Funds provided under this part may be used by a regional consortium, under the direction of a regional board established under section 8674 of this title, to—
(1) work cooperatively with the other regional consortia, the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Science and Mathematics Education established under section 6622(b) of this title and federally funded technical assistance providers to more effectively accomplish the activities described in this section;
(2) assist, train and provide technical assistance to classroom teachers, administrators, and other educators to identify, implement, assess or adapt the instructional materials, teaching methods and assessment tools described in section 8671(a)(1) of this title;
(3) provide for the training of classroom teachers to enable such teachers to instruct other teachers, administrators, and educators in the use of the instructional materials, teaching methods and assessment tools described in section 8671(a)(1) of this title in the classroom;
(4) when necessary, provide financial assistance to enable teachers and other educators to attend and participate in the activities of the regional consortium;
(5) implement programs and activities designed to meet the needs of groups that are underrepresented in, and underserved by, mathematics and science education;
(6) assist State and local educational agencies in identifying science equipment needs and help such agencies or consortia thereof assess the need for and desirability of regional mathematics and science academies;
(7) develop and disseminate early childhood education mathematics and science instructional materials;
(8) disseminate information regarding informal mathematics and science education activities and programs offered by Federal agencies and private or public agencies and institutions within the region;
(9) collect data on activities assisted under this part in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities of the regional consortia;
(10) identify exemplary teaching practices and materials from within the region and communicate such practices and materials to the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education;
(11) communicate, on a regular basis, with entities within the region who are delivering services to students and teachers of mathematics and science;
(12) assist in the development and evaluation of State and regional plans and activities that hold promise of bringing about systemic reform in student performance in mathematics and science; and
(13) increase the use of informal education entities (such as science technology centers, museums, libraries, Saturday academies, and 4H programs) for educational purposes to expand student knowledge and understanding.
(Pub. L. 89–10, title XIII, §13302, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, §101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3883.)