[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 164 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 164

        To modernize the education system of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 4, 2007

  Mr. Kennedy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
        To modernize the education system of the United States.

    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 ``States Using Collaboration and 
Coordination to Enhance Standards for Students Act of 2007'' or the 
``SUCCESS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Throughout our Nation's history, the skills and 
        education of our workforce have been a major determinant of the 
        standard of living of the people of the United States.
            (2) According to the most recent National Assessment of 
        Educational Progress, only 36 percent of the students in grade 
        4 and 30 percent of the students in grade 8 reach the 
        proficient level in mathematics. In reading, only 31 percent of 
        the students in grades 4 and 8 reach the proficient level. In 
        science, only 29 percent of the students in grades 4 and 8 
        reach the proficient level.
            (3) A State-by-State comparison of the 2005 National 
        Assessment of Educational Progress average scale scores for 8th 
        grade mathematics reveals that 31 States--more than \1/2\ of 
        the States in the Nation--scored more than 10 points (about 1 
        grade level) below the highest scoring State, Massachusetts.
            (4) Student achievement in mathematics and science in 
        elementary school and secondary school in the United States 
        lags behind other nations, according to the Trends in 
        International Mathematics and Science study and other studies, 
        including the Programme for International Student Assessment, 
        that recently ranked United States secondary school students 
        28th out of 40 first- and second-world nations, and tied with 
        Latvia, in mathematics performance and problem solving.
            (5) According to a report released in August, 2006, the 
        Nation loses more than $3,700,000,000 a year in the costs of 
        remedial education and in individuals' reduced earning 
        potential because students are not learning the basic skills 
        they need to succeed after high school.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are the following:
            (1) To ensure students receive an education competitive 
        with other industrialized countries.
            (2) To assist States in improving the rigor of standards 
        and assessments.
            (3) To provide for the establishment of prekindergarten 
        through grade 16 student preparedness councils to better link 
        early childhood education and school readiness with elementary 
        school success, elementary student skills with success in 
        secondary school, and secondary student skills and curricula, 
        especially with respect to reading, mathematics, and science, 
        with the demands of higher education, the 21st century 
        workforce, and the Armed Forces, in order to ensure that 
        greater number of students, especially low-income and minority 
        students, complete secondary school with the coursework and 
        skills necessary to enter--
                    (A) credit-bearing coursework in higher education 
                without the need for remediation;
                    (B) high-paying employment in the 21st century 
                workforce; or
                    (C) the Armed Forces.
            (4) To establish a system that encourages local educational 
        agencies to adopt a curriculum that meets State academic 
        content standards and student academic achievement standards 
        and prepares all students for success in elementary school, 
        secondary school, and post-secondary endeavors in the 21st 
        century.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) In general.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``limited 
        English proficient'', ``local educational agency'', 
        ``scientifically based research'', ``secondary school'', 
        ``Secretary'', and ``State educational agency'' have the 
        meanings given such terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) 21st century curriculum.--The term ``21st century 
        curriculum'' means a course of study identified by a State as 
        preparing secondary school students for entrance into credit-
        bearing coursework in higher education without the need for 
        remediation, employment in the 21st century workforce, or 
        entrance into the Armed Forces. A State shall define the 21st 
        century curriculum in terms of content as well as course names.
            (3) Academic content standards; student academic 
        achievement standards.--The terms ``academic content 
        standards'' and ``student academic achievement standards'', 
        when used with respect to a particular State, mean the academic 
        content standards and student academic achievement standards 
        adopted by a State under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)).
            (4) Critical-need foreign language.--The term ``critical-
        need foreign language'' means a language included on the list 
        of critical-need foreign languages that the Secretary shall 
        develop and update in consultation with the head official, or a 
        designee of such head official, of the National Security 
        Council, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of 
        Defense, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of 
        Investigation, the Department of Labor, and the Department of 
        Commerce, and the Director of National Intelligence.
            (5) End of course examination.--The term ``end of course 
        examination'' means an assessment of student learning given at 
        the end of a particular course that is used to measure student 
        learning of State academic content standards in the subject 
        matter of the course.
            (6) Engineering and technology education.--The term 
        ``engineering and technology education'' means a curriculum and 
        instruction that--
                    (A) uses technology as a knowledge base or as a way 
                of teaching innovation using an engineering design 
                process and context;
                    (B) develops an appreciation and fundamental 
                understanding of technology through design skills and 
                the use of materials, tools, processes, and limited 
                resources;
                    (C) is taught in conjunction with applied 
                mathematics, science, language arts, fine arts, and 
                social studies as a part of a comprehensive education;
                    (D) applies the use of tools and skills employed by 
                a globalized skilled 21st century workforce that are 
                necessary for communication, manufacturing, 
                construction, energy systems, biomedical systems, 
                transportation systems, and other related fields; and
                    (E) through the application of engineering 
                principles and concepts, develops proficiency in 
                abstract ideas and in problem-solving techniques that 
                build a comprehensive education.
            (7) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (8) Professional development.--The term ``professional 
        development'' includes activities that--
                    (A) improve and increase teachers' knowledge of the 
                academic subjects the teachers teach, and enable 
                teachers to become highly qualified;
                    (B) are an integral part of broad educational 
                improvement plans across the school and across the 
                local educational agency;
                    (C) give teachers, principals, and administrators 
                the knowledge and skills to provide students with the 
                opportunity to meet the State academic content 
                standards and student academic achievement standards 
                and the 21st century curriculum demands;
                    (D) are high-quality, sustained, intensive, and 
                classroom-focused, in order to have a positive and 
                lasting effect on classroom instruction and the 
                teacher's performance in the classroom;
                    (E) advance teacher understanding of effective 
                instructional strategies that are based on 
                scientifically based research and are directly aligned 
                with the State academic content standards and State 
                assessments;
                    (F) are designed to give teachers the knowledge and 
                skills to provide instruction and appropriate language 
                and academic support services to limited English 
                proficient students and students with special needs, 
                including the appropriate use of curricula and 
                assessments;
                    (G) are, as a whole, regularly evaluated for their 
                impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved 
                student academic achievement, with the findings of the 
                evaluations used to improve the quality of professional 
                development; and
                    (H) include instruction in the use of data and 
                assessments to inform and instruct classroom practice.
            (9) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, 
        Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
        Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated 
        States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
            (10) State assessment.--The term ``State assessment'', when 
        used with respect to a particular State, means the student 
        academic assessments implemented by the State pursuant to 
        section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)).
            (11) Student preparedness.--The term ``student 
        preparedness'' means preparedness based on the knowledge and 
        skills that--
                    (A) are prerequisites for entrance into--
                            (i) credit-bearing coursework in higher 
                        education without the need for remediation;
                            (ii) the 21st century workforce; and
                            (iii) the Armed Forces;
                    (B) can be measured and verified objectively using 
                widely accepted professional assessment standards; and
                    (C) are consistent with widely accepted 
                professional assessment standards and competitive with 
                international levels of preparedness of students for 
                postsecondary success.

SEC. 5. ALIGNING STATE STANDARDS WITH NATIONAL BENCHMARKS.

    (a) Report on Results of State Assessments and National 
Assessment.--Not later than 90 days after each release of the results 
of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (as carried out 
under section 303(b)(2) of the National Assessment of Educational 
Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622(b)(2)) and section 
1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6311(c)(2))) in reading or mathematics (or, beginning in 2009, 
science) in grades 4 and 8, the Secretary shall--
            (1) prepare and submit to Congress the report described in 
        subsection (b) on the results of the State assessments and the 
        assessments of reading and mathematics, and, beginning in 2009, 
        science, in grades 4 and 8, required under section 1111(c)(2) 
        of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and
            (2) identify States with significant discrepancies in 
        performance between the 2 assessments, as described in 
        subsection (b)(3).
    (b) Contents of Report.--
            (1) In general.--The report described in this subsection 
        shall include the following information for each subject area 
        and grade described in subsection (a)(1) in each State:
                    (A) The percentage of students who performed at or 
                above the basic level on the State assessment--
                            (i) for the most recent applicable year;
                            (ii) for the preceding year; and
                            (iii) for the previous year in which the 
                        assessment required under section 1111(c)(2) of 
                        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
                        1965 was given in such subject,
                and the change in such percentages between those 
                assessments.
                    (B) The percentage of students who performed at or 
                above the proficient level on the State assessment--
                            (i) for the most recent applicable year;
                            (ii) for the preceding year; and
                            (iii) for the previous year in which the 
                        assessment required under section 1111(c)(2) of 
                        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
                        1965 was given in such subject,
                and the change in such percentages between those 
                assessments.
                    (C) The percentage of students who performed at or 
                above the basic level on the assessment required under 
                section 1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary 
                Education Act of 1965--
                            (i) for the most recent applicable year; 
                        and
                            (ii) for the previous such assessment,
                and the change in such percentages between those 
                assessments.
                    (D) The percentage of students who performed at or 
                above the proficient level on the assessment required 
                under section 1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965--
                            (i) for the most recent applicable year; 
                        and
                            (ii) for the previous such assessment,
                and the change in such percentages between those 
                assessments.
                    (E) The difference between--
                            (i) the percentage of students who 
                        performed at or above the basic level for the 
                        most recent applicable year on the assessment 
                        required under section 1111(c)(2) of the 
                        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; 
                        and
                            (ii) the percentage of students who 
                        performed at or above the basic level on the 
                        State assessment for such year.
                    (F) The difference between--
                            (i) the percentage of students who 
                        performed at or above the proficient level for 
                        the most recent applicable year on the 
                        assessment required under section 1111(c)(2) of 
                        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
                        1965; and
                            (ii) the percentage of students who 
                        performed at or above the proficient level on 
                        the State assessment for such year.
            (2) Analysis.--In addition to the information described in 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall include in the report--
                    (A) an analysis of how the achievement of students 
                in grades 4, 8, and 12, and the preparedness of 
                students in grade 12 (when such data on preparedness 
                exists from assessments described in section 303 of the 
                National Assessment of Educational Progress 
                Authorization Act (as amended by this Act)), in the 
                United States compares to the achievement and 
                preparedness of students in other industrialized 
                countries; and
                    (B) possible reasons for any deficiencies 
                identified in the achievement or preparedness of United 
                States students compared to students in other 
                industrialized countries.
            (3) Ranking.--The Secretary shall--
                    (A) using the information described in paragraph 
                (1), rank the States according to the degree to which 
                student performance on State assessments differs from 
                performance on the assessments required under section 
                1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965; and
                    (B) identify those States with the most significant 
                discrepancies in performance between the State 
                assessments and the assessments required under section 
                1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965.
    (c) Report on State Progress.--Beginning 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall include in the report 
described in subsection (a)(1) the following:
            (1) Information about the progress made by States to 
        decrease discrepancies in student performance on the State 
        assessments and the assessments required under section 
        1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965.
            (2) The differences that exist in States across subject 
        areas and grades.

SEC. 6. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS CHANGES.

    (a) National Assessment Governing Board.--Section 302 of the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 
U.S.C. 9621) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``shall formulate'' and 
        all that follows through the period at the end and inserting 
        ``shall--
            ``(1) formulate policy guidelines for the National 
        Assessment of Educational Progress (carried out under section 
        303); and
            ``(2) carry out, upon the request of a State, an alignment 
        analysis (under section 304) comparing a State's academic 
        content standards and student academic achievement standards 
        adopted under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965, assessment specifications, 
        assessment questions, and performance standards with national 
        benchmarks reflected in the assessments authorized under this 
        Act.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by adding at the end the 
        following:
                    ``(O) One representative of the Armed Forces with 
                expertise in military personnel requirements and 
                military preparedness, who shall serve as an ex-
                officio, nonvoting member.'';
            (3) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (4);
            (4) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and 
                        grade 12 student preparedness levels'' after 
                        ``achievement levels'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting 
                        ``members of the business and military 
                        communities,'' after ``parents,'';
                            (iii) in subparagraph (E), by inserting 
                        ``and'' after ``subject matter,'';
                            (iv) by redesignating subparagraphs (G), 
                        (H), (I), and (J) as subparagraphs (H), (I), 
                        (K), and (L), respectively;
                            (v) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the 
                        following:
                    ``(G) consistent with section 303, measure grade 12 
                student preparedness;'';
                            (vi) by inserting after subparagraph (I) 
                        (as redesignated by clause (iv)) the following:
                    ``(J) ensure the rigor of the National Assessment 
                of Educational Progress framework and assessments, 
                taking into consideration--
                            ``(i) the knowledge and skills that are 
                        prerequisite to credit-bearing coursework in 
                        higher education without the need for 
                        remediation, the 21st century workforce, and 
                        the Armed Forces; and
                            ``(ii) rigorous international content and 
                        performance standards, and how the achievement 
                        of students in grades 4, 8, and 12, and the 
                        preparedness of students in grade 12, in the 
                        United States compare to the achievement and 
                        the preparedness of students in other 
                        industrialized countries;'';
                            (vii) in subparagraph (K) (as redesignated 
                        by clause (iv)), by striking ``and'' after the 
                        semicolon;
                            (viii) in subparagraph (L) (as redesignated 
                        by clause (iv)), by striking the period at the 
                        end and inserting ``; and'';
                            (ix) by inserting after subparagraph (L) 
                        the following:
                    ``(M) conduct an alignment analysis as described in 
                section 304 for each State that requests such 
                analysis.''; and
                            (x) in the flush matter at the end--
                                    (I) by inserting ``for an 
                                assessment'' after ``data'';
                                    (II) by inserting ``Assessment 
                                Board's'' after ``prior to the''; and
                                    (III) by striking ``(J)'' and 
                                inserting ``(L)'';
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``of Educational 
                Progress'' after ``National Assessment'';
                    (C) in paragraph (5), in the paragraph heading, by 
                inserting ``advice'' after ``Technical''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``or grade 12 
                student preparedness levels'' after ``student 
                achievement levels''; and
            (5) in subsection (g)(1), by inserting ``of Educational 
        Progress'' after ``National Assessment''.
    (b) National Assessment of Educational Progress.--Section 303 of 
the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 
U.S.C. 9622) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                ``Purpose'' and inserting ``Purposes'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
                    ``(A) to provide, in a timely manner, a fair and 
                accurate measurement of student achievement and grade 
                12 student preparedness in reading, mathematics, 
                science, and other subject matter as specified in this 
                section; and
                    ``(B) to report trends in student achievement and 
                grade 12 student preparedness in reading, mathematics, 
                science, and other subject matter as specified in this 
                section.'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``reading and mathematics'' and inserting 
                        ``reading, mathematics, and science'';
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (C) and 
                        inserting the following:
                    ``(C) conduct a national assessment and collect and 
                report assessment data, including achievement and 
                student preparedness data trends, in a valid and 
                reliable manner on student academic achievement and 
                student preparedness in public and private schools in 
                reading, mathematics, and science at least once every 2 
                years in grade 12;'';
                            (iii) in subparagraph (D)--
                                    (I) by striking ``subparagraph (B) 
                                are implemented and the requirements 
                                described in subparagraph (C) are 
                                met,'' and inserting ``subparagraphs 
                                (B) and (C) are implemented,''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``science,'';
                            (iv) in subparagraph (E)--
                                    (I) by striking ``reading and 
                                mathematics'' and inserting ``reading, 
                                mathematics, and science''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``subparagraph 
                                (B)'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (B) 
                                and (C)''; and
                            (v) in subparagraph (H), by striking 
                        ``achievement data'' and inserting ``student 
                        achievement data and grade 12 student 
                        preparedness data'';
                    (D) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) in clause (i), by striking 
                                ``reading and mathematics'' and 
                                inserting ``reading, mathematics, and 
                                science'';
                                    (II) in clause (ii)--
                                            (aa) by inserting ``and 
                                        grade 12 student preparedness'' 
                                        after ``achievement''; and
                                            (bb) by striking ``reading 
                                        and mathematics'' and inserting 
                                        ``reading, mathematics, and 
                                        science''; and
                                    (III) in clause (iv), by striking 
                                ``an evaluation'' and inserting ``a 
                                review''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking 
                        ``reading and mathematics'' and inserting 
                        ``reading, mathematics, and science'';
                    (E) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ``, require, 
                or influence'' and inserting ``or require''; and
                    (F) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking ``academic 
                achievement'' and inserting ``academic achievement or 
                grade 12 student preparedness'';
            (2) in subsection (c)(3)(A), by striking ``academic 
        achievement'' and inserting ``academic achievement or grade 12 
        preparedness'';
            (3) in subsection (d)(3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``reading and 
                mathematics in grades 4 and 8'' and inserting 
                ``reading, mathematics, and science in grades 4 and 
                8''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``reading and 
                mathematics assessments in grades 4 and 8'' and 
                inserting ``reading, mathematics, and science 
                assessments in grades 4 and 8'';
            (4) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and 
                Grade 12 Student Preparedness Levels'' after 
                ``Levels'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking the paragraph heading and 
                        inserting ``Development.--''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``, and develop grade 12 
                        student preparedness levels'' after 
                        ``subsection (b)(2)(F)'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking subparagraph (A) and 
                        inserting the following:
                    ``(A) Student achievement and grade 12 preparedness 
                levels.--
                            ``(i) Student achievement levels.--The 
                        student achievement levels described in 
                        paragraph (1) shall be determined by--
                                    ``(I) identifying the knowledge and 
                                skills that--
                                            ``(aa) are prerequisite to 
                                        credit-bearing coursework in 
                                        higher education without the 
                                        need for remediation in 
                                        English, mathematics, or 
                                        science, participation in the 
                                        21st century workforce, and the 
                                        Armed Forces or, in the case of 
                                        grade 4 and grade 8 students, 
                                        are prerequisite to grade 12 
                                        preparedness;
                                            ``(bb) are competitive with 
                                        rigorous international content 
                                        and performance standards; and
                                            ``(cc) can be measured and 
                                        verified objectively using 
                                        widely accepted professional 
                                        assessment standards; and
                                    ``(II) developing student 
                                achievement levels that are--
                                            ``(aa) based on the 
                                        knowledge and skills identified 
                                        in subclause (I);
                                            ``(bb) based on the 
                                        appropriate level of subject 
                                        matter knowledge for the grade 
                                        levels to be assessed, or the 
                                        age of the students, as the 
                                        case may be; and
                                            ``(cc) consistent with 
                                        relevant widely accepted 
                                        professional assessment 
                                        standards.
                            ``(ii) Grade 12 student preparedness 
                        levels.--The grade 12 student preparedness 
                        levels described in paragraph (1) shall be 
                        determined by--
                                    ``(I) identifying the knowledge and 
                                skills that--
                                            ``(aa) are prerequisite to 
                                        credit-bearing coursework in 
                                        higher education without the 
                                        need for remediation in 
                                        English, mathematics, or 
                                        science, participation in the 
                                        21st century workforce, and the 
                                        Armed Forces;
                                            ``(bb) are competitive with 
                                        rigorous international content 
                                        and performance standards; and
                                            ``(cc) can be measured and 
                                        verified objectively using 
                                        widely accepted professional 
                                        assessment standards; and
                                    ``(II) developing grade 12 student 
                                preparedness levels that are--
                                            ``(aa) based on the 
                                        knowledge and skills identified 
                                        in subclause (I); and
                                            ``(bb) consistent with 
                                        widely accepted professional 
                                        assessment standards.''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                        ``achievement levels'' and inserting ``student 
                        achievement levels and grade 12 student 
                        preparedness levels'';
                    (D) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by striking ``After determining that 
                        such levels'' and inserting ``After determining 
                        that the student achievement levels and grade 
                        12 student preparedness levels''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``an evaluation'' and 
                        inserting ``a review''; and
                    (E) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``or grade 12 
                student preparedness levels'' after ``achievement 
                levels''; and
            (5) in subsection (f)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and grade 
                12 student preparedness levels'' after ``student 
                achievement levels''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) in clause (i), by inserting ``or grade 
                        12 student preparedness'' after 
                        ``achievement'';
                            (ii) in clause (ii), by inserting ``and 
                        grade 12 student preparedness levels'' after 
                        ``achievement levels'';
                            (iii) by striking clause (iii) and 
                        inserting the following:
                            ``(iii) whether any authorized assessment 
                        is being administered as a random sample and is 
                        reporting the trends in student achievement or 
                        grade 12 student preparedness in a valid and 
                        reliable manner in the subject areas being 
                        assessed;'';
                            (iv) in clause (iv), by striking ``and'' 
                        after the semicolon;
                            (v) in clause (v), by striking ``and 
                        mathematical knowledge.'' and inserting ``and 
                        mathematical knowledge and scientific 
                        knowledge; and''; and
                            (vi) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vi) whether the appropriate authorized 
                        assessments are measuring, consistent with this 
                        section, the preparedness of students in grade 
                        12 in the United States for entry into--
                                    ``(I) credit-bearing coursework in 
                                higher education without the need for 
                                remediation in English, mathematics, or 
                                science;
                                    ``(II) the 21st century workforce; 
                                and
                                    ``(III) the Armed Forces.''.
    (c) National Benchmarks.--The National Assessment of Educational 
Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9621 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 305 
        and 306, respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after section 303 the following:

``SEC. 304. NATIONAL BENCHMARKS.

    ``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
            ``(1) to encourage the coordination of, and consistency 
        between--
                    ``(A) a State's academic content standards and 
                student academic achievement standards adopted under 
                section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 
                Education Act of 1965, assessment specifications, and 
                assessment questions; and
                    ``(B) national benchmarks, as reflected in the 
                National Assessment of Educational Progress;
            ``(2) to assist States in increasing the rigor of their 
        State academic content standards, student academic achievement 
        standards, assessment specifications, and assessment questions, 
        to ensure that such standards, specifications, and questions 
        are competitive with rigorous national and international 
        benchmarks; and
            ``(3) to improve the instruction and academic achievement 
        of students, beginning in the early grades, to ensure that 
        secondary school graduates are well-prepared to enter--
                    ``(A) credit-bearing coursework in higher education 
                without the need for remediation;
                    ``(B) the 21st century workforce; or
                    ``(C) the Armed Forces.
    ``(b) Alignment Analysis.--
            ``(1) In general.--When the chief State school officer of a 
        State identifies a need for, and requests the Assessment Board 
        to conduct, an alignment analysis for the State in reading, 
        mathematics, or science in grades 4 and 8, the Assessment Board 
        shall perform an alignment analysis of the State's academic 
        content standards and student academic achievement standards 
        adopted under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)), 
        assessment specifications, and assessment questions, for the 
        identified subject in grades 4 and 8. Such analysis shall begin 
        not later than 180 days after the alignment analysis is 
        requested.
            ``(2) Assessment board responsibilities.--As part of the 
        alignment analysis, the Assessment Board shall--
                    ``(A) identify the differences between the State's 
                academic content standards and student academic 
                achievement standards, assessment specifications, and 
                assessment questions for the subject identified by the 
                State, and national benchmarks reflected in the 
                National Assessment of Educational Progress in such 
                subject in grades 4 and 8;
                    ``(B) at the State's request, recommend steps for, 
                and policy questions such State should consider 
                regarding, the alignment of the State's academic 
                content standards and student academic achievement 
                standards in the identified subject, with national 
                benchmarks reflected in the National Assessment of 
                Educational Progress in such subject in grades 4 and 8; 
                and
                    ``(C) at the State's request, and in conjunction 
                with a State prekindergarten through grade 16 student 
                preparedness council established under section 7 of the 
                States Using Collaboration and Coordination to Enhance 
                Standards for Students Act of 2007, assist in the 
                development of a plan described in section 7(e)(1)(C) 
                of such Act.
            ``(3) Contract.--At the discretion of the Assessment Board, 
        the Assessment Board may enter into a contract with an entity 
        that possesses the technical expertise to conduct the analysis 
        described in this subsection.
            ``(4) State panel.--The chief State school officer of a 
        State participating in an alignment analysis described in this 
        subsection shall appoint a panel of not less than 6 individuals 
        to partner with the Assessment Board in conducting the 
        alignment analysis. Such panel--
                    ``(A) shall include--
                            ``(i) local and State curriculum experts;
                            ``(ii) relevant content and pedagogy 
                        experts, including representatives of entities 
                        with widely accepted national educational 
                        standards and assessments; and
                            ``(iii) not less than 1 entity that 
                        possesses the technical expertise to assist the 
                        State in implementing standards-based reform, 
                        which may be the same entity with which the 
                        Assessment Board contracts to conduct the 
                        analysis under paragraph (3); and
                    ``(B) may include other State and local 
                representatives and representatives of organizations 
                with relevant expertise.''.
    (d) Definition of Secretary.--Section 305 of the National 
Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (as redesignated 
by subsection (c)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Education.''.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 306(a) of the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (as 
redesignated by subsection (c)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) for fiscal year 2008--
                    ``(A) $7,500,000 to carry out section 302;
                    ``(B) $200,000,000 to carry out section 303; and
                    ``(C) $10,000,000 to carry out section 304; and''; 
                and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking ``5 succeeding'' and inserting ``4 
                succeeding''; and
                    (B) by striking ``and 303, as amended by section 
                401 of this Act'' and inserting ``, 303, and 304''.
    (f) Conforming Changes and Amendments.--
            (1) Conforming changes to the elementary and secondary 
        education act of 1965.--
                    (A) State plans.--Section 1111(c)(2) of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 6311(c)(2)) is amended by striking ``and 
                mathematics'' and inserting ``, mathematics, and 
                science''.
                    (B) Local educational agency plans.--Section 
                1112(b)(1)(F) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6312(b)(1)(F)) is amended by 
                striking ``reading and mathematics'' and inserting 
                ``reading, mathematics, and science''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 113(a)(1) of the 
        Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9513(a)(1)) is 
        amended by striking ``section 302(e)(1)(J)'' and inserting 
        ``section 302(e)(1)(L)''.

SEC. 7. PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 16 STUDENT PREPAREDNESS COUNCIL 
              GRANTS.

    (a) Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--From amounts appropriated under subsection 
        (g) for a fiscal year, the Secretary is authorized to award, on 
        a competitive basis, grants to States for the purpose of 
        allowing the States to establish State prekindergarten through 
        grade 16 student preparedness councils (referred to in this 
        section as ``councils'') that--
                    (A) convene stakeholders within the State and 
                create a forum for identifying and deliberating on 
                educational issues that cut across prekindergarten 
                through grade 12 education and higher education, and 
                transcend any single system of education's ability to 
                address;
                    (B) develop and implement a plan for improving the 
                rigor of a State's academic content standards, student 
                academic achievement standards, assessment 
                specifications, and assessment questions as necessary, 
                to ensure such standards and assessments meet national 
                and international benchmarks as reflected in the 
                assessments required under section 303(b)(2) of the 
                National Assessment of Educational Progress 
                Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622(b)(2)) or as defined 
                by the council as necessary for success in credit-
                bearing coursework in higher education without the need 
                for remediation, the 21st century workforce, or the 
                Armed Forces;
                    (C) inform the design and implementation of 
                integrated prekindergarten through grade 16 data 
                systems, which--
                            (i) will allow the State to track the 
                        progress of individual students from 
                        prekindergarten through grade 12 and into 
                        higher education; and
                            (ii) shall be capable of being linked with 
                        appropriate databases on service in the Armed 
                        Forces and participation in the 21st century 
                        workforce; and
                    (D) develop challenging--
                            (i) school readiness standards;
                            (ii) curricula for elementary schools and 
                        middle schools; and
                            (iii) 21st century curricula for secondary 
                        schools.
            (2) Duration.--The Secretary shall award grants under this 
        section for a period of not more than 5 years.
            (3) Existing state council.--A State with an existing State 
        council may qualify for the purposes of a grant under this 
        section if--
                    (A) such council--
                            (i) has the authority to carry out this 
                        section; and
                            (ii) includes the members required under 
                        subsection (b); or
                    (B) the State amends the membership or 
                responsibilities of the existing council to meet the 
                requirements of subparagraph (A).
    (b) Composition.--
            (1) Required members.--The members of a council described 
        in subsection (a) shall include--
                    (A) the Governor of the State or the designee of 
                the Governor;
                    (B) the chief executive officer of the State public 
                institution of higher education system, if such a 
                position exists;
                    (C) the chief executive officer of the State higher 
                education coordinating board;
                    (D) the chief State school officer;
                    (E) not less than 1 representative each from--
                            (i) the business community; and
                            (ii) the Armed Forces;
                    (F) a public elementary school teacher employed in 
                the State; and
                    (G) a public secondary school teacher employed in 
                the State.
            (2) Optional members.--The council described in subsection 
        (a) may also include--
                    (A) a representative from--
                            (i) a private institution of higher 
                        education;
                            (ii) the Chamber of Commerce for the State;
                            (iii) a civic organization;
                            (iv) a civil rights organization;
                            (v) a community organization; or
                            (vi) an organization with expertise in 
                        world cultures;
                    (B) the State official responsible for economic 
                development, if such a position exists; or
                    (C) a dean or similar representative for a school 
                of education at an institution of higher education or a 
                similar teacher certification or licensure program.
    (c) Timeline.--A State receiving a grant under this section shall 
establish a council (or use or amend an existing council in accordance 
with subsection (a)(3)) not later than 60 days after the receipt of the 
grant.
    (d) Application.--
            (1) In general.--Each State desiring 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.
            (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
        (1) shall--
                    (A) demonstrate that the opinions of the larger 
                education, business, and military community, including 
                parents, students, teachers, teacher educators, 
                principals, school administrators, and business 
                leaders, will be represented during the determination 
                of the State academic content standards and student 
                academic achievement standards, assessment 
                specifications, assessment questions, and the 
                development of curricula, if applicable;
                    (B) include a comprehensive plan to provide high-
                quality professional development for teachers, 
                paraprofessionals, principals, and school 
                administrators;
                    (C) explain how the State will provide assistance 
                to local educational agencies in implementing rigorous 
                State standards through substantive curricula, 
                including scientifically based remediation and 
                acceleration opportunities for students; and
                    (D) explain how the State and the council will 
                leverage additional State, local, and other funds to 
                pursue curricular alignment and student success.
    (e) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Required activities.--A State receiving a grant under 
        this section shall use the grant funds to establish a council 
        that shall carry out the following:
                    (A) Design and implement an integrated 
                prekindergarten through grade 16 longitudinal data 
                system for the State, if such system does not exist, 
                that will allow the State to track the progress of 
                students from prekindergarten, through grade 12, and 
                into higher education, the 21st century workforce, and 
                the Armed Forces. The data system shall--
                            (i) include--
                                    (I) a unique statewide student 
                                identifier for each student;
                                    (II) student-level enrollment, 
                                demographic, and program participation 
                                information, including race or 
                                ethnicity, gender, and income status;
                                    (III) the ability to match 
                                individual students' test records from 
                                year to year to measure academic 
                                growth;
                                    (IV) information on untested 
                                students;
                                    (V) a teacher identifier system 
                                with the ability to match teachers to 
                                students;
                                    (VI) student-level transcript 
                                information, including information on 
                                courses completed and grades earned;
                                    (VII) student-level college 
                                preparedness examination scores;
                                    (VIII) student-level graduation and 
                                dropout data;
                                    (IX) the ability to match student 
                                records between the prekindergarten 
                                through grade 12 and the postsecondary 
                                systems;
                                    (X) a State data audit system 
                                assessing data quality, validity, and 
                                reliability;
                                    (XI) rates of student attendance at 
                                institutions of higher education;
                                    (XII) rates of student enrollment 
                                and retention in the Armed Forces; and
                                    (XIII) student nonmilitary 
                                postsecondary employment information;
                            (ii) to the extent possible, coordinate 
                        with other relevant State databases, such as 
                        criminal justice or social services data 
                        systems;
                            (iii) allow the State to analyze 
                        correlations between course-taking patterns in 
                        prekindergarten through grade 12 and outcomes 
                        after secondary school graduation, including--
                                    (I) entry into higher education;
                                    (II) the need for, and cost of, 
                                remediation in higher education;
                                    (III) graduation from higher 
                                education;
                                    (IV) entry into the 21st century 
                                workforce;
                                    (V) entry into the Armed Forces; 
                                and
                                    (VI) to the extent possible through 
                                linkages with appropriate databases on 
                                service in the Armed Forces and 
                                participation in the 21st century 
                                workforce, persistence in the Armed 
                                Forces and continued participation in 
                                the 21st century workforce; and
                            (iv) ensure that the use of any available 
                        data does not allow for the public 
                        identification of the individual student's 
                        personally identifiable information, and that 
                        all data shall be collected and maintained in 
                        accordance with section 444 of the General 
                        Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g; 
                        commonly referred to as the Family Educational 
                        Rights and Privacy Act of 1974).
                    (B) If an integrated prekindergarten through grade 
                16 longitudinal data system exists or is currently 
                being built, ensure that it complies with the 
                requirements described in subparagraph (A).
                    (C) Develop and implement a plan to increase the 
                rigor of standards or assessments in reading, 
                mathematics, or science in order to better align such 
                standards or assessments with national benchmarks 
                reflected in the National Assessment of Educational 
                Progress in grades 4 and 8 (in accordance with the 
                results of the alignment analysis conducted under 
                section 304 of the National Assessment of Educational 
                Progress Authorization Act), and in other grades to 
                ensure the alignment of kindergarten through grade 12 
                standards or assessments with the revisions made in 
                grades 4 and 8, or to align such standards or 
                assessments with the demands of higher education, the 
                21st century workforce, or the Armed Forces or other 
                national and international benchmarks identified by the 
                council. Such plan may include--
                            (i) an articulation of the steps 
                        necessary--
                                    (I) for revising the State academic 
                                content standards and student academic 
                                achievement standards, assessment 
                                specifications, and assessment 
                                questions for the identified subject; 
                                and
                                    (II) to better align the standards 
                                and the assessment specifications and 
                                questions described in subclause (I) 
                                with--
                                            (aa) national benchmarks as 
                                        reflected in the National 
                                        Assessment of Educational 
                                        Progress required under section 
                                        303 of the National Assessment 
                                        of Educational Progress 
                                        Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 
                                        9622) for the identified 
                                        subject; or
                                            (bb) the demands of higher 
                                        education, the 21st century 
                                        workforce, or the Armed Forces 
                                        or other national or 
                                        international benchmarks 
                                        identified by the council;
                            (ii) an articulation of the steps necessary 
                        and the process the State will undertake to 
                        revise standards or assessments, or both, in 
                        the identified subject;
                            (iii) a description of the partners the 
                        State will work with to revise standards or 
                        assessments, or both; and
                            (iv) a description of the activities the 
                        State will undertake to implement the revised 
                        standards or assessments, or both, at the State 
                        educational agency level and the local 
                        educational agency level, which activities may 
                        include--
                                    (I) preservice and in-service 
                                teacher, paraprofessional, principal, 
                                and school administrator training;
                                    (II) statewide meetings to provide 
                                professional development opportunities 
                                for teachers and administrators;
                                    (III) development of curricula and 
                                instructional methods and materials;
                                    (IV) the redesign of existing 
                                assessments, or the development or 
                                purchase of new high-quality 
                                assessments, with a focus on ensuring 
                                that such assessments are rigorous, 
                                measure significant depth of knowledge, 
                                use multiple measures and formats (such 
                                as student portfolios), and are 
                                sensitive to inquiry-based, project-
                                based, or differentiated instruction; 
                                and
                                    (V) other activities necessary for 
                                the effective implementation of the new 
                                State standards or assessments, or 
                                both.
                    (D) Analyze the State's level of prekindergarten 
                through grade 16 curricular alignment and the success 
                of the State's education system in preparing students 
                for higher education, the 21st century workforce, and 
                the Armed Forces by--
                            (i) using the data produced by a data 
                        system described in subparagraph (A) or (B), or 
                        other information as appropriate; and
                            (ii) exploring a possible agreement between 
                        the State educational agency and the higher 
                        education system in the State on a common 
                        assessment or assessments that--
                                    (I) shall follow established 
                                guidelines to guarantee reliability and 
                                validity;
                                    (II) shall provide adequate 
                                accommodations for students who are 
                                limited English proficient and students 
                                with disabilities; and
                                    (III) may be a placement 
                                examination, end of course examination, 
                                college, workforce, or Armed Forces 
                                preparedness examination, or admissions 
                                examination, that measures secondary 
                                students' preparedness to succeed in 
                                postsecondary, credit-bearing courses.
                    (E) If the State has an officially designated 
                college preparatory curriculum at the time the State 
                applies for a grant under this section--
                            (i) describe the extent to which students 
                        who completed the college preparatory 
                        curriculum are more or less successful than 
                        other students, including students who did not 
                        complete a college preparatory curriculum, in 
                        entering and graduating from a program of study 
                        at an institution of higher education or 
                        entering the 21st century workforce or the 
                        Armed Forces;
                            (ii) examine the extent to which the 
                        expectations of the college preparatory 
                        curriculum are aligned with the entry standards 
                        of the State's institutions of higher 
                        education, including whether such curriculum 
                        enables secondary school students to enter 
                        credit-bearing coursework in higher education 
                        without the need for remediation; and
                            (iii) examine the extent to which the 
                        curriculum allows graduates to attain the 
                        skills necessary to enter the 21st century 
                        workforce or the Armed Forces.
                    (F) If the State has not designated a college 
                preparatory curriculum at the time the State applied 
                for a grant under this section, or if the curriculum 
                described in subparagraph (E) does not result in a 
                higher number of students enrolling in and graduating 
                from institutions of higher education or entering the 
                21st century workforce or the Armed Forces, or is not 
                aligned with the entry standards described in 
                subparagraph (E)(ii), develop a 21st century curriculum 
                that--
                            (i) may be adopted by the local educational 
                        agencies in the State for use in secondary 
                        schools;
                            (ii) enables secondary school students to 
                        enter credit-bearing coursework in higher 
                        education without the need for remediation;
                            (iii) allows graduates to attain the skills 
                        necessary to enter the 21st century workforce 
                        or the Armed Forces;
                            (iv) reflects the input of teachers, 
                        principals, school administrators, and college 
                        faculty; and
                            (v) focuses on providing rigorous core 
                        courses that reflect the State academic content 
                        standards and student academic achievement 
                        standards.
                    (G) Develop and make available specific 
                opportunities for extensive professional development 
                for teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, and school 
                administrators, to improve instruction and support 
                mechanisms for students using a curriculum described in 
                subparagraph (E) or (F).
                    (H) Develop a plan to provide remediation and 
                additional learning opportunities for students below 
                grade level to ensure that all students will have the 
                opportunity to meet the curricular standards of a 
                curriculum described in subparagraph (E) or (F).
                    (I) Use data gathered by the council to improve 
                instructional methods, better tailor student support 
                services, and serve as the basis for all school reform 
                initiatives.
                    (J) Implement activities designed to ensure the 
                enrollment of all students in rigorous coursework, 
                which may include--
                            (i) specifying the courses and performance 
                        levels required for acceptance into public 
                        institutions of higher education;
                            (ii) collaborating with institutions of 
                        higher education or other State educational 
                        agencies to develop assessments aligned to 
                        State academic content standards and a 
                        curriculum described in subparagraph (E) or 
                        (F), which assessments may be used as measures 
                        of student achievement in secondary school as 
                        well as for entrance or placement at 
                        institutions of higher education;
                            (iii) creating ties between elementary 
                        schools and secondary schools, and institutions 
                        of higher education, to offer--
                                    (I) accelerated learning 
                                opportunities, particularly with 
                                respect to mathematics, science, 
                                engineering, technology, and critical-
                                need foreign languages to secondary 
                                school students, which may include--
                                            (aa) granting postsecondary 
                                        credit for secondary school 
                                        courses;
                                            (bb) providing early 
                                        enrollment opportunities in 
                                        postsecondary education for 
                                        secondary students enrolled in 
                                        postsecondary-level coursework;
                                            (cc) creating dual 
                                        enrollment programs;
                                            (dd) creating satellite 
                                        secondary school campuses on 
                                        the campuses of institutions of 
                                        higher education; and
                                            (ee) providing 
                                        opportunities for higher 
                                        education faculty who are 
                                        highly qualified, as such term 
                                        is defined in section 9101 of 
                                        the Elementary and Secondary 
                                        Education Act of 1965 (20 
                                        U.S.C. 7801), to teach credit-
                                        bearing postsecondary courses 
                                        in secondary schools; and
                                    (II) professional development 
                                activities for teachers, which may 
                                include--
                                            (aa) mentoring 
                                        opportunities; and
                                            (bb) summer institutes;
                            (iv) expanding or creating higher education 
                        awareness programs for middle school and 
                        secondary school students;
                            (v) expanding opportunities for students to 
                        enroll in highly rigorous postsecondary 
                        preparatory courses, such as Advanced Placement 
                        and International Baccalaureate courses; and
                            (vi) developing a high-quality professional 
                        development curriculum to provide professional 
                        development opportunities for 
                        paraprofessionals, teachers, principals, and 
                        administrators.
            (2) Planning and implementation.--A State receiving a grant 
        under this section may use grant funds received for the first 
        fiscal year to form the council and plan the activities 
        described in paragraph (1). Grant funds received for subsequent 
        fiscal years shall be used for the implementation of the 
        activities described in such paragraph.
    (f) Reports and Publication.--
            (1) Reports.--
                    (A) Initial report.--Not later than 9 months after 
                a State receives a grant under this section, the State 
                shall submit a report to the Secretary that includes--
                            (i) an analysis of alignment and 
                        articulation across the State's systems of 
                        public education for prekindergarten through 
                        grade 16, including data that indicates the 
                        percent of students who--
                                    (I) graduate from secondary school 
                                with a regular diploma in the standard 
                                number of years;
                                    (II) complete a curriculum 
                                described in subparagraph (E) or (F) of 
                                subsection (e)(1);
                                    (III) matriculate into an 
                                institution of higher education 
                                (disaggregated by 2-year and 4-year 
                                degree-granting programs);
                                    (IV) are secondary school graduates 
                                who need remediation in reading, 
                                writing, mathematics, or science before 
                                pursuing credit-bearing post-secondary 
                                courses in English, mathematics, or 
                                science;
                                    (V) persist in an institution of 
                                higher education into the second year; 
                                and
                                    (VI) graduate from an institution 
                                of higher education within 150 percent 
                                of the expected time for degree 
                                completion (within 3 years for a 2-year 
                                degree program and within 6 years for a 
                                baccalaureate degree);
                            (ii) an analysis of the strengths and 
                        weaknesses of the State--
                                    (I) in transitioning students from 
                                the prekindergarten through grade 12 
                                education system into higher education, 
                                the 21st century workforce, and the 
                                Armed Forces; and
                                    (II) in transitioning students from 
                                the prekindergarten through grade 12 
                                education system into mathematics, 
                                science, engineering, technology, and 
                                critical-need foreign language degree 
                                programs at institutions of higher 
                                education;
                            (iii) an analysis of the quality and rigor 
                        of the State's curriculum described in 
                        subparagraph (E) or (F) of subsection (e)(1), 
                        and the accessibility of the curriculum to all 
                        students in prekindergarten through grade 12;
                            (iv) an analysis of the strengths and 
                        weaknesses of the State in recruiting, 
                        retaining, and supporting qualified teachers, 
                        including--
                                    (I) whether the State needs to 
                                recruit additional teachers at the 
                                secondary level for specific subjects 
                                (such as mathematics, science, 
                                engineering and technology education, 
                                and critical-need foreign languages), 
                                particular schools, or local 
                                educational agencies; and
                                    (II) recommendations on how to set 
                                and achieve goals in this pursuit; and
                            (v) a detailed action plan that describes 
                        how the council will accomplish the goals and 
                        tasks required by the grant under this section, 
                        including a timeline for accomplishing all 
                        activities under the grant.
                    (B) Annual reports.--Not later than 1 year 
                following the submission of the initial report 
                described in subparagraph (A), and annually thereafter 
                for the duration of the grant, a State receiving a 
                grant under this section shall prepare and submit to 
                the Secretary a report that describes the State's 
                progress in accomplishing the goals and tasks required 
                by the grant, including progress on each item described 
                in subparagraph (A). The final annual report under this 
                subparagraph shall be submitted 1 year after the 
                expiration of the grant.
            (2) Publication.--A State submitting a report in accordance 
        with this subsection shall publish and widely disseminate the 
        report to the public, including posting the report on the 
        Internet.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $200,000,000 for fiscal year 
2008, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding 
fiscal years.

SEC. 8. COLLABORATIVE STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS GRANTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible state.--The term ``eligible State'' means a 
        State that demonstrates that it has analyzed and, where 
        applicable, revised the State standards and assessments, 
        through participation in a prekindergarten through grade 16 
        student preparedness council described in section 7 or through 
        other State action, to ensure the standards and assessments--
                    (A) are aligned with the demands of the 21st 
                century; and
                    (B) prepare students for entry into--
                            (i) credit-bearing coursework in higher 
                        education without the need for remediation;
                            (ii) the 21st century workforce; and
                            (iii) the Armed Forces
            (2) Eligible consortium.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``eligible consortium'' 
                means a consortium of 2 or more eligible States that 
                agrees to allow the Secretary, under subsection (e), to 
                make available any assessment developed by the 
                consortium under this section to a State that so 
                requests, including a State that is not a member of the 
                consortium.
                    (B) Additional members.--An eligible consortium may 
                include, in addition to 2 or more eligible States, an 
                entity with the technical expertise to carry out a 
                grant under this section.
    (b) Program Authorized.--From amounts authorized under subsection 
(f), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
eligible consortia to enable the eligible consortia to develop common 
standards and assessments that--
            (1) are highly rigorous, internationally competitive, and 
        aligned with the demands of higher education, the 21st century 
        workforce, and the Armed Forces; and
            (2) in the case of assessments, set rigorous performance 
        standards comparable to rigorous national and international 
        benchmarks.
    (c) Application.--An eligible consortium desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the end of the grant 
period, an eligible consortium receiving a grant under this section 
shall prepare and submit a report to the Secretary describing the grant 
activities.
    (e) Availability of Assessments.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) make available, to a State that so requests and at no 
        charge to the State, any rigorous, high-quality assessment 
        developed by an eligible consortium under this section; and
            (2) notify potential eligible States, at reasonable 
        intervals, of all assessments currently under development by 
        eligible consortia under this section.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 
and such sums as are necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
years.
                                 <all>