(a) The purposes of the State Education Resource Center, established pursuant to section 10-357a, shall be to assist the State Board of Education in the provision of programs and activities that will promote educational equity and excellence. Such activities shall be limited to: Training, technical assistance and professional development for local and regional boards of education, school leaders, teachers, families and community partners in the form of seminars, publications, site visits, on-line content and other appropriate means; maintaining a state education resource center library; publication of technical materials; research and evaluation; writing, managing, administering and coordinating grants for the purposes described in this subsection; and any other related activities directly related to the purposes described in this subsection. The center shall support local educational agencies serving the needs of families, communities and service providers. The center shall support programs and activities concerning early childhood education, in collaboration with the Office of Early Childhood, improving school and district academic performance, and closing opportunity gaps between socio-economic subgroups, and other related programs and activities. The center shall support and collaborate with other state agencies for the purposes described in this subsection. For such purposes the center is authorized and empowered to:

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(1) Have perpetual succession as a body politic and corporate and to adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business;

(2) Adopt an official seal and alter the same at pleasure;

(3) Maintain an office at such place or places as it may designate;

(4) Sue and be sued in its own name and plead and be impleaded;

(5) (A) Employ such assistants, agents and other employees as may be necessary or desirable who shall not be employees, as defined in subsection (b) of section 5-270; (B) establish all necessary or appropriate personnel practices and policies, including those relating to hiring, promotion, compensation, retirement and collective bargaining, which need not be in accordance with chapter 68, and the center shall not be an employer as defined in subsection (a) of section 5-270; and (C) engage consultants, attorneys and appraisers as may be necessary or desirable to carry out its purposes in accordance with this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d;

(6) Receive and accept aid or contributions from any source of money, property, labor or other things of value, to be held, used and applied to carry out the purposes of this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d, subject to such conditions upon which such grants and contributions may be made, including, but not limited to, gifts or grants from any department, agency or instrumentality of the United States or this state for any purpose consistent with this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d;

(7) Make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d, including contracts and agreements for such professional services as the center deems necessary, including, but not limited to, those services provided by financial consultants, underwriters and technical specialists;

(8) Acquire, lease, purchase, own, manage, hold and dispose of personal property, and lease, convey or deal in or enter into agreements with respect to such property on any terms necessary or incidental to the carrying out of these purposes;

(9) Invest in, acquire, purchase, own, manage, hold and dispose of real property and convey or deal in or enter into agreements with respect to such property on any terms necessary or incidental to carrying out the purposes of this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d;

(10) Lease real property on any terms necessary or incidental to carrying out the purposes of this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d;

(11) Procure insurance against any liability or loss in connection with its property and other assets, in such amounts and from such insurers as it deems desirable and to procure insurance for employees;

(12) Account for and audit funds of the center and funds of any recipients of funds from the center;

(13) Hold patents, copyrights, trademarks, marketing rights, licenses, or any other evidences of protection or exclusivity as to any products as defined in this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d, issued under the laws of the United States or any state or any nation;

(14) Establish advisory committees to assist in accomplishing its duties under this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d, which may include one or more members of the board of directors and persons other than members; and

(15) Do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d, and the powers expressly granted by this section and sections 10-357a, 10-357c and 10-357d.

(b) The State Education Resource Center shall establish a Connecticut School Reform Resource Center either within the State Education Resource Center or by contract through a regional educational service center, established pursuant to section 10-66a. The Connecticut School Reform Resource Center shall operate year-round and shall focus on serving the needs of all public schools. The Connecticut School Reform Resource Center shall (1) publish and distribute reports on the most effective practices for improving student achievement by successful schools; (2) provide a program of professional development activities for (A) school leaders, including curriculum coordinators, principals, superintendents and board of education members, and (B) teachers to educate students that includes research-based child development and reading instruction tools and practices; (3) provide information on successful models for evaluating student performance and managing student data; (4) develop strategies for assisting such students who are in danger of failing; (5) develop culturally relevant methods for educating students whose primary language is not English; and (6) provide other programs and materials to assist in the improvement of public schools.

(c) The State Education Resource Center shall be subject to audit by the Auditors of Public Accounts under chapter 12 and section 2-90.