PUBLIC LAW 107-279—NOV. 5, 2002 116 STAT. 1969 (3) Develop strategies to utilize schools as critical components in reforming education and revitalizing rural communities in the United States. (4) Report and disseminate information on overcoming the obstacles faced by educators and schools in high poverty, urban, and rural areas. (5) Identify successful educational programs that have either been developed by such laboratory in carrying out such laboratory's functions or that have been developed or used by others within the region served by the laboratory and make such information available to the Secretary and the network of regional educational laboratories so that such programs may be considered for inclusion in the national education dissemination system. (h) GOVERNING BOARD AND ALLOCATION.— (1) IN GENERAL.— In carrying out its responsibilities, each regional educational laboratory awarded a contract under this section, in keeping with the terms and conditions of such laboratory's contract, shall— (A) establish a governing board that— (i) reflects a balanced representation of— (I) the States in the region; (II) the interests and concerns of regional constituencies; and (III) technical expertise; (ii) includes the chief State school officer or such officer's designee of each State represented in such board's region; (iii) includes— (I) representatives nominated by chief executive officers of States and State organizations of superintendents, principals, institutions of higher education, teachers, parents, businesses, and researchers; or (II) other representatives of the organizations described in subclause (I), as required by State law in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act; (iv) is the sole entity that— (I) guides and directs the laboratory in carrying out the provisions of this subsection and satisfying the terms and conditions of the contract award; (II) determines the regional agenda of the laboratory; (III) engages in an ongoing dialogue with the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner concerning the laboratory's goals, activities, and priorities; and (IV) determines at the start of the contract period, subject to the requirements of this section and in consultation with the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner, the mission of the regional educational laboratory for the duration of the contract period;
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