[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 830 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 830

 To establish partnerships to create or enhance educational and skills 
 development pathways to 21st century careers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 14, 2011

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish partnerships to create or enhance educational and skills 
 development pathways to 21st century careers, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting 
Innovations to 21st Century Careers Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings; purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
                    TITLE I--CAREER PATHWAYS GRANTS

Sec. 101. State partnership planning grants.
Sec. 102. State partnership implementation grants.
Sec. 103. Regional partnership subgrants.
Sec. 104. State partnership transition grants.
       TITLE II--CAREER PATHWAYS PARTNERSHIP SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS

Sec. 201. State partnership supplemental grants program authorized.
Sec. 202. Types of supplemental grants.
                     TITLE III--GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 301. Establishment of the National Academic and Career Innovation 
                            Center.
Sec. 302. Accountability and performance measurement.
Sec. 303. Evaluation and research.
Sec. 304. Benefits and labor standards.
Sec. 305. Sunshine provision.
Sec. 306. Authorization of appropriations and distribution.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) A highly skilled and agile workforce is necessary to 
        compete in the global economy and maintain the standard of 
        living of the United States.
            (2) According to a 2006 report by Civic Enterprises for the 
        Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, nearly one-third of all 
        public high school students in the United States do not 
        graduate, and in 2003, 3,500,000 youth ages 16 to 25 did not 
        have a high school diploma and were not enrolled in school.
            (3) According to the Congressional Research Service's 
        analysis of data from the National Center for Education 
        Statistics, in 2002-2003 (the most recent year for which all 
        necessary data were reported by all States) more than 25 
        percent of first-year high school students in the United States 
        did not receive their diploma on time. By age 24, more than 1 
        in 10 individuals do not have a high school diploma or its 
        equivalent.
            (4) High school dropouts have a high social cost. According 
        to a 2006 report by Civic Enterprises for the Bill and Melinda 
        Gates Foundation, 4 out of 10 young adults between the ages of 
        16 and 24 lacking a high school diploma received some type of 
        government assistance in 2001, and the lifetime cost to the 
        United States of a dropout who enters a life of crime or drugs 
        ranges from $1,700,000 to $2,300,000.
            (5) According to the National Center for Education 
        Statistics, measuring economic outcomes as of 2000, students 
        completing high school in 4 years had, on average, higher wage 
        rates and annual earnings than those who took longer to 
        complete a high school credential. High school dropouts, on 
        average, earn about $1,000,000 less over a lifetime than 
        college graduates.
            (6) By some estimates, less than half of students who enter 
        9th grade graduate from high school and enter postsecondary 
        education, and for those who do, many are not academically 
        prepared. Twenty-eight percent of first-time college freshman 
        in fall 2000 took at least 1 remedial course. Forty-two percent 
        of first-time community college freshman took at least 1 
        remedial course.
            (7) According to the Education Commission of the States, 
        nearly 60 percent of today's jobs require some training or 
        education beyond high school, compared to just 20 percent in 
        the 1940s.
            (8) According to a 2003 report for the Educational Testing 
        Service, the fastest-growing and best-paying jobs are those 
        that require some college education. As baby-boomers retire, 
        however, the shortage of workers with some college-level skills 
        may increase to more than 14,000,000 by 2020.
            (9) According to the findings of a 2006 study conducted by 
        the American College Testing Program (ACT), the skills required 
        for high school students to be ready to successfully enter 
        postsecondary education and to enter workforce training 
        programs are comparable. The report found that high school 
        graduates need a comparable level of readiness in reading and 
        mathematics to enter college-level courses without remediation 
        and to enter workforce training programs in jobs that are 
        likely to offer family-supporting wages and the potential for 
        career advancement.
            (10) According to a 2003 report for the Educational Testing 
        Service, about 40 percent of American adults do not have skills 
        typical of those with some college, but the fastest job growth 
        will occur in those jobs in which incumbent workers currently 
        have skill levels reflecting at least some postsecondary 
        education.
            (11) Increases in a country's overall level of educational 
        attainment leads to increases in its overall rate of economic 
        growth. According to a 2003 report for the Educational Testing 
        Service, increasing a country's average level of schooling by 
        only 1 year can increase economic growth by about 5 to 15 
        percent.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to increase the graduation rate of students from high 
        school;
            (2) to increase the number of high school students prepared 
        with 21st century skills for college-level work and workforce 
        development after graduation from secondary school;
            (3) to improve the long-term labor market prospects for 
        young people;
            (4) to establish State and regional partnerships among 
        education, business, labor, and workforce and economic 
        development leaders for the purposes of--
                    (A) creating or enhancing educational pathways for 
                high school students to postsecondary education, 
                including registered apprenticeship programs, and to 
                21st century careers;
                    (B) aligning the requirements for successfully 
                exiting secondary education and entering postsecondary 
                education and workforce development; and
                    (C) developing a coherent vision for community 
                development that complements and coordinates ongoing 
                and new efforts in education and workforce and economic 
                development;
            (5) to increase the use of industry-based skill standards, 
        such as those certifications developed by the Manufacturing 
        Skill Standards Council and the National Institute for 
        Metalworking Skills; and
            (6) to increase the number of highly skilled and agile 
        workers available to employers, particularly in high skill, 
        high demand industries.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) At-risk youth.--The term ``at-risk youth'' means a high 
        school student who--
                    (A) is economically disadvantaged, as determined by 
                the student being--
                            (i) eligible for free or reduced price 
                        lunch under the Richard B. Russell National 
                        School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
                            (ii) eligible to receive medical assistance 
                        under the State Medicaid program established 
                        under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 1396 et seq.); or
                            (iii) a member of a family receiving 
                        assistance under the State program funded under 
                        part A of title IV of the Social Security Act 
                        (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
                    (B) is at risk for academic failure;
                    (C) is a student with disabilities;
                    (D) is a student who is a homeless child or youth, 
                as defined in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento 
                Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a);
                    (E) is a migrant student or a student with limited 
                English proficiency;
                    (F) is a youth offender; or
                    (G) is in foster care or is aging out of the foster 
                care system.
            (2) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the National Academic 
        and Career Innovation Center Board established under section 
        301(d).
            (3) Career pathway.--The term ``career pathway'' means a 
        rigorous, engaging, and high-quality set of courses and 
        services that--
                    (A) includes an articulated sequence of academic 
                and career courses, including 21st century skills;
                    (B) is aligned with the needs of high skill, high 
                demand industries in a region or State;
                    (C) prepares students for entry into the full range 
                of postsecondary education options, including 
                registered apprenticeships, and careers;
                    (D) provides academic and career counseling in 
                student-to-counselor ratios that allow students to make 
                informed decisions about academic and career options;
                    (E) meets State academic standards, State 
                requirements for secondary school graduation and is 
                aligned with requirements for entry into postsecondary 
                education, and applicable industry standards; and
                    (F) leads to 2 or more credentials, including--
                            (i) a secondary school diploma; and
                            (ii) a postsecondary degree, an 
                        apprenticeship or other occupational 
                        certification, a certificate, or a license.
            (4) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the National 
        Academic and Career Innovation Center established under section 
        301.
            (5) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Academic and Career Innovation Center.
            (6) Dropout recovery.--The term ``dropout recovery'' means 
        a wide range of effective efforts to provide former high school 
        students who did not graduate from secondary school in a 
        standard number of years with an opportunity to earn a 
        secondary school diploma and continue onto postsecondary 
        education.
            (7) High school student.--The term ``high school student'' 
        means a student who is enrolled in a public secondary school--
                    (A) in one of grades 9 through 12; or
                    (B) in the case of a student enrolled in a 
                secondary school approved by a State to issue a regular 
                diploma concurrently with a postsecondary degree or 
                with not more than 2 years' worth of postsecondary 
                academic credit, in grade 13.
            (8) High skill, high demand industry.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``high skill, high demand 
                industry'' means an industry that--
                            (i) has a significant current or potential 
                        impact on the regional economy overall;
                            (ii) brings net dollars into a region or is 
                        critical to attracting and sustaining 
                        businesses within the industry;
                            (iii) stimulates the growth of other 
                        supporting businesses, or the growth of other 
                        industries or economic sectors within the 
                        region;
                            (iv) provides workers with competitive and 
                        family-supporting wages and benefits that 
                        increase the strength and vitality of the 
                        entire regional economy; and
                            (v) provides opportunities for career 
                        advancement.
                    (B) Determination.--The determination of whether an 
                industry is a high skill, high demand industry shall be 
                made using State or regional business and labor market 
                projections and an analysis of real time data derived 
                from labor market transactions.
            (9) Institution of higher education.--The 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).
            (10) Local educational agency.--The term ``local 
        educational agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7801).
            (11) One-stop center.--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)).
            (12) Pathways grants.--The term ``pathways grants'' means 
        the grants authorized under title I (excluding section 103) and 
        title II.
            (13) Postsecondary education.--The term ``postsecondary 
        education'' means--
                    (A) not less than a 1-year program of instruction 
                offered by an institution of higher education that is 
                acceptable for credit toward an associate or a 
                baccalaureate degree; or
                    (B) a certificate or registered apprenticeship 
                program at the postsecondary level offered by an 
                institution of higher education or a nonprofit 
                educational institution.
            (14) Regional partnership.--The term ``regional 
        partnership'' means a regional pathways partnership receiving 
        funds under section 103.
            (15) Registered apprenticeship program.--The 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 classrooms 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 or a State agency recognized by 
        the Department of Labor.
            (16) Secondary school.--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).
            (17) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, 
        and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
            (18) State educational agency.--The term ``State 
        educational agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7801).
            (19) State p-16 or p-20 council.--The term ``State P-16 or 
        P-20 Council'' means a body of public officials and public and 
        private sector leaders that--
                    (A) is established by a State executive order, 
                statute, or voluntary agreement and may be regularly 
                chaired or co-chaired by the Governor of the State;
                    (B) sets formal, aligned expectations for a 
                seamless system of education from the earliest years of 
                a child's development through the kindergarten through 
                grade 12 system and into and through postsecondary 
                education;
                    (C) acts as a venue for collaboration across early 
                learning, including preschool (the ``P'') through the 
                first 4 years of higher education (the ``16'') or 
                through doctoral and professional schools (the ``20''); 
                and
                    (D) receives State, foundation, business, or other 
                funding to carry out the body's agenda.
            (20) State partnership.--The term ``State partnership'' 
        means a State pathways partnership as established or appointed 
        under section 101(b)(1).
            (21) State workforce investment board.--The term ``State 
        workforce investment board'' has the meaning given the term 
        ``State board'' in section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act 
        of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801).
            (22) Work-based experience.--The term ``work-based 
        experience'' means an activity for high school students, 
        postsecondary students, or teachers that provides career 
        knowledge, skills, and abilities, including job-shadowing and 
        internships.

                    TITLE I--CAREER PATHWAYS GRANTS

SEC. 101. STATE PARTNERSHIP PLANNING GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Director is authorized to award 
        planning grants to eligible State partnerships for the purpose 
        of enabling the State partnerships to complete comprehensive 
        planning to carry out activities establishing career pathways.
            (2) Grant period.--A planning grant awarded under this 
        section shall be for a period of not more than 1 year.
            (3) Maximum amount.--A planning grant awarded under this 
        section may not be more than $250,000.
            (4) Nonrenewability.--The Director shall not award a State 
        partnership more than 1 planning grant under this section.
    (b) Eligibility.--
            (1) In general.--An entity shall be a State pathways 
        partnership for purposes of this Act if the entity--
                    (A) has been established as the State pathways 
                partnership by the Governor of a State and is composed 
                of the members described in paragraph (3); or
                    (B) has been appointed by the Governor of a State 
                as the State pathways partnership under paragraph (2).
            (2) Appointment of organization.--The Governor may appoint 
        an existing education, workforce, or economic development 
        organization, such as the State workforce investment board, the 
        State P-16 or P-20 Council, a joint labor-management 
        partnership organization, or a business-education partnership, 
        as the State pathways partnership for purposes of this Act if 
        the organization--
                    (A) includes, or modifies the members of the 
                organization to include, the representatives required 
                under paragraph (3)(A); or
                    (B) establishes a subcommittee that includes such 
                representatives and uses such subcommittee to carry out 
                the duties of the State partnership under this Act.
            (3) Partners.--
                    (A) Required partners.--A State pathways 
                partnership shall include a representative from each of 
                the following:
                            (i) Public secondary education, who shall 
                        be the chief State school officer.
                            (ii) A public 2-year institution of higher 
                        education.
                            (iii) A public 4-year institution of higher 
                        education.
                            (iv) A business and trade organization.
                            (v) An economic development entity.
                            (vi) The State workforce investment board.
                            (vii) The State employment security agency.
                            (viii) The recognized State federation of 
                        labor.
                            (ix) A joint apprenticeship and training 
                        committee.
                            (x) A labor organization that represents 
                        teachers.
                            (xi) The State P-16 or P-20 Council, if 
                        such a council exists in the State.
                    (B) Other partners.--A State pathways partnership 
                may include other members, such as--
                            (i) additional representatives described in 
                        subparagraph (A);
                            (ii) additional representatives of public 
                        secondary education, such as the chief State 
                        school officer responsible for career and 
                        technical education; or
                            (iii) nontraditional participants, 
                        including representatives from philanthropic 
                        organizations or members of regional 
                        partnerships.
            (4) State authority.--The Governor of a State receiving a 
        planning grant under this section has the authority to appoint 
        a fiscal and an administrative agent for the State partnership.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--Each State partnership desiring a planning 
        grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
        Director at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
        information as the Director may reasonably require.
            (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under this 
        subsection shall--
                    (A) describe the members of the State partnership;
                    (B) describe the activities for which assistance 
                under this section is sought, including the process by 
                which the applicable industry standards for a career 
                pathway supported under the grant will be identified 
                and considered;
                    (C) describe proposed performance benchmarks to be 
                used to measure progress under the planning grant;
                    (D) provide a budget for use of funds to complete 
                required activities in section (d); and
                    (E) provide such additional assurances and 
                information as the Director determines to be essential 
                to ensure compliance with the requirements of this 
                section.
            (3) Performance benchmarks.--Before a State partnership 
        receives a planning grant under this section, the State 
        partnership and the Director shall jointly determine the 
        performance benchmarks that shall be established for the 
        purposes of the planning grant.
    (d) Required Activities.--A State partnership receiving funds under 
this subsection shall carry out all of the following:
            (1) Analyze State labor market information in order to 
        create career pathways and carry out the purposes of this Act.
            (2) Identify and agree on State or regional high skill, 
        high demand industries for the purposes of planning career 
        pathways.
            (3) Identify existing Federal, State, and private resources 
        for youth development and plan to leverage other existing 
        Federal, State, and private resources to strengthen 
        partnerships and implementation grant activities.
            (4)(A) Provide a description of existing (as of the time of 
        the application)--
                    (i) State academic standards for secondary school 
                graduation and industry standards;
                    (ii) State requirements for secondary school 
                graduation and entry requirements for postsecondary 
                education;
                    (iii) State policies or models for career and 
                guidance counseling; and
                    (iv) career pathway-related programs and activities 
                for secondary school students, such as programs of 
                study under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
                Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), or 
                early college or dual enrollment programs.
            (B) A State partnership may use an already completed review 
        of the information described in subparagraph (A) that has been 
        completed by the State P-16 or P-20 Council, or other entity 
        recognized by the State, if the review is not more than 2 years 
        old. If the review does not contain all of the information 
        required in clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A), the 
        State partnership shall complete the missing components.
            (5) Plan for the alignment of State requirements for 
        secondary school graduation and entry to postsecondary 
        education.
            (6) Identify possible areas in which statewide teacher and 
        administration professional development or teacher 
        certification related to promising practices in career pathways 
        will be needed and plan for such professional development.
            (7) Plan for and create a State partnership implementation 
        plan to submit to the Center.
            (8) Determine the criteria for selecting regional 
        partnerships for implementation subgrants in accordance with 
        section 102(e)(1), which--
                    (A) will incorporate the concepts of career 
                pathways and high skill, high demand industries; and
                    (B) may incorporate criteria such as low graduation 
                rates and low academic achievement in the schools 
                served by the regional partnership.
    (e) Matching Requirement.--Each State partnership receiving a 
planning grant under this section shall provide an amount, in cash or 
in-kind, that is not less than 15 percent of the amount of the grant, 
to carry out the activities supported by the grant. The matching 
requirement under this subsection may be provided from funds available 
from other Federal, State, local, or private sources to carry out such 
activities.
    (f) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after an eligible 
State partnership receives a planning grant under this section, the 
partnership shall submit a report to the Director on the State's 
performance of the activities described in subsection (d). The report 
shall include--
            (1) a description of the use of funds, including matching 
        funds required under subsection (e), to carry out required 
        activities under subsection (d); and
            (2) a description of the progress of the State partnership 
        in meeting the performance benchmarks under subsection (c)(3).

SEC. 102. STATE PARTNERSHIP IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Director is authorized to award 
        implementation grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
        State partnerships described in subsection (c) to enable the 
        State partnerships to establish or enhance career pathways.
            (2) Grant period.--An implementation grant awarded under 
        this section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years.
            (3) Nonrenewability.--
                    (A) In general.--The Director shall not award a 
                State partnership more than 1 implementation grant 
                under this section except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B).
                    (B) Exception.--In cases where the Director 
                determines that the State partnership is high 
                performing and the activities supported by the State 
                partnership warrant additional grant funding, the 
                Director may continue to provide funding to a State 
                partnership through a transition grant under section 
                104.
    (b) Use of Funds.--An eligible State partnership that receives an 
implementation grant under this section--
            (1) may reserve not more than 20 percent of the grant funds 
        to carry out the activities described in paragraphs (2) through 
        (5) of subsection (e); and
            (2) shall use not less than 80 percent of the grant funds 
        to make subgrants to regional partnerships in accordance with 
        subsection (e)(1).
    (c) Eligibility.--To be eligible for an implementation grant under 
this section, a State partnership described in section 101(b) shall 
have--
            (1) received a planning grant under section 101 and 
        completed all requirements of such grant; or
            (2) completed a satisfactory application, including a plan 
        to coordinate with required partners and complete the required 
        activities described in section 101(d) during the 5-year period 
        of an implementation grant under this section.
            (3) State partnership authority.--A State partnership 
        receiving an implementation grant under this section shall 
        appoint a fiscal and an administrative agent for the 
        implementation of such grant.
    (d) Application.--
            (1) In general.--Each eligible State partnership desiring 
        an implementation grant under this section shall submit an 
        application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and 
        accompanied by such information as the Director may reasonably 
        require.
            (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under this 
        subsection shall include--
                    (A) a description of the members of the State 
                partnership;
                    (B) a description of how the State partnership 
                completed the required activities described in section 
                101(d), if applicable or, in the case of a State 
                partnership that has not completed such activities, a 
                description of how the State partnership plans to 
                complete such activities, including a description of 
                the process by which career pathways will be selected 
                and any applicable industry standards for the career 
                pathways will be identified and considered;
                    (C) a description of the activities for which 
                assistance under this section is sought, including a 
                description of the career pathways that will be 
                supported by such activities;
                    (D) a description of how the State partnership will 
                coordinate with required partners and complete the 
                required partnership activities described in subsection 
                (e) over the 5-year duration of an implementation grant 
                awarded under this section;
                    (E) a budget proposal of the cost of the activities 
                supported by the implementation grant, and a timeline 
                for the provision of the matching funds required under 
                subsection (f);
                    (F) proposed performance measures in accordance 
                with section 302 to be used to assess and evaluate the 
                progress of the career pathways activities of regional 
                partnerships;
                    (G) a description of how the State partnership will 
                collect long-term aggregated data on students assisted 
                under the implementation grant, in accordance with 
                section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act 
                (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) 
                (20 U.S.C. 1232g), for purposes of reporting progress 
                in grant activities; and
                    (H) such additional assurances as the Director 
                determines to be essential to ensure compliance with 
                the requirements of this section.
    (e) Required Activities.--An eligible State partnership receiving 
an implementation grant under this section shall--
            (1) award subgrants to eligible regional partnerships in 
        accordance with section 103;
            (2) develop and implement coherent, early, and sustained 
        statewide academic and career guidance strategies linked to 
        high skill, high demand industries;
            (3) collect data from regional partnerships on the 
        performance measures selected by the partnership and Director 
        in accordance with section 302 for career pathways activities 
        carried out by the regional partnerships;
            (4) convene the State partnership members on a regular 
        basis, and at least on a semiannual basis;
            (5) assist regional partnerships to create coherent career 
        pathways, including the provision of technical assistance and 
        capacity building activities, such as the dissemination of best 
        practices and tools within the State;
            (6) provide any necessary statewide teacher and school 
        administrator professional development related to career 
        pathways and coordinate with existing professional development 
        efforts or activities;
            (7) in consultation with regional partnerships, make 
        recommendations on State and local policies to foster the 
        development of career pathways for high school students; and
            (8) in coordination with regional partnerships, conduct 
        ongoing studies to continuously improve career pathways, 
        including testing innovative approaches, within the State in 
        order to achieve high level performance and to maximize 
        coordination of the studies with the Center's studies under 
        title III.
    (f) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Each State partnership receiving an 
        implementation grant under this section shall provide an 
        amount, in cash or in-kind, that is not less than 25 percent of 
        the amount of the grant, to carry out the activities supported 
        by the grant. The matching requirement under this subsection 
        may be provided from funds available from other Federal, State, 
        local, or private sources to carry out such activities.
            (2) Timing of matching contribution.--An eligible State 
        partnership may satisfy the matching requirement of an 
        implementation grant awarded under this section at any time 
        during the 5-year duration of the grant, as specified in the 
        budget proposal that is submitted in the application process 
        and approved by the Director.
    (g) Reporting Requirement.--For each year of the grant period, each 
eligible State partnership receiving an implementation grant under this 
section shall submit a report to the Director on the State's 
performance of the activities described in subsection (e). Each report 
shall include--
            (1) a description of the use of funds, including matched 
        funds, to complete required activities under subsection (d); 
        and
            (2) a description of the performance of the State 
        partnership in meeting the performance measures under section 
        302.

SEC. 103. REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP SUBGRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The administrative agent appointed under section 
102(c)(3) by a State partnership receiving an implementation grant 
under such section shall, on behalf of the State partnership, award 
subgrants, on a competitive basis, to eligible regional partnerships to 
enable the eligible regional partnerships to establish or enhance 
career pathways.
    (b) Eligibility for Subgrants.--
            (1) Required partners.--In order for a regional area of a 
        State served by a State partnership receiving an implementation 
        grant under section 102 to participate in the subgrant program 
        under this section, the regional area shall form a regional 
        pathways partnership that includes a representative from each 
        of the following:
                    (A) Public secondary education, who may be a 
                representative of a local educational agency.
                    (B) Postsecondary education, including public 2-
                year and 4-year postsecondary education institutions.
                    (C) A business or trade organization.
                    (D) The local workforce investment board (meaning a 
                local board, as defined in section 101 of the Workforce 
                Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801)).
                    (E) An economic development entity.
                    (F) Local elected officials.
                    (G) A central labor council.
                    (H) A labor organization that represents teachers.
                    (I) High school students and postsecondary 
                education students.
                    (J) Parents or legal guardians of high school 
                students and postsecondary education students.
                    (K) A community-based organization that is relevant 
                to career pathways.
            (2) Other partners.--A regional partnership may include 
        other members, such as additional representatives described in 
        paragraph (1), representatives of educational service agencies, 
        or nontraditional participants, including representatives from 
        philanthropic organizations.
            (3) Designation.--A regional area may agree to designate an 
        existing education, workforce, or economic development 
        organization such as a local workforce investment board, 
        regional economic development authority, joint labor management 
        partnership organization, or business-education partnership, as 
        the regional pathways partnership for purposes of this Act if 
        the organization--
                    (A) includes, or modifies the members of the 
                organization to include, the representatives required 
                under paragraph (1); or
                    (B) establishes a subcommittee that includes such 
                representatives and uses such subcommittee to carry out 
                the duties of the regional partnership under this Act.
    (c) Regional Partnership Authority.--A regional partnership shall 
choose an entity to be the fiscal agent and an entity to be the 
administrative agent for the subgrant funds received under this 
section.
    (d) Application for Subgrant.--
            (1) In general.--Each regional partnership desiring a 
        subgrant under this section shall submit an application to the 
        State partnership at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
        by such information as the State partnership may reasonably 
        require.
            (2) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to this 
        subsection shall include--
                    (A) a description of the activities for which 
                assistance under this section is sought, including 
                activities to address the needs of at-risk youth;
                    (B)(i) a description of the career pathways, 
                including the applicable industry standards used for 
                the career pathways, that will be supported by such 
                activities, including, as applicable, a description of 
                the types of industry certification assessments to be 
                funded under subsection (f)(1); and
                    (ii) information describing how the partnership 
                incorporates the concepts of the career pathways and 
                high skill, high demand industries;
                    (C) proposed performance measures in accordance 
                with section 302 to be used to assess and evaluate the 
                progress of the career pathways activities under this 
                section;
                    (D) a budget for use of funds to complete the 
                required activities in subsection (e);
                    (E) a definition of the geographic boundaries of 
                the region to be served by the career pathways 
                initiatives, including whether the region is--
                            (i) a local workforce investment area 
                        established under section 116 of the Workforce 
                        Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2831);
                            (ii) an economic development area as 
                        defined by the State; or
                            (iii) justified on other criteria, 
                        including--
                                    (I) the alignment of labor market 
                                areas;
                                    (II) school districts and education 
                                service agencies;
                                    (III) postsecondary educational 
                                institutions and area career and 
                                technical schools;
                                    (IV) geographic distances; or
                                    (V) regional resources that are 
                                available to effectively administer the 
                                activities carried out under this 
                                section;
                    (F) a description of how meetings of the regional 
                partnership will be convened on a regular basis;
                    (G) an assurance that employers providing student 
                work-based experiences will provide or arrange for the 
                necessary liability coverage as determined by the 
                participating secondary schools; and
                    (H) such additional assurances as the State 
                partnership determines to be essential to ensure 
                compliance with the requirements of this section.
    (e) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Reservation of amounts.--Of the subgrant amount 
        received by an eligible regional partnership under this 
        section--
                    (A) not less than 85 percent of the subgrant funds 
                shall be used to carry out the activities described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (2); and
                    (B) a total of not more than 15 percent of the 
                subgrant funds shall be spent to--
                            (i) carry out the activities described in 
                        subparagraphs (E) through (G) of paragraph (2);
                            (ii) pay for the costs associated with the 
                        fiscal or administrative agent; or
                            (iii) sustain the regional partnership.
            (2) Required activities.--A regional partnership receiving 
        a subgrant under this section shall use subgrant funds to--
                    (A) establish or enhance career pathways for high 
                school students in high skill, high demand industries;
                    (B) establish or designate an intermediary with 
                demonstrated experience in working with schools serving 
                high school students, postsecondary education, and the 
                workforce delivery system, and within the partnership 
                area that shall under financial agreement with the 
                regional partnership--
                            (i) coordinate career pathways activities;
                            (ii) conduct community outreach and 
                        informational activities related to career 
                        pathways;
                            (iii) consider the needs of individual 
                        school districts in the regional partnership 
                        area;
                            (iv) identify academic and career 
                        counseling options and resources (such as the 
                        one-stop career center career services, 
                        including resources and services funded under 
                        the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.)) 
                        to counsel students and the students' families 
                        in the development of career pathways plans to 
                        ensure that students' course crediting and 
                        content requirements for secondary school 
                        graduation and entrance into postsecondary 
                        education are aligned and that shall have a 
                        ratio of students to counselors of not more 
                        than 1:150; and
                            (v) develop work-based experiences for high 
                        school students and teachers;
                    (C) train and provide professional development to 
                individuals providing academic and career counseling 
                options in the area served by the regional partnership, 
                or designate the intermediary described in subparagraph 
                (B) to provide such training and professional 
                development;
                    (D) develop and implement a dropout recovery 
                strategy for entry into career pathways for former high 
                school students who have dropped out of school;
                    (E) complete a community asset map or build upon an 
                existing analysis of resources by workforce boards or 
                other entities to identify those existing resources 
                that can be leveraged in a region and the gaps that 
                need to be addressed to strengthen connections between 
                effective education and career success;
                    (F) coordinate with existing support services for 
                students; and
                    (G) track and report on the progress of the 
                regional partnership in meeting performance goals 
                negotiated with the State partnership.
    (f) Optional Activities.--A regional partnership receiving a 
subgrant under this section may--
            (1) provide funds for student fees and books and equipment 
        fees associated with completing industry certification 
        assessments, or examinations for Advanced Placement and 
        International Baccalaureate courses, for high school students 
        who are at or below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level 
        line, in order to support a career pathway in a high skill, 
        high demand industry for such students;
            (2) provide funds for costs associated with student work-
        based experiences in high skill, high demand industries, except 
        that no such funds shall be used to pay wages;
            (3) create 1-to-1 mentorships between the most at-risk 
        youth in a career pathway and responsible, supportive adults 
        within the region as identified by the regional partnership;
            (4) assist students in identifying and completing financial 
        aid applications for postsecondary education; and
            (5) provide funds to expand the scope of career services 
        for career pathway students offered by one-stop centers within 
        the region.
    (g) Reporting Requirement.--For each year of the grant period, each 
eligible regional partnership receiving a subgrant under this section 
shall submit a report to the State partnership on the partnership's 
performance on the activities described in subsection (e). Each report 
shall include--
            (1) a description of the use of funds, including any 
        matched funds, to complete the required activities under 
        subsection (e); and
            (2) a description of the performance of the partnership in 
        meeting the performance measures, as described in section 302 
        consistent with section 444 of the General Education Provisions 
        Act.

SEC. 104. STATE PARTNERSHIP TRANSITION GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Director is authorized to award 
        transition grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible State 
        partnerships described in subsection (b) to enable the State 
        partnerships to continue successful career pathways programs, 
        while increasing State and regional investment and gradually 
        decreasing Federal funds.
            (2) Grant period.--A transition grant awarded under this 
        section shall be for a period of not more than 3 years.
            (3) Nonrenewability.--The Director shall not award a State 
        partnership more than 1 transition grant under this section.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a transition grant under this 
section, a State partnership shall have received an implementation 
grant under section 102 and satisfactorily completed all requirements 
of such grant.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--Each eligible State partnership desiring a 
        transition grant under this section shall submit an application 
        to the Director at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
        by such information as the Director may reasonably require.
            (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under this 
        subsection shall provide--
                    (A) a description of the activities for which 
                assistance under this section is sought;
                    (B) a description of how the State partnership has 
                made progress on the activities described in section 
                102(e);
                    (C) description of how the State partnership will 
                coordinate with required partners and complete the 
                required partnership activities described in subsection 
                (d) over the duration of a grant awarded under this 
                section;
                    (D) a budget proposal of the cost of the activities 
                supported by the transition grant, and a timeline for 
                the provision of the matching funds required under 
                subsection (e);
                    (E) proposed performance measures in accordance 
                with section 302 to be used to assess and evaluate the 
                progress of the activities of State partnerships under 
                this section; and
                    (F) such additional assurances as the Director 
                determines to be essential to ensure compliance with 
                the requirements of this section.
    (d) Activities.--A State partnership receiving a transition grant 
under this section--
            (1) shall use grant funds to continue the activities 
        required under section 102(e); and
            (2) may use grant funds to expand career exploration and 
        guidance activities to students in grades lower than grade 9, 
        with priority given to serving such students who are at risk of 
        failure to graduate, based on indicators for middle school 
        students predictive of whether or not a student is on track to 
        graduate from secondary school with a regular diploma.
    (e) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Each State partnership receiving a 
        transition grant under this section shall provide, from funds 
        available from other Federal, State, local, or private sources 
        to carry out the activities supported by the transition grant--
                    (A) for the first year of the grant, an amount that 
                is not less than 25 percent of the amount of the grant 
                for such year;
                    (B) for the second year of the grant, an amount 
                that is not less than 50 percent of the amount of the 
                grant for such year; and
                    (C) for the third year of the grant, an amount that 
                is not less than 75 percent of the amount of the grant 
                for such year.
            (2) Use and type of matching funds.--The matching funds 
        required under paragraph (1) may be provided in cash or in-kind 
        and shall be used to carry out the activities supported by the 
        transition grant under this section.
    (f) Reporting Requirement.--For each year of the grant period, each 
eligible State partnership receiving a transition grant under this 
section shall submit a report to the Director on the State's 
performance of the activities described in subsection (d). Each report 
shall include--
            (1) a description of the use of funds, including matched 
        funds, to complete the required activities described in 
        subsection (d); and
            (2) a description of the performance of the State 
        partnership in meeting the performance measures, as described 
        in section 302.

       TITLE II--CAREER PATHWAYS PARTNERSHIP SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS

SEC. 201. STATE PARTNERSHIP SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Purposes.--The purposes of this title are--
            (1) to enhance the capacity of States and regions to offer 
        career pathways to high school students;
            (2) to enhance one-stop career services for youth to more 
        effectively provide career exploration and guidance services to 
        high school students and postsecondary students; and
            (3) to increase the number of registered apprenticeship 
        programs in high skill, high demand industries.
    (b) Grants Authorized.--The Director is authorized to award, on a 
competitive basis, supplemental grants described in section 202 to 
States to enable the States to carry out the activities described in 
such section.
    (c) Duration of Grant.--Each eligible State receiving a grant under 
this title shall use the grant funds within a 5-year period, as 
designated by the Director.
    (d) Non-Renewability.--An eligible State may not receive more than 
1 grant under each subsection of section 202.

SEC. 202. TYPES OF SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS.

    (a) Career Pathways Curriculum Development Grants.--
            (1) Purposes.--The purposes of a grant under this 
        subsection are--
                    (A) to increase the number of innovative, high 
                quality, rigorous, engaging, and relevant career 
                pathways curricula available for the purpose of 
                instructing high school students through the 
                development of new, or enhancement of existing, model 
                courses of study focused on high skill, high demand 
                industries;
                    (B) to support the development of career pathways 
                curricula that develop and reinforce reading and 
                mathematics skills for high school students, including 
                through the real world application of academics; and
                    (C) to establish teacher training processes that 
                will provide effective professional development in the 
                application of each career pathways course sequence 
                assisted under this subsection.
            (2) Applications.--
                    (A) In general.--The Governor of a State, in 
                partnership with the State partnership serving the 
                State, may submit an application for a curriculum grant 
                under this subsection to the Director at such time, in 
                such manner, and containing such information as the 
                Director may require.
                    (B) Peer review.--Applications for a curriculum 
                grant under this subsection shall be peer reviewed by a 
                panel of experts in curriculum development, career 
                pathways or career and technical education, and 
                workforce development and industry.
                    (C) Contents.--Each application submitted under 
                this paragraph shall--
                            (i) be submitted during the period that the 
                        State partnership serving the State is 
                        receiving an implementation grant under section 
                        102;
                            (ii) demonstrate a need for the curriculum 
                        grant;
                            (iii) describe the activities for which 
                        assistance under this subsection is sought, 
                        including--
                                    (I) how the applicant will carry 
                                out the activities described in 
                                paragraph (4);
                                    (II) how the applicant will include 
                                the industry standards of the relevant 
                                industries in the development of the 
                                curriculum and, in the case of an 
                                applicant using grant funds to carry 
                                out paragraph (5)(A), the industry 
                                certificates to be used;
                                    (III) how the applicant will 
                                collaborate with and incorporate input 
                                from representatives from the State 
                                partnership members in the development 
                                of the curriculum; and
                                    (IV) the research or evidence that 
                                supports the key curriculum theories 
                                and activities of the proposed career 
                                pathways curriculum;
                            (iv) include a budget of the cost of the 
                        project and a time-line for the provision of 
                        the matching funds required under paragraph 
                        (6);
                            (v) include a description of the 
                        performance benchmarks to be used to measure 
                        the development, implementation, distribution, 
                        and professional development concerning career 
                        pathways curriculum;
                            (vi) provide an assurance that curricula 
                        and other products or materials developed under 
                        this Act will be made available to the Center 
                        for distribution; and
                            (vii) provide such additional assurances as 
                        the Director determines to be essential to 
                        ensure compliance with the requirements of this 
                        title.
            (3) Fiscal and administration agent.--The Governor of a 
        State receiving a curriculum grant under this subsection shall 
        appoint the State educational agency to serve as the fiscal 
        agent and administer the grant funds.
            (4) Required activities.--A State receiving a curriculum 
        grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds--
                    (A) to develop a curriculum with industry 
                engagement that--
                            (i) provides a logical sequence of 
                        integrated academic and career-related 
                        coursework focused on a specific high skill, 
                        high demand industry and meets regional or 
                        national workforce needs;
                            (ii) incorporates rigorous academic content 
                        from core academic subjects, as defined in 
                        section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), in a 
                        majority of the courses within each curricular 
                        sequence of study, so that a majority of 
                        courses are eligible for academic credit, and 
                        links the material in each course to State 
                        academic content standards;
                            (iii) provides academic rigor to career 
                        pathways courses;
                            (iv) emphasizes the development of 
                        communication skills, such as reading, writing, 
                        speaking, mathematic, and science skills across 
                        all courses and provides for the development of 
                        work readiness skills and 21st century work 
                        skills, including problem solving skills, 
                        communication skills, analytic skills, time 
                        management, teamwork, and technological 
                        prowess;
                            (v) provides knowledge of all aspects of an 
                        industry;
                            (vi) uses best practices within curriculum 
                        development theory, including rigorous 
                        standards, higher order thinking skills, real 
                        world applications, project-based learning, 
                        contextual learning, and other practices;
                            (vii) incorporates opportunities for work-
                        based experience within each career pathways 
                        course sequence; and
                            (viii) prepares high school students for 
                        postsecondary education and skills development 
                        programs;
                    (B) to create curriculum materials and 
                instructional resources that will support the teaching 
                and learning of the career pathways curriculum 
                developed under this subsection; and
                    (C) to develop a statewide teacher professional 
                development implementation plan that will describe the 
                model of professional development used for teacher 
                training, including courses that will increase the 
                capacity of teachers to effectively implement the 
                career pathways curriculum developed under this 
                subsection, and a description of the costs of such a 
                program.
            (5) Optional use of funds.--In addition to the required 
        activities under subsection (g), a State receiving a grant 
        under this subsection may use the grant funds--
                    (A) to create career and technical education course 
                sequences that lead to an industry certificate;
                    (B) to develop and include transitional mathematics 
                and reading courses for students who struggle to meet 
                the academic requirements necessary to enter and 
                successfully complete postsecondary education or 
                workforce development; or
                    (C) to provide options for high school students to 
                concurrently earn college credit through establishing 
                college course articulation agreements.
            (6) Matching requirement.--Each State partnership receiving 
        a curriculum grant under this subsection shall provide an 
        amount, in cash or in-kind, that is not less than 25 percent of 
        the amount of the grant, to carry out the activities supported 
        by the grant. The matching requirement under this subsection 
        may be provided from funds available from other Federal, State, 
        local, or private sources to carry out such activities.
            (7) Evaluation and reporting requirement.--Each State 
        partnership in a State receiving a curriculum grant under this 
        subsection shall annually report to the Director regarding--
                    (A) the progress made on the activities described 
                in paragraph (4), including the progress made in the 
                development and distribution of the career pathways 
                curriculum assisted through the grant;
                    (B) the data and information gathered to benchmark 
                appropriate outcomes of the curriculum development, 
                implementation, distribution, and professional 
                development, which may include student outcomes;
                    (C) the use of grant funds, including matched 
                funds, by the State; and
                    (D) the State's progress on the performance 
                benchmarks described in paragraph (2)(C) that are 
                established with the agreement of the Director.
            (8) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
        construed to authorize an officer or employee of the Federal 
        Government to mandate, direct, or control a State's, local 
        educational agency's, or school's specific instructional 
        content, academic achievement standards or assessments, 
        curriculum, or program of instruction.
    (b) Career Pathways Capacity Expansion and Modernization Grants.--
            (1) Purpose.--The purpose of this subsection is to enable 
        States to better prepare students for postsecondary education 
        and careers in State and regional high skill, high demand 
        industries by providing eligible States with grants in order to 
        expand, enhance, and modernize school facilities and equipment 
        to reflect the requirements of State and regional high skill, 
        high demand industries.
            (2) Definition of qualifying region.--In this subsection, 
        the term ``qualifying region'' means a region of a State that 
        has a regional partnership that has--
                    (A) previously received a partnership 
                implementation subgrant under section 103; and
                    (B) a low graduation rate, compared to the State 
                average, or a high percentage of at-risk youth, 
                compared to the State average.
            (3) Application.--
                    (A) In general.--A Governor of a State, in 
                partnership with the State partnership serving the 
                State, desiring an expansion and modernization grant 
                under this section shall submit an application to the 
                Director at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
                by such information as the Director may reasonably 
                require.
                    (B) Contents.--Each application submitted under 
                subparagraph (A) shall--
                            (i) be submitted during the period that the 
                        State partnership serving the State is 
                        receiving an implementation grant under section 
                        102;
                            (ii) demonstrate a need for the expansion, 
                        enhancement, or modernization of existing 
                        facilities or equipment as of the date of the 
                        application, in qualifying regions;
                            (iii) describe the activities for which 
                        assistance under this subsection is sought;
                            (iv) describe creative arrangements to 
                        maximize the use of the facilities and 
                        equipment that are expanded, enhanced, or 
                        modernized with grant funds under this 
                        subsection, by sharing the facilities and 
                        equipment with other schools or postsecondary 
                        programs;
                            (v) include a budget of the cost of the 
                        project and a timeline for the provision of the 
                        matching funds required under paragraph (6);
                            (vi) describe the performance benchmarks to 
                        be used to measure the State's progress in 
                        implementing a grant under this subsection; and
                            (vii) provide such additional assurances as 
                        the Director determines to be essential to 
                        ensure compliance with the requirements of this 
                        title.
            (4) Fiscal and administration agent.--The Governor of a 
        State receiving an expansion and modernization grant under this 
        subsection shall appoint the State facilities authority or 
        State agency responsible for school construction and renovation 
        to serve as the fiscal agent and administer the grant funds.
            (5) Required activities.--A State receiving an expansion 
        and modernization grant under this subsection shall use the 
        grant funds to--
                    (A) make necessary expansions or enhancements to 
                existing facilities in qualifying regions; and
                    (B) modernize equipment essential to instruction 
                within the career pathways curriculum.
            (6) Non-federal funds matching requirement.--Each State 
        partnership receiving an expansion and modernization grant 
        under this subsection shall provide, from non-Federal sources, 
        an amount that is not less than 50 percent of the amount of the 
        grant, to carry out the activities supported by the grant. The 
        matching requirement under this paragraph may be provided in 
        cash or in-kind.
            (7) Evaluation and reporting requirements.--Each State 
        partnership in a State receiving an expansion and modernization 
        grant under this subsection shall annually submit a report to 
        the Director regarding--
                    (A) the State's progress made on the activities 
                described in paragraph (5);
                    (B) the use of grant funds by the State; and
                    (C) the State's progress on the performance 
                benchmarks described in paragraph (3)(B) that are 
                established with the agreement of the Director.
    (c) Registered Apprenticeship Grants in High Skill, High Demand 
Industries.--
            (1) Purpose.--The purpose of this subsection is to enable 
        States to expand or create registered apprenticeship programs 
        in high skill, high demand industries.
            (2) Application.--
                    (A) In general.--The Governor, in partnership with 
                the State partnership serving the State, may submit an 
                application for an apprenticeship grant under this 
                subsection to the Director at such time, in such 
                manner, and containing such information as the Director 
                may require.
                    (B) Contents.--Each application submitted under 
                subparagraph (A) shall--
                            (i) be submitted during the period that the 
                        State partnership serving the State is 
                        receiving an implementation grant under section 
                        102;
                            (ii) demonstrate a need for creation or 
                        expansion of registered apprenticeship programs 
                        in high skill, high demand industries;
                            (iii) describe the activities for which 
                        assistance under this subsection is sought;
                            (iv) describe the performance benchmarks to 
                        be used to measure the development, 
                        implementation, and distribution concerning 
                        registered apprenticeship programs;
                            (v) include a budget of the cost of the 
                        project and a time line for the provision of 
                        the matching funds required under paragraph 
                        (5); and
                            (vi) provide such additional assurances as 
                        the Director determines to be essential to 
                        ensure compliance with the requirements of this 
                        title.
            (3)  Fiscal and administration agent.--In the case of a 
        State receiving an apprenticeship grant under this subsection--
                    (A) that has a State apprenticeship council 
                recognized by the Department of Labor, the State 
                apprenticeship council administrative agency shall 
                serve as the fiscal agent and administer the grant 
                funds; or
                    (B) where the Office of Apprenticeship of the 
                Department of Labor administers the registered 
                apprenticeship program, the Governor of the State shall 
                appoint the appropriate State agency to serve as the 
                fiscal agent and administer the grant funds.
            (4) Required activities.--An eligible State receiving an 
        apprenticeship grant under this subsection shall use the grant 
        funds for activities necessary to create or expand registered 
        apprenticeship programs in high skill, high demand industries, 
        including--
                    (A) developing and administering a new or enhancing 
                an existing registered apprenticeship program in a high 
                skill, high demand industry as identified by the State;
                    (B) registering the apprenticeship program with the 
                Department of Labor;
                    (C) providing or arranging for equipment necessary 
                for training in the registered apprenticeship program;
                    (D) developing skills-based theoretical and 
                technical classroom and on-the-job curricula;
                    (E) identifying and training, as appropriate, 
                instructors for the registered apprenticeship program; 
                and
                    (F) conducting outreach and marketing about the 
                registered apprenticeship program to interested 
                stakeholders, including secondary schools serving high 
                school students.
            (5) Prohibited use.--A State partnership receiving an 
        apprenticeship grant under this subsection shall not use any 
        Federal funds provided under the grant to pay wages or provide 
        benefits to workers.
            (6) Non-federal funds matching requirement.--Each State 
        partnership receiving an apprenticeship grant under this 
        subsection shall provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount 
        that is not less than 25 percent of the amount of the grant, to 
        carry out the activities supported by the grant. The matching 
        requirement under this paragraph may be provided in cash or in-
        kind.
            (7) Evaluation and reporting requirement.--Each State 
        partnership in a State receiving an apprenticeship grant under 
        this subsection shall annually submit a report to the Director 
        regarding--
                    (A) the progress made on the activities described 
                in paragraph (4);
                    (B) the use of grant funds, including matched 
                funds, by the State; and
                    (C) the State's progress on the performance 
                benchmarks described in paragraph (2)(B) that are 
                established with the agreement of the Director.
    (d) Youth One-Stop Career Services Enhancement Grant.--
            (1) Purpose.--The purpose of this subsection is to enable 
        States to make career services available through one-stop 
        centers--
                    (A) more welcoming and user-friendly for secondary 
                school students; and
                    (B) more accessible to such students while in 
                school.
            (2) Application.--
                    (A) In general.--The Governor of a State, in 
                partnership with the State partnership serving the 
                State, may submit an application for a career services 
                enhancement grant under this subsection to the Director 
                at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
                information as the Director may require.
                    (B) Contents.--Each application submitted under 
                subparagraph (A) shall--
                            (i) be submitted during the period that the 
                        State partnership serving the State is 
                        receiving an implementation grant under section 
                        102;
                            (ii) demonstrate a need for the enhancement 
                        or expansion of one-stop career guidance and 
                        exploration services for high school students;
                            (iii) describe the activities for which 
                        assistance under this subsection is sought;
                            (iv) describe the performance benchmarks to 
                        be used to measure the State's progress in 
                        implementing a grant under this subsection;
                            (v) include a budget of the cost of the 
                        project and a time-line for the provision of 
                        the matching funds required under paragraph 
                        (5); and
                            (vi) provide such additional assurances as 
                        the Director determines to be essential to 
                        ensure compliance with the requirements of this 
                        subsection.
            (3) Fiscal and administration agent.--The Governor of a 
        State receiving a career services enhancement grant under this 
        subsection shall appoint the State workforce investment board 
        or the State workforce administrative entity as the fiscal 
        agent and the entity responsible for administering the grant. 
        The State workforce investment board shall give preference for 
        resources available under this grant to one-stop centers in 
        regions with regional partnerships receiving a subgrant under 
        section 103.
            (4) Required activities.--A State receiving a career 
        services enhancement grant under this subsection shall use the 
        grant funds to expand or enhance career guidance and 
        exploration services for students provided through one-stop 
        centers, including resources funded under the Wagner-Peyser Act 
        (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.), by--
                    (A) enhancing services for students participating 
                in career pathways, such as enhancing--
                            (i) job search and placement assistance 
                        and, as appropriate, career counseling;
                            (ii) the provision of employment statistics 
                        information, including the provision of 
                        accurate information related to local, 
                        regional, and national labor market areas, 
                        which may include--
                                    (I) job vacancy listings in the 
                                labor market area;
                                    (II) information on the job skills 
                                necessary to obtain those jobs; and
                                    (III) information related to local 
                                occupations in demand and the earnings 
                                and skill requirements of such 
                                occupations;
                            (iii) the provision of performance 
                        information and program cost information on 
                        eligible providers of training described in 
                        section 122 of the Workforce Investment Act of 
                        1998 (29 U.S.C. 2842);
                            (iv) comprehensive and specialized 
                        assessments of skill levels and development of 
                        plans to identify and attain career goals;
                            (v) individual counseling and career 
                        planning; and
                            (vi) short-term prevocational services, 
                        such as the development of learning skills, 
                        presentation skills, resume writing skills, 
                        interviewing skills, punctuality, and 
                        professional conduct, among others, to prepare 
                        individuals for unsubsidized employment; or
                    (B) providing one-stop center career services in 
                proximity to high school students, subject to the 
                requirements of section 134(c) of the Workforce 
                Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864(c)).
            (5) Matching requirement.--Each State partnership receiving 
        a career services enhancement grant under this subsection shall 
        provide an amount, in cash or in-kind, that is not less than 50 
        percent of the amount of the grant, to carry out the activities 
        supported by the grant. The matching requirement under this 
        subsection may be provided from funds available from other 
        Federal, State, local, or private sources to carry out such 
        activities.
            (6) Evaluation and reporting requirement.--Each eligible 
        State partnership in a State receiving a career services 
        enhancement grant under this subsection shall submit a report 
        to the Director regarding--
                    (A) the progress made on the activities described 
                in paragraph (4);
                    (B) the use of grant funds, including matched 
                funds, by the State partnership; and
                    (C) the State's progress on the performance 
                benchmarks described in paragraph (2)(B) that are 
                established with the agreement of the Director.

                     TITLE III--GENERAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 301. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIC AND CAREER INNOVATION 
              CENTER.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to establish a 
National Academic and Career Innovation Center that--
            (1) encourages innovations to address the constant changes 
        in the highly competitive global economy;
            (2) serves as a national resource for State partnerships 
        and regional partnerships in the United States by--
                    (A) disseminating information on research and best 
                practices regarding the development of career pathways;
                    (B) disseminating demonstrated curricula developed 
                by States; and
                    (C) supporting the efforts of State partnerships 
                and regional partnerships to offer career pathways of 
                proven effectiveness;
            (3) designs and conducts performance evaluations of career 
        pathways activities, to determine whether the short- and long-
        term goals of the activities are being met; and
            (4) administers, oversees, and evaluates all career 
        pathways grants.
    (b) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--There is established the National Academic 
        and Career Innovation Center, which shall be administered under 
        the terms of an interagency agreement entered into by the 
        Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, and the 
        Secretary of Commerce (in this section referred to as the 
        ``Interagency Group'').
            (2) Offices.--The Center shall have offices separate from 
        the offices of the Department of Education, the Department of 
        Labor, and the Department of Commerce.
            (3) Recommendations.--The Interagency Group shall consider 
        the recommendations of the Board, established under subsection 
        (d), in planning the goals of the Center and in implementing 
        any programs to achieve such goals.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--In order to serve as a national resource 
        for States and regions creating and implementing career 
        pathways in the United States, the Center is authorized--
                    (A) to administer and oversee grants and contracts 
                under this Act;
                    (B) to conduct evaluations and research in 
                accordance with section 303 to determine the 
                effectiveness of the career pathways initiative under 
                this Act;
                    (C) to make findings as to whether the goals of the 
                career pathways initiatives under this Act have been 
                met by the grant programs created under this Act;
                    (D) to work with State partnerships and regional 
                partnerships to develop performance measures, in 
                accordance with section 302, to determine whether the 
                short- and long-term goals of the activities being 
                funded by the career pathways grants described in this 
                Act are being met;
                    (E) to advise Congress and the Departments of 
                Labor, Education, and Commerce on the development and 
                continuous improvement of career pathways;
                    (F) to communicate and coordinate with the 
                Departments of Labor, Education, and Commerce on 
                related activities administered by one or more of the 
                Departments; and
                    (G) to disseminate information, through online and 
                other resources that are easily accessible, that 
                shall--
                            (i) consist of--
                                    (I) model career pathways curricula 
                                developed under section 202(a); and
                                    (II) proven best practices and 
                                career resources, including multi-media 
                                information and products identified by 
                                the Center, other entities, and 
                                repositories of information; and
                            (ii) facilitate the ability of secondary 
                        schools serving high school students or other 
                        educational entities to access and implement 
                        model career pathways curricula if the schools 
                        or entities so choose.
            (2) Grants and contracts.--The Center may award grants to, 
        or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, 
        individuals, public or private institutions, agencies, or 
        organizations, to carry out the activities of the Center.
            (3) Disclosures.--The Center shall publicly disclose, 
        through an easily accessible website, the Center's 
        justification for the Center's decision to approve or reject 
        each application for a grant under this Act and, in the case of 
        an application that is approved, the amount of the grant 
        awarded.
            (4) Prohibition on required use of a curriculum.--The 
        Director shall not--
                    (A) use online resources supported under this 
                section to develop a national curriculum; or
                    (B) require States to use any model career pathways 
                curriculum included in the online resources.
    (d) National Academic and Career Innovation Center Board.--
            (1) Establishment.--
                    (A) In general.--There shall be a National Academic 
                and Career Innovation Center Board, which shall consist 
                of 15 individuals appointed by the President with the 
                advice and consent of the Senate.
                    (B) Composition.--The Board shall be comprised of 
                individuals who are not otherwise officers or employees 
                of the Federal Government and who are representative 
                of--
                            (i) public secondary education;
                            (ii) public postsecondary education, 
                        including 2-year and 4-year institutions of 
                        higher education;
                            (iii) businesses and trade organizations 
                        that demonstrate an interest in career 
                        pathways;
                            (iv) high school students or postsecondary 
                        students, including at-risk youth;
                            (v) workforce development;
                            (vi) economic development;
                            (vii) State and local governments;
                            (viii) parents or legal guardians of 
                        students; and
                            (ix) labor organizations.
            (2) Duties.--The Board shall--
                    (A) make recommendations concerning the appointment 
                of the Director and staff of the Center;
                    (B) advise the Center and the Interagency Group on 
                a vision of career pathways that--
                            (i) create opportunities for high school 
                        students to make successful transitions to 
                        postsecondary education and employment and 
                        improve the long-term economic prosperity for 
                        themselves and their families; and
                            (ii) play an integral part in the larger 
                        workforce and economic development systems;
                    (C) provide independent advice on the operation of 
                the Center; and
                    (D) receive reports from the Interagency Group and 
                the Director.
            (3) Appointments.--
                    (A) In general.--Each member of the Board shall be 
                appointed for a term of 5 years, except that the 
                initial terms for members may be 1, 2, or 3 years in 
                order to establish a rotation in which \1/3\ of the 
                members are selected in each of the first 3 years of a 
                5-year cycle.
                    (B) Term limit.--Any such member may be appointed 
                for not more than 1 full term.
                    (C) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Board shall not 
                affect the powers of the Board, but shall be filled in 
                the same manner as the original appointment.
                    (D) Election of officers.--The Board shall elect a 
                Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board from 
                among the members of the Board.
                    (E) Meetings.--The Board shall meet at the call of 
                the Chairperson or a majority of the members of the 
                Board.
    (e) Director.--The Board, after considering recommendations made by 
the Interagency Group, shall appoint and fix the pay of a Director.
    (f) Gifts, Bequests, and Devises.--
            (1) In general.--The Center may accept, administer, and use 
        for the purposes of the Center gifts or donations of services, 
        money, or property, whether real or personal, tangible or 
        intangible.
            (2) Rules.--The Board shall establish written rules setting 
        forth the criteria to be used by the Center in determining 
        whether the acceptance of contributions of services, money, or 
        property whether real or personal, tangible or intangible, 
        would reflect unfavorably upon the ability of the Center or any 
        employee to carry out the responsibilities of the Center or 
        employee, or official duties, in a fair and objective manner, 
        or would compromise the integrity or the appearance of the 
        integrity of the Center's programs or any official involved in 
        those programs.
    (g) Funding.--Any amounts appropriated to the Secretary of 
Education, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Commerce, or the 
head of any other department that participates in the Center, for the 
purposes that the Center is authorized to perform under this Act, may 
be provided to the Center for such purposes.

SEC. 302. ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT.

    (a) Purpose.--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 State and regional 
        activities assisted under this Act to help high school students 
        successfully transition from secondary school to postsecondary 
        education and employment primarily in high skill, high demand 
        industries by acquiring the skills and knowledge that lead to 
        long-term career success;
            (2) improve the State and regional career pathways 
        activities assisted under this Act;
            (3) assess the effectiveness of State and regional career 
        pathways activities in creating a highly skilled and agile 
        workforce that meets 21st century skill demands;
            (4) maximize the return on investment of Federal funds in 
        State and regional career pathways activities assisted under 
        this Act; and
            (5) assess the effectiveness of State and regional career 
        pathways in connecting efforts in education, economic, and 
        workforce development.
    (b) Performance Measures.--
            (1) In general.--For each State partnership and regional 
        partnership, 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 performance.--The indicators of 
        performance shall consist of the following:
                    (A) Interim indicators.--
                            (i) Student participation in a career 
                        pathway.
                            (ii) Student attainment of a secondary 
                        school diploma, disaggregated by the subgroups 
                        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)).
                            (iii) Student participation in a career 
                        pathway and attainment of a secondary school 
                        diploma, disaggregated by the subgroups 
                        described in such section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II).
                    (B) Transitional indicators.--
                            (i) Student acquisition of a secondary 
                        school diploma and entrance into postsecondary 
                        education or employment.
                            (ii) Student acquisition of a secondary 
                        school diploma and entrance into postsecondary 
                        education or employment related to a high 
                        skill, high demand industry.
                            (iii) Attainment of 1 or more recognized 
                        credentials, which may include a certificate, 
                        license, journey-status card, or associate 
                        degree or baccalaureate degree.
                            (iv) Attainment of 1 or more recognized 
                        credentials, which may include a certificate, 
                        license, journey-status card, or associate 
                        degree or baccalaureate degree related to a 
                        high skill, high demand industry.
                    (C) Long-term indicators.--
                            (i) Employment of individuals who 
                        participated in a career pathway and attained a 
                        secondary school diploma or a credential.
                            (ii) Employment of individuals who 
                        participated in a career pathway and attained a 
                        secondary school diploma or a credential 
                        related to a high skill, high demand industry.
                            (iii) The initial wage or salary level of 
                        individuals who participated in a career 
                        pathway and attained a secondary school 
                        diploma.
                            (iv) The initial wage or salary level of 
                        individuals who participated in a career 
                        pathway and attained a secondary school diploma 
                        and a credential.
                    (D) Additional indicators.--A State partnership may 
                identify in the State implementation application 
                additional indicators that regional partnerships 
                receiving a subgrant from the State partnership shall 
                use to evaluate career pathways activities supported by 
                the subgrant.
            (3) Level of performance.--For each indicator of 
        performance, there shall be a level of performance expressed in 
        objective, quantifiable, and measurable form and in a way to 
        show the progress of the State toward continuously improving 
        performance.
            (4) State performance measures.--
                    (A) In general.--Each State partnership that 
                receives an implementation grant under section 102 or a 
                transition grant under section 104 shall reach 
                agreement with the Director on the performance measures 
                for the years covered by the implementation grant or 
                the transition grant as a condition of receiving the 
                grant. The performance measures shall take into account 
                the State's economic conditions, student 
                characteristics, graduation rates, and the activities 
                or services provided supported by the grants.
                    (B) Adjustments.--If unanticipated circumstances 
                arise in a State resulting in a significant change in 
                the State's economic conditions, student 
                characteristics, secondary school graduation rates, or 
                activities or services provided, the State partnership 
                Governor may request that the Director adjust the level 
                of performance for the State.
            (5) Regional performance measures.--
                    (A) In general.--Each regional partnership that 
                receives a career pathways subgrant under section 103 
                shall reach agreement with the State partnership on the 
                regional levels of performance for each core indicator 
                and any additional indicators that the State 
                partnership may establish in accordance with this 
                subsection for the years covered by the grant as a 
                condition of receiving the subgrant. The performance 
                measures shall take into account the economic 
                conditions, student characteristics, graduation rates, 
                and activities or services provided within the region.
                    (B) Adjustments.--If unanticipated circumstances 
                arise in a region, resulting in a significant change in 
                the economic conditions, student characteristics, 
                graduation rates, or activities or services provided, 
                the regional partnership may request that the State 
                partnership adjust the level of performance.
            (6) Calculation rules.--
                    (A) Wage records.--In measuring progress in labor 
                market-related core indicators, a State partnership or 
                regional partnership shall use wage records, consistent 
                with State law and by making arrangements through the 
                Secretary of Labor, to ensure that the wage records of 
                any State or region are available to any other State or 
                region to the extent required by the other State or 
                region to complete the annual report required under 
                this section.
                    (B) Reentering students.--If a student exits the 
                education system at any point during secondary school 
                or postsecondary education, a State partnership or 
                regional partnership shall include the student in the 
                required performance data if the student reenrolls in 
                public education before the student attains the age of 
                24.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Each State partnership that receives a 
        grant under this Act shall annually, for each year of the 
        grant, provide a report to the Center that includes the 
        progress of the State in accomplishing the performance measures 
        or benchmarks for the State, which annual report shall 
        include--
                    (A) information on the progress each region 
                receiving a career pathways subgrant made in 
                accomplishing its performance measures;
                    (B) the costs of the career pathways activities 
                supported under the implementation grant under section 
                102 and any supplemental grants received by the State 
                under title II, 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 funding from other Federal, State, or 
                        local public programs or private sector or 
                        philanthropic contributions, and the dollar 
                        value of the resources leveraged to cover such 
                        costs and support the activities; and
                    (C) any fiscal and management accountability 
                information required by the Center, using sound 
                financial and management practices.
            (2) Valid and reliable information.--In preparing the State 
        reports under this subsection, each State partnership shall 
        establish procedures, consistent with guidelines issued by the 
        Center, to ensure that the information contained in the reports 
        is valid and reliable.
    (d) FERPA.--In carrying out the requirements of this section, each 
State, State partnership, and regional partnership shall comply with 
section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (the Family 
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) (20 U.S.C. 1232g).
    (e) Availability of Information.--The Director shall make the 
information in the State partnership reports required under this 
section available, through publication and other appropriate methods, 
to--
            (1) the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Education, 
        and the Secretary of Labor;
            (2) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
        of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
        House of Representatives; and
            (3) the public.

SEC. 303. EVALUATION AND RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--The Director is authorized to conduct evaluation 
and research, either directly or through grants or contracts, to 
determine the effectiveness of the career pathway initiatives under 
this Act in meeting the purposes of this Act. Research topics may 
include--
            (1) effective activities and interventions to engage high 
        school students and help the students transition to 
        postsecondary education and careers, including improving 
        outcomes for at-risk youth;
            (2) effective improvements to data systems to better enable 
        States and regions to measure student academic and career 
        longitudinal outcomes; and
            (3) the taxpayer return on investment in the career 
        pathways initiative under this Act and the participant return 
        on investment in the career pathways initiatives under this 
        Act.
    (b) Award Basis.--Each grant or contract awarded under subsection 
(a) that is in an amount that exceeds $200,000 shall be awarded only on 
a competitive basis, except that a noncompetitive award of more than 
$200,000 may be made in the case of a project that is funded jointly 
with other public or private entities that provide a substantial 
portion of assistance under the grant or contract for the project.
    (c) Peer Review.--The Center shall utilize a peer review process--
            (1) to review all applications for research and evaluation 
        grants and contracts in excess of $500,000; and
            (2) to review and designate the exemplary and promising 
        career pathways curricula, practices, and model approaches.
    (d) Methodology.--Evaluations conducted under this section shall 
utilize appropriate methodology and research designs.
    (e) Distribution.--Not later than 60 days after the completion of a 
final research or evaluation report under this subsection, the Director 
shall--
            (1) make the final report available to the public and to 
        the States; and
            (2) submit the final report, accompanied by the 
        recommendations of the Center, as appropriate to the Secretary 
        of Commerce, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of 
        Labor, and the appropriate committees of Congress.
    (f) Affect on Other Programs.--The Secretary of Commerce, the 
Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Labor shall take the 
findings of the evaluation and research described in this section and 
the reports under section 302(f) into account.

SEC. 304. BENEFITS AND LABOR STANDARDS.

    (a) In General.--The provisions of subsection (a)(1), paragraphs 
(2), (3), and (4) of subsection (b), and subsection (c), of section 181 
of the Workforce Investment Act of 1988 (29 U.S.C. 2931) that apply to 
individuals participating in activities under title I of that Act (29 
U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), shall apply in the same manner to individuals 
participating in programs under this Act.
    (b) References.--For purposes of the application described in 
subsection (a), a reference to--
            (1) funds or a recipient of funds under that title shall be 
        considered to be a reference to funds or a recipient of funds 
        under this Act;
            (2) a requirement or violation of that title shall be 
        considered to be a reference to a requirement or violation of 
        this Act; and
            (3) the Secretary of Labor shall be considered to be a 
        reference to the Center.

SEC. 305. SUNSHINE PROVISION.

    Each State partnership and regional partnership receiving a grant 
or subgrant under this Act shall make available to the public--
            (1) on a regular basis through open meetings--
                    (A) information about the activities of the State 
                partnership or regional partnership, respectively, 
                including information on the State plan under section 
                101 and how to provide comments prior to the State 
                partnership's submission of the plan; and
                    (B) information about the membership of the State 
                partnership or regional partnership, respectively; and
            (2) upon request, the minutes of the formal meetings of the 
        State partnership or regional partnership, respectively.

SEC. 306. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS AND DISTRIBUTION.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Center to carry out the activities described in 
this Act $930,000,000 for fiscal year 2012, and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2020.
    (b) Distribution.--
            (1) In general.--Of the amount appropriated under 
        subsection (a) for fiscal year 2012, the Center shall use--
                    (A) $12,000,000 to carry out section 101;
                    (B) a total of $600,000,000 to carry out sections 
                102, 103, and 104;
                    (C) $300,000,000 to carry out section 201; and
                    (D) $18,000,000 to carry out title III.
            (2) Ratable reduction.--In the event that the amounts 
        appropriated under this section for fiscal year 2012 is less 
        than the amounts required to carry out paragraph (1), the 
        Center shall ratably reduce each such amount for such fiscal 
        year.
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