;

(C) the forming of partnerships with institutions of higher education to establish school-based teacher training programs that provide prospective teachers and novice teachers with an opportunity to work under the guidance of experienced teachers and college faculty;

(D) instruction in the use of technology;

(E) the creation of career ladder programs for paraprofessionals (assisting teachers under this part) to obtain the education necessary for such paraprofessionals to become licensed and certified teachers;

(F) instruction in ways to teach special needs children; (G) instruction in gender-equitable education methods, techniques, and practices;

(H) joint professional development activities involving programs under this part, Head Start, Even Start, or State-run preschool program personnel; and

(I) instruction in experiential-based teaching methods such as service learning.

(c) PROGRAM PARTICIPATION.-Each local educational agency receiving assistance under this part is encouraged to design professional development programs so that

(1) all school staff in schools participating in a schoolwide program under section 1114 can participate in professional development activities; and

(2) all school staff in targeted assistance schools may participate in professional development activities if such participation will result in better addressing the needs of students served under this part.

(d) PARENTAL PARTICIPATION.-Parents may participate in professional development activities under this part if the school determines that parental participation is appropriate.

(e) CONSORTIA.-In carrying out such professional development programs, local educational agencies may provide services through consortia arrangements with other local educational agencies, educational service agencies or other local consortia, institutions of higher education, or other public or private institutions or organizations.

(f) EFFECTIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES.-Knowledge of effective teaching strategies that is gained through professional development activities under this section may be shared with teachers who are not participating in targeted assistance programs under this part.

(g) COMBINATIONS OF FUNDS.-Funds provided under this part that are used for professional development purposes may be combined with funds provided under title II of this Act, title III of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, and other sources.

(h) STATE REVIEW.

(1) IN GENERAL.-The State educational agency shall review the local educational agency's plan under section 1112(b) to determine if such agency's professional development activities

(A) are tied to challenging State student content and student performance standards;

(B) reflect research on teaching and learning where possible;

(C) are designed to have a positive impact on the teacher's performance in the classroom;

(D) contribute to continuous improvement in the classroom or throughout the school;

(E) include methods to teach children with special needs;

(F) are developed with the extensive participation of teachers; and

(G) include gender-equitable education methods, techniques, and practices.

(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.-If a local educational agency's plan for professional development does not include the activities described in paragraph (1), the State educational agency shall provide technical assistance to such local educational agencies to enable such agencies to make progress toward inclusion of such activities in the local educational agency's professional development activities.

(3) SPECIAL RULE.-No State educational agency shall require a school or a local educational agency to expend a specific amount of funds for professional development activities under this part, except that this paragraph shall not apply with respect to requirements under section 1116(d)(6). (i) INSTRUCTIONAL AIDES.

(1) IN GENERAL.—If a local educational agency uses funds received under this part to employ instructional aides, the local educational agency shall ensure that such aides

(A) possess the knowledge and skills sufficient to assist participating children in meeting the educational goals of this part;

(B) have a secondary school diploma, or its recognized equivalent, or earn either within two years of employment, except that a local educational agency may employ an instructional aide that does not meet the requirement of this subparagraph if such aide possesses proficiency in a language other than English that is needed to enhance the participation of children in programs under this part; and (C) are under the direct supervision of a teacher who has primary responsibility for providing instructional services to eligible children.

(2) INCLUSION IN ACTIVITIES.-Each local educational agency receiving funds under this part, when feasible, shall include instructional aides in professional development activities.

SEC. 1120. [20 U.S.C. 6321] PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

(a) GENERAL REQUIREMENT.

(1) IN GENERAL.-To the extent consistent with the number of eligible children identified under section 1115(b) in a local educational agency who are enrolled in private elementary and secondary schools, a local educational agency shall, after timely and meaningful consultation with appropriate private school officials, provide such children, on an equitable basis, special educational services or other benefits under this part (such as dual enrollment, educational radio and television, computer equipment and materials, other technology, and mobile educational services and equipment).

(2) SECULAR, NEUTRAL, NONIDEOLOGICAL.-Such educational services or other benefits, including materials and equipment, shall be secular, neutral, and nonideological.

(3) EQUITY.-Educational services and other benefits for such private school children shall be equitable in comparison to services and other benefits for public school children participating under this part.

(4) EXPENDITURES.-Expenditures for educational services and other benefits to eligible private school children shall be equal to the proportion of funds allocated to participating school attendance areas based on the number of children from low-income families who attend private schools.

(5) PROVISION OF SERVICES.-The local educational agency may provide such services directly or through contracts with public and private agencies, organizations, and institutions. (b) CONSULTATION.—

(1) IN GENERAL.-To ensure timely and meaningful consultation, a local educational agency shall consult with appropriate private school officials during the design and development of such agency's programs under this part, on issues such as

(A) how the children's needs will be identified;