1.Short title; table of
contents
(a)This Act may be cited
as the Reengaging Americans in Serious
Education by Uniting Programs Act
.
(b)The table of
contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Grants authorized.
Sec. 5. Application.
Sec. 6. Priority.
Sec. 7. Selection criteria.
Sec. 8. Use of funds.
Sec. 9. Planning grants authorized.
Sec. 10. Accountability, performance measures, and
evaluation.
Sec. 11. Technical assistance and best practices.
Sec. 12. Authorization of appropriations.
2.
(a)Congress finds the following:
(1)In the United
States today, millions of youth drop out of secondary school, fail to complete
their studies, or do not graduate on time. While the United States has made
slow progress in improving graduation rates, the dropout challenge remains a
crisis that is impeding our ability to produce an educated workforce and
succeed in the 21st century global economy.
(2)Government data
shows that more than 25 percent of our students fail to complete secondary
school in 4 years. In some of the Nation’s larger cities and among urban
minority youth, dropout rates of 40 percent are not uncommon.
(3)According to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2007, nearly 6,200,000 youth were secondary
school dropouts. The impact of this dropout crisis has been likened to a
permanent recession
for youth, and it has consequences for the economy
of the United States. Disconnected youth are more likely than other youth to
engage in criminal activities, become incarcerated, and rely on public systems
of support.
(4)The Department of
Education reports that the average secondary school dropout is associated with
costs to the economy of approximately $240,000 over the individual's lifetime
in terms of lower tax contributions, higher reliance on government health
programs and public assistance, and higher rates of criminal activity. Over
their lifetimes, secondary school dropouts are estimated to earn $400,000 less
than secondary school graduates. Further, only 37 percent of secondary school
dropouts are steadily employed, and they are more than twice as likely to live
in high poverty.
(b)The purposes of this Act are—
(1)to prepare disconnected youth for a
competitive future;
(2)to challenge and
support young people who have dropped out of secondary school to—
(A)attain a
secondary school diploma;
(B)attain a 2-year
or 4-year credential from a recognized postsecondary educational institution,
an industry-recognized credential, or certification from a registered
apprenticeship program; and
(C)secure and
succeed in a family-supporting career; and
(3)to support local
community partnerships in integrating existing, and often disparate, services
into a comprehensive, cross-systems dropout recovery approach.
3.In this Act:
(1)The
term disability has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
(2)The term disconnected youth means a young
person who—
(A)has left
secondary school without obtaining a secondary school diploma;
(B)is or was
previously a homeless child or youth;
(C)is or was under
the care and placement responsibility of the State agency responsible for
administering a plan under parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 621 et seq., 670 et seq.);
(D)was under the
custody of a juvenile justice or criminal justice system;
(E)has a disability;
or
(F)is a low-income
individual and is pregnant or parenting and not attending any school.
(3)The term eligible entity means a partnership
consisting of entities or individuals qualified to represent the community
assisted, or proposed to be assisted, by a grant under this Act, including not
less than one partner from each of the following categories:
(A)A mayor, or other
appropriate chief executive officer, of a unit of general purpose local
government in the community.
(B)A local
educational agency (as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)) serving the community.
(C)A local workforce
system serving the community.
(D)An institution of
higher education serving the community.
(E)A representative
of a local or state system serving young people in the community,
including—
(i)a
juvenile justice system;
(ii)a
criminal justice system;
(iii)a
housing agency;
(iv)a
mental health agency; and
(v)a
child welfare agency.
(F)A representative
of a community-based organization serving the community.
(G)A representative
from business or industry.
(H)A representative
with expertise in labor management relations.
(I)A disconnected
youth in the community and the parents or caregivers of such disconnected
youth.
(4)Federal Youth
Development CouncilThe term Federal Youth Development
Council means the Federal Youth Development Council established under
the Tom Osborne Federal Youth Coordination Act (Public Law 109–365; 120 Stat.
2594).
(5)Homeless
children and youthsThe term homeless children and
youths has the meaning given the term in section 725 of the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a).
(6)Institution of
higher educationThe term institution of higher
education has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
(7)The term one-stop center means a one-stop
center described in section 134(c) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29
U.S.C. 2864(c)).
(8)The term postsecondary education
means—
(A)a 4-year program
of instruction, or not less than a 1-year program of instruction that is
acceptable for credit toward a baccalaureate degree, offered by an institution
of higher education; or
(B)a certificate or
registered apprenticeship program at the postsecondary level offered by an
institution of higher education or a nonprofit educational institution.
(9)Registered
apprenticeship programThe term registered apprenticeship
program means an industry skills training program at the postsecondary
level that combines technical and theoretical training through structured
on-the-job learning with related instruction (in a classroom or through
distance learning) while an individual is employed, working under the direction
of qualified personnel or a mentor, and earning incremental wage increases
aligned to enhanced job proficiency, resulting in the acquisition of a
nationally recognized and portable certificate, under a plan approved by the
Office of Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor or by a State agency
recognized by the Department of Labor.
(10)The term secondary school has the meaning
given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(11)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Labor.
(12)The term young people means individuals who
are between the ages of 16 and 24, inclusive, at the time of commencement of
participation in services funded through a grant under section 4.
4.
(a)The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Education, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development, the Attorney General of the United States, the Federal
Youth Development Council, and leaders in the field of working with
disconnected youth, shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
entities to enable the eligible entities to pay the costs of—
(1)developing and
implementing a strategy to identify disconnected youth; and
(2)providing such
disconnected youth with support needed to—
(A)attain a
secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
(B)attain a
postsecondary credential, including a 2-year or 4-year credential from an
institution of higher education, an industry-recognized credential, or
certification from a registered apprenticeship program; and
(C)secure and
succeed in a family-supporting career.
(b)The Secretary shall award a grant under this section in an
amount that—
(1)is appropriate to
achieve the goals and implement the activities described in the application
submitted under section 5; and
(2)is not less than
$1,000,000 per year.
(c)A grant under this section shall be awarded for a period of
5 years, and may be renewed at the discretion of the Secretary based on the
effective performance of the eligible entity under the preceding grant in
accordance with the levels of performance determined by the eligible entity and
the Secretary pursuant to section 9(b).
(d)Equitable
geographic distribution of fundsThe Secretary shall ensure an
equitable and appropriate distribution of grants awarded under this section
among eligible entities—
(1)serving urban,
rural, and suburban areas; and
(2)with varying
degrees of experience and expertise in serving disconnected youth.
(e)Fiscal and
administrative agentsAn eligible entity shall choose an entity
to be the fiscal agent and an entity to be the administrative agent for the
grant funds received under this section.
(f)An existing workforce, education, or youth
development partnership, coalition, or organization may serve as the eligible
entity for the purposes of grants under this section if the partnership,
coalition, or organization includes, or modifies the members of the
partnership, coalition, or organization to include, the individuals required to
be included in the eligible entity under section 3(2).
5.
(a)An eligible entity
that desires a grant under section 4 shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
(b)An application submitted under this section
shall include—
(1)a description of
the eligible entity submitting the application, including a description of the
fiscal agent and the administrative agent for the grant;
(2)a description of the strategy that the
eligible entity will use to carry out the purpose of this Act, which shall
include—
(A)a well-developed education component with
an emphasis on—
(i)multiple pathways and options towards
secondary school diploma and postsecondary credential attainment, which may
include recuperative strategies such as competency based instruction and credit
retrieval as well as basic literacy; and
(ii)the skills needed in the fields of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics;
(B)a work preparation component, which may
include a hands-on internship, work experience, or national or community
service, that promotes the development of applied skills such as oral and
written communication, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking; and
(C)a youth support
component, including the array of comprehensive support services that
will—
(i)address the
challenges that caused the disconnected youth to leave school without a
secondary school diploma;
(ii)remove barriers
to and support the attainment of—
(I)the graduation of
such young people from secondary school;
(II)a postsecondary
credential, including a 2-year or 4-year credential from an institution of
higher education, an industry-recognized credential, or certification from a
registered apprenticeship program; and
(III)success in a
family-supporting career; and
(iii)provide
appropriate case management to ensure young people achieve the purposes
described in section 2(b);
(3)a needs
assessment of the community to be assisted under the grant, including—
(A)an estimate of
the number of disconnected youth in the community; and
(B)an assessment of
resources available in the community that can help such disconnected
youth—
(i)address the
challenges that caused such disconnected youth to leave school without a
secondary school diploma;
(ii)return to an
appropriate educational setting;
(iii)attain a
secondary school diploma;
(iv)attain a
postsecondary credential, including a 2-year or 4-year credential from an
institution of higher education, an industry-recognized credential, or
certification from a registered apprenticeship program; and
(v)secure and
succeed in a family-supporting career;
(4)a plan for
identifying and engaging disconnected youth and connecting such disconnected
youth with a continuum of comprehensive and coordinated resources that can help
such disconnected youth attain a secondary school diploma, a recognized
postsecondary credential, including a 2-year or 4-year credential from an
institution of higher education, an industry-recognized credential, or
certification from a registered apprenticeship program, and secure and succeed
in a family-supporting career, including a description of—
(A)the needs of such
disconnected youth that will be met by the eligible entity through the
grant;
(B)the identities,
roles, and capacity of the partners in the eligible entity to fulfill the needs
described in subparagraph (A), including a description of the role to be played
by—
(i)secondary schools
and institutions of higher education in constructing education
programming;
(ii)the local
workforce system, including one-stop career centers and businesses, in
developing and implementing the workforce preparation activities; and
(iii)systems serving
young people, including the juvenile justice system, and other community-based
organizations in providing outreach, support, and direct service;
(C)a plan to
leverage non-Federal (including in-kind) resources and a plan for
sustainability beyond the grant period;
(D)the services to
be provided through the grant to carry out the strategy described in paragraph
(2) and a description of the process that will be used to award subgrants and
contracts under section 8 for the provision of such services;
(E)the research and
evidence base indicating why the selected strategy and selection of services
will be effective in meeting the comprehensive needs of the disconnected youth
identified in the community;
(F)the goals,
intended outcomes, and performance measures of the eligible entity's strategy
in accordance with the performance measures under section 10(b);
(G)a statement of
concurrence on the application, signed by the partners in the eligible entity,
that outlines the specific roles and responsibilities of the partners as the
roles and responsibilities relate to the functioning of the eligible entity;
and
(H)a plan to create,
or include an existing, youth advisory council, that is composed of
disconnected youth from the community to be served, to make recommendations
regarding the services to be provided under the grant;
(5)a description of
the system that will be put in place to—
(A)provide case
management, counseling, intensive placement and follow-up services, adult
advocacy, or mentoring to help disconnected youth and their families access the
various systems, resources, and supports necessary to ensure such young
people's success; and
(B)ensure that young
people receiving services through the grant will receive individualized case
management to ensure that the young people achieve the purposes described in
section 2(b), including—
(i)an
assessment of needs;
(ii)coordination of
appropriate services; and
(iii)academic
preparation and support for entry, persistence, and completion of postsecondary
education;
(6)a description of
how the eligible entity will ensure that every young person served under the
grant receives comprehensive services, including services from each of the
categories described in section 7(b)(1) through section 7(b)(3) until the young
person—
(A)attains a
secondary school diploma, a 2-year or 4-year credential or occupational
certification from an institution of higher education, an industry-recognized
credential, or certification from a registered apprenticeship program;
and
(B)secures
employment that can lead to economic self-sufficiency;
(7)a description of
how the strategy to be implemented under the grant will identify, engage, and
provide services to young people who—
(A)left school
without a secondary school diploma and have reading, mathematics, or science
skills at or below the grade 8 level; and
(B)are disconnected
youth described in any of subparagraphs (C) through (E) of section 3(2);
(8)a description of
how public and private services that exist on the date of submission of the
application will be coordinated and integrated in order to implement and
sustain the strategy under the grant;
(9)a description of
how Federal, State, and local private and public funds will be leveraged,
coordinated, and integrated in order to implement the strategy under the
grant;
(10)a description of
how the strategy to be implemented under the grant strengthens, and does not
duplicate, efforts within the community to be served under the grant that are
funded under chapter 4 of subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Investment Act
of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2851 et seq.);
(11)a description of
the process to be used to review or approve the industry-recognized credentials
that may be attained by the young people receiving support under the grant;
and
(12)a description of
how the strategy to be implemented under the grant aligns with the efforts of
the local educational agency serving the community assisted under the grant to
improve secondary schools, including efforts focused on—
(A)students who are
off-track to an on-time graduation; and
(B)recuperative
strategies.
(c)Existing plans,
assessments, and strategiesPlans, needs assessments, and
strategies that have been developed by an eligible entity or the partners in
the eligible entity may be used to satisfy the requirements of this section if
such plans, needs assessments, or strategies—
(1)include the
information required by this section, or can be modified to include the
information required by this section; and
(2)are submitted to
the Secretary with such modifications.
6.In awarding grants to eligible entities
under section 4, the Secretary shall give priority to applications from
eligible entities proposing—
(1)to serve areas
with disproportionately high numbers or percentages of young people who have
left secondary school without obtaining a secondary school diploma or its
recognized equivalent;
(2)to serve areas
with high concentrations of young people in families whose family income is not
more than 200 percent of the poverty line (as determined under section 673(2)
of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))); and
(3)to serve areas
with high numbers or percentages of young people who are unemployed or
underemployed.
7.The Secretary shall
award grants to eligible entities under section 4 based on selection criteria
that includes the following:
(1)Best practices
or researchThe extent to which the application submitted by an
eligible entity under section 5 is rooted in documented best practices or
research.
(2)The
extent to which the application demonstrates the integration of multiple
services into a comprehensive, coordinated continuum that meets the holistic
needs of young people, including health services, mental health services,
housing, civic opportunities, job readiness, work experience, school readiness,
reenrollment in school, and connections to family and community.
(3)Leadership and
community involvementThe extent to which the application
demonstrates the leadership and substantive involvement of the business
community, the mayor or appropriate chief executive officers of the general
purpose local government of the community to be served by the grant, each local
educational agency serving the community, the public and nonprofit sectors of
the community, and other individuals and entities, described in section 3(2),
of the community.
(4)Leveraging and
sustainabilityThe extent to which the application demonstrates
that resources from multiple sources will be leveraged to implement the grant,
and the extent to which the application demonstrates a plan for sustainability
beyond the grant period.
8.
(a)
(1)Each eligible entity
receiving a grant under section 4 shall use the grant funds—
(A)to award subgrants and contracts to
community-based organizations and other entities to enable the organizations
and entities to provide a comprehensive array of coordinated activities that
will—
(i)support the educational, career and
technical, social, emotional, and civic needs of disconnected youth; and
(ii)allow disconnected youth to graduate from
secondary school, attain a postsecondary credential, including a 2-year or
4-year credential from an institution of higher education, an
industry-recognized credential, or certification from a registered
apprenticeship program, and secure and succeed in a family-supporting
career;
(B)for training,
technical assistance, and professional development for the organizations and
entities that is offered by local or national organizations;
(C)for coordinating the overall effort of the
eligible entity; or
(D)for the
reasonable costs associated with the administration and oversight of the grants
under section 4.
(2)Each organization or entity receiving a subgrant or
contract under this section—
(A)shall use the
subgrant or contract funds to carry out a workforce preparation service, an
education support service, or a youth support service, described in paragraphs
(1), (2), and (3) of subsection (b), respectively; and
(B)may use the
subgrant or contract funds to carry out an activity described in paragraph (4)
or (5) of subsection (b).
(b)The services and activities referred to in subsection
(a)(2) include the following:
(1)Work and career
preparation
(A)Job training, youth entrepreneurship, technological
and career and technical skill building, meaningful internship and
apprenticeship opportunities, and other workforce preparation activities
developed in partnership with the business community and other
employers.
(B)Exposure and
preparation for careersStrategies that will expose disconnected
youth to, and prepare such disconnected youth for, careers, including careers
in high-growth, high-demand industries that require the use of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics skills.
(C)Strategies that promote the development of applied skills
in such young people, including oral and written communication, teamwork,
leadership, critical thinking, and a commitment to social and civic
responsibility, including service-learning activities.
(D)Compensation
for employment opportunities for such young people, including summer and
year-round employment opportunities, national and community service,
service-learning, and work experience.
(2)
(A)Education programming for such young people,
including assessment, instruction, tutoring, and technology supports to
academic instruction.
(B)Career and
technical educationCareer and technical education.
(C)Dual enrollment
programs and early college high schoolsParticipation in dual
enrollment programs, early college high schools, and other proven models for
supporting the educational achievement of disconnected youth.
(D)Postsecondary
credentialsPrograms that provide young people with a
postsecondary credential from an institution of higher education, a non-profit
postsecondary educational institution that offers an industry recognized
credential, or a registered apprenticeship program.
(E)Support for young people in their transition into and
their successful completion of postsecondary education.
(F)Financial assistance for such young people for
education support services and for higher education.
(3)
(A)Case management, including using subgrant or contract
funds for youth centers to serve as points of access and continued
support.
(B)Health, mental
health, or drug treatment servicesHealth services, mental health
services, or drug treatment services.
(C)Housing.
(D)Transportation.
(E)Childcare or
family support servicesChildcare services or family support
services.
(F)Mentoring activities for such young people, including
one-to-one relationship building and tutoring.
(4)Curriculum development that promotes contextual
learning.
(5)Other services
or opportunitiesOther services or opportunities that the
Secretary or the eligible entity determine will help carry out the purposes of
this Act.
(c)An eligible
entity receiving a grant under section 4 shall ensure that, of the group of
young people who receive the services and participate in the activities
described in subsections (a) and (b) under the grant, not less than 75 percent
of the group shall be disconnected youth as defined in section 3(2).
(d)Waiver of
multiple service requirementThe Secretary may waive the
requirement of subsection (a) regarding the provision of a comprehensive array
of coordinated activities for an eligible entity receiving a grant under
section 4 to permit not more than 25 percent of the young people served by the
eligible entity under the grant to receive only 1 or more services among the
allowable activities described in subsection (b) if the eligible entity
determines that such young people only need 1 or more such services in order
to—
(1)attain a
secondary school diploma;
(2)attain a
recognized postsecondary credential, including a 2-year or 4-year credential
from an institution of higher education, an industry-recognized credential, or
certification from a registered apprenticeship program; and
(3)secure and
succeed in a family-supporting career.
9.Planning grants
authorized
(a)The Secretary shall award planning grants to eligible
entities to develop the components of the application described in section 5,
in order to allow eligible entities to become competitive for grants under
section 4.
(b)Planning grants under this section shall be—
(1)for a duration of
not more than 6 months in an amount of not more than $50,000; or
(2)for a duration of
more than 6 months and not more than one year and in an amount of not more than
$100,000.
(c)Recipients
of grants under this section shall include—
(1)eligible entities
that applied for and did not receive a grant under section 4, and demonstrate
the ability to submit a competitive application after additional local
planning; and
(2)eligible entities
that intend to apply for a grant under section 4 after undergoing a thorough
planning process.
10.Accountability,
performance measures, and evaluation
(a)The
purpose of this section is to establish an accountability system, comprised of
the activities described in this section, in order to—
(1)assess the
effectiveness of grants under section 4 in helping disconnected youth—
(A)attain a
secondary school diploma;
(B)attain a 2-year
or 4-year credential from an institution of higher education, an industry
recognized credential, or certification from a registered apprenticeship
program; and
(C)secure and
succeed in a family-supporting career;
(2)identify and
disseminate effective practices to strengthen performance; and
(3)maximize the
return on investment of Federal funds in activities assisted pursuant to a
grant under section 4.
(b)
(1)For each eligible entity, performance measures shall
consist of the indicators of performance described in paragraph (2) and the
level of performance described in paragraph (3).
(2)Indicators of
performanceThe indicators of performance referred to in
paragraph (1) shall consist of the following:
(A)
(i)The participation of young people in activities
funded under section 4.
(ii)The progress of young people towards all of the
following:
(I)Attainment of a
secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent.
(II)Job
readiness.
(iii)The attainment by young people of a secondary school
diploma or its recognized equivalent.
(B)
(i)Diploma, and
entrance into education or employmentThe attainment by young
people of a secondary school diploma, and entrance into postsecondary education
or employment.
(ii)The
attainment by young people of 1 or more recognized postsecondary credentials,
which may include a certificate, a license, a journey-status card, or an
associate degree or baccalaureate degree.
(C)
(i)Employment,
diploma, and credentialEmployment of individuals who
participated in activities funded under section 4, attained a secondary school
diploma, and attained 1 or more recognized credentials, which may include a
certificate, license, journey-status card, or associate degree or baccalaureate
degree.
(ii)Initial wage
or salary levelThe initial wage or salary level of individuals
described in clause (i).
(3)For each indicator of performance described in
paragraph (2), the Secretary, in coordination with the eligible entity, shall
determine a level of performance expressed in objective, quantifiable, and
measurable form and in a way to show the progress of the eligible entity toward
continuously improving performance.
(4)
(A)Each eligible entity that receives a grant under section
4 shall reach agreement with the Secretary on the levels of performance for the
years covered by the grant. The levels of performance shall take into account
the economic conditions of the area served, the characteristics of young people
in the area, secondary school graduation rates, and the activities or services
provided in the community served under the grant.
(B)If
unanticipated circumstances arise resulting in a significant change in the
economic conditions of the area, the characteristics of young people in the
area, secondary school graduation rates, or activities or services provided in
the community served under the grant, then the eligible entity may request that
the Secretary adjust the level of performance for the eligible entity.
(c)Each
eligible entity that receives a grant under section 4 shall provide an
assurance to the Secretary, as part of the application submitted under section
5, that the eligible entity will—
(1)report progress
toward achieving the indicators under subsection (b) beyond the grant period
for young people served under the grant; and
(2)use funds
provided under the grant for such progress reporting.
(d)
(1)Each eligible entity that receives a grant under section
4 shall annually, for each year of the grant, provide a report to the Secretary
that includes the progress of the eligible entity in accomplishing the
performance measures for the eligible entity. The annual report shall
include—
(A)information on
the progress each eligible entity made in accomplishing its performance
measures, disaggregated by the categories described in section
1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II));
(B)the costs of the
activities supported under the grant under section 4, including—
(i)the
type of cost, such as cash, personnel, equipment, supplies, or materials, or
other cost; and
(ii)the sources used
to pay such costs, such as—
(I)funding from
other Federal, State, or local public programs; or
(II)private sector
or philanthropic contributions; and
(iii)the dollar
value of the resources leveraged to cover such costs and support the
activities;
(C)any fiscal and
management accountability information required by the Secretary, which
information shall use sound financial and management practices;
(D)the
characteristics and number of disconnected youth served by the services and
activities provided under the grant; and
(E)the services and
supports provided under the grant.
(2)Valid and
reliable informationIn preparing the reports under this
subsection, each eligible entity shall establish procedures, consistent with
guidelines issued by the Secretary, to ensure that the information contained in
the reports is valid and reliable.
(e)Not
later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
award a grant or a contract to an entity outside the Department of Labor for an
evaluation of the activities assisted under the grants awarded under section 4.
Such evaluation shall—
(1)evaluate a
subgroup of eligible entities that received a grant under section 4;
(2)include an
analysis and documentation of the strategies implemented by the eligible
entities assisted under the grants awarded under section 4 and the key lessons
learned, as such lessons relate to program design, systems coordination, and
implementation;
(3)measure the
outcomes, and progress toward the outcomes, of the strategies implemented under
the grants under section 4 in terms of the interim and transitional indicators
of performance under subsection (b)(2), and if feasible, the long-term
indicators of performance under such subsection;
(4)document the
incremental progress of such young people over time on the outcomes measured
under paragraph (3);
(5)measure the
return on investment resulting from the activities funded with grants under
section 4; and
(6)begin as soon as
practicable after the awarding of the grant or contract under this section and
continue throughout the duration of the periods of the grants under section 4
so that the plans included in the applications under section 5 may be informed
by, and conducive to, the evaluation.
11.Technical
assistance and best practicesThe Secretary shall—
(1)in consultation with the Federal Youth
Development Council, the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention established under section 206 of the Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5616), the Shared Youth
Vision, and other related agencies, disseminate best practices that emerge from
the programs assisted under this Act in identifying disconnected youth, and in
implementing effective public and private strategies for preparing such young
people to be successful students, workers, and citizens during and after
implementation of the program; and
(2)provide, directly
or through a grant or contract with 1 or more nonprofit organizations selected
through a competitive process, training, technical assistance, and professional
development for organizations serving disconnected youth, including
organizations serving such disconnected youth that do not receive funding under
this Act.
12.Authorization
of appropriations
(a)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
Act such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through
2015.
(b)Of
the amounts appropriated to carry out this section for each fiscal year, the
Secretary shall use—
(1)not less than 90
percent of such amount for grants to eligible entities under section 4 and
section 9; and
(2)a total of not
more than 10 percent of such amount for the evaluation under section 10(b) and
the training, technical assistance, and dissemination of best practices under
section 11.