1.This Act may be cited as the
College Pathway Act of
2006
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)Postsecondary
education is an important aspiration for most students and the future strength
of the United States economy and workforce will largely depend on the
postsecondary educational attainments of all people of the United States,
regardless of sex, race, or ethnic background.
(2)Parents and
students recognize the value of postsecondary education. Ninety-seven percent
of secondary school students expect to attend college, and more than 75 percent
of secondary school graduates enroll in some postsecondary education within 2
years of secondary school graduation.
(3)Notwithstanding
those expectations, only 32 percent of students graduate from secondary school
adequately prepared to enter a 4-year institution of higher education. Students
living in poverty and students of color are roughly half as likely to be
college-ready.
(4)Despite the
reality that most students will enter college after secondary school, secondary
school graduation requirements are not aligned with the expectations of
postsecondary education.
(5)Rather than
beginning college-level work upon entering postsecondary education, many
students (nearly 1 in 3) enroll in developmental coursework, and more than half
will take at least 1 class of developmental coursework before leaving
postsecondary education. Students who need to take a class of developmental
coursework in college have less than a 40 percent chance of completing their
course of study, and students who take 3 or more classes of developmental
coursework face reducing their prospects of completing their course of study to
less than 1 in 5.
(6)The quality and
intensity of the secondary school curriculum—
(A)are the most
significant predictors of college success; and
(B)are more
significant than race, socioeconomic status, secondary school grade point
average, or ACT and SAT scores.
(7)States around the
Nation have developed secondary school academic standards, but there is often
no relationship between those standards and institutional expectations for
college-level study. Students, families, and school personnel need information
to address the gap that exists between satisfying various kindergarten through
grade 12 standards and meeting the standards that indicate success in higher
education. The lack of clear information affects all students, but the effect
is particularly grave for students living in poverty who are more reliant on
schools and public sources of information to gauge their preparedness for
college-level work.
(8)Numerous reports
have cited the need to improve mathematics and science achievement in
prekindergarten through grade 12.
(9)Current data
systems are not designed to measure the efficacy of State actions intended to
prepare students to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. State-level
data systems usually contain only data related to kindergarten through grade
12, and often are not compatible with postsecondary education data
systems.
3.The purposes of this Act are the
following:
(1)To broaden the
focus of Federal, State, and local higher education programs to promote
academic success in postsecondary education, particularly with respect to
mathematics, science, and engineering.
(2)To increase the
percentage of low-income and minority students who are academically prepared to
enter and successfully complete postsecondary-level general education
coursework.
(3)To decrease the
percentage of students requiring developmental coursework through grants that
enable States to coordinate the public prekindergarten through grade 12
education system and the postsecondary education system—
(A)to ensure that
covered institutions articulate and publicize the prerequisite skills and
knowledge expected of incoming postsecondary students attending covered
institutions, in order to provide students and other interested parties with
accurate information pertaining to the students' necessary preparations for
postsecondary education;
(B)to establish and
implement middle school and secondary school course enrollment
guidelines—
(i)to
ensure that public secondary school students, in all major racial and ethnic
groups, and income levels, complete academic courses linked with academic
success at the postsecondary level; and
(ii)to
increase the percentage of students in each major racial group, ethnic group,
and income level who graduate from secondary school and enter postsecondary
education with the academic preparation necessary to successfully complete
postsecondary-level general education coursework, particularly with respect to
mathematics, science, and engineering;
(C)to implement
programs and policies that increase secondary school graduation rates;
and
(D)to collect and
analyze disaggregated longitudinal student data throughout P–16 education in
order to—
(i)understand and
improve students’ progress throughout the P–16 education system;
(ii)understand
problems and needs throughout the P–16 education system; and
(iii)align
prekindergarten through grade 12 academic standards and higher education
standards so that more students are prepared to successfully complete
postsecondary-level general education coursework.
4.In this Act:
(1)The terms local educational agency,
parent, secondary school, and State have
the meanings given the terms in section 9101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801).
(2)The term academic assessments means the
academic assessments implemented by a State educational agency pursuant to
section
1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)).
(3)The term academic standards means the
challenging academic content standards and challenging student academic
achievement standards adopted by a State pursuant to
section
1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)).
(4)The term covered institution means an
institution of higher education that participates in a program under title IV
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070 et seq.).
(5)The term developmental coursework means
coursework that a student is required to complete in order to attain
prerequisite knowledge or skills necessary for entrance into a postsecondary
degree or certification program.
(6)Institution of
higher educationThe term
institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in
section 102 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002).
(7)
The term P–16 education means the
educational system from prekindergarten through the conferring of a
baccalaureate degree.
(8)The term P–16 educator means an individual
teaching in P–16 education.
(9)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
(10)The
term student means any student enrolled in a public school.
5.P–16 education
stewardship system grants
(a)From amounts
appropriated under section 10 for a fiscal year, and subject to subsection (b),
the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to States to enable
the States—
(1)to establish—
(A)P–16 education stewardship commissions in
accordance with section 7; or
(B)P–16 education
stewardship systems consisting of—
(i)a
P–16 education stewardship commission in accordance with section 7; and
(ii)a
P–16 education data system in accordance with section 8; and
(2)to carry out the
activities and programs described in the State application and plan submitted
under section 6.
(b)In determining the approval and amount of a grant under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to an application from a
State that desires the grant to establish a P–16 education stewardship system
described in subsection (a)(1)(B).
(c)
(1)States
establishing P–16 education stewardship systemsEach grant made
under this section to a State to establish a P–16 education stewardship system
described in subsection (a)(1)(B) shall be awarded for a period of 5
years.
(2)States
establishing P–16 education stewardship commissionsEach grant
made under this section to a State to establish a P–16 education stewardship
commission described in subsection (a)(1)(A) shall be awarded for a period of 3
years.
6.State
application and plan
(a)A State desiring a grant under section 5 shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
(b)Each
application submitted under this section shall include, at a minimum, the
following:
(1)A demonstration
that the State, not later than 5 months after receiving grant funds under this
Act, will establish a P–16 education stewardship commission described in
section 7.
(2)For a state
applying for a grant under section 5(a)(1)(B), a demonstration that the State,
not later than 2 years after receiving grant funds under this Act, will
implement, expand, or improve a P–16 education data system described in section
8.
(3)A demonstration
that the State will work with the State P–16 education stewardship commission
and others as necessary to examine the relationship among the content of
postsecondary education admission and placement exams, the prerequisite skills
and knowledge required to successfully take postsecondary-level general
education coursework, the prekindergarten through grade 12 courses and academic
factors associated with academic success at the postsecondary level,
particularly with respect to mathematics, science, and engineering, and
existing academic standards and academic assessments.
(4)A description of
how the State will, using the information from the State P–16 education
stewardship commission, increase the percentage of students taking courses that
have the highest correlation of academic success at the postsecondary level,
for each of the following groups of students:
(A)Economically
disadvantaged students.
(B)Students from
each major racial and ethnic group.
(C)Students with
disabilities.
(D)Students with
limited English proficiency.
(5)A description of
how the State will distribute the information in the P–16 education stewardship
commission's report under section 7(c)(4) to the public in the State, including
public secondary schools, local educational agencies, school counselors, P–16
educators, institutions of higher education, students, and parents.
(6)An assurance that
the State will continue to pursue effective P–16 education alignment strategies
after the end of the grant period.
7.P–16 education
stewardship commission
(a)P–16 education
stewardship commission
(1)Each State receiving a grant under section 5 shall
establish a P–16 education stewardship commission that has the policymaking
ability to meet the requirements of this section.
(2)The State may designate an existing coordinating body
or commission as the State P–16 education stewardship commission for purposes
of this Act, if the body or commission meets, or is amended to meet, the basic
requirements of this section.
(b)
(1)Each P–16 education stewardship commission
shall be composed of the Governor of the State, or the designee of the
Governor, and the stakeholders of the statewide education community, as
determined by the Governor or the designee of the Governor, such as—
(A)the chief State
official responsible for administering prekindergarten through grade 12
education in the State;
(B)the chief State
official of the entity primarily responsible for the supervision of
institutions of higher education in the State;
(C)bipartisan
representation from the State legislative committee with jurisdiction over
prekindergarten through grade 12 education and higher education;
(D)representatives
of 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education in the State;
(E)representatives
of the business community; and
(F)at the discretion
of the Governor, or the designee of the Governor, representatives from
prekindergarten through grade 12 and higher education governing boards and
other organizations.
(2)The Governor of the State, or the designee of the
Governor, shall serve as chairperson of the P–16 education stewardship
commission and shall convene regular meetings of the commission.
(c)
(1)Meetings of
covered institutions
(A)Each State P–16 education stewardship commission shall
convene regular meetings of the covered institutions in the State for the
purpose of assessing and reaching consensus regarding—
(i)the
prerequisite skills and knowledge expected of incoming freshmen to successfully
engage in and complete postsecondary-level general education coursework without
the prior need to enroll in developmental coursework, particularly with respect
to mathematics, science, and engineering; and
(ii)patterns of
coursework and other academic factors that demonstrate the highest correlation
with success in completing postsecondary-level general education coursework and
degree or certification programs.
(B)Findings of
covered institutionsThe covered institutions shall communicate
to the P–16 education stewardship commission the findings of the covered
institutions, which—
(i)shall include the
consensus on the prerequisite skills and knowledge, patterns of coursework, and
other academic factors described in subparagraph (A);
(ii)shall address,
at minimum, the subjects of reading, mathematics, science, grammar, and
writing, and may cover additional academic content areas;
(iii)shall be
descriptive of content and purpose, and shall not be limited to a simple
listing of secondary course names; and
(iv)may be different
for 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education.
(2)Commission
recommendationsNot later than 18 months after a State receives a
grant under section 5, and annually thereafter for each year in the grant
period, the State P–16 education stewardship commission shall—
(A)develop
recommendations regarding the prerequisite skills and knowledge, patterns of
coursework, and other academic factors described in paragraph (1)(A);
and
(B)develop
recommendations and enact policies to increase the success rate of students in
the students’ transition from secondary school to postsecondary
education.
(3)Not later than 3 years after a State receives a grant
under section 5(a)(1)(B), the State P–16 education stewardship commission
shall—
(A)compile and
interpret the findings from the P–16 education data system; and
(B)include the
compilation and interpretation of the findings in the report described in
paragraph (4)(A).
(4)
(A)Not later than 18 months after a State receives a grant
under section 5, and annually thereafter for each year in the grant period, the
State P–16 education stewardship commission shall prepare and submit to the
Secretary a clear and concise report that shall include the recommendations
described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2).
(B)Distribution to
the publicNot later than 60 days after the submission of a
report under subparagraph (A), each State P–16 education stewardship commission
shall publish and widely distribute the information in the report to the public
in the State, including—
(i)all
public secondary schools and local educational agencies;
(ii)school
counselors;
(iii)P–16
educators;
(iv)institutions of
higher education; and
(v)students and
parents, especially students entering grade 9 in the next academic year and the
parents of such students, to assist the students and the parents in making
informed and strategic course enrollment decisions.
8.P–16 education
data system
(a)Not later than 2 years after a State
receives a grant under section 5(a)(1)(B), the State shall establish a
State-level longitudinal data system that provides each student, upon
enrollment in a public school or in a covered institution in the State, with a
unique identifier that is retained throughout the student’s enrollment in P–16
education in the State.
(b)The State shall,
through the implementation of the data system described in subsection (a),
carry out the following:
(1)Identify factors
that correlate to students’ ability to successfully engage in and complete
postsecondary-level general education coursework without the need for prior
developmental coursework.
(2)Implement
procedures to track developmental coursework enrollment rates.
(3)Implement
procedures to assist with identifying correlations between course-taking
patterns in public secondary education and increased academic performance in
higher education.
(4)Implement
procedures to assist with identifying the points at which students exit the
P–16 education system, including the assimilation of valid and reliable
secondary school dropout data.
(5)Incorporate data
to track postsecondary degree and certification completion rates and student
persistence patterns.
(6)Ensure that the
data system is compliant with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of
1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g).
(7)Disaggregate the
data described in paragraphs (1) through (5) by race, ethnicity, income level,
sex, secondary school attended, and type of institution of higher education
attended.
(c)A State may employ, coordinate, or revise an existing
data system for purposes of this section if such data system produces valid and
reliable information that satisfies the requirements of subsection (b).
9.Reports;
technical assistance
(a)
(1)Each State that receives a grant under section 5 shall
submit an annual report to the Secretary for each year of the grant period that
shall include a description of the activities undertaken under the grant to
improve academic readiness for postsecondary-level general education coursework
and course completion.
(2)Each
State shall prepare, publish, and widely disseminate the report described in
paragraph (1) to the public in the State, including secondary schools, local
educational agencies, school counselors, P–16 educators, institutions of higher
education, students, and parents.
(b)
(1)The Secretary shall submit an annual report to Congress
that includes—
(A)findings from the
State reports submitted under subsection (a)(1);
(B)a description of
the actions taken by the Department of Education to assist States with creating
P–16 education stewardship commissions and P–16 education data systems;
(C)a description of
the actions and incentives planned by the States' P–16 education stewardship
commissions—
(i)to
help States align academic standards, courses, and academic assessments with
postsecondary academic expectations, courses, and assessments;
(ii)to
help States increase the percentage of minority and low-income students
prepared to enter and succeed at the postsecondary level; and
(iii)to reduce
postsecondary developmental coursework enrollment rates of minority and
low-income students;
(D)a description of
the actions and incentives planned to help States reduce postsecondary
developmental coursework enrollment rates;
(E)an assessment of
the effectiveness of P-16 education stewardship commissions in improving
college readiness and eliminating the need for developmental coursework;
and
(F)recommendations
regarding how to make the P–16 education stewardship commissions more
effective, and whether the establishment of such commissions should be
encouraged throughout the United States.
(2)The
Secretary shall make the annual report described in paragraph (1) available to
the public and to each State and institution of higher education.
(c)The Secretary shall provide, upon request, technical
assistance to States and institutions of higher education seeking technical
assistance under this Act.
10.Authorization
of appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $55,000,000 for fiscal year
2007 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2008 through
2011.