[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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