1.This Act may be cited as the
States Using Collaboration and
Coordination to Enhance Standards for Students Act of
2007
or the SUCCESS Act
.
2.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.
3.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.
4.In this Act:
(1)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)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 standardsThe
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 languageThe 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
examinationThe 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 educationThe 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 educationThe 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)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)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)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)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.
5.Aligning State
standards with national benchmarks
(a)Report on
Results of State Assessments and National AssessmentNot 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)
(1)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)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)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)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.
6.National
Assessment of Educational Progress changes
(a)National
Assessment Governing BoardSection 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 ProgressSection 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)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 levelsThe 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 levelsThe 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)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:
304.
(a)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)
(1)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 responsibilitiesAs 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)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)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)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)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of
Education.
.
(e)Authorization
of AppropriationsSection 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)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 plansSection 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)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)
.
7.Prekindergarten
through grade 16 student preparedness council grants
(a)
(1)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)The
Secretary shall award grants under this section for a period of not more than 5
years.
(3)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)
(1)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)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)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)
(1)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)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)
(1)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
implementationA 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)
(1)
(A)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)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)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 AppropriationsThere 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.
8.Collaborative
standards and assessments grants
(a)In
this section:
(1)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)
(A)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)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)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)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)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
AssessmentsThe 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 AppropriationsThere 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.