110 HR 4305 IH: Improving Student Testing Act of
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-12-06
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of
contents
(a)This Act may be cited
as the Improving Student Testing Act
of 2007
.
(b)The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. References.
Sec. 3. Findings.
Sec. 4. Purposes.
Sec. 5. State and local flexibility in assessment and
accountability models.
Sec. 6. Privacy protections for data systems.
Sec. 7. Timeline.
Sec. 8. Improvements to the peer review process.
Sec. 9. Disaggregation of graduation rates.
Sec. 10. Competitive grants for creating and implementing
high-quality assessments.
Sec. 11. Competitive grants for increasing capacity at the
State and local level.
2.Except as otherwise expressly provided,
whenever in this Act an amendment or revision is expressed in terms of an
amendment to, or revision of, a section or other provision, the reference shall
be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.).
3.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)State and local
governments bear the majority of the cost of and responsibility for educating
public elementary school and secondary school students.
(2)State and local
governments often struggle to find adequate funding to provide basic
educational services.
(3)The Federal
Government has not provided its full share of funding for numerous federally
mandated elementary and secondary education programs.
(4)Underfunded
Federal education mandates increase financial pressures on States and local
educational agencies.
(5)States and local
educational agencies are facing increased costs when implementing the annual
student academic assessments required under section 1111(b)(3)(C)(vii) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(3)(C)(vii)).
(6)Multiple measures
of student academic achievement on various methods of assessment provide a more
complete picture of a student's strengths and weaknesses than does a single
score on a high stakes standardized test.
(7)The frequency of
using high-quality assessments as a tool to measure student achievement should
be decided by State educational agencies and local educational agencies.
4.Section 1001 (20 U.S.C. 6301) is
amended—
(1)by redesignating
paragraphs (8) through (12) as paragraphs (10) through (14), respectively;
and
(2)by inserting after
paragraph (7) the following:
(8)encouraging State
educational agencies and local educational agencies to design innovative State
assessment systems that include valid and reliable high-quality assessments,
including teacher-designed formative assessments, performance-based
assessments, portfolio assessments, and other locally designed
assessments;
(9)providing
additional resources for States to encourage the use of more than high stakes
standardized testing in making key decisions about students and schools,
including accountability determinations, student promotion and retention
decisions, and school funding
decisions;
.
5.State and local
flexibility in assessment and accountability models
(a)Changes to
academic standardsSection 1111(b)(1)(D) (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(1)(D)) is amended—
(1)in clause
(i)(III), by inserting , including higher-order thinking and analysis
skills
after skills
; and
(2)in clause
(ii)(III), by striking the lower-achieving
and inserting
all
.
(b)Accountability
definition changesSection 1111(b)(2)(A) (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(A)
is amended—
(1)in
the matter preceding clause (i)—
(A)by inserting
or adequate yearly growth
after progress
;
and
(B)by striking
under this paragraph
and inserting in the State plan in
accordance with this paragraph and subject to the State's selection of an
assessment system described in paragraph (3)(E)
; and
(2)in clause
(iii)—
(A)by striking
sanctions
and inserting proven interventions
;
and
(B)by inserting
or adequate yearly growth
after adequate yearly
progress
.
(c)Adequate Yearly
Progress ChangesSection 1111(b)(2) (as amended by subsection
(b)) (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)) is further amended—
(1)in subparagraph
(B), by inserting , and at the State’s selection, other academic
indicators,
after assessments
; and
(2)in subparagraph
(D)—
(A)in clause (i), by
striking and
after the semicolon;
(B)by striking clause
(ii) and inserting the following:
(ii)in order to
provide a more accurate determination of school improvement and subject to
subparagraph (C)(iv), may elect to use other academic indicators described in
clauses (vi) or (vii) of subparagraph (C) to determine which schools and local
educational agencies are identified for school improvement, corrective action,
or restructuring under section 1116;
and
;
and
(C)by adding at the
end the following:
(iii)shall ensure
that assessments described in paragraph (3) represent not less than 50 percent
of the factors used to determine how academic achievement is measured for
purposes of determining adequate yearly progress or adequate yearly
growth.
.
(d)Changes to
annual measurable objectivesSection 1111(b)(2)(G) (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(2)(G)) is amended—
(1)in clause (iii),
by inserting , or to meet a certain level of adequate yearly
growth,
after proficient level
; and
(2)in clause (iv), by
inserting , or definition of adequate yearly growth,
after
academic achievement
.
(e)State
flexibility To design growth modelsSection 1111(b)(2) (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(2)) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
(L)State flexibility
To design growth models
(i)Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, in
carrying out this section a State may choose from among the following statewide
accountability models:
(I)Maintaining annual assessments under a status model, as
described in subparagraphs (B) through (K) of this paragraph.
(II)Implementing a growth model accountability system described
in clause (ii).
(III)Implementing a hybrid accountability model, including a
combined growth and status model, if the growth model meets the requirements
described in clause (ii).
(ii)Requirements
for growth modelsA growth model accountability system referred
to in subclause (II) or (III) of clause (i) shall meet the following
requirements:
(I)Valid, reliable,
and accurate measuresThe growth model uses valid, reliable, and
accurate measures.
(II)Sufficient
technical quality and capacityThe growth model has sufficient
technical quality and technical capacity to ensure the growth model can
function fairly and accurately for each student.
(III)Statewide
privacy-protected data systemThe growth model has a statewide
privacy-protected data system capable of tracking individual students’
growth.
(IV)The State annually assesses students in grades 3
through 8 and once in grades 9 through 12 and such assessments produce reliable
results in each grade and from year to year.
(V)Performance
measures or growth targetsThe State may set performance measures
or growth targets based on a student’s current academic level, but may not set
performance measures or growth targets for students on the basis of the
student’s membership in 1 of the groups listed in subparagraph
(C)(v)(II).
(VI)The State is able to evaluate student gains or progress
in, at a minimum, mathematics and reading or language
arts.
.
(f)State
flexibility To design assessment systemsSection 1111(b)(3) (20
U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(E)State
flexibility To design assessment systems
(i)
(I)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in
carrying out this section a State may choose to design a statewide assessment
system described in clause (ii) that is subject to peer review and approval
under subsection (e).
(II)Maintaining
current assessment systemNotwithstanding any other provision of
this Act, a State may elect to maintain the State's statewide assessment system
in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Improving Student
Testing Act of 2007.
(III)A
State shall consult with local educational agencies, principals, teachers, and
parents when designing an assessment system under this subparagraph.
(ii)Statewide
assessment system optionsIn carrying out this section a State
may choose from among the following statewide assessment system options:
(I)Alternative
assessment models
- (aa)Subject to item (bb), a State may conduct statewide
assessments as described in paragraph (3) not less than—
(AA)once in grades 3
through 5;
(BB)once in grades 6
through 9; and
(CC)once in grades 10
through 12.
- (bb)If a State chooses to assess statewide in grade-spans, then
the State is encouraged to use more than standardized, point-in-time
assessments to determine adequate yearly progress or adequate yearly growth,
and decisions related to school improvement, corrective action, and
restructuring under section 1116.
(II)Multiple
measures of assessmentA State may choose to implement a system
of State or locally designed or administered formative assessments, performance
assessments, portfolio assessments, benchmark assessments, end-of-course
examinations, and other measures of assessment, as an alternative to or in
conjunction with statewide standardized assessments, if each such assessment in
the system—
- (aa)measures
higher-order thinking skills; and
- (bb)meets the
requirements of subparagraph (C)(xvi).
(III)A State may choose to create a hybrid assessment
model composed of statewide standardized assessments and multiple measures of
assessment described in subclause
(II).
.
(g)Section 1111(b)(3) (as amended by subsection (e)) is
further amended—
(1)in subparagraph
(A)—
(A)by striking
, yearly
after high-quality
; and
(B)by striking
that will be used as the primary
and inserting , subject
to the State’s selection of an assessment system under subparagraph (E), that
will be used as 1 of the
;
(2)in
subparagraph (C)—
(A)in the matter
preceding item (aa) of clause (v)(I), by striking except as otherwise
provided for grades 3 through 8 under clause vii
and inserting
subject to a State’s selection of an assessment system under
subparagraph (E)
;
(B)in clause (vii),
by striking beginning not
and all that follows through
through 8 in
and inserting measure the achievement of
students against the challenging State academic content and student academic
achievement standards in each of the grades assessed in
;
(C)in clause (xiv),
by striking and
after the semicolon;
(D)in clause (xv), by
striking the period and inserting ; and
; and
(E)by adding at the
end the following:
(xvi)if the State
chooses, include other valid and reliable assessments, including State or
locally designed or administered formative assessments, performance
assessments, portfolio assessments, benchmark assessments, end-of-course
examinations, and other local assessments, that—
(I)are aligned with
the State’s academic content standards and student academic achievement
standards;
(II)have been
approved through the peer-review process described in subsection (e);
(III)measure
higher-order thinking skills;
(IV)produce evidence
about student learning and achievement in a timely manner; and
(V)provide teachers
with meaningful feedback so that the teachers can modify, improve, and target
instructional strategies based on individual student
need.
.
(h)Section 1111(b) (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)) is further amended by
striking paragraph (4).
6.Privacy
protections for data systemsSubpart 1 of part A of title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
1120C.Privacy
protections for data systems
(a)Each State receiving a grant under this part shall
implement measures to—
(1)limit the use of
information in a statewide education data system by a State educational agency,
a local educational agency, or an institution of higher education to the
purposes and functions for such information set forth in Federal or State
education law, and allow access to the information in the statewide education
data system only to those State or local employees or agents, and only on such
terms, as may be necessary to fulfill those purposes and functions;
(2)prohibit the
disclosure of student-level information in the data system to any other person,
agency, institution, or entity, except that States may allow the disclosures
permitted under section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act in
accordance with the limitations set forth in this section and any additional
limitations set forth in State law;
(3)require any
person, agency, institution, or entity to whom disclosure of information in the
data system is authorized under section 444 of the General Education Provisions
Act to sign a data use agreement prior to disclosure, that—
(A)prohibits the
party from further disclosing the information;
(B)prohibits the
party from using the information for any purpose other than the purpose
specified in the agreement; and
(C)requires the party
to destroy the information when the purpose for which the disclosure was made
is accomplished;
(4)if consistent with
the purpose of the disclosure, remove personally identifying information and
unique identifiers before disclosing student-level information in the data
system;
(5)in addition to the
accounting requirements set forth under section 444 of the General Education
Provisions Act, maintain a record of the date of each disclosure of information
in the data system, a detailed description of the information disclosed, and
the name and address of the person, agency, institution, or entity to whom the
disclosure was made, which accounting shall be made available on request to
parents of any student whose information has been disclosed, or to the student
if the student has reached the age of 18 or is enrolled in a postsecondary
educational institution;
(6)ensure that any
disclosure of aggregate data in the data system is in a form that does not
permit the identification of individual students, and that any unique
identifiers in the data system are removed prior to disclosure of aggregate
data;
(7)maintain adequate
security measures to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data
system; and
(8)ensure adequate
enforcement of the requirements of this section.
(b)Use of unique
identifiers
(1)Governmental use
of unique identifiersIt shall be unlawful for any Federal
agency, any employee of any Federal agency, any State or local agency in a
State that receives funds under this Act, or any employee of a State or local
agency in a State that receives funds under this Act, to use unique identifiers
employed in a statewide education data system for any purpose other than as
authorized by Federal or State education law, or to deny any individual any
right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individual’s
refusal to disclose the individual's unique identifier.
(2)Not
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Improving Student Testing Act of
2007, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations governing the
use of unique identifiers employed in statewide education data systems, with
the goal of safeguarding individual privacy. The regulations may require States
seeking grants under this part to have in place measures to limit the use of
unique identifiers by nongovernmental parties to the extent practicable,
consistent with the uses of the information authorized in Federal or State
education law.
(c)Formula grants
for privacy protected data systems
(1)The Secretary is authorized to award a grant, from
allotments under paragraph (2), to each State receiving funds under this part,
for the purposes of carrying out the requirements of this section related to
privacy protections and unique identifiers.
(2)The Secretary shall establish a formula for the allotment
of grants under this subsection that ensures that no State receives less than
$500,000 annually and that each State receives an equitable share of the amount
allotted based upon relevant State factors, including student population
size.
(3)In this subsection the term State means each
of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(d)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through
2012.
.
7.Section 1111(b)(2)(F) (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(2)(F)) is amended by adding at the end the following: The
Secretary shall waive the timeline described in this subparagraph if the amount
appropriated to carry out this part for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2015
does not equal or exceed the amount authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this part for each such fiscal year.
.
8.Improvements to
the peer review processSection 1111(e)(1) (20 U.S.C. 6311(e)(1)) is
further amended—
(1)by striking
subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:
(B)appoint individuals
to the peer review process who are—
(i)representative of
parents, teachers, State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and
professional education associations; and
(ii)skilled
practitioners or education researchers with knowledge of fair, valid, and
reliable assessment design, including individuals with expertise in 1 or more
of the following:
(I)Developing
educational standards.
(II)Developing valid
and reliable assessments for all students, including alternative assessments
for students with disabilities and English language learners.
(III)Creating valid
accountability models.
(IV)Accurately
assessing the needs of low-performing schools.
(V)Adequately
measuring the other educational needs of students so that issues relating to
the education of the whole child are
addressed.
;
(2)by redesignating
subparagraphs (C) through (F) as subparagraphs (F) through (I),
respectively;
(3)by inserting after
subparagraph (B) (as amended by paragraph (1)) the following:
(C)establish a list
of individuals who are eligible to be appointed to a peer review panel under
this subsection and ensure that from the list of eligible peer reviewers, each
peer review team contains—
(i)not less than 1
representative selected from among recommendations from State educational
agencies;
(ii)not less than 1
representative selected from among recommendations from local educational
agencies;
(iii)not less than 1
representative selected from among recommendations from professional
educational associations;
(iv)not less than 1
representative selected by the Secretary; and
(v)not less than 1
representative who works in a school;
(D)ensure that there
is consistency from State to State with respect to all decisions reached by the
peer review panels;
(E)ensure that States
are given the opportunity to receive timely feedback from peer review teams, in
person or via electronic communication, and directly interact with peer review
panels on issues that need clarification during the peer review
process;
;
(4)in subparagraph
(H)(iii) (as redesignated by paragraph (2)), by striking and
after the semicolon;
(5)in subparagraph
(I) (as redesignated by paragraph (2)), by striking the period and inserting a
semicolon; and
(6)by adding at the
end the following:
(J)post all approval
and denial decisions regarding the State plans and final State plans, State
plan amendments, and waiver decisions for each State plan, on a publicly
available website in an easily identifiable location, and provide written
notification to States of all such decisions within 3 business days of such
decisions; and
(K)direct the
Inspector General of the Department to review the final determinations reached
by the Secretary under this subsection for consistent decisionmaking through
the peer review process across all States and report the findings to Congress
once every 2
years.
.
9.Disaggregation of
graduation rates
(a)Section
1111(h)(1)(C)(vi) (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)(1)(C)) is amended by inserting before the
semicolon the following: , disaggregated by the student subgroups
described in subsection (b)(2)(C)(v)(II)
.
(b)Formula grants
for disaggregation and reporting of data
(1)The Secretary of Education is authorized to award a
grant, from allotments under paragraph (2), to each State receiving funds under
part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6311 et seq.), for the purposes of carrying out the requirements to
disaggregate and report data as required under sections 1111(b)(2)(C),
1111(b)(3)(C)(xiii), and 1111(h) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C),
6311(b)(3)(C)(xiii), 6311(h)).
(2)The Secretary shall establish a formula for the allotment
of grants under this subsection that ensures that no State receives less than
$1,000,000 annually and that each State receives an equitable share of the
amount allotted based upon relevant State factors, including student population
size.
(3)In this subsection the term State means each
of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(4)There
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $70,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
10.Competitive
grants for creating and implementing high-quality assessments
(a)The
purposes of this section are as follows:
(1)To provide
additional resources to State educational agencies, local educational agencies,
and schools so that accountability decisions about students and schools are
based on well-designed multiple measures of assessment rather than 1 high
stakes standardized test.
(2)To assist State
educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools in the design and
implementation of high-quality assessments, including State or locally designed
school district assessments, formative assessments, performance assessments,
portfolio assessments, alternative assessments for students with disabilities
and English Language Learners, and other assessments that measure higher-order
thinking skills and are aligned with State student academic achievement and
academic content standards in order to create multiple measures of assessment
that—
(A)improve classroom
instruction; or
(B)are used in
accountability systems.
(b)In
this section:
(1)The terms used in this section 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 formative assessment means an
assessment that—
(A)produces evidence
about student learning and achievement in a timely manner; and
(B)provides students
and teachers with meaningful feedback so that teachers can modify, improve, and
target instructional strategies based on individual student need, and students
can assess the students' own academic progress.
(3)Multiple
measures of assessmentThe term multiple measures of
assessment means different forms of assessment that offer all students
various ways to show academic achievement and progress.
(4)The term performance assessment means an
assessment that measures the ability of students to apply knowledge and
demonstrate achievement through performance-based tasks.
(5)The term portfolio assessment means an
assessment that accumulates student work to use as formative or summative
evidence of student academic progress.
(c)The Secretary of Education is authorized to award
grants to State educational agencies to enable the State educational agencies
to carry out the authorized activities described in subsection (d).
(d)
(1)A State educational agency that receives a grant under
this section shall use the funds made available through the grant for the
design or implementation of high-quality assessments in local classrooms,
including—
(A)partnering with
institutions of higher education to train teachers in how to develop and
utilize the assessments described in subsection (a)(2) and how to teach
students to assess their own learning;
(B)creating the
assessments described in subsection (a)(2) and aligning the assessments with
State student academic achievement and academic content standards;
(C)aligning local
assessments across the State to develop a system of common assessments;
(D)designing student
reports that detail assessment results and that can be used to inform classroom
instruction and provide parents with timely information on student progress;
and
(E)collaborating with
other State educational agencies to share information about assessment
development and implementation across the States.
(2)Grant
funds received under this section shall—
(A)be used only for
the development, implementation, and measurement of the assessments described
in subsection (a)(2); and
(B)not be used for
the purchase or development of high stakes, large scale assessments or for test
preparation materials for high stakes testing.
(e)Eligible partner
entities
(1)Each State educational agency that receives a grant under
this section, upon receipt of the grant funds, may partner with an entity
described in paragraph (2), in order to carry out the activities assisted under
the grant.
(2)An
entity referred to in paragraph (1) is—
(A)an institution of
higher education that has a teacher training program;
(B)a local
educational agency; and
(C)a research
institution with experience in designing high-quality assessments.
(f)To
be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a State educational agency
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require, including, at a
minimum—
(1)a
proposal to use the grant funds to design or implement the assessments
described in subsection (a)(2);
(2)a
method for establishing an application process whereby local educational
agencies and individual schools can apply to receive funds provided under this
section from the State educational agency;
(3)a
description of how the State educational agency plans to assess the
effectiveness of the assessments in raising student achievement and narrowing
the achievement gap among the State’s student population; and
(4)a
description of how the State educational agency plans to ensure that the
assessments will be used to improve teaching and provide detailed and timely
feedback to students and parents.
(g)A
grant under this section shall be awarded for a period of not more than 5
fiscal years.
(h)In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall select State educational agencies that demonstrate the greatest
need for the grants and the greatest potential benefit from receipt of the
grants.
(i)
(1)Each State educational agency that receives a grant under
this section shall submit—
(A)an annual report to
the Secretary detailing how the State educational agency is using the grant
funds and detailing ongoing evaluation of the design of the assessments
assisted under this section, the training of educators in using the
assessments, and the effectiveness of the assessments as measured by student
achievement and growth based on multiple measures of assessment; and
(B)a comprehensive
5-year report at the end of the 5-year grant period including a detailed
analysis of—
(i)how
the grant funds were used; and
(ii)the
impact of the grant on student achievement, narrowing the achievement gap, and
the quality of teaching, based on multiple measures of assessment.
(2)Federal
evaluation and reportNot later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall—
(A)develop and
execute a plan for evaluating the assessments assisted under this section and
the strategies financed under this section; and
(B)submit a report to
Congress detailing how State educational agencies used the grant funds provided
under this section, the impact of the grants on student achievement and
teaching in the States, and any recommendations for improvements that can be
made to the grant program under this section.
(j)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
11.Competitive
grants for increasing capacity at the State and local level
(a)The
purpose of this section is to assist State educational agencies and local
educational agencies with—
(1)building State
educational agency and local educational agency technical capacity; and
(2)improving
technical assistance.
(b)The Secretary of Education is authorized to award
grants to State educational agencies and local educational agencies to enable
the agencies to carry out the authorized activities described in subsection
(c).
(c)A State educational agency or local educational agency
that receives a grant under this section shall use the funds made available
under the grant to carry out 1 or more of the following activities:
(1)Creating,
maintaining, and improving State or local education databases that can track
adequate yearly growth in individual students.
(2)Implementing
adequate privacy protections in State or local education databases.
(3)Complying with the
requirement to disaggregate and report data under sections 1111(b)(2)(C),
1111(b)(3)(C)(xiii), and 1111(h) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C), 6311(b)(3)(C)(xiii), 6311(h)).
(4)Developing State
educational agency or local educational agency capacity to create
accountability or assessment systems that contain multiple measures of student
achievement, including statewide, local, formative, and performance-based
assessments.
(5)Conducting
research on proven strategies for improving schools and local school districts
or implementing research-proven, valid, and reliable improvement strategies in
schools or local school districts.
(6)Training State
educational agency staff, local educational agencies, administrators, and
schools in making data-driven decisions.
(7)Developing State
educational agency or local educational agency capacity to provide technical
assistance to schools in need of improvement.
(d)To
be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a State educational
agency or local educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary
may require, including, at a minimum—
(1)a
description of the privacy protections that the State educational agency or
local educational agency has implemented or will implement pursuant to section
1120C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and assurances
that the protections will be in place when the grant funds are made available
to the State educational agency or local educational agency, if applying for
grant funding to create, maintain, or improve a State or local education
database;
(2)a
description of the school improvement techniques the State educational agency
or local educational agency will implement, and a description of how the
techniques will meet the needs of the schools or local educational agencies in
the State that are identified for school improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring under section 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6316), if applying for grant funding to develop capacity to provide
school improvement technical assistance;
(3)a
description of the multiple measures of student achievement that a State
educational agency or local educational agency will include in its assessment
systems, if applying for grant funding to develop assessment system
capacity;
(4)a
description of the training programs that will be offered to staff of State
educational agencies and local educational agencies to boost data-driven
decisionmaking skills, if applying for grant funding to develop such training
programs;
(5)a
method for establishing an application process whereby local educational
agencies can apply to receive funds provided under this section from the State
educational agency;
(6)a
description of how the State educational agency plans to assess the
effectiveness of the State educational agency's capacity building efforts under
this section; and
(7)a
description of how the State educational agency plans to account for funds
expended under this section.
(e)A
grant under this section shall be awarded for not less than 2 fiscal years and
not more than 5 fiscal years.
(f)In
awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to State
educational agencies and local educational agencies that demonstrate in the
application submitted under subsection (c) the greatest need for the grant and
the greatest potential benefit from receipt of the grant.
(g)
(1)Each State educational agency receiving a grant under
this section shall submit a report at the end of the last year of the grant
that provides a detailed analysis of how the grant funds were used and the
effectiveness of the grant funds in improving State educational agency and
local educational agency capacity to meet the requirements under part A of
title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311
et seq.).
(2)Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall—
(A)develop and
execute a plan for evaluating the State educational agency and local
educational agency’s capacity-building programs funded under this
section;
(B)submit a detailed
report to Congress on the use of the funds provided under this section in
improving State and local education capacity; and
(C)provide to
Congress any recommendations for improvements that can be made to the grant
program funded under this section.
(h)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.