[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6856 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6856

  To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the 
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to award grants to prepare individuals 
    for the 21st century workplace and to increase America's global 
                competitiveness, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 10, 2008

Mr. Yarmuth (for himself and Mr. LaHood) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the 
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to award grants to prepare individuals 
    for the 21st century workplace and to increase America's global 
                competitiveness, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ready to Compete Act''.

     TITLE I--READY TO LEARN: EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL READINESS

SEC. 101. READY TO LEARN GRANTS.

    Subpart 3 of part D of title II of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6775) is amended by striking section 
2431 and inserting the following:

``SEC. 2431. SHORT TITLE.

    ``This subpart may be cited as `Ready-to-Learn Act'.

``SEC. 2432. READY-TO-LEARN EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION PROGRAMMING AND 
              RELATED SERVICES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award a grant to 
a public broadcasting entity to enable the public broadcasting entity--
            ``(1) to provide a coordinated Ready-to-Learn television 
        service described in subsection (c); and
            ``(2) to award subgrants or enter into contracts or 
        cooperative agreements with an eligible entity to enable the 
        eligible entity to operate a high-quality Ready-to-Learn 
        program that is a part of the coordinated Ready-to-Learn 
        television service.
    ``(b) Ready-to-Learn Program Requirements.--Each eligible entity 
receiving a subgrant or entering into a contract or cooperative 
agreement under this subpart shall operate a Ready-to-Learn program 
that--
            ``(1) develops, produces, and distributes educational 
        television programming and related services for preschool and 
        elementary school children (especially preschool and elementary 
        school children served under part A of title I), and the 
        parents, educators, and caregivers of such children in order to 
        help improve early childhood development and student 
        achievement in the areas of--
                    ``(A) reading;
                    ``(B) mathematics;
                    ``(C) science;
                    ``(D) health and wellness;
                    ``(E) social and emotional development; or
                    ``(F) other academic or developmentally appropriate 
                areas;
            ``(2) facilitates the development of--
                    ``(A) educational television programming and 
                related services, directly or through contracts, with 
                producers of educational television programming and 
                related services for preschool and elementary school 
                children;
                    ``(B) support materials and services that accompany 
                such educational television programming and related 
                services, including outreach services, in order to 
                promote the effective use of such educational 
                television programming and related services; and
                    ``(C) related support resources for parents and 
                caregivers that are designed for nationwide 
                distribution over public television stations' digital 
                broadcasting channels and other high-tech delivery 
                platforms; and
            ``(3) contracts with an entity that owns and operates a 
        television public broadcast station, as defined in section 
        397(6) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 397(6))--
                    ``(A) that demonstrates that the station is a 
                member of a strong, local, community-based partnership, 
                in order to deliver effective services which meet the 
                educational needs of the children in the community 
                served by the broadcast area; and
                    ``(B) so that educational television programming 
                and related services developed under this subpart are 
                disseminated and distributed to the widest possible 
                audience appropriately served by the most appropriate 
                distribution technologies; or
            ``(4) develops and disseminates educational or training 
        material, directly related to the television programs assisted 
        under this subpart, that--
                    ``(A) is designed--
                            ``(i) to promote school readiness for all 
                        children, especially children served under part 
                        A of title I, including English language 
                        learners; and
                            ``(ii) to promote the effective use of 
                        related services and related support resources 
                        developed under paragraphs (2) and (3), 
                        respectively, among parents, teachers, Head 
                        Start programs, Even Start programs, Early 
                        Reading First programs, Reading First programs, 
                        Reading is Fundamental program providers, 
                        providers of family literacy services, child 
                        care providers, early childhood development 
                        personnel, elementary school teachers, public 
                        libraries, museums, State educational agencies, 
                        businesses, institutions of higher education, 
                        and after school program personnel; and
                    ``(B) may include interactive programs or programs 
                adaptable to distance learning technologies.
    ``(c) Coordinated Ready-to-Learn Television Service.--In awarding 
subgrants and entering into contracts and cooperative agreements under 
this subpart, a public broadcasting entity shall provide a coordinated 
Ready-to-Learn television service that--
            ``(1) shall include--
                    ``(A) educational television programming, 
                determined by the public broadcasting entity to be of 
                sound content and artistic excellence, delivered on-air 
                and on-line, aligned to--
                            ``(i) State kindergarten through grade 12 
                        academic standards and State early learning 
                        standards, as appropriate; and
                            ``(ii) related services;
                    ``(B) effective, ongoing community outreach 
                programs and ongoing partnerships with local 
                organizations to help ensure that the programming--
                            ``(i) addresses specific community and 
                        school needs;
                            ``(ii) reaches children served under part A 
                        of title I; and
                            ``(iii) engages multiple constituencies of 
                        children, parents, caregivers, and educators;
                    ``(C) academic and developmental television 
                programming described in subsection (b)(l) in--
                            ``(i) the topics described in subparagraphs 
                        (A) and (E) of subsection (b)(l); and
                            ``(ii) not less than 1 other topic 
                        described in subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), and 
                        (F) of subsection (b)(l); and
                    ``(D) a rigorous evaluation of the impact of the 
                television programming and related services described 
                in subsection (b)(l) on--
                            ``(i) school readiness skills of children 
                        in various socioeconomic areas, including rural 
                        and urban areas;
                            ``(ii) teacher quality and effectiveness; 
                        and
                            ``(iii) community engagement and awareness; 
                        and
            ``(2) may include--
                    ``(A) a comprehensive preschool curriculum based 
                upon the Ready-to-Learn programs; and
                    ``(B) ongoing professional development based upon 
                the Ready-to-Learn programs designed to help parents, 
                teachers, librarians, or caregivers.
    ``(d) Technical Assistance, Materials, Training, and Curricula.--A 
public broadcasting entity receiving a grant under this subpart shall 
provide eligible entities that receive a subgrant or enter into a 
contract or cooperative agreement under this subpart with technical 
assistance, supporting materials, training, and curricula to ensure 
effective implementation of subsection (c).
    ``(e) Reservation of Funding.--A public broadcasting entity shall 
use not less than 30 percent of the funds the public broadcasting 
entity receives under this subpart to award subgrants to or enter into 
contracts or cooperative agreements with eligible entities that are 
public broadcast stations, as defined in section 397(6) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, to carry out subsection (c)(1)(B) and 
section 2435(c).
    ``(f) Availability of Programming and Related Services.--In 
awarding a grant under this subpart, the Secretary shall ensure that a 
public broadcasting entity receiving a grant under this subpart makes 
educational television programming and related services widely 
available, with support materials available, as appropriate, to young 
children, parents, teachers, Head Start programs, Even Start programs, 
Early Reading First programs, Reading First programs, Reading is 
Fundamental programs, providers of family literacy services, child care 
providers, early childhood development personnel, elementary school 
teachers, public libraries, and after school programs in order to 
increase the effective use of educational television programming and 
related services.

``SEC. 2433. COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.

    ``In carrying out this subpart, a public broadcasting entity 
receiving a grant under this subpart shall--
            ``(1) consult with the Secretary and the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services--
                    ``(A) to maximize the use of high-quality 
                educational television programming and related services 
                by preschool and elementary school children, and to 
                make such programming widely available to federally-
                funded programs serving such children; and
                    ``(B) to coordinate activities assisted under this 
                subpart with Federal programs that have a major 
                training component for early childhood development, 
                including programs under the Head Start Act, Even 
                Start, and Early Reading First, and State training 
                activities funded under the Child Care and Development 
                Block Grant Act of 1990, regarding the availability and 
                use of the related services developed under section 
                2432(b)(2)(A) to enhance parent and childcare provider 
                skills in early childhood development and education; 
                and
            ``(2) ensure that all materials acquired or produced by any 
        eligible entity are determined to be of sufficient age-
        appropriate aesthetic appeal and educational effectiveness to 
        warrant national distribution and support in order to maximize 
        the impact of televised materials and the use of digital 
        content.

``SEC. 2434. APPLICATION.

    ``To be eligible to receive a grant under this subpart, a public 
broadcasting entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may reasonably require.

``SEC. 2435. REPORTS AND EVALUATIONS.

    ``(a) Annual Report to the Secretary.--A public broadcasting entity 
receiving a grant under this subpart shall prepare and submit to the 
Secretary an annual report that contains such information as the 
Secretary may require. At a minimum, the report shall describe the 
activities undertaken with funds received under the grant awarded to 
the public broadcasting entity under this subpart, including each of 
the following:
            ``(1) Programming and related services; target 
        population.--The educational television programming and related 
        services developed, directly or indirectly, by the public 
        broadcasting entity, and the target population served by the 
        programming and services.
            ``(2) Support or training materials.--The support or 
        training materials developed to accompany the educational 
        television programming and related services, and the method by 
        which the materials were distributed to consumers and users of 
        the educational television programming and related services.
            ``(3) Means of distribution.--The means by which 
        educational television programming and related services 
        developed under this subpart were distributed, including the 
        distance learning technologies that were used to make the 
        educational television programming and related services 
        available, and the geographic distribution achieved through 
        such technologies.
            ``(4) Initiatives.--The initiatives undertaken by the 
        public broadcasting entity to develop public-private 
        partnerships to secure non-Federal support for the development, 
        distribution, and broadcast of educational television 
        programming and related services.
            ``(5) Impact.--The impact of the educational television 
        programming and related services on teaching and learning, 
        including the impact on improving school readiness skills, 
        early reading skills, early mathematics skills, early science 
        skills, and skills in other developmentally appropriate content 
        areas.
    ``(b) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall prepare and submit 
to the relevant committees of Congress a biannual report that includes 
the following:
            ``(1) Activity summary.--A summary of the activities 
        assisted under section 2432.
            ``(2) Education and training materials.--A description of 
        the education and training materials described in section 
        2432(b)(2)(B) that are made available under this subpart, the 
        manner in which outreach was conducted to inform parents and 
        child care providers of the availability of such materials, and 
        the manner in which such materials were distributed in 
        accordance with section 2432.
    ``(c) Evaluation of Outreach Activities.--A public broadcasting 
entity receiving a grant under this subpart shall require each eligible 
entity that receives a subgrant or enters into a contract or 
cooperative agreement under this subpart to provide evaluation data 
that include descriptions of the impact of outreach activities carried 
out under this subpart, including--
            ``(1) the manner in which outreach was conducted to inform 
        parents and child care providers of the availability of the 
        educational television programming and related services 
        produced under this subpart, including specific strategies used 
        to reach a wide audience;
            ``(2) the extent to which the outreach programs included 
        multiple outreach efforts with the same organizations or groups 
        and resulted in lasting relationships with those organizations 
        or groups and the members of those organizations or groups; and
            ``(3) the effectiveness of the outreach programs and 
        services conducted and the number of children, families, and 
        child care providers that had access to and utilized the 
        educational television programming and related services 
        provided under this subpart to improve school readiness skills.
    ``(d) Evaluation of Impact on School Readiness.--The Secretary 
shall evaluate the impact of the outreach content and services provided 
under this subpart on improving school readiness skills nationwide, 
particularly with respect to children in the most disadvantaged 
communities.

``SEC. 2436. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

    ``An eligible entity that receives a subgrant or enters into a 
contract or cooperative agreement under this subpart may use not more 
than 5 percent of the amount received under the subgrant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement, respectively, for the normal and customary 
expenses of administering the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement, respectively.

``SEC. 2437. CONTINUATION OF AWARDS.

    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an eligible entity 
that received a subgrant or enters into a contract or cooperative 
agreement under this subpart (as this subpart existed on the day before 
the date of enactment of the Ready-to-Learn Act) shall continue to 
receive funds in accordance with the terms of the subgrant, contract, 
or cooperative agreement, respectively, until the date on which the 
subgrant, contract, or cooperative agreement, respectively, terminates 
under such terms.

``SEC. 2438. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart 
$40,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

``SEC. 2439. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subpart--
            ``(1) the term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a national nonprofit membership organization 
                that acquires and distributes programming to 
                noncommercial educational television broadcasters 
                through the national public television interconnection 
                system that the organization manages and operates;
                    ``(B) a local or statewide public television 
                station or system; or
                    ``(C) a nonprofit producer of high-quality 
                children's educational television and other media 
                programming; and
            ``(2) the term `public broadcasting entity' means--
                    ``(A) the Corporation for Public Broadcasting;
                    ``(B) any licensee or permittee of a public 
                broadcasting station; or
                    ``(C) any nonprofit institution engaged primarily 
                in the production, acquisition, distribution, or 
                dissemination of educational and cultural television or 
                radio programs.''.

   TITLE II--READY TO TEACH: HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND EFFECTIVE TEACHERS

SEC. 201. READY TO TEACH GRANTS.

    Section 5481 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7257) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``a nonprofit telecommunications 
                entity, or partnership of such entities'' and inserting 
                ``an eligible entity described in subsection (b)'';
                    (B) by striking ``telecommunications-based''; and
                    (C) by striking ``achieve'' and inserting ``meet''; 
                and
            (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall be a public broadcasting entity.''.

SEC. 202. APPLICATION REQUIRED.

    Section 5482 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7257a) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 5482. APPLICATION REQUIRED.

    ``(a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant under section 
5481, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary. 
Each such application shall--
            ``(1) demonstrate that the applicant will use the public 
        broadcasting infrastructure, and other high-tech delivery 
        platforms to deliver educational content and services in an 
        integrated service and to provide professional development on 
        the use of materials and learning technologies for achieving 
        challenging State academic content and student academic 
        achievement standards;
            ``(2) contain an assurance that--
                    ``(A) such integrated service will be conducted in 
                cooperation with appropriate State educational 
                agencies, local educational agencies, and State or 
                local affiliates of the eligible entities, if any;
                    ``(B) in partnership with local television public 
                broadcast stations, a significant portion of the 
                benefits of such integrated service will be available 
                to local educational agencies that have high 
                percentages of children counted under section 1124(c), 
                particularly those schools that have failed to make 
                adequate yearly progress for 2 or more consecutive 
                years under section 1111(c); and
            ``(3) contain such additional information as the Secretary 
        may reasonably require.
    ``(b) Sites.--In approving applications under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall ensure that the program authorized under section 5481 
is conducted at elementary schools and secondary schools served by the 
local educational agencies described in subsection (a)(2)(B) of this 
section throughout the United States.''.

SEC. 203. REPORTS AND EVALUATION.

    Section 5483 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7257b) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``An entity''; and
                    (B) inserting ``(a) In General--An entity'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``core curriculum areas'' and 
                inserting ``curriculum core academic subjects'';
                    (B) by striking ``core curriculum area'' and 
                inserting ``curriculum core academic subject''; and
                    (C) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) the impact of the program on the academic achievement 
        of all children served, particularly children in schools 
        identified for school improvement under 1116;''.
            (5) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by paragraph (3)), by 
        striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) the percentage of elementary school and secondary 
        school teachers who had access to and utilized the program 
        funded under this part, including the percentage of teachers in 
        schools that have failed to make adequate yearly progress for 2 
        or more consecutive years under section 1111(c).
    ``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal 
years.''.

 TITLE III--READY TO ACHIEVE: MATH, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION

SEC. 301. DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING GRANTS.

    Section 5484 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7257c) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 5484. DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING GRANTS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants, on 
a competitive basis, to eligible entities (described in subsection (b)) 
for the purpose of developing, disseminating, and providing training 
through high-quality, innovative educational digital content and 
services to improve math, science, and technology education in 
elementary schools and secondary schools.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall--
            ``(1) be--
                    ``(A) a television public broadcast station as 
                defined in section 397(6) of the Communications Act of 
                1934 (47 U.S.C. 397(6));
                    ``(B) a partnership of entities described in 
                subparagraph (A); or
                    ``(C) a partnership among entities described in 
                subparagraph (A) and a national nonprofit membership 
                organization that acquires and distributes programming 
                to non-commercial educational television broadcasters 
                through the national public television interconnection 
                system that it manages and operates that demonstrates a 
                capacity for the development and distribution of high-
                quality, innovative educational digital content and 
                services in core curriculum content areas;
            ``(2) partner with--
                    ``(A) a State educational agency or a local 
                educational agency (or a consortium of such agencies) 
                that receives funds under part A of title I; and
                    ``(B) a high-quality academic research and 
                evaluation entity to ensure that the content developed 
                pursuant to this section effectively addresses the 
                needs of teachers and students and delivers a positive 
                impact on student academic achievement in core 
                curriculum areas.
    ``(c) Application.--An eligible entity that desires to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as 
the Secretary may reasonably require.
    ``(d) Required Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section shall--
            ``(1) develop and use innovative, high-quality tools, 
        products, and educational digital content and services for 
        classroom learning in core curriculum content areas, 
        particularly math, science, and technology, that--
                    ``(A) include built-in teacher utilization and 
                support components to ensure that teachers can easily 
                understand and use the content of the programming 
                either for group instruction of individual student use; 
                and
                    ``(B) are created for, or adaptable to, challenging 
                State academic content standards and student academic 
                achievement standards;
            ``(2) provide professional development for teachers in the 
        use of the content developed in paragraph (1);
            ``(3) conduct an evaluation as described in subsection (g); 
        and
            ``(4) provide age-appropriate programs, training, 
        materials, and access to technology that--
                    ``(A) build the critical and higher-order thinking 
                skills of students in elementary schools and secondary 
                schools; and
                    ``(B) are capable of distribution through digital 
                broadcasting and school digital networks.
    ``(e) Matching Requirement.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section shall contribute to the activities assisted 
under such grant non-Federal matching funds in an amount equal to not 
less than 100 percent of the amount of the grant. Such matching funds 
may include funds provided for the transition to digital broadcasting, 
as well as in-kind contributions.
    ``(f) Duration.--A grant under this section shall be awarded for a 
period of 5 years in order to provide a sufficient period of time for 
the creation of a substantial body of significant content.
    ``(g) Reports and Evaluation.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an 
annual report that contains such information as the Secretary may 
require. At a minimum, such report shall describe the program 
activities undertaken with funds received under the grant, including--
            ``(1) the effectiveness of the comprehensive, high-quality 
        program to improve the curriculum core academic subjects, 
        including mathematics, science, and technology teaching and 
        learning in elementary schools and secondary schools; and
            ``(2) the success of professional development in the use of 
        materials described in subsection (d)(l).
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal 
years.''.

SEC. 302. NATIONAL ON-DEMAND DIGITAL EDUCATION MEDIA SERVICE.

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 5485 the following:

``SEC. 5486. NATIONAL ON-DEMAND DIGITAL EDUCATION MEDIA SERVICE.

    ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to develop and 
operate a national on-demand digital education media service that 
provides high-quality educational digital content, programming, 
professional development lessons, and other support available to all 
educators, parents, institutions of higher education, research 
institutions, States, local educational agencies, and the public at low 
or no cost.
    ``(b) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
this section to eligible entities to develop and to operate a national 
on-demand digital education media service.
    ``(c) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall--
            ``(1) be a television public broadcasting entity, as 
        defined in section 397(11) of the Communications Act of 1934, 
        or a consortium of such entities, that is able to demonstrate a 
        capacity for the development, operation, management, and 
        marketing of a new national on-line, on-demand digital 
        education media service; and
            ``(2) have the capacity to establish and to coordinate an 
        advisory committee to advise on the development and 
        implementation of the national media service to ensure that 
        such service meets the needs of communities, schools, 
        educators, and eligible entities, which members shall include 
        not less than 1 of each of the following:
                    ``(A) A representative of television public 
                broadcast stations that are not grantees under this 
                subpart.
                    ``(B) A representative of a State educational 
                agency and a local educational agency.
                    ``(C) A representative of the Corporation for 
                Public Broadcasting.
                    ``(D) A representative of the national organization 
                representing the licensees and permittees of 
                noncommercial broadcast television stations.
                    ``(E) A representative of a national non-profit 
                membership organization that acquires and distributes 
                programming to noncommercial educational television 
                broadcasters through the national public television 
                interconnection system that it manages and operates.
                    ``(F) A teacher, principal, and administrator.
                    ``(G) A parent.
                    ``(H) An early education provider, such as a Head 
                Start program.
                    ``(I) A community based organization addressing 
                family literacy.
                    ``(J) An expert in evaluation and research in best 
                practices in education, early education, and family 
                literacy.
                    ``(K) An expert in the use of media and technology.
                    ``(L) A for-profit content provider.
    ``(d) Applications.--An eligible entity that desires to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such assurances and 
information as the Secretary may reasonably require. Each application 
shall describe--
            ``(1) the plan for how such entity will develop and operate 
        the service in accordance with this section;
            ``(2) the advisory committee that the entity will use and 
        the plan for ensuring active participation by the committee to 
        ensure that the media service will be high-quality and serve 
        the needs of schools, parents, and communities;
            ``(3) how the entity will ensure that the programs and 
        materials available on the service will be high-quality, easily 
        accessible to educators and parents, and available at low or no 
        cost;
            ``(4) how the service funded under this section will 
        provide products, materials, and services that will help all 
        children, including children with disabilities and English-
        language learners--
                    ``(A) meet challenging State academic content 
                standards and student academic achievement standards,
                    ``(B) come to school ready to learn, and
                    ``(C) achieve in mathematics, science, and 
                technology;
            ``(5) how the service funded under this section will 
        provide products, materials, and services that will help all 
        adults, including English language learners, meet their 
        literacy and work force needs;
            ``(6) how the service funded under this section will 
        provide products, materials, and services that will help engage 
        parents and communities in improving education for all 
        children;
            ``(7) how the entity will continuously evaluate and improve 
        the service to continuously meet the needs of the public and 
        educators;
            ``(8) how the entity will develop and deliver the service 
        so that the service will integrate into, or be interoperable 
        with, existing local and State educational Internet-based 
        portals already in use by schools and State educational 
        agencies;
            ``(9) how other leading nonprofit or for-profit content 
        providers will be engaged in the effort and how such providers' 
        content resources may be accessed through or referenced within 
        the service;
            ``(10) how the entity will leverage the distribution 
        infrastructure of public broadcasting's distribution 
        infrastructure, including on-air digital broadcast channels and 
        local community outreach mechanisms, to raise awareness about 
        the availability of the service and support the successful 
        adoption and implementation of the service; and
            ``(11) the fair and balanced process that the entity will 
        use to establish the advisory committee described in subsection 
        (c)(2), how it will coordinate such committee, and how the 
        entity will ensure that it takes into account the advice of 
        such committee in planning and implementing all effective 
        service.
    ``(e) Required Uses of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section shall use the grant funds for--
            ``(1) the development and operation of a national on-line, 
        on-demand digital education media service;
            ``(2) professional development and training of teachers and 
        staff to use the service;
            ``(3) the evaluation, as described in subsection (g);
            ``(4) outreach and marketing activities, particularly to 
        schools in need of improvement pursuant to section 1116, and 
        disadvantaged schools and communities;
            ``(5) quality control of the service and its contents;
            ``(6) coordination and engagement with the advisory 
        committee;
            ``(7) digitization of appropriate analog content; and
            ``(8) other activities as needed to meet the purpose of 
        this section.
    ``(f) Duration.--A grant under this section shall be awarded for a 
period of 10 years.
    ``(g) Reports and Evaluation.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an 
annual report that contains such information as the Secretary may 
require. At a minimum, such report shall describe the program 
activities undertaken with funds received under the grant, including--
            ``(1) the quality, breadth, and depth of the content 
        provided by the service;
            ``(2) the use of the program by educators, parents, and 
        communities, particularly in the most disadvantaged communities 
        and by schools that have failed to make adequate yearly 
        progress for 2 or more consecutive years under section 1111(c);
            ``(3) the effectiveness of the service and the availability 
        of effective, low or no-cost resources;
            ``(4) the effectiveness of the outreach and marketing 
        activities in reaching a wide audience, particularly in the 
        most disadvantaged communities and in schools in need of 
        improvement pursuant to section 1116; and
            ``(5) the impact and effectiveness of the advisory 
        committee on the service.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal 
years.''.

                     TITLE IV--READY TO EARN GRANTS

SEC. 401. READY TO EARN GRANTS.

    Chapter 4 of subtitle A of title II of the Workforce Investment Act 
of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 9251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 244. TELEVISION BROADCAST WORKFORCE TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants, on 
a competitive basis, to an entity that owns and operates a television 
public broadcast station, as defined in section 397(6) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, or a partnership of such entities, for the 
purpose of developing, disseminating, and providing on-line and on-air 
education and training services for adults, including adult education, 
adult literacy, GED preparation, workforce training, and related 
outreach services that are priorities for the community.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall--
            ``(1) own or operate a local television public broadcast 
        station, as defined in section 397(6) of the Communications Act 
        of 1934, that is able to demonstrate a capacity for the 
        development and distribution of high-quality educational 
        digital content and services in the areas of adult education, 
        adult literacy, GED preparation, workforce training, and 
        related outreach services; and
            ``(2) partner with an eligible agency as defined in section 
        203(4) or a State Board as described in section 111 or 
        institutions of higher education in order to implement a high-
        quality program in accordance with this section.
    ``(c) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, an entity that owns and operates a television 
        public broadcast station, as defined in section 397(6) of the 
        Communications Act of 1934, or partnership of such entities, 
        shall submit an application to the Secretary. Each application 
        shall--
                    ``(A) describe the innovative, high-quality 
                training, tools, products, and educational digital 
                content and services that will be developed and used to 
                improve the quality and delivery of adult education, 
                adult literacy, GED preparation, work force training, 
                and related outreach services;
                    ``(B) describe the partnership and the roles of the 
                partners in implementing a high-quality program in 
                accordance with this section;
                    ``(C) describe how the eligible entity or entities 
                will address the needs of adults who are non-English 
                speakers;
                    ``(D) describe the results of the needs assessment 
                of the community and how the comprehensive program 
                described in this section will meet the needs of that 
                community and include partnerships with community-based 
                organizations that serve adults in need of such 
                services;
                    ``(E) describe the research-based practices and 
                advanced technologies that the program funded under 
                this section will use to carry out the purposes of this 
                section;
                    ``(F) describe the rigorous evaluation the eligible 
                entity or entities will use to support continuous 
                improvement of the program and services; and
                    ``(G) contain such additional assurances as the 
                Secretary may reasonably require.
    ``(d) Required Uses of Funds.--Grant funds provided under this 
section shall be used for--
            ``(1) the development, training and use of innovative, 
        high-quality tools, products, and educational digital content 
        and services for--
                    ``(A) professional development,
                    ``(B) community and family outreach, and
                    ``(C) adult education, adult literacy, GED 
                preparation, work force training, and related outreach 
                services;
            ``(2) professional development and training of staff;
            ``(3) evaluation as described in subsection (g);
            ``(4) outreach activities to engage adult learners and 
        community organizations;
            ``(5) English language education and services for non-
        English speakers; and
            ``(6) other activities as needed to meet the purposes of 
        this section.
    ``(e) Duration.--A grant under this section shall be awarded for a 
period of 5 years.
    ``(f) Administrative Costs.--An entity that receives a grant under 
this section may not use more than 5 percent of the amount received 
under the grant for administrative costs.
    ``(g) Reports and Evaluation.--An entity receiving a grant under 
this section shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an annual report 
that contains such information as the Secretary may require. At a 
minimum, such report shall describe the program activities undertaken 
with funds received under the grant, including--
            ``(1) the success in engaging families and communities;
            ``(2) the success of professional development and training 
        for staff;
            ``(3) the effectiveness of the comprehensive, high-quality 
        program to provide adult education, adult literacy, GED 
        preparation, workforce training, and related outreach services;
            ``(4) the effectiveness of the specific, innovative, high-
        quality training, tools, products, and educational digital 
        content and services developed and used to improve the quality 
        and delivery of adult education, adult literacy, GED 
        preparation, work force training, and related outreach 
        services; and
            ``(5) the impact of the program on adult literacy and 
        English language skills, workforce skills, job placements, and 
        GED passage rates.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal 
years.
    ``(i) Definitions.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `GED' means General Educational Development 
        as recognized by the American Council on Education; and
            ``(2) the term `institution of higher education' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).''.

SEC. 402. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 9241 et seq.) is 
amended--
            (1) in section 111(b)(1)(C)(vii), by inserting ``, and 
        public broadcasting entities'' after ``juvenile justice 
        programs'';
            (2) in section 117(b)(2)(B), by inserting ``including 
        public broadcasting entities'' after ``entities'';
            (3) in section 122(a)(2)(C), by inserting ``, including a 
        public broadcasting entity'' after ``training services'';
            (4) in section 129(c)(2)(A), by inserting ``, including 
        educational digital content and services'' after 
        ``instruction'';
            (5) in section 203(5)(H), by inserting ``including a public 
        broadcasting entity'' after ``institution''; and
            (6) in section 231(e)(6), by inserting ``and educational 
        digital content and services'' after ``computers''.
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