[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 28 (Thursday, March 10, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2428-S2459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CARL D. PERKINS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2005

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the clerk will 
report the next bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 250) to amend the Carl D. Perkins Education and 
     Technical Education Act of 1998 to improve the Act.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill which had been reported 
from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions with an 
amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:
  (Strike part shown in black brackets and insert part shown in 
italic.)

                                 S. 250

       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 ``Carl D. 
     Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 
     2005''.
       [(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

[Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
[Sec. 2. References.
[Sec. 3. Purpose.
[Sec. 4. Definitions.
[Sec. 5. Transition provisions.
[Sec. 6. Limitation.
[Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.

   [TITLE I--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE STATES

[Sec. 101. Career and technical education assistance to the States.
[Sec. 102. Reservations and State allotment.
[Sec. 103. Within State allocation.
[Sec. 104. Accountability.
[Sec. 105. National activities.
[Sec. 106. Assistance for the outlying areas.
[Sec. 107. Native American program.
[Sec. 108. Tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical 
              institutions.
[Sec. 109. Occupational and employment information.
[Sec. 110. State administration.
[Sec. 111. State plan.
[Sec. 112. Improvement plans.

[[Page S2429]]

[Sec. 113. State leadership activities.
[Sec. 114. Distribution of funds to secondary school programs.
[Sec. 115. Distribution of funds for postsecondary career and technical 
              education programs.
[Sec. 116. Special rules for career and technical education.
[Sec. 117. Local plan for career and technical education programs.
[Sec. 118. Local uses of funds.
[Sec. 119. Tech-Prep education.

                     [TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

[Sec. 201. Redesignation of title.
[Sec. 202. Fiscal requirements.
[Sec. 203. Voluntary selection and participation.
[Sec. 204. Limitation for certain students.
[Sec. 205. Authorization of Secretary; participation of private school 
              personnel.
[Sec. 206. Student assistance and other Federal programs.
[Sec. 207. Table of contents.

     [SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       [Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this 
     Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an 
     amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the 
     reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 
     other provision of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and 
     Technical Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.).

     [SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

       [Section 2 (20 U.S.C. 2301) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``standards'' and 
     inserting ``and technical standards, and to assist students 
     in meeting such standards, especially in preparation for high 
     skill, high wage, or high demand occupations in emerging or 
     established professions'';
       [(3) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``challenging'' after 
     ``integrate'';
       [(4) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       [(5) in paragraph (4)--
       [(A) by inserting ``conducting and'' before ``disseminating 
     national'';
       [(B) by inserting ``disseminating information on best 
     practices,'' after ``national research,''; and
       [(C) by striking the period at the end and inserting a 
     semicolon; and
       [(6) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(5) promoting leadership and professional development at 
     the State and local levels, and developing research and best 
     practices for improving the quality of career and technical 
     education teachers, faculty, principals, administrators, and 
     counselors;
       [``(6) supporting partnerships among secondary schools, 
     postsecondary institutions, area career technical centers, 
     business and industry, professional associations, and 
     intermediaries; and
       [``(7) developing a highly skilled workforce needed to keep 
     America competitive in the global economy in conjunction with 
     other Federal education and training programs, including 
     workforce investment programs, that provide lifelong learning 
     for the workforce of today and tomorrow.''.

     [SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       [Section 3 (20 U.S.C. 2302) is amended--
       [(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, including 
     employment statistics and information relating to national, 
     regional, and local labor market areas, as provided pursuant 
     to section 118, and career ladder information, where 
     appropriate'' after ``to enter'';
       [(2) in paragraph (3)--
       [(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Vocational'' 
     and inserting ``Career''; and
       [(B) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(3) by striking paragraph (4);
       [(4) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (30) as 
     paragraphs (10) through (35), respectively;
       [(5) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
       [``(4) Articulation agreement.--The term `articulation 
     agreement' means a written commitment, approved annually by 
     the relevant administrators of the secondary and 
     postsecondary institutions, to a program that is designed to 
     provide students with a nonduplicative sequence of 
     progressive achievement leading to technical skill 
     proficiency, a credential, a certificate, or a degree, and 
     linked through credit transfer agreements.
       [``(5) Career and technical education.--The term `career 
     and technical education' means organized educational 
     activities that--
       [``(A) offer a sequence of courses (which may include 
     technical learning experiences) that--
       [``(i) provides individuals with the challenging academic 
     and technical knowledge and skills the individuals need to 
     prepare for further education and for careers in emerging and 
     established professions; and
       [``(ii) may lead to technical skill proficiency, a 
     credential, a certificate, or a degree; and
       [``(B) include competency-based applied learning that 
     contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning 
     and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general 
     employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-
     specific skills, of an individual.
       [``(6) Career and technical education student.--The term 
     `career and technical education student' means a student who 
     enrolls in a clearly defined sequence of career and technical 
     education courses leading to attainment of technical skill 
     proficiency, a credential, a certificate, or a degree.
       [``(7) Career and technical student organization.--
       [``(A) In general.--The term `career and technical student 
     organization' means an organization for individuals enrolled 
     in a career and technical education program that engages in 
     career and technical education activities as an integral part 
     of the instructional program.
       [``(B) State and national units.--An organization described 
     in subparagraph (A) may have State and national units that 
     aggregate the work and purposes of instruction in career and 
     technical education at the local level.
       [``(8) Career guidance and academic counseling.--The term 
     `career guidance and academic counseling' means providing 
     access to information regarding career awareness and planning 
     with respect to an individual's occupational and academic 
     future that shall involve guidance and counseling with 
     respect to career options, financial aid, and postsecondary 
     options.
       [``(9) Career pathway.--The term `career pathway' means a 
     coordinated and nonduplicative sequence of courses (which may 
     include technical learning experiences) and associated 
     credits that--
       [``(A) shall identify both secondary and postsecondary 
     education elements;
       [``(B) shall include challenging academic and career and 
     technical education content;
       [``(C) may include the opportunity for secondary students 
     to participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs or 
     other ways to acquire postsecondary credits; and
       [``(D) may culminate in technical skill proficiency, a 
     credential, a certificate, or a degree.'';
       [(6) in paragraph (10) (as redesignated by paragraph (4) of 
     this section), by striking ``5206'' and inserting ``5210'';
       [(7) by redesignating paragraphs (11) through (35) (as 
     redesignated by paragraph (4) of this section) as paragraphs 
     (12) through (36), respectively;
       [(8) by inserting after paragraph (10) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (4) of this section) the following:
       [``(11) Community college.--The term `community college'--
       [``(A) means an institution of higher education, as defined 
     in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, that 
     provides not less than a 2-year program that is acceptable 
     for full credit toward a baccalaureate degree; and
       [``(B) includes tribally controlled colleges or 
     universities.'';
       [(9) in paragraph (12) (as redesignated by paragraph (7) of 
     this section)--
       [(A) by striking ``method of instruction'' and inserting 
     ``method''; and
       [(B) by striking ``vocational'' and inserting ``career'';
       [(10) by redesignating paragraphs (13) through (36) (as 
     redesignated by paragraph (7) of this section) as paragraphs 
     (14) through (37), respectively;
       [(11) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following:
       [``(13) Core academic subjects.--The term `core academic 
     subjects' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of 
     the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, except 
     that under this Act such subjects included in such term shall 
     be only those subjects in a secondary school context.'';
       [(12) in paragraph (16) (as redesignated by paragraph (10) 
     of this section), by striking ``vocational'' both places the 
     term appears and inserting ``career'';
       [(13) in paragraph (17) (as redesignated by paragraph (10) 
     of this section)--
       [(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``an institution of 
     higher education'' and inserting ``a public or nonprofit 
     private institution of higher education that offers career 
     and technical education courses that lead to technical skill 
     proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a 
     certificate, or a degree''; and
       [(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``vocational'' and 
     inserting ``career'';
       [(14) in paragraph (18)(A) (as redesignated by paragraph 
     (10) of this section), by striking ``agency, an area 
     vocational'' and inserting ``agency (including a public 
     charter school that operates as a local educational agency), 
     an area career'';
       [(15) by redesignating paragraphs (20) through (37) (as 
     redesignated by paragraph (10) of this section) as paragraphs 
     (21) through (38), respectively;
       [(16) by inserting after paragraph (19) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (10) of this section) the following:
       [``(20) Graduation and career plan.--The term `graduation 
     and career plan' means a written plan for a secondary career 
     and technical education student, that--
       [``(A) is developed with career guidance and academic 
     counseling or other professional staff, and in consultation 
     with parents, not later than in the first year of secondary 
     school or upon enrollment in career and technical education;
       [``(B) is reviewed annually and modified as needed;
       [``(C) includes relevant information on--
       [``(i) secondary school requirements for graduating with a 
     diploma;
       [``(ii) postsecondary education admission requirements; and
       [``(iii) high skill, high wage, or high demand occupations 
     and nontraditional fields in emerging and established 
     professions, and labor market indicators; and
       [``(D) states the student's secondary school graduation 
     goals, postsecondary education

[[Page S2430]]

     and training, or employment goals, and identifies 1 or more 
     career pathways that correspond to the goals.'';
       [(17) in paragraph (25) (as redesignated by paragraph (15) 
     of this section)--
       [(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Training and 
     employment'' and inserting ``Fields''; and
       [(B) by striking ``training and employment'' and inserting 
     ``fields'';
       [(18) in paragraph (26) (as redesignated by paragraph (15) 
     of this section), by striking ``the Commonwealth'' and all 
     that follows through the period and inserting ``and the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.'';
       [(19) by redesignating paragraphs (31) through (38) (as 
     redesignated by paragraph (15) of this section) as paragraphs 
     (32) through (39), respectively;
       [(20) by inserting after paragraph (30) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (15) of this section) the following:
       [``(31) Self-sufficiency.--The term `self-sufficiency' 
     means a standard that is adopted, calculated, or commissioned 
     by a local area or State, and which adjusts for local 
     factors, in specifying the income needs of families, by 
     family size, the number and ages of children in the family, 
     and sub-State geographical considerations.'';
       [(21) in paragraph (32) (as redesignated by paragraph (19) 
     of this section)--
       [(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``training and 
     employment'' and inserting ``fields''; and
       [(B) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``individuals with 
     other barriers to educational achievement, including'';
       [(22) in paragraph (34) (as redesignated by paragraph (19) 
     of this section) by striking ``, and instructional aids and 
     devices'' and inserting ``instructional aids, and work 
     supports'';
       [(23) by striking paragraph (35) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (19) of this section) and inserting the following:
       [``(35) Tech-prep program.--The term `tech-prep program' 
     means a program of study that--
       [``(A) combines at a minimum 2 years of secondary education 
     (as determined under State law) with a minimum of 2 years of 
     postsecondary education in a nonduplicative, sequential 
     course of study;
       [``(B) integrates academic and career and technical 
     education instruction, and utilizes work-based and worksite 
     learning where appropriate and available;
       [``(C) provides technical preparation in a career field, 
     including high skill, high wage, or high demand occupations;
       [``(D) builds student competence in technical skills and in 
     core academic subjects, as appropriate, through applied, 
     contextual, and integrated instruction, in a coherent 
     sequence of courses;
       [``(E) leads to technical skill proficiency, a credential, 
     a certificate, or a degree, in a specific career field;
       [``(F) leads to placement in appropriate employment or to 
     further education; and
       [``(G) utilizes career pathways, to the extent 
     practicable.'';
       [(24) in paragraph (37) (as redesignated by paragraph (19) 
     of this section)--
       [(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Vocational'' 
     and inserting ``Career'';
       [(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph [(A)--
       [(i) by striking ``vocational'' and inserting ``career'';
       [(ii) by striking ``paragraph (2)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)(2)''; and
       [(iii) by striking ``paragraph (5)(A)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)(5)''; and
       [(C) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``vocational'' and 
     inserting ``career''; and
       [(25) by striking paragraphs (38) and (39) (as redesignated 
     by paragraph (19) of this section).

     [SEC. 5. TRANSITION PROVISIONS.

       [Section 4 (20 U.S.C. 2303) is amended by striking ``the 
     Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education 
     Act'' and all that follows through the period and inserting 
     ``this Act, as this Act was in effect on the day before the 
     date of enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
     Education Improvement Act of 2005. Each eligible agency shall 
     be assured a full fiscal year for transition to plan for and 
     implement the requirements of this Act.''.

     [SEC. 6. LIMITATION.

       [Section 6 (20 U.S.C. 2305) is amended by striking the 
     second sentence.

     [SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       [Section 8 (20 U.S.C. 2307) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``title II'' and inserting ``part D of 
     title I''; and
       [(2) by striking ``1999 through 2003'' and inserting ``2006 
     through 2011''.

   [TITLE I--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE STATES

     [SEC. 101. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE 
                   STATES.

       [Title I (20 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.) is amended by striking 
     the title heading and inserting the following:

 [``TITLE I--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE STATES''.

     [SEC. 102. RESERVATIONS AND STATE ALLOTMENT.

       [Section 111(a) (20 U.S.C. 2321(a)) is amended--
       [(1) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ``2001 through 
     2003,'' and inserting ``2006 through 2011, not more than'';
       [(2) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
     (A), by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``paragraph 
     (1), that are not allotted under paragraph (5),'';
       [(3) in paragraph (3)--
       [(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``(or in the case'' 
     and all that follows through ``1998)''; and
       [(B) in subparagraph (C)--
       [(i) in clause (i)(I), by striking ``(or in the case'' and 
     all that follows through ``1998)''; and
       [(ii) in clause (ii)(II), by striking ``(or in the case'' 
     and all that follows through ``1998)''; and
       [(4) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(5) Formula for amounts in excess of the fiscal year 
     2005 funding level.--
       [``(A) In general.--For any fiscal year for which the 
     remainder of the sums appropriated under section 8 and not 
     reserved under paragraph (1) exceeds the remainder of the 
     sums appropriated under section 8 and not reserved under 
     paragraph (1) for fiscal year 2005, such excess amount shall 
     be allotted to the States according to the formula under 
     subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (2).
       [``(B) Minimum allotment.--
       [``(i) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law and subject to clause (ii), no State shall receive for a 
     fiscal year under this paragraph less than \1/2\ of 1 percent 
     of the excess amount described in subparagraph (A).
       [``(ii) Requirement.--No State, by reason of the 
     application of clause (i), shall be allotted under this 
     paragraph for a fiscal year more than the amount determined 
     by multiplying--

       [``(I) the number of individuals in the State counted under 
     paragraph (2); by
       [``(II) 185 percent of the national average per pupil 
     payment made with the excess amount described in subparagraph 
     (A) for that year.''.

     [SEC. 103. WITHIN STATE ALLOCATION.

       [Section 112 (20 U.S.C. 2322) is amended--
       [(1) in subsection (a)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       [(B) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(2) not more than 15 percent for--
       [``(A) State leadership activities described in section 
     124, of which--
       [``(i) an amount determined by the eligible agency shall be 
     made available to serve individuals in State institutions, 
     such as State correctional institutions and institutions that 
     serve individuals with disabilities; and
       [``(ii) not less than $60,000 shall be available for 
     services that prepare individuals for nontraditional fields; 
     and
       [``(B) administration of the State plan, which may be used 
     for the costs of--
       [``(i) developing the State plan;
       [``(ii) reviewing the local plans;
       [``(iii) monitoring and evaluating program effectiveness;
       [``(iv) assuring compliance with all applicable Federal 
     laws;
       [``(v) providing technical assistance; and
       [``(vi) supporting and developing State data systems 
     relevant to the provisions of this Act.'';
       [(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``subsection (a)(3)'' 
     both places the term appears and inserting ``subsection 
     (a)(2)(B)''; and
       [(3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(c) Reserve.--From amounts made available under 
     subsection (a)(1) to carry out this subsection, an eligible 
     agency may--
       [``(1) award grants to eligible recipients, or consortia of 
     eligible recipients, for career and technical education 
     activities described in section 135 in--
       [``(A) rural areas; or
       [``(B) areas with high percentages or high numbers of 
     career and technical education students;
       [``(2) reserve funds, with the approval of participating 
     eligible recipients, for--
       [``(A) innovative statewide initiatives that demonstrate 
     benefits for eligible recipients, which may include--
       [``(i) developing and implementing technical assessments;
       [``(ii) improving the professional development of career 
     and technical education teachers, faculty, principals, and 
     administrators; and
       [``(iii) establishing, enhancing, and supporting systems 
     for accountability data collection or reporting purposes; or
       [``(B) the development and implementation of career 
     pathways or career clusters; and
       [``(3) carry out activities described in paragraphs (1) and 
     (2).''.

     [SEC. 104. ACCOUNTABILITY.

       [Section 113 (20 U.S.C. 2323) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(2) in subsection (a)--
       [(A) by striking ``a State performance accountability 
     system'' and inserting ``and support State and local 
     performance accountability systems''; and
       [(B) by inserting ``and its eligible recipients'' after 
     ``of the State'';
       [(3) in subsection (b)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1)--
       [(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``paragraph (2)(A)'' 
     and inserting ``subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2)''; 
     and
       [(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``(2)(B)'' and 
     inserting ``(2)(C)'';
       [(B) in paragraph (2)--
       [(i) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(A) Core indicators of performance for secondary career 
     and technical education students.--Each eligible agency

[[Page S2431]]

     shall identify in the State plan core indicators of 
     performance for secondary career and technical education 
     students that include, at a minimum, measures of each of the 
     following:
       [``(i) Student achievement on technical assessments and 
     attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies that 
     are aligned with nationally recognized industry standards, if 
     available and appropriate.
       [``(ii) Student attainment of challenging academic content 
     standards and student academic achievement standards, as 
     adopted by the State under section 1111(b)(1) of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and measured 
     by the academic assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) 
     of such Act, consistent with State requirements.
       [``(iii) Student rates of attainment of--

       [``(I) a secondary school diploma;
       [``(II) the recognized equivalent of a secondary school 
     diploma;
       [``(III) technical skill proficiency;
       [``(IV) a credential;
       [``(V) a certificate; and
       [``(VI) a degree.

       [``(iv) Placement in postsecondary education, military 
     service, apprenticeship programs, or employment.
       [``(v) Student participation in, and completion of, career 
     and technical education programs that lead to employment in 
     nontraditional fields.'';
       [(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (D) as 
     subparagraphs (C) through (E), respectively;
       [(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
       [``(B) Core indicators of performance for postsecondary 
     career and technical students.--Each eligible agency shall 
     identify in the State plan core indicators of performance for 
     postsecondary career and technical education students that 
     include, at a minimum, measures of each of the following:
       [``(i) Student achievement on technical assessments and 
     attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies that 
     are aligned with nationally recognized industry standards, if 
     available and appropriate.
       [``(ii) Student attainment of technical skill proficiency, 
     a credential, a certificate, or a degree, or retention in 
     postsecondary education, including transfer to a 
     baccalaureate degree program.
       [``(iii) Placement in military service, apprenticeship 
     programs, or employment.
       [``(iv) Student participation in, and completion of, career 
     and technical education programs that lead to employment in 
     nontraditional fields.
       [``(v) Increase in earnings, where available.'';
       [(iv) in subparagraph (C) (as redesignated by clause (ii) 
     of this subparagraph), by striking ``the title.'' and 
     inserting ``this title, such as attainment of self-
     sufficiency.'';
       [(v) in subparagraph (D) (as redesignated by clause (ii) of 
     this subparagraph), by inserting ``career and technical 
     education'' after ``developed State'';
       [(vi) in subparagraph (E) (as redesignated by clause (ii) 
     of this subparagraph)--

       [(I) by striking ``this paragraph'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraphs (A) and (B)''; and
       [(II) by striking ``recipients.'' and inserting 
     ``recipients, and shall meet the requirements of this 
     section.''; and

       [(vii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``[(F) Alignment of performance indicators.--In the course 
     of identifying core indicators of performance and additional 
     indicators of performance, States shall, to the greatest 
     extent possible, define the indicators so that substantially 
     similar information gathered for other State and Federal 
     programs, or any other purpose, is used to meet the 
     requirements of this section.'';
       [(C) in paragraph (3)--
       [(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Levels'' and 
     inserting ``State levels'';
       [(ii) in subparagraph (A)--

       [(I) in clause (i)--

       [(aa) by striking ``paragraph (2)(A)'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2)'';
       [(bb) by inserting ``after taking into account the local 
     adjusted levels of performance and'' after ``eligible 
     agency,''; and
       [(cc) by striking subclause (II) and inserting the 
     following:

       [``(II) require the eligible recipients to make continuous 
     and significant improvement in career and technical 
     achievement of career and technical education students, 
     including special populations.'';
       [(II) in clause (v)--

       [(aa) in the clause heading, by striking ``3rd, 4th, and 
     5th'' and inserting ``Subsequent'';
       [(bb) by striking ``third program year'' and inserting 
     ``third and fifth program years''; and
       [(cc) by striking ``third, fourth, and fifth'' and 
     inserting ``corresponding subsequent'';

       [(III) in clause (vi)(II), by inserting ``and significant'' 
     after ``continuous''; and
       [(IV) in clause (vii), by striking ``or (vi)'' and 
     inserting ``or (v)''; and

       [(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``(2)(B)'' and 
     inserting ``(2)(C)''; and
       [(D) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(4) Local levels of performance.--
       [``(A) Local adjusted levels of performance for core 
     indicators of performance.--
       [``(i) In general.--Each eligible recipient shall accept 
     the State adjusted levels of performance established under 
     paragraph (3) as local adjusted levels of performance, or 
     negotiate with the State to reach agreement on new local 
     adjusted levels of performance, for each of the core 
     indicators of performance described in subparagraphs (A) and 
     (B) of paragraph (2) for career and technical education 
     activities authorized under this title. The levels of 
     performance established under this subparagraph shall, at a 
     minimum--

       [``(I) be expressed in a percentage or numerical form, so 
     as to be objective, quantifiable, and measurable; and
       [``(II) require the eligible recipient to make continuous 
     and significant improvement in career and technical 
     achievement of career and technical education students.

       [``(ii) Identification in the local plan.--Each eligible 
     recipient shall identify, in the local plan submitted under 
     section 134, levels of performance for each of the core 
     indicators of performance for the first 2 program years 
     covered by the local plan.
       [``(iii) Agreement on local adjusted levels of performance 
     for first 2 years.--The eligible agency and each eligible 
     recipient shall reach agreement on the eligible recipient's 
     levels of performance for each of the core indicators of 
     performance for the first 2 program years covered by the 
     local plan, taking into account the levels identified in the 
     local plan under clause (ii) and the factors described in 
     clause (v). The levels of performance agreed to under this 
     clause shall be considered to be the local adjusted levels of 
     performance for the eligible recipient for such years and 
     shall be incorporated into the local plan prior to the 
     approval of such plan.
       [``(iv) Agreement on local adjusted levels of performance 
     for subsequent years.--Prior to the third and fifth program 
     years covered by the local plan, the eligible agency and each 
     eligible recipient shall reach agreement on the local 
     adjusted levels of performance for each of the core 
     indicators of performance for the corresponding subsequent 
     program years covered by the local plan, taking into account 
     the factors described in clause (v). The local adjusted 
     levels of performance agreed to under this clause shall be 
     considered to be the local adjusted levels of performance for 
     the eligible recipient for such years and shall be 
     incorporated into the local plan.
       [``(v) Factors.--The agreement described in clause (iii) or 
     (iv) shall take into account--

       [``(I) how the levels of performance involved compare with 
     the local adjusted levels of performance established for 
     other eligible recipients, taking into account factors 
     including the characteristics of participants when the 
     participants entered the program and the services or 
     instruction to be provided; and
       [``(II) the extent to which the local adjusted levels of 
     performance involved promote continuous and significant 
     improvement on the core indicators of performance by the 
     eligible recipient.

       [``(vi) Revisions.--If unanticipated circumstances arise 
     with respect to an eligible recipient resulting in a 
     significant change in the factor described in clause (v)(II), 
     the eligible recipient may request that the local adjusted 
     levels of performance agreed to under clause (iii) or (iv) be 
     revised. The eligible agency shall issue objective criteria 
     and methods for making such revisions.
       [``(B) Levels of performance for additional indicators.--
     Each eligible recipient may identify, in the local plan, 
     local levels of performance for any additional indicators of 
     performance described in paragraph (2)(C). Such levels shall 
     be considered to be the local levels of performance for 
     purposes of this title.
       [``(C) Report.--Each eligible recipient that receives an 
     allocation under section 131 shall publicly report, on an 
     annual basis, its progress in achieving the local adjusted 
     levels of performance on the core indicators of 
     performance.''; and
       [(4) by striking subsection (c)(1)(B) and inserting:
       [``(B) information on the levels of performance achieved by 
     the State with respect to the additional indicators of 
     performance, including the levels of performance 
     disaggregated for postsecondary institutions, by special 
     populations, and for secondary institutions, by special 
     populations and by the categories described in section 
     1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
     Act of 1965, except that such disaggregation shall not be 
     required in a case in which the number of individuals in a 
     category is insufficient to yield statistically reliable 
     information or the results would reveal personally 
     identifiable information about an individual.''.

     [SEC. 105. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

       [Section 114 (20 U.S.C. 2324) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(2) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``, including an 
     analysis of performance data regarding special populations'' 
     and inserting ``, including an analysis of performance data 
     that is disaggregated for postsecondary institutions, by 
     special populations, and for secondary institutions, by 
     special populations and by the categories described in 
     section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965, except that such disaggregation shall 
     not be required in a case in which the number of individuals 
     in a category is insufficient to yield statistically reliable 
     information or the results would reveal personally 
     identifiable information about an individual'';
       [(3) in subsection (c)--
       [(A) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
       [``(2) Independent advisory panel.--

[[Page S2432]]

       [``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall appoint an 
     independent advisory panel to advise the Secretary on the 
     implementation of the assessment described in paragraph (3), 
     including the issues to be addressed and the methodology of 
     the studies involved to ensure that the assessment adheres to 
     the highest standards of quality.
       [``(B) Members.--The advisory panel shall consist of--
       [``(i) educators, principals, and administrators (including 
     State directors of career and technical education), with 
     expertise in the integration of academic and career and 
     technical education;
       [``(ii) experts in evaluation, research, and assessment;
       [``(iii) representatives of labor organizations and 
     businesses, including small businesses;
       [``(iv) parents;
       [``(v) career guidance and academic counseling 
     professionals; and
       [``(vi) other individuals and intermediaries with relevant 
     expertise.
       [``(C) Independent analysis.--The advisory panel shall 
     transmit to the Secretary and to the relevant committees of 
     Congress an independent analysis of the findings and 
     recommendations resulting from the assessment described in 
     paragraph (3).
       [``(D) FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) shall not apply to the panel established under this 
     paragraph.'';
       [(B) in paragraph (3)--
       [(i) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(A) In general.--From amounts made available under 
     subsection (d), the Secretary shall provide for the conduct 
     of an independent evaluation and assessment of career and 
     technical education programs under this Act, including the 
     implementation of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
     Education Improvement Act of 2005, to the extent practicable, 
     through studies and analyses conducted independently through 
     grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements that are 
     awarded on a competitive basis.'';
       [(ii) in subparagraph (B)--

       [(I) by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following:

       [``(iii) the preparation and qualifications of teachers and 
     faculty of career and technical education, as well as 
     shortages of such teachers and faculty;'';

       [(II) by striking clause (v) and inserting the following:

       [``(v) academic and career and technical education 
     achievement and employment outcomes of career and technical 
     education students, including analyses of--

       [``(I) the number of career and technical education 
     students and tech-prep students who meet the State adjusted 
     levels of performance established under section 113;
       [``(II) the extent and success of integration of 
     challenging academic and career and technical education for 
     students participating in career and technical education 
     programs;
       [``(III) the extent to which career and technical education 
     programs prepare students, including special populations, for 
     subsequent employment in high skill, high wage occupations, 
     or participation in postsecondary education; and
       [``(IV) the number of career and technical education 
     students receiving a high school diploma;'';
       [(III) in clause (vi), by inserting ``, and career and 
     technical education students' preparation for employment'' 
     after ``programs''; and
       [(IV) in clause (viii), by inserting ``and local'' after 
     ``State'' both places such term appears; and

       [(iii) in subparagraph (C)--

       [(I) in clause (i)--

       [(aa) by striking ``Committee on Education'' and all that 
     follows through ``Senate'' and inserting ``relevant 
     committees of Congress''; and
       [(bb) by striking ``2002'' both places it appears and 
     inserting ``2009''; and

       [(II) in clause (ii), by striking ``Committee on 
     Education'' and all that follows through ``Senate'' and 
     inserting ``relevant committees of Congress'';

       [(C) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ``Committee on 
     Education'' and all that follows through ``Senate'' and 
     inserting ``relevant committees of Congress'';
       [(D) in paragraph (5)--
       [(i) in subparagraph (A)--

       [(I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
     ``higher education'' and all that follows through ``centers'' 
     and inserting ``higher education offering comprehensive 
     graduate programs in career and technical education that 
     shall be the primary recipient and shall collaborate with a 
     public or private nonprofit organization or agency, or a 
     consortium of such institutions, organizations, or agencies, 
     to establish a national research center'';
       [(II) in clause (i)--

       [(aa) by inserting ``and evaluation'' after ``to carry out 
     research''; and
       [(bb) by inserting ``, including special populations,'' 
     after ``participants'';

       [(III) by redesignating clauses (ii), (iii), and (iv), as 
     clauses (iii), (iv), and (v), respectively;
       [(IV) by inserting after clause (i) the following:

       [``(ii) to carry out research for the purpose of 
     developing, improving, and identifying the most successful 
     methods for successfully addressing the needs of employers in 
     high skill, high wage business and industry, including 
     evaluation and scientifically based research of--

       [``(I) collaboration between career and technical education 
     programs and business and industry;
       [``(II) academic and technical skills required to respond 
     to the challenge of a global economy and rapid technological 
     changes; and
       [``(III) technical knowledge and skills required to respond 
     to needs of a regional or sectoral workforce, including small 
     business;'';
       [(V) in clause (iii) (as redesignated by subclause (III) of 
     this clause), by inserting ``that are integrated with 
     challenging academic instruction'' before ``, including''; 
     and
       [(VI) by striking clause (iv) (as redesignated by subclause 
     (III) of this clause) and inserting the following:

       [``(iv) to carry out scientifically based research, where 
     appropriate, that can be used to improve preparation and 
     professional development of teachers, faculty, principals, 
     and administrators and student learning in the career and 
     technical education classroom, including--

       [``(I) effective in-service and pre-service teacher and 
     faculty education that assists career and technical education 
     programs in--

       [``(aa) integrating those programs with academic content 
     standards and student academic achievement standards, as 
     adopted by States under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary 
     and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and
       [``(bb) promoting technical education aligned with 
     industry-based standards and certifications to meet regional 
     industry needs;

       [``(II) dissemination and training activities related to 
     the applied research and demonstration activities described 
     in this subsection, which may also include serving as a 
     repository for information on career and technical education 
     skills, State academic standards, and related materials; and
       [``(III) the recruitment and retention of career and 
     technical education teachers, faculty, counselors, 
     principals, and administrators, including individuals in 
     groups underrepresented in the teaching profession; and'';

       [(ii) in subparagraph (B)--

       [(I) by striking ``or centers'' both places the term 
     appears; and
       [(II) by striking ``Committee on Education'' and all that 
     follows through ``Senate'' and inserting ``relevant 
     committees of Congress'';

       [(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or centers''; and
       [(iv) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(D) Independent governing board.--
       [``(i) In general.--An institution of higher education that 
     desires a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under 
     this paragraph shall identify, in its application, an 
     independent governing board for the center established 
     pursuant to this paragraph.
       [``(ii) Members.--The independent governing board shall 
     consist of the following:

       [``(I) Two representatives of secondary career and 
     technical education.
       [``(II) Two representatives of postsecondary career and 
     technical education.
       [``(III) Two representatives of eligible agencies.
       [``(IV) Two representatives of business and industry.
       [``(V) Two representatives of career and technical teacher 
     preparation institutions.
       [``(VI) Two nationally recognized researchers in the field 
     of career and technical education.

       [``(iii) Coordination.--The independent governing board 
     shall ensure that the research and dissemination activities 
     carried out by the center are coordinated with the research 
     activities carried out by the Secretary.'';
       [(E) in paragraph (6)(B)(ii), by striking ``or centers''; 
     and
       [(F) by striking paragraph (8); and
       [(4) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such 
     sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2006 
     through 2011.''.

     [SEC. 106. ASSISTANCE FOR THE OUTLYING AREAS.

       [Section 115 (20 U.S.C. 2325) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(2) in subsection (b)--
       [(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States 
     of Micronesia,'';
       [(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``training and 
     retraining;'' and inserting ``preparation;'';
       [(C) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
     (3) and (4), respectively; and
       [(D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       [``(2) professional development for teachers, faculty, 
     principals, and administrators;''; and
       [(3) in subsection (d)--
       [(A) by striking ``the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 
     the Federated States of Micronesia, and''; and
       [(B) by striking ``2001'' and inserting ``2007''.

     [SEC. 107. NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM.

       [Section 116 (20 U.S.C. 2326) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(2) in subsection (a)(5), by adding a period at the end;
       [(3) in subsection (b)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``(d)'' and inserting 
     ``(c)''; and

[[Page S2433]]

       [(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(other than in 
     subsection (i))'';
       [(4) in subsection (d), by striking ``section an'' and 
     inserting ``section, an'';
       [(5) in subsection (e), by striking ``paragraph'' and 
     inserting ``section''; and
       [(6) in subsection (h), by striking ``which are recognized 
     by the Governor of the State of Hawaii''.

     [SEC. 108. TRIBALLY CONTROLLED POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND 
                   TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS.

       [Section 117 (20 U.S.C. 2327) is amended--
       [(1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
     following:

     [``SEC. 117. TRIBALLY CONTROLLED POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND 
                   TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS.'';

       [(2) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(3) in subsection (g)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``The Secretary'' and 
     inserting ``On an annual basis, the Secretary'';
       [(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``2000'' and 
     inserting ``2007''; and
       [(C) in paragraph (3)(C), by striking ``beginning'' and all 
     that follows through the period and inserting ``beginning on 
     the date of enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
     Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005.'';
       [(4) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as 
     subsections (i) and (j), respectively;
       [(5) by inserting after subsection (g) the following:
       [``(h) Appeals.--
       [``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 
     shall provide a tribally controlled postsecondary career and 
     technical institution with a hearing on the record before an 
     administrative law judge with respect to the following 
     determinations:
       [``(A) A determination that such institution is not 
     eligible for a grant under this section.
       [``(B) A determination regarding the calculation of the 
     amount of a grant awarded under this section.
       [``(2) Procedure for appeal.--To appeal a determination 
     described in paragraph (1), a tribally controlled 
     postsecondary career and technical institution shall--
       [``(A) in the case of an appeal based on a determination 
     that such institution is not eligible for a grant under this 
     section, file a notice of appeal with the Secretary not later 
     than 30 days after receipt of such determination; and
       [``(B) in the case of an appeal based on a determination 
     regarding the calculation of the amount of a grant awarded 
     under this section--
       [``(i) file a notice of appeal with the Secretary not later 
     than 30 days after receipt of the Secretary's notification of 
     the grant amount; and
       [``(ii) identify the amount of funding that gives rise to 
     such appeal.
       [``(3) Withholding of amount.--If a tribally controlled 
     postsecondary career and technical institution appeals a 
     determination described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
     withhold the amount in dispute from the award of grant funds 
     under this section until such time as the administrative law 
     judge has issued a written decision on the appeal.''; and
       [(6) by striking subsection (j) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (4) of this section) and inserting the following:
       [``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.''.

     [SEC. 109. OCCUPATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION.

       [Section 118 (20 U.S.C. 2328) is amended--
       [(1) in subsection (a)--
       [(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``(f)'' and inserting ``(g)'';
       [(B) in paragraph (1)--
       [(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``(b)'' both places 
     it appears and inserting ``(c)'';
       [(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``(b)'' and 
     inserting ``(c)''; and
       [(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``(b)'' and 
     inserting ``(c)''; and
       [(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(b)'' both places it 
     appears and inserting ``(c)'';
       [(2) by redesignating subsections (b) through (f) as 
     subsections (c) through (g), respectively;
       [(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
       [``(b) State Application.--
       [``(1) In general.--Each State desiring assistance under 
     this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
     the same time the State submits its State plan under section 
     122, in such manner, and accompanied by such additional 
     information, as the Secretary may reasonably require.
       [``(2) Contents.--Each application submitted under 
     paragraph (1) shall include--
       [``(A) a description of how the State entity designated in 
     subsection (c) will provide information based on labor market 
     trends to inform program development; and
       [``(B) information about the academic content standards and 
     student academic achievement standards adopted by the State 
     under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965.'';
       [(4) in subsection (c) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
     this section)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``individuals'' and all 
     that follows through the semicolon and inserting ``students 
     and parents, including postsecondary education and training, 
     including preparation for high skill, high wage, or high 
     demand occupations and nontraditional fields in emerging or 
     established professions;'';
       [(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``academic and career 
     and technical'' after ``relate'';
       [(C) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       [``(3) to equip teachers, faculty, administrators, and 
     counselors with the knowledge, skills, and occupational 
     information needed to assist parents and all students, 
     especially special populations underrepresented in certain 
     careers, with career exploration, educational opportunities, 
     education financing, and exposure to high skill, high wage, 
     or high demand occupations and nontraditional fields;'';
       [(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``such entities;'' and 
     inserting ``such entities, with an emphasis on high skill, 
     high wage, or high demand occupations in emerging or 
     established professions;'';
       [(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       [(F) in paragraph (6), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       [(G) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(7) to provide information, if available, for each 
     occupation, on--
       [``(A) the average earnings of an individual in the 
     occupation at entry level and after 5 years of employment;
       [``(B) the expected lifetime earnings; and
       [``(C) the expected future demand for the occupation, based 
     on employment projections.'';
       [(5) in subsection (d)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section), by striking ``(b)'' both places it appears 
     and inserting ``(c)'';
       [(6) in subsection (e)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section), by striking ``(b)'' and inserting ``(c)'';
       [(7) in subsection (f)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section), by striking ``an identification'' and 
     inserting ``a description''; and
       [(8) in subsection (g) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
     this section), by striking ``1999 through 2003'' and 
     inserting ``2006 through 2011''.

     [SEC. 110. STATE ADMINISTRATION.

       [Section 121 (20 U.S.C. 2341) is amended--
       [(1) by redesignating subsection (a)(2) as subsection (b) 
     and indenting appropriately;
       [(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (D) of 
     subsection (a)(1) as paragraphs (1) through (4), 
     respectively, and indenting appropriately;
       [(3) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (4) 
     (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of this section) as 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting 
     appropriately;
       [(4) by striking the following:
       [``(a) Eligible Agency Responsibilities.--
       [``(1) In general.--The responsibilities'' and inserting 
     the following:
       [``(a) Eligible Agency Responsibilities.--The 
     responsibilities'';
       [(5) in subsection (a)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section), by striking ``training and employment'' and 
     inserting ``fields'';
       [(6) in subsection (a)(2) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section)--
       [(A) by inserting ``teacher and faculty preparation 
     programs,'' after ``teachers,''; and
       [(B) by inserting ``all types and sizes of'' after 
     ``representatives of''; and
       [(7) in subsection (b) (as redesignated by paragraph (1) of 
     this section), by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)''.

     [SEC. 111. STATE PLAN.

       [Section 122 (20 U.S.C. 2342) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(2) in subsection (a)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1)--
       [(i) by striking ``5'' and inserting ``6''; and
       [(ii) by adding at the end the following: ``Each eligible 
     agency may submit a transition plan during the first full 
     year of implementation of this Act after the date of 
     enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
     Education Improvement Act of 2005. The transition plan shall 
     fulfill the eligible agency's State plan submission 
     obligation under this section.''; and
       [(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``5 year State plan'' 
     and inserting ``6-year period'';
       [(3) by striking subsection (b)(1) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(1) In general.--The eligible agency shall develop the 
     State plan in consultation with academic and career and 
     technical education teachers, faculty, principals, and 
     administrators, career guidance and academic counselors, 
     eligible recipients, parents, students, the State tech-prep 
     coordinator and representatives of tech-prep consortia (if 
     applicable), interested community members (including parent 
     and community organizations), representatives of special 
     populations, representatives of business (including small 
     business) and industry, and representatives of labor 
     organizations in the State, and shall consult the Governor of 
     the State with respect to such development.'';
       [(4) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(c) Plan Contents.--The State plan shall include 
     information that--
       [``(1) describes the career and technical education 
     activities to be assisted that are

[[Page S2434]]

     designed to meet or exceed the State adjusted levels of 
     performance, including a description of--
       [``(A) how the eligible agency will support eligible 
     recipients in developing or implementing career pathways for 
     career and technical education content areas that are 
     designed to meet relevant workforce needs, including how the 
     eligible agency will--
       [``(i) support eligible recipients in developing 
     articulation agreements between secondary and postsecondary 
     institutions;
       [``(ii) support eligible recipients in using labor market 
     information to identify career pathways that prepare 
     individuals for high skill, high wage, or high demand 
     occupations;
       [``(iii) make available information about career pathways 
     offered by eligible recipients; and
       [``(iv) consult with business and industry and use 
     industry-recognized standards and assessments, if 
     appropriate;
       [``(B) the secondary and postsecondary career and technical 
     education programs to be carried out, including programs that 
     will be carried out by the eligible agency to develop, 
     improve, and expand access to quality technology in career 
     and technical education programs;
       [``(C) the criteria that will be used by the eligible 
     agency to approve eligible recipients for funds under this 
     title, including criteria to assess the extent to which the 
     local plan will--
       [``(i) promote higher levels of academic achievement;
       [``(ii) promote higher levels of technical skill 
     attainment; and
       [``(iii) identify and address workforce needs;
       [``(D) how programs at the secondary level will prepare 
     career and technical education students, including special 
     populations to graduate from high school with a diploma;
       [``(E) how such programs will prepare career and technical 
     education students, including special populations, both 
     academically and technically, for opportunities in 
     postsecondary education or entry into high skill, high wage, 
     or high demand occupations in emerging or established 
     occupations, and how participating students will be made 
     aware of such opportunities; and
       [``(F) how funds will be used to improve or develop new 
     career and technical education courses in high skill, high 
     wage, or high demand occupations that are aligned with 
     business needs and industry standards, as appropriate--
       [``(i) at the secondary level that are aligned with 
     challenging academic content standards and student academic 
     achievement standards adopted by the State under section 
     1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
     1965; and
       [``(ii) at the postsecondary level that are relevant and 
     challenging;
       [``(2) describes how career and technical education 
     teachers, faculty, principals, administrators, and career 
     guidance and academic counselors will be provided 
     comprehensive initial preparation and professional 
     development, including through programs and activities that--
       [``(A) promote the integration of challenging academic and 
     career and technical education curriculum development, 
     including opportunities for teachers to jointly develop and 
     implement curriculum and pedagogical strategies with 
     appropriate academic teachers;
       [``(B) increase the academic and career and technical 
     education knowledge of career and technical education 
     teachers and faculty;
       [``(C) are high-quality, sustained, intensive, focused on 
     instruction, directly related to industry standards, and 
     includes structured induction and mentoring components for 
     new personnel, with an emphasis on identifying and addressing 
     the needs of local businesses, including small businesses;
       [``(D) ensure an increasing number of career and technical 
     education teachers and faculty meet teacher certification and 
     licensing requirements reflecting the needs of their subject 
     area or areas;
       [``(E) equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to 
     work with and improve instruction for special populations;
       [``(F) assist in accessing and utilizing data, including 
     labor market indicators, student achievement, and 
     assessments;
       [``(G) enhance the leadership capacity of principals and 
     administrators;
       [``(H) are integrated with professional development 
     activities that the State carries out under title II of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and title II 
     of the Higher Education Act of 1965; and
       [``(I) include strategies to expose all career and 
     technical education students to comprehensive information 
     regarding career options that lead to high skill, high wage, 
     or high demand occupations and nontraditional fields;
       [``(3) describes efforts to improve--
       [``(A) the recruitment and retention of career and 
     technical education teachers, faculty, counselors, 
     principals, and administrators, including individuals in 
     groups underrepresented in the teaching profession; and
       [``(B) the transition to teaching from business and 
     industry, including small business;
       [``(4) describes efforts to improve the capacity of 
     programs and faculty at postsecondary institutions to 
     effectively prepare career and technical education personnel, 
     including, as appropriate, through electronically delivered 
     distance education, and articulation agreements between 2-
     year technical programs and postsecondary education programs;
       [``(5) describes how the eligible agency will actively 
     involve parents, academic and career and technical education 
     teachers, faculty, principals, and administrators, career 
     guidance and academic counselors, local businesses (including 
     small- and medium-sized businesses and business 
     intermediaries), and labor organizations in the planning, 
     development, implementation, and evaluation of such career 
     and technical education programs;
       [``(6) describes how funds received by the eligible agency 
     through the allotment made under section 111 will be 
     allocated--
       [``(A) among secondary school career and technical 
     education, or postsecondary and adult career and technical 
     education, or both, including the rationale for such 
     allocation; and
       [``(B) among any consortia that will be formed among 
     secondary schools and eligible institutions, and how funds 
     will be allocated among the members of the consortia, 
     including the rationale for such allocation;
       [``(7) describes how the eligible agency will--
       [``(A) use funds to improve or develop new career and 
     technical education courses in high skill, high wage, or high 
     demand occupations--
       [``(i) at the secondary level that are aligned with 
     challenging academic content standards and student academic 
     achievement standards adopted by the State under section 
     1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
     1965; and
       [``(ii) at the postsecondary level that are challenging and 
     aligned with business needs and industry standards, as 
     appropriate;
       [``(B) improve the academic and technical skills of 
     students participating in career and technical education 
     programs, including strengthening the academic, and career 
     and technical, components of career and technical education 
     programs through the integration of academics with career and 
     technical education to ensure learning in the core academic 
     subjects and career and technical education subjects, and 
     provide students with strong experience in, and understanding 
     of, all aspects of an industry;
       [``(C) ensure that students who participate in such career 
     and technical education programs are taught to the same 
     challenging academic proficiencies as are taught to all other 
     students; and
       [``(D) encourage secondary school students who participate 
     in such career and technical education programs to enroll in 
     challenging courses in core academic subjects;
       [``(8) describes how the eligible agency will annually 
     evaluate the effectiveness of such career and technical 
     education programs, and describes, to the extent practicable, 
     how the eligible agency is coordinating such programs to 
     promote relevant lifelong learning and ensure nonduplication 
     with other existing Federal programs;
       [``(9) describes the eligible agency's program strategies 
     for special populations, including a description of how 
     individuals who are members of the special populations--
       [``(A) will be provided with equal access to activities 
     assisted under this title;
       [``(B) will not be discriminated against on the basis of 
     their status as members of the special populations; and
       [``(C) will be provided with programs designed to enable 
     the special populations to meet or exceed State adjusted 
     levels of performance, and prepare special populations for 
     further learning and for high skill, high wage, or high 
     demand occupations;
       [``(10) how the eligible agency will collaborate in 
     developing the State plan with--
       [``(A) the entity within the State with responsibility for 
     elementary and secondary education;
       [``(B) the entity within the State with responsibility for 
     public institutions engaged in postsecondary education;
       [``(C) State institutions such as State correctional 
     institutions and institutions that serve individuals with 
     disabilities; and
       [``(D) all other relevant State agencies with 
     responsibility for career and technical education and 
     training and workforce development;
       [``(11) describes what steps the eligible agency will take 
     to involve representatives of eligible recipients in the 
     development of the State adjusted levels of performance;
       [``(12) provides assurances that the eligible agency will 
     comply with the requirements of this title and the provisions 
     of the State plan, including the provision of a financial 
     audit of funds received under this title which may be 
     included as part of an audit of other Federal or State 
     programs;
       [``(13) provides assurances that none of the funds expended 
     under this title will be used to acquire equipment (including 
     computer software) in any instance in which such acquisition 
     results in a direct financial benefit to any organization 
     representing the interests of the purchasing entity, the 
     employees of the purchasing entity, or any affiliate of such 
     an organization;
       [``(14) describes how the eligible agency will measure and 
     report data relating to students participating in and 
     completing career and technical education within specific 
     career clusters in order to adequately measure the progress 
     of the students, including special populations, at--
       [``(A) the secondary level, disaggregated by the categories 
     described in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965, except that such 
     disaggregation shall not be required in a case in which the 
     number of individuals in

[[Page S2435]]

     a category is insufficient to yield statistically reliable 
     information or the results would reveal personally 
     identifiable information about an individual; and
       [``(B) the postsecondary level, disaggregated by special 
     populations and the categories described in section 
     1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
     Act of 1965, except that such disaggregation shall not be 
     required in a case in which the number of individuals in a 
     category is insufficient to yield statistically reliable 
     information or the results would reveal personally 
     identifiable information about an individual;
       [``(15) describes how the eligible agency will adequately 
     address the needs of students in alternative education 
     programs, if appropriate;
       [``(16) describes how the eligible agency will provide 
     local educational agencies, area career and technical 
     education schools, and eligible institutions in the State 
     with technical assistance;
       [``(17) describes how career and technical education 
     relates to State and regional occupational opportunities;
       [``(18) describes the methods proposed for the joint 
     planning and coordination of programs carried out under this 
     title with other Federal education programs;
       [``(19) describes how funds will be used to promote 
     preparation for high skill, high wage, or high demand 
     occupations and nontraditional fields in emerging and 
     established professions;
       [``(20) describes how funds will be used to serve 
     individuals in State correctional institutions;
       [``(21) describes how the eligible agency will ensure that 
     the data reported to the eligible agency from local 
     educational agencies and eligible institutions under this 
     title and the data the eligible agency reports to the 
     Secretary are complete, accurate, and reliable; and
       [``(22) contains the description and information specified 
     in sections 112(b)(8) and 121(c) of the Workforce Investment 
     Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2822(b)(8) and 2841(c)) concerning the 
     provision of services only for postsecondary students and 
     school dropouts.'';
       [(5) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(d) Plan Options.--
       [``(1) Single plan.--The eligible agency may fulfill the 
     plan or application submission requirements of this section, 
     section 118(b), and section 141(c) by submitting a single 
     State plan. In such plan, the eligible agency may allow 
     eligible recipients to fulfill the plan or application 
     submission requirements of section 134 and subsections (a) 
     and (b) of section 143 by submitting a single local plan.
       [``(2) Plan submitted as part of 501 plan.--The eligible 
     agency may submit the plan required under this section as 
     part of the plan submitted under section 501 of the Workforce 
     Investment Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 9271), provided that the 
     plan submitted pursuant to the requirement of this section 
     meets the requirements of this Act.''; and
       [(6) by striking subsection (f).

     [SEC. 112. IMPROVEMENT PLANS.

       [Section 123 (20 U.S.C. 2343) is amended to read as 
     follows:

     [``SEC. 123. IMPROVEMENT PLANS.

       [``(a) State Program Improvement Plan.--
       [``(1) Plan.--If a State fails to meet the State adjusted 
     levels of performance described in the report submitted under 
     section 113(c), the eligible agency shall develop and 
     implement a program improvement plan in consultation with the 
     appropriate agencies, individuals, and organizations for the 
     first program year succeeding the program year in which the 
     eligible agency failed to meet the State adjusted levels of 
     performance, in order to avoid a sanction under paragraph 
     (3).
       [``(2) Technical assistance.--If the Secretary determines 
     that an eligible agency is not properly implementing the 
     eligible agency's responsibilities under section 122, or is 
     not making substantial progress in meeting the purpose of 
     this Act, based on the State's adjusted levels of 
     performance, the Secretary shall work with the eligible 
     agency to implement improvement activities consistent with 
     the requirements of this Act.
       [``(3) Failure.--
       [``(A) In general.--If an eligible agency fails to meet the 
     State adjusted levels of performance, has not implemented an 
     improvement plan as described in paragraph (1), has shown no 
     improvement within 1 year after implementing an improvement 
     plan as described in paragraph (1), or has failed to meet the 
     State adjusted levels of performance for 2 or more 
     consecutive years, the Secretary may, after notice and 
     opportunity for a hearing, withhold from the eligible agency 
     all, or a portion of, the eligible agency's allotment under 
     this title.
       [``(B) Waiver for exceptional circumstances.--The Secretary 
     may waive the sanction in subparagraph (A) due to exceptional 
     or uncontrollable circumstances such as a natural disaster or 
     a precipitous and unforeseen decline in financial resources 
     of the State.
       [``(4) Funds resulting from reduced allotments.--
       [``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall use funds withheld 
     under paragraph (3) for a State served by an eligible agency, 
     to provide (through alternative arrangements) services and 
     activities within the State to meet the purposes of this Act.
       [``(B) Redistribution.--If the Secretary cannot 
     satisfactorily use funds withheld under paragraph (3), then 
     the amount of funds retained by the Secretary as a result of 
     a reduction in an allotment made under paragraph (3) shall be 
     redistributed to other eligible agencies in accordance with 
     section 111.
       [``(b) Local Program Improvement.--
       [``(1) Local evaluation.--Each eligible agency shall 
     evaluate annually, using the local adjusted levels of 
     performance described in section 113(b)(4), the career and 
     technical education activities of each eligible recipient 
     receiving funds under this title.
       [``(2) Plan.--
       [``(A) In general.--If, after reviewing the evaluation, the 
     eligible agency determines that an eligible recipient is not 
     making substantial progress in achieving the local adjusted 
     levels of performance, the eligible agency shall--
       [``(i) conduct an assessment of the educational needs that 
     the eligible recipient shall address to overcome local 
     performance deficiencies, including the performance of 
     special populations;
       [``(ii) enter into an improvement plan with an eligible 
     recipient based on the results of the assessment, for the 
     first program year succeeding the program year in which the 
     eligible recipient failed to meet the local adjusted levels 
     of performance, which plan shall demonstrate how the local 
     performance deficiencies will be corrected and include 
     instructional and other programmatic innovations of 
     demonstrated effectiveness, and, where necessary, strategies 
     for appropriate staffing and professional development; and
       [``(iii) conduct regular evaluations of the progress being 
     made toward reaching the local adjusted levels of 
     performance, as described in section 113(b)(4), and progress 
     on implementing the improvement plan.
       [``(B) Consultation.--The eligible agency shall conduct the 
     activities described in subparagraph (A) in consultation with 
     teachers, principals, administrators, faculty, parents, other 
     school staff, appropriate agencies, and other appropriate 
     individuals and organizations.
       [``(3) Technical assistance.--If the eligible agency 
     determines that an eligible recipient is not properly 
     implementing the eligible recipient's responsibilities under 
     section 134, or is not making substantial progress in meeting 
     the purpose of this Act, based on the local adjusted levels 
     of performance, the eligible agency shall provide technical 
     assistance to the eligible recipient to assist the eligible 
     recipient in carrying out the improvement activities 
     consistent with the requirements of this Act. An eligible 
     recipient, in collaboration with the eligible agency, may 
     request that the Secretary provide additional technical 
     assistance.
       [``(4) Failure.--
       [``(A) In general.--If an eligible recipient fails to meet 
     the local adjusted levels of performance as described in 
     section 113(b)(4) and has not implemented an improvement plan 
     as described in paragraph (2), has shown no improvement 
     within 1 year after implementing an improvement plan as 
     described in paragraph (2), or has failed to meet more than 1 
     of the local adjusted levels of performance for 2 or more 
     consecutive years, the eligible agency may, after notice and 
     opportunity for a hearing, withhold from the eligible 
     recipient all, or a portion of, the eligible recipient's 
     allotment under this title.
       [``(B) Waiver for exceptional circumstances.--The eligible 
     agency may waive the sanction under this paragraph due to 
     exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances such as 
     organizational structure, or a natural disaster or a 
     precipitous and unforeseen decline in financial resources of 
     the eligible recipient.
       [``(5) Funds resulting from reduced allotments.--The 
     eligible agency shall use funds withheld under paragraph (4) 
     to provide (through alternative arrangements) services and 
     activities to students within the area served by such 
     recipient to meet the purpose of this Act.''.

     [SEC. 113. STATE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES.

       [Section 124 (20 U.S.C. 2344) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(2) in subsection (a), by striking ``112(a)(2)'' and 
     inserting ``112(a)(2)(A)'';
       [(3) in subsection (b)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``further learning'' and 
     all that follows through the semicolon and inserting 
     ``further education, further training, or for high skill, 
     high wage, or high demand occupations;'';
       [(B) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraphs (A) 
     through (C) and inserting the following:
       [``(A) training of career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, principals, career guidance and academic counselors, 
     and administrators to use technology, including distance 
     learning;
       [``(B) encouraging schools to work with technology 
     industries to offer voluntary internships and mentoring 
     programs; or
       [``(C) encouraging lifelong learning, including through 
     partnerships that may involve institutions of higher 
     education, organizations providing career and technical 
     education, businesses, and communications entities;'';
       [(C) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       [``(3) professional development programs, including 
     providing comprehensive professional development (including 
     initial teacher

[[Page S2436]]

     preparation) for career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, principals, administrators, and career guidance and 
     academic counselors at the secondary and postsecondary 
     levels, that support activities described in section 122 
     and--
       [``(A) provide in-service and pre-service training in 
     career and technical education programs and techniques, 
     effective teaching skills based on promising practices and, 
     where available and appropriate, scientifically based 
     research, and effective practices to improve parental and 
     community involvement;
       [``(B) improve student achievement in order to meet the 
     State adjusted levels of performance established under 
     section 113;
       [``(C) support education programs for teachers and faculty 
     of career and technical education in public schools and other 
     public school personnel who are involved in the direct 
     delivery of educational services to career and technical 
     education students to ensure that such personnel--
       [``(i) stay current with the needs, expectations, and 
     methods of industry;
       [``(ii) can effectively develop challenging, integrated 
     academic and career and technical education curriculum 
     jointly with academic teachers, to the extent practicable; 
     and
       [``(iii) develop a higher level of academic and industry 
     knowledge and skills in career and technical education; and
       [``(D) are integrated with the teacher certification or 
     licensing and professional development activities that the 
     State carries out under title II of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 and title II of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965;'';
       [(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``support for'' and 
     inserting ``supporting'';
       [(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``nontraditional 
     training and employment'' and inserting ``nontraditional 
     fields in emerging and established professions, and other 
     activities that expose students, including special 
     populations, to high skill, high wage occupations'';
       [(F) in paragraph (6)--
       [(i) by inserting ``intermediaries,'' after ``labor 
     organizations,''; and
       [(ii) by inserting ``, or complete career pathways, as 
     described in section 122(c)(1)(A)'' after ``skills'';
       [(G) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       [(H) in paragraph (8), by striking ``wage careers.'' and 
     inserting ``wage, or high demand occupations; and''; and
       [(I) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(9) technical assistance for eligible recipients.'';
       [(4) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(c) Permissible Uses of Funds.--The leadership 
     activities described in subsection (a) may include--
       [``(1) improvement of career guidance and academic 
     counseling programs that assist students in making informed 
     academic, and career and technical education, decisions, 
     including encouraging secondary and postsecondary students to 
     graduate with a diploma or degree, and expose students to 
     high skill, high wage occupations and nontraditional fields 
     in emerging and established professions;
       [``(2) establishment of agreements, including articulation 
     agreements, between secondary and postsecondary career and 
     technical education programs in order to provide 
     postsecondary education and training opportunities for 
     students participating in such career and technical education 
     programs, such as tech-prep programs;
       [``(3) support for career and technical student 
     organizations, especially with respect to efforts to increase 
     the participation of students who are members of special 
     populations;
       [``(4) support for public charter schools operating 
     secondary career and technical education programs;
       [``(5) support for career and technical education programs 
     that offer experience in, and understanding of, all aspects 
     of an industry for which students are preparing to enter;
       [``(6) support for family and consumer sciences programs;
       [``(7) support for partnerships between education and 
     business or business intermediaries, including cooperative 
     education and adjunct faculty arrangements at the secondary 
     and postsecondary levels;
       [``(8) support to improve or develop new career and 
     technical education courses and initiatives, including career 
     clusters, career academies, and distance learning, that 
     prepare individuals academically and technically for high 
     skill, high wage, or high demand occupations;
       [``(9) awarding incentive grants to eligible recipients for 
     exemplary performance in carrying out programs under this 
     Act, which awards shall be based on local performance 
     indicators, as described in section 113, in accordance with 
     previously publicly disclosed priorities;
       [``(10) providing career and technical education programs 
     for adults and school dropouts to complete their secondary 
     school education;
       [``(11) providing assistance to individuals, who have 
     participated in services and activities under this title, in 
     finding an appropriate job and continuing their education or 
     training through collaboration with the workforce investment 
     system established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
     (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.);
       [``(12) developing valid and reliable assessments of 
     technical skills that are integrated with industry 
     certification assessments where available;
       [``(13) developing and enhancing data systems to collect 
     and analyze data on secondary and postsecondary academic and 
     employment outcomes;
       [``(14) improving--
       [``(A) the recruitment and retention of career and 
     technical education teachers, faculty, principals, 
     administrators, and career guidance and academic counselors, 
     including individuals in groups underrepresented in the 
     teaching profession; and
       [``(B) the transition to teaching from business and 
     industry, including small business; and
       [``(15) adopting, calculating, or commissioning a self-
     sufficiency standard.''; and
       [(5) in subsection (d), by striking ``112(a)(2)'' and 
     inserting ``112(a)(2)(A)''.

     [SEC. 114. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS TO SECONDARY SCHOOL 
                   PROGRAMS.

       [Section 131 (20 U.S.C. 2351) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       [(2) by striking subsection (a);
       [(3) by redesignating subsections (b) through (i) as 
     subsections (a) through (h), respectively;
       [(4) in subsection (a) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section)--
       [(A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Special 
     Distribution Rules for Succeeding Fiscal Years'' and 
     inserting ``Distribution Rules''; and
       [(B) by striking ``for fiscal year 2000 and succeeding 
     fiscal years'';
       [(5) in subsection (b) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section)--
       [(A) by striking ``subsection (b)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)''; and
       [(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``9902(2))'' and 
     inserting ``9902(2)))'';
       [(6) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section), in the subsection heading, by striking 
     ``Vocational'' and inserting ``Career''; and
       [(7) in subsection (g) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section), by striking ``subsections (a), (b), (c), and 
     (d)'' and inserting ``subsections (a), (b), and (c)''.

     [SEC. 115. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND 
                   TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

       [Section 132 (20 U.S.C. 2352) is amended by striking the 
     section heading and inserting the following:

     [``SEC. 132. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR POSTSECONDARY CAREER 
                   AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.''.

     [SEC. 116. SPECIAL RULES FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

       [Section 133 (20 U.S.C. 2353) is amended--
       [(1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
     following:

     [``SEC. 133. SPECIAL RULES FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL 
                   EDUCATION.'';

       [and
       [(2) by striking ``vocational'' each place such term 
     appears and inserting ``career''.

     [SEC. 117. LOCAL PLAN FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
                   PROGRAMS.

       [Section 134 (20 U.S.C. 2354) is amended--
       [(1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
     following:

     [``SEC. 134. LOCAL PLAN FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
                   PROGRAMS.'';

       [and
       [(2) in subsection (b), by striking paragraphs (1) through 
     (10) and inserting the following:
       [``(1) describe how the career and technical education 
     programs required under section 135(b) will be carried out 
     with funds received under this title;
       [``(2) describe how the career and technical education 
     activities will be carried out with respect to meeting State 
     and local adjusted levels of performance established under 
     section 113;
       [``(3) describe how the eligible recipient will--
       [``(A) offer the appropriate courses of not less than 1 of 
     the career pathways described in section 122(c)(1)(A);
       [``(B) improve the academic and technical skills of 
     students participating in career and technical education 
     programs by strengthening the academic and career and 
     technical education components of such programs through the 
     integration of challenging academics with career and 
     technical education programs through a coherent sequence of 
     courses to ensure learning in the core academic subjects, and 
     career and technical education subjects;
       [``(C) provide students with strong experience in and 
     understanding of all aspects of an industry; and
       [``(D) ensure that students who participate in such career 
     and technical education programs are taught to the same 
     challenging academic proficiencies as are taught for all 
     other students;
       [``(4) describe how comprehensive professional development 
     will be provided that is consistent with section 122;
       [``(5) describe how parents, students, academic and career 
     and technical education teachers, faculty, principals, 
     administrators, career guidance and academic counselors, 
     representatives of tech-prep consortia (if applicable), 
     representatives of business (including small business) and 
     industry, labor organizations, representatives of special 
     populations, and other interested individuals are involved in 
     the development, implementation, and evaluation of career and 
     technical education programs assisted under this title,

[[Page S2437]]

     and how such individuals and entities are effectively 
     informed about, and assisted in, understanding, the 
     requirements of this title, including career pathways;
       [``(6) provide assurances that the eligible recipient will 
     provide a career and technical education program that is of 
     such size, scope, and quality to bring about improvement in 
     the quality of career and technical education programs;
       [``(7) describe the process that will be used to evaluate 
     and continuously improve the performance of the eligible 
     recipient;
       [``(8) describe how the eligible recipient--
       [``(A) will review career and technical education programs, 
     and identify and adopt strategies to overcome barriers that 
     result in lowering rates of access to or lowering success in 
     the programs, for special populations; and
       [``(B) will provide programs that are designed to enable 
     the special populations to meet the local adjusted levels of 
     performance and prepare for high skill, high wage, or high 
     demand occupations, including those that will lead to self-
     sufficiency;
       [``(9) describe how individuals who are members of special 
     populations will not be discriminated against on the basis of 
     their status as members of the special populations;
       [``(10) describe how funds will be used to promote 
     preparation for nontraditional fields;
       [``(11) describe how career guidance and academic 
     counseling will be provided to all career and technical 
     education students; and
       [``(12) describe efforts to improve the recruitment and 
     retention of career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, counselors, principals, and administrators, 
     including individuals in groups underrepresented in the 
     teaching profession, and the transition to teaching from 
     business and industry.''.

     [SEC. 118. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.

       [Section 135 (20 U.S.C. 2355) is amended--
       [(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``vocational'' and 
     inserting ``career'';
       [(2) in subsection (b)--
       [(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``vocational'' and inserting ``career''; and
       [(B) by striking paragraphs (1) through (8) and inserting 
     the following:
       [``(1) strengthen the academic and career and technical 
     education skills of students participating in career and 
     technical education programs by strengthening the academic 
     and career and technical education components of such 
     programs through the integration of academics with career and 
     technical education programs through a coherent sequence of 
     courses, such as career pathways described in section 
     122(c)(1)(A), to ensure learning in the core academic 
     subjects and career and technical education subjects;
       [``(2) link secondary career and technical education and 
     postsecondary career and technical education, including by--
       [``(A) offering the relevant elements of not less than 1 
     career pathway described in section 122(c)(1)(A);
       [``(B) developing and supporting articulation agreements 
     between secondary and postsecondary institutions; or
       [``(C) supporting tech-prep programs and consortia;
       [``(3) provide students with strong experience in and 
     understanding of all aspects of an industry;
       [``(4) develop, improve, or expand the use of technology in 
     career and technical education, which may include--
       [``(A) training of career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, principals, and administrators to use technology, 
     including distance learning; or
       [``(B) encouraging schools to collaborate with technology 
     industries to offer voluntary internships and mentoring 
     programs;
       [``(5) provide professional development programs that are 
     consistent with section 122 to secondary and postsecondary 
     teachers, faculty, principals, administrators, and career 
     guidance and academic counselors who are involved in 
     integrated career and technical education programs, 
     including--
       [``(A) in-service and pre-service training--
       [``(i) in career and technical education programs and 
     techniques;
       [``(ii) in effective integration of challenging academic 
     and career and technical education jointly with academic 
     teachers, to the extent practicable;
       [``(iii) in effective teaching skills based on research 
     that includes promising practices; and
       [``(iv) in effective practices to improve parental and 
     community involvement;
       [``(B) support of education programs that provide 
     information on all aspects of an industry;
       [``(C) internship programs that provide relevant business 
     experience; and
       [``(D) programs dedicated to the effective use of 
     instructional technology;
       [``(6) develop and implement evaluations of the career and 
     technical education programs carried out with funds under 
     this title, including an assessment of how the needs of 
     special populations are being met;
       [``(7) initiate, improve, expand, and modernize quality 
     career and technical education programs, including relevant 
     technology;
       [``(8) provide services and activities that are of 
     sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective; and
       [``(9) provide activities to prepare special populations, 
     including single parents and displaced homemakers, for high 
     skill, high wage, or high demand occupations, including those 
     that will lead to self-sufficiency.''; and
       [(3) in subsection (c)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``vocational'' and 
     inserting ``career''; and
       [(B) by striking paragraphs (2) through (15) and inserting 
     the following:
       [``(2) to provide career guidance and academic counseling 
     that is based on current labor market indicators, as provided 
     pursuant to section 118, for students participating in career 
     and technical education programs that--
       [``(A) improves graduation rates and provides information 
     on postsecondary and career options for secondary students, 
     which activities may include the use of graduation and career 
     plans; and
       [``(B) provides assistance for postsecondary students, 
     including for adult students who are changing careers or 
     updating skills;
       [``(3) for partnerships between the eligible recipient and 
     businesses, including small businesses and business 
     intermediaries, including for--
       [``(A) work-related experience for students, such as 
     internships, cooperative education, school-based enterprises, 
     entrepreneurship, and job shadowing that are related to 
     career and technical education programs;
       [``(B) adjunct faculty arrangements at the secondary and 
     postsecondary levels; and
       [``(C) industry experience for teachers and faculty;
       [``(4) to provide programs for special populations;
       [``(5) to assist career and technical student 
     organizations;
       [``(6) for mentoring and support services;
       [``(7) for leasing, purchasing, upgrading, or adapting 
     instructional equipment;
       [``(8) for teacher preparation programs that address the 
     integration of academic and career and technical education 
     and that assist individuals who are interested in becoming 
     career and technical education teachers and faculty, 
     including individuals with experience in business and 
     industry;
       [``(9) to develop and expand postsecondary program 
     offerings at times and in formats that are convenient and 
     accessible for working students, including through the use of 
     distance education;
       [``(10) for improving or developing new career and 
     technical education courses, including development of new 
     career pathways;
       [``(11) to develop and support small, personalized career-
     themed learning communities;
       [``(12) to provide support for family and consumer sciences 
     programs;
       [``(13) to provide career and technical education programs 
     for adults and school dropouts to complete their secondary 
     school education or upgrade their technical skills;
       [``(14) to provide assistance to individuals who have 
     participated in services and activities under this title in 
     finding an appropriate job and continuing their education or 
     training through collaboration with the workforce investment 
     system established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
     (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.);
       [``(15) to support activities in nontraditional fields, 
     such as mentoring and outreach; and
       [``(16) to support other career and technical education 
     activities that are consistent with the purpose of this 
     Act.''.

     [SEC. 119. TECH-PREP EDUCATION.

       [(a) Redesignation.--Title II (20 U.S.C. 2371 et seq.) is 
     amended--
       [(1) by striking the title heading and inserting the 
     following:

                   [``PART D--TECH-PREP EDUCATION'';

       [(2) by striking sections 201, 202, 206, and 207; and
       [(3) by redesignating sections 203, 204, 205, and 208, as 
     sections 141, 142, 143, and 144, respectively.
       [(b) State Allotment and Application.--Section 141 (as 
     redesignated by subsection (a) of this section) is amended--
       [(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``section 206'' and 
     inserting ``section 144''; and
       [(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
     following:
       [``(c) State Application.--Each eligible agency desiring 
     assistance under this part shall submit an application to the 
     Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
     such information as the Secretary may require. Such 
     application shall describe how activities under this part 
     will be coordinated, to the extent practicable, with 
     activities described in section 122.''.
       [(c) Tech-Prep Education.--Section 142 (as redesignated by 
     subsection (a) of this section) is amended--
       [(1) in subsection (a)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1)--
       [(i) by striking ``section 203'' and inserting ``section 
     141'';
       [(ii) by striking ``title'' and inserting ``part'';
       [(iii) by striking ``vocational'' both places the term 
     appears and inserting ``career''; and
       [(iv) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, educational 
     service agency,'' after ``intermediate educational agency''; 
     and
       [(B) in paragraph (2)--
       [(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'';
       [(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the 
     end and inserting a semicolon; and
       [(iii) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(C) employers, including small businesses, or business 
     intermediaries; and

[[Page S2438]]

       [``(D) labor organizations.'';
       [(2) in subsection (c)--
       [(A) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
       [``(2) consist of not less than 2 years of secondary school 
     with a common core of technical skills and core academic 
     subjects preceding graduation and 2 years or more of higher 
     education, or an apprenticeship program of not less than 2 
     years following secondary instruction, designed to lead to 
     technical skill proficiency, a credential, a certificate, or 
     a degree, in a specific career field;'';
       [(B) in paragraph (3)(B), by inserting ``including through 
     the use of articulation agreements, and'' after ``career 
     fields,'';
       [(C) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
       [``(4) include in-service professional development for 
     teachers, faculty, principals, and administrators that--
       [``(A) supports effective implementation of tech-prep 
     programs;
       [``(B) supports joint training in the tech-prep consortium;
       [``(C) supports the needs, expectations, and methods of 
     business and all aspects of an industry;
       [``(D) supports the use of contextual and applied 
     curricula, instruction, and assessment;
       [``(E) supports the use and application of technology; and
       [``(F) assists in accessing and utilizing data, including 
     labor market indicators, achievement, and assessments;'';
       [(D) in paragraph (5)--
       [(i) by striking ``training'' and inserting ``professional 
     development'';
       [(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, which may 
     include through the use of graduation and career plans'' 
     after ``programs'';
       [(iii) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'';
       [(iv) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       [(v) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(F) provide comprehensive career guidance and academic 
     counseling to participating students, including special 
     populations;'';
       [(E) in paragraph (6)--
       [(i) by inserting ``(including pre-apprenticeship 
     programs)'' after ``programs''; and
       [(ii) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
       [(F) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       [(G) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(8) coordinate with activities conducted under this 
     title.''; and
       [(3) in subsection (d)--
       [(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       [(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       [(C) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(4) improve career guidance and academic counseling for 
     participating students through the development and 
     implementation of graduation and career plans; and
       [``(5) develop curriculum that supports effective 
     transitions between secondary and postsecondary career and 
     technical education programs.''.
       [(d) Consortium Applications.--Section 143 (as redesignated 
     by subsection (a) of this section) is amended--
       [(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``title'' and inserting 
     ``part'';
       [(2) in subsection (b)--
       [(A) by striking ``5'' and inserting ``6''; and
       [(B) by striking ``title'' and inserting ``part'';
       [(3) in subsection (d)--
       [(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``or advanced'' after 
     ``baccalaureate'';
       [(B) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
       [``(4) provide education and training in areas or skills, 
     including emerging technology, in which there are significant 
     workforce shortages based on the data provided by the entity 
     in the State under section 118;'';
       [(C) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       [(D) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(6) demonstrate success in, or provide assurances of, 
     coordination and integration with eligible recipients 
     described in part C.''; and
       [(4) in subsection (e), by striking ``title'' and inserting 
     ``part''.
       [(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 144 (as 
     redesignated by subsection (a) of this section) is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``title (other than section 207)'' and 
     inserting ``part''; and
       [(2) by striking ``1999 and each of the 4'' and inserting 
     ``2006 and each of the 5''.

                     [TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

     [SEC. 201. REDESIGNATION OF TITLE.

       [(a) Federal Administrative Provisions.--Title III (20 
     U.S.C. 2391 et seq.) is amended by redesignating sections 311 
     through 318 as sections 211 through 218, respectively.
       [(b) State Administrative Provisions.--Title III (20 U.S.C. 
     2391 et seq.) is amended by redesignating sections 321 
     through 325 as sections 221 through 225, respectively.
       [(c) Title Heading.--The title heading of title III (20 
     U.S.C. 2391 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:

                   [``TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS''.

     [SEC. 202. FISCAL REQUIREMENTS.

       [Section 211 (as redesignated by section 201 of this Act) 
     is amended--
       [(1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career''; and
       [(2) in subsection (b)--
       [(A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       [``(1) Determination.--
       [``(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) 
     and (C), no payments shall be made under this Act for any 
     fiscal year to a State for career and technical education 
     programs or tech-prep programs unless the Secretary 
     determines that the average fiscal effort per student or the 
     aggregate expenditures of such State for career and technical 
     education programs for the 3 fiscal years preceding the 
     fiscal year for which the determination is made, equaled or 
     exceeded such effort or expenditures for career and technical 
     education programs, for the 3 fiscal years preceding the 
     fiscal year for which the determination is made.
       [``(B) Computation.--In computing the average fiscal effort 
     or aggregate expenditures pursuant to subparagraph (A), the 
     Secretary shall exclude capital expenditures, special one-
     time project costs, and the cost of pilot programs.
       [``(C) Decrease in federal support.--If the amount made 
     available for career and technical education programs under 
     this Act for a fiscal year is less than the amount made 
     available for career and technical education programs under 
     this Act for the preceding fiscal year, then the average 
     fiscal effort per student or the aggregate expenditures of a 
     State required by subparagraph (A) for the 3 preceding fiscal 
     years shall be decreased by the same percentage as the 
     percentage decrease in the amount so made available.''; and
       [(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``fiscal effort'' both 
     places the term appears and inserting ``average fiscal 
     effort''.

     [SEC. 203. VOLUNTARY SELECTION AND PARTICIPATION.

       [Section 214 (as redesignated by section 201 of this Act) 
     is amended by striking ``vocational'' both places the term 
     appears and inserting ``career''.

     [SEC. 204. LIMITATION FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS.

       [Section 215 (as redesignated by section 201 of this Act) 
     is amended by striking ``vocational'' and inserting 
     ``career''.

     [SEC. 205. AUTHORIZATION OF SECRETARY; PARTICIPATION OF 
                   PRIVATE SCHOOL PERSONNEL.

       [Part A of title II (as redesignated by section 201 of this 
     Act) is amended--
       [(1) by striking section 217;
       [(2) by redesignating section 218 as section 217; and
       [(3) in section 217 (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
     this section)--
       [(A) by inserting ``principals,'' after ``for vocational 
     and technical education teachers,'';
       [(B) by inserting ``principals,'' after ``of vocational and 
     technical education teachers,''; and
       [(C) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career''.

     [SEC. 206. STUDENT ASSISTANCE AND OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS.

       [Section 225(c) (as redesignated by section 201 of this 
     Act) is amended--
       [(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Vocational'' 
     and inserting ``Career''; and
       [(2) by striking ``vocational'' both places the term 
     appears and inserting ``career''.

     [SEC. 207. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       [Section 1(b) (20 U.S.C. 2301 note) is amended to read as 
     follows:
       [``(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this 
     Act is as follows:

[``Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
[``Sec. 2. Purpose.
[``Sec. 3. Definitions.
[``Sec. 4. Transition provisions.
[``Sec. 5. Privacy.
[``Sec. 6. Limitation.
[``Sec. 7. Special rule.
[``Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.

  [``TITLE I--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE STATES

                  [``Part A--Allotment and Allocation

[``Sec. 111. Reservations and State allotment.
[``Sec. 112. Within State allocation.
[``Sec. 113. Accountability.
[``Sec. 114. National activities.
[``Sec. 115. Assistance for the outlying areas.
[``Sec. 116. Native American program.
[``Sec. 117. Tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical 
              institutions.
[``Sec. 118. Occupational and employment information.

                      [``Part B--State Provisions

[``Sec. 121. State administration.
[``Sec. 122. State plan.
[``Sec. 123. Improvement plans.
[``Sec. 124. State leadership activities.

                      [``Part C--Local Provisions

[``Sec. 131. Distribution of funds to secondary school programs.
[``Sec. 132. Distribution of funds for postsecondary career and 
              technical education programs.
[``Sec. 133. Special rules for career and technical education.
[``Sec. 134. Local plan for career and technical education programs.
[``Sec. 135. Local uses of funds.

                     [``Part D--Tech-Prep Education

[``Sec. 141. State allotment and application.

[[Page S2439]]

[``Sec. 142. Tech-prep education.
[``Sec. 143. Consortium applications.
[``Sec. 144. Authorization of appropriations.

                    [``TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

              [``Part A--Federal Administrative Provisions

[``Sec. 211. Fiscal requirements.
[``Sec. 212. Authority to make payments.
[``Sec. 213. Construction.
[``Sec. 214. Voluntary selection and participation.
[``Sec. 215. Limitation for certain students.
[``Sec. 216. Federal laws guaranteeing civil rights.
[``Sec. 217. Participation of private school personnel.

               [``Part B--State Administrative Provisions

[``Sec. 221. Joint funding.
[``Sec. 222. Prohibition on use of funds to induce out-of-State 
              relocation of businesses.
[``Sec. 223. State administrative costs.
[``Sec. 224. Limitation on Federal regulations.
[``Sec. 225. Student assistance and other Federal programs.''.

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Carl D. 
     Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 
     2005''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. References.
Sec. 3. Purpose.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
Sec. 5. Transition provisions.
Sec. 6. Limitation.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.

    TITLE I--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE STATES

Sec. 101. Career and technical education assistance to the States.
Sec. 102. Reservations and State allotment.
Sec. 103. Within State allocation.
Sec. 104. Accountability.
Sec. 105. National activities.
Sec. 106. Assistance for the outlying areas.
Sec. 107. Native American program.
Sec. 108. Tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical 
              institutions.
Sec. 109. Occupational and employment information.
Sec. 110. State administration.
Sec. 111. State plan.
Sec. 112. Improvement plans.
Sec. 113. State leadership activities.
Sec. 114. Distribution of funds to secondary school programs.
Sec. 115. Distribution of funds for postsecondary career and technical 
              education programs.
Sec. 116. Special rules for career and technical education.
Sec. 117. Local plan for career and technical education programs.
Sec. 118. Local uses of funds.
Sec. 119. Tech-Prep education.

                      TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 201. Redesignation of title.
Sec. 202. Fiscal requirements.
Sec. 203. Voluntary selection and participation.
Sec. 204. Limitation for certain students.
Sec. 205. Authorization of Secretary; participation of private school 
              personnel.
Sec. 206. Student assistance and other Federal programs.
Sec. 207. Table of contents.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this 
     Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an 
     amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the 
     reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 
     other provision of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and 
     Technical Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.).

     SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

       Section 2 (20 U.S.C. 2301) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``standards'' and 
     inserting ``and technical standards, and to assist students 
     in meeting such standards, including student academic 
     achievement standards, especially in preparation for high 
     skill, high wage, or high demand occupations in emerging or 
     established professions'';
       (3) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``challenging'' after 
     ``integrate'';
       (4) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (5) in paragraph (4)--
       (A) by inserting ``conducting and'' before ``disseminating 
     national'';
       (B) by inserting ``disseminating information on best 
     practices,'' after ``national research,''; and
       (C) by striking the period at the end and inserting a 
     semicolon; and
       (6) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) promoting leadership, initial preparation, and 
     professional development at the State and local levels, and 
     developing research and best practices for improving the 
     quality of career and technical education teachers, faculty, 
     principals, administrators, and counselors;
       ``(6) supporting partnerships among secondary schools, 
     postsecondary institutions, baccalaureate degree granting 
     institutions, area career technical centers, local workforce 
     investment boards, business and industry, professional 
     associations, and intermediaries; and
       ``(7) developing a highly skilled workforce needed to keep 
     America competitive in the global economy in conjunction with 
     other Federal education and training programs, including 
     workforce investment programs, that provide lifelong learning 
     for the workforce of today and tomorrow.''.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       Section 3 (20 U.S.C. 2302) is amended--
       (1) by striking paragraphs (29) and (30);
       (2) by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), (7) through (12), 
     (13) through (16), (17) through (22), and (23) through (28), 
     as paragraphs (10), (12), (14) through (19), (21) through 
     (24), (26) through (31), and (33) through (38), respectively;
       (3) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, including employment 
     statistics and information relating to national, regional, 
     and local labor market areas, as provided pursuant to section 
     118, and career ladder information, where appropriate'' after 
     ``to enter'';
       (4) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Vocational'' 
     and inserting ``Career''; and
       (B) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (5) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
       ``(4) Articulation agreement.--The term `articulation 
     agreement' means a written commitment--
       ``(A) that is approved annually by the relevant 
     administrators of--
       ``(i) a secondary institution and a postsecondary 
     educational institution; or
       ``(ii) a sub-baccalaureate degree granting postsecondary 
     educational institution and a baccalaureate degree granting 
     postsecondary educational institution; and
       ``(B) to a program that is designed to provide students 
     with a nonduplicative sequence of progressive achievement 
     leading to technical skill proficiency, a credential, a 
     certificate, or a degree, and linked through credit transfer 
     agreements.'';
       (6) by inserting after paragraph (4) (as amended by 
     paragraph (5)) the following:
       ``(5) Career and technical education.--The term `career and 
     technical education' means organized educational activities 
     that--
       ``(A) offer a sequence of courses (which may include work-
     based learning experiences) that--
       ``(i) provides individuals with the challenging academic 
     and technical knowledge and skills the individuals need to 
     prepare for further education and for careers in emerging and 
     established professions; and
       ``(ii) may lead to technical skill proficiency, a 
     credential, a certificate, or a degree; and
       ``(B) include competency-based applied learning that 
     contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning 
     and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general 
     employability skills, technical skills, occupation-specific 
     skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an industry, 
     including entrepreneurship, of an individual.
       ``(6) Career and technical education student.--The term 
     `career and technical education student' means a student who 
     enrolls in a clearly defined sequence of career and technical 
     education courses (which may include work-based learning 
     experiences) leading to attainment of technical skill 
     proficiency, a credential, a certificate, or a degree.
       ``(7) Career and technical student organization.--
       ``(A) In general.--The term `career and technical student 
     organization' means an organization for individuals enrolled 
     in a career and technical education program that engages in 
     career and technical education activities as an integral part 
     of the instructional program.
       ``(B) State and national units.--An organization described 
     in subparagraph (A) may have State and national units that 
     aggregate the work and purposes of instruction in career and 
     technical education at the local level.
       ``(8) Career guidance and academic counseling.--The term 
     `career guidance and academic counseling' means providing 
     access to information regarding career awareness and planning 
     with respect to an individual's occupational and academic 
     future that shall involve guidance and counseling with 
     respect to career options, including baccalaureate degree 
     programs, financial aid, and postsecondary options.
       ``(9) Career pathway.--The term `career pathway' means a 
     coordinated and nonduplicative sequence of courses (which may 
     include work-based learning experiences) and associated 
     credits that--
       ``(A) shall identify both secondary and postsecondary 
     education elements;
       ``(B) shall include challenging academic and career and 
     technical education content that adequately prepares students 
     to pursue the postsecondary education element identified 
     under subparagraph (A);
       ``(C) may include the opportunity for secondary students to 
     participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs or 
     other ways to acquire postsecondary credits; and
       ``(D) culminates in technical skill proficiency, an 
     industry-recognized credential, a certificate, a degree, or 
     completion of a recognized apprenticeship program.'';
       (7) in paragraph (10) (as redesignated by paragraph (2)), 
     by striking ``5206'' and inserting ``5210'';
       (8) by inserting after paragraph (10) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (2)) the following:
       ``(11) Community college.--The term `community college'--
       ``(A) means an institution of higher education, as defined 
     in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, that 
     provides not less than a 2-year program that is acceptable 
     for full credit toward a baccalaureate degree; and
       ``(B) includes tribally controlled colleges or 
     universities.'';
       (9) in paragraph (12) (as redesignated by paragraph (2))--

[[Page S2440]]

       (A) by striking ``method of instruction'' and inserting 
     ``method''; and
       (B) by striking ``vocational'' and inserting ``career'';
       (10) by inserting after paragraph (12) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (2) and amended by paragraph (9)) the following:
       ``(13) Core academic subjects.--The term `core academic 
     subjects' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of 
     the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, except 
     that under this Act such subjects included in such term shall 
     be only those subjects in a secondary school context.'';
       (11) in paragraph (16) (as redesignated by paragraph (2)), 
     by striking ``vocational'' both places the term appears and 
     inserting ``career'';
       (12) in paragraph (17) (as redesignated by paragraph (2))--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``an institution of 
     higher education'' and inserting ``a public or nonprofit 
     private institution of higher education that offers career 
     and technical education courses that lead to technical skill 
     proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a 
     certificate, or a degree''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``vocational'' and 
     inserting ``career'';
       (13) in paragraph (18)(A) (as redesignated by paragraph 
     (2)), by striking ``agency, an area vocational'' and 
     inserting ``agency (including a public charter school that 
     operates as a local educational agency), an area career'';
       (14) by inserting after paragraph (19) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (2)) the following:
       ``(20) Graduation and career plan.--The term `graduation 
     and career plan' means a written plan for a secondary career 
     and technical education student, that--
       ``(A) is developed with career guidance and academic 
     counseling or other professional staff, and in consultation 
     with parents, not later than in the first year of secondary 
     school or upon enrollment in career and technical education;
       ``(B) is reviewed annually and modified as needed;
       ``(C) includes relevant information on--
       ``(i) secondary school requirements for graduating with a 
     diploma;
       ``(ii) postsecondary education admission requirements; and
       ``(iii) high skill, high wage, or high demand occupations 
     and nontraditional fields in emerging and established 
     professions, and labor market indicators; and
       ``(D) states the student's secondary school graduation 
     goals, postsecondary education and training, or employment 
     goals, and identifies 1 or more career pathways that 
     correspond to the goals.'';
       (15) by inserting after paragraph (24) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (2)) the following:
       ``(25) Local workforce investment board.--The term `local 
     workforce investment board' means a local workforce 
     investment board established under section 117 of the 
     Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2832).'';
       (16) in paragraph (26) (as redesignated by paragraph (2))--
       (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Training and 
     employment'' and inserting ``Fields''; and
       (B) by striking ``training and employment'' and inserting 
     ``fields'';
       (17) in paragraph (27) (as redesignated by paragraph (2)), 
     by striking ``the Commonwealth'' and all that follows through 
     the period and inserting ``and the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands.'';
       (18) by inserting after paragraph (31) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (2)) the following:
       ``(32) Self-sufficiency.--The term `self-sufficiency' means 
     a standard that is adopted, calculated, or commissioned by a 
     local area or State, and which adjusts for local factors, in 
     specifying the income needs of families, by family size, the 
     number and ages of children in the family, and sub-State 
     geographical considerations.'';
       (19) in paragraph (33) (as redesignated by paragraph (2))--
       (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``training and 
     employment'' and inserting ``fields''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``individuals with 
     other barriers to educational achievement, including'';
       (20) in paragraph (35) (as redesignated by paragraph (2)) 
     by striking ``, and instructional aids and devices'' and 
     inserting ``instructional aids, and work supports'';
       (21) by striking paragraph (36) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (2)) and inserting the following:
       ``(36) Tech-prep program.--The term `tech-prep program' 
     means a program of study that--
       ``(A) combines at a minimum 2 years of secondary education 
     (as determined under State law) with a minimum of 2 years of 
     postsecondary education in a nonduplicative, sequential 
     course of study;
       ``(B) integrates academic and career and technical 
     education instruction, and utilizes work-based and worksite 
     learning where appropriate and available;
       ``(C) provides technical preparation in a career field, 
     including high skill, high wage, or high demand occupations;
       ``(D) builds student competence in technical skills and in 
     core academic subjects, as appropriate, through applied, 
     contextual, and integrated instruction, in a coherent 
     sequence of courses (which may include work-based learning 
     experiences);
       ``(E) leads to technical skill proficiency, an industry-
     recognized credential, a certificate, or a degree, in a 
     specific career field;
       ``(F) leads to placement in high skill, high wage 
     employment or to further education; and
       ``(G) utilizes career pathways, to the extent 
     practicable.''; and
       (22) in paragraph (38) (as redesignated by paragraph (2))--
       (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Vocational'' 
     and inserting ``Career'';
       (B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
       (i) by striking ``vocational'' and inserting ``career'';
       (ii) by striking ``paragraph (2)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)(2)''; and
       (iii) by striking ``paragraph (5)(A)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)(5)''; and
       (C) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``vocational'' and 
     inserting ``career''.

     SEC. 5. TRANSITION PROVISIONS.

       Section 4 (20 U.S.C. 2303) is amended by striking ``the 
     Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education 
     Act'' and all that follows through the period and inserting 
     ``this Act, as this Act was in effect on the day before the 
     date of enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
     Education Improvement Act of 2005. Each eligible agency shall 
     be assured a full fiscal year for transition to plan for and 
     implement the requirements of this Act.''.

     SEC. 6. LIMITATION.

       Section 6 (20 U.S.C. 2305) is amended by striking the 
     second sentence.

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 8 (20 U.S.C. 2307) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``title II'' and inserting ``part D of 
     title I''; and
       (2) by striking ``1999 through 2003'' and inserting ``2006 
     through 2011''.

    TITLE I--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE STATES

     SEC. 101. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE 
                   STATES.

       Title I (20 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.) is amended by striking the 
     title heading and inserting the following:

 ``TITLE I--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE STATES''.

     SEC. 102. RESERVATIONS AND STATE ALLOTMENT.

       Section 111(a) (20 U.S.C. 2321(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ``2001 through 2003,'' 
     and inserting ``2006 through 2011,''; and
       (2) by striking paragraphs (3) and (4) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(3) Minimum allotment.--Subject to paragraph (4), no 
     State, other than the United States Virgin Islands, shall 
     receive for a fiscal year under this subsection less than \1/
     2\ of 1 percent of the amount appropriated under section 8 
     and not reserved under paragraph (1) for such fiscal year. 
     Amounts necessary for increasing such payments to States to 
     comply with the preceding sentence shall be obtained by 
     ratably reducing the amounts to be paid to other States.
       ``(4) Hold harmless.--
       ``(A) Fiscal years 2006 through 2008.--Notwithstanding 
     paragraph (3), no State shall receive an allotment under this 
     section for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2008 that 
     is less than the allotment the State received under this part 
     (as this part was in effect on the day before the date of 
     enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
     Education Improvement Act of 2005) for fiscal year 2005.
       ``(B) Fiscal years 2009 through 2011.--Notwithstanding 
     paragraph (3), no State shall receive an allotment under this 
     section for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2011 that 
     is less than 95 percent of the allotment the State received 
     under this section for the preceding fiscal year.
       ``(C) Ratable reduction.--If for any fiscal year the amount 
     appropriated for allotments under this section is 
     insufficient to satisfy the requirements of subparagraph (A) 
     or (B), the payments to all States under such subparagraph 
     shall be ratably reduced.''.

     SEC. 103. WITHIN STATE ALLOCATION.

       Section 112 (20 U.S.C. 2322) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       (B) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(2) not more than 15 percent or $750,000, whichever is 
     greater, for--
       ``(A) State leadership activities described in section 124, 
     of which--
       ``(i) an amount determined by the eligible agency shall be 
     made available to serve individuals in State institutions, 
     such as State correctional institutions and institutions that 
     serve individuals with disabilities; and
       ``(ii) not less than $60,000 shall be available for 
     services that prepare individuals for nontraditional fields; 
     and
       ``(B) administration of the State plan, which may be used 
     for the costs of--
       ``(i) developing the State plan;
       ``(ii) reviewing the local plans;
       ``(iii) monitoring and evaluating program effectiveness;
       ``(iv) assuring compliance with all applicable Federal 
     laws;
       ``(v) providing technical assistance; and
       ``(vi) supporting and developing State data systems 
     relevant to the provisions of this Act.'';
       (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``subsection (a)(3)'' 
     both places the term appears and inserting ``subsection 
     (a)(2)(B)''; and
       (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
       ``(c) Reserve.--From amounts made available under 
     subsection (a)(1) to carry out this subsection, an eligible 
     agency may--
       ``(1) award grants to eligible recipients, or consortia of 
     eligible recipients, for career and technical education 
     activities described in section 135 in--
       ``(A) rural areas; or
       ``(B) areas with high percentages or high numbers of career 
     and technical education students;
       ``(2) reserve funds, with the approval of participating 
     eligible recipients, for--
       ``(A) innovative statewide initiatives that demonstrate 
     benefits for eligible recipients, which may include--

[[Page S2441]]

       ``(i) developing and implementing technical assessments;
       ``(ii) improving the initial preparation and professional 
     development of career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, principals, administrators, and counselors; and
       ``(iii) establishing, enhancing, and supporting systems for 
     accountability data collection or reporting purposes; or
       ``(B) the development and implementation of career pathways 
     or career clusters; and
       ``(3) carry out activities described in paragraphs (1) and 
     (2).''.

     SEC. 104. ACCOUNTABILITY.

       Section 113 (20 U.S.C. 2323) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (2) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by striking ``a State performance accountability 
     system'' and inserting ``and support State and local 
     performance accountability systems''; and
       (B) by inserting ``and its eligible recipients'' after ``of 
     the State'';
       (3) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``paragraph (2)(A)'' 
     and inserting ``subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2)''; 
     and
       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``(2)(B)'' and 
     inserting ``(2)(C)'';
       (B) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(A) Core indicators of performance for secondary career 
     and technical education students.--Each eligible agency shall 
     identify in the State plan core indicators of performance for 
     secondary career and technical education students that 
     include, at a minimum, measures of each of the following:
       ``(i) Student achievement on technical assessments and 
     attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies that 
     are aligned with nationally recognized industry standards, if 
     available and appropriate.
       ``(ii) Student attainment of challenging academic content 
     standards and student academic achievement standards, as 
     adopted by the State under section 1111(b)(1) of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and measured 
     by the academic assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) 
     of such Act, consistent with State requirements.
       ``(iii) Student rates of attainment of--

       ``(I) a secondary school diploma;
       ``(II) the recognized equivalent of a secondary school 
     diploma;
       ``(III) technical skill proficiency;
       ``(IV) an industry-recognized credential;
       ``(V) a certificate; and
       ``(VI) a degree.

       ``(iv) Placement in postsecondary education, military 
     service, apprenticeship programs, or employment.
       ``(v) Student participation in, and completion of, career 
     and technical education programs that lead to employment or 
     self-employment in nontraditional fields.'';
       (ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (D) as 
     subparagraphs (C) through (E), respectively;
       (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
       ``(B) Core indicators of performance for postsecondary 
     career and technical students.--Each eligible agency shall 
     identify in the State plan core indicators of performance for 
     postsecondary career and technical education students that 
     include, at a minimum, measures of each of the following:
       ``(i) Student achievement on technical assessments and 
     attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies that 
     are aligned with nationally recognized industry standards, if 
     available and appropriate.
       ``(ii) Student attainment of technical skill proficiency, 
     an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or a 
     degree, or retention in postsecondary education, including 
     transfer to a baccalaureate degree program.
       ``(iii) Placement in military service, apprenticeship 
     programs, or employment.
       ``(iv) Student participation in, and completion of, career 
     and technical education programs that lead to employment or 
     self-employment in--

       ``(I) nontraditional fields; and
       ``(II) high skill, high wage, high demand occupations or 
     professions.

       ``(v) Increase in earnings, where available.'';
       (iv) in subparagraph (C) (as redesignated by clause (ii) of 
     this subparagraph), by striking ``the title.'' and inserting 
     ``this title, such as attainment of self-sufficiency.'';
       (v) in subparagraph (D) (as redesignated by clause (ii) of 
     this subparagraph), by inserting ``career and technical 
     education'' after ``developed State'';
       (vi) in subparagraph (E) (as redesignated by clause (ii) of 
     this subparagraph)--

       (I) by striking ``this paragraph'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraphs (A) and (B)'';
       (II) by striking ``solely''; and
       (III) by striking ``recipients.'' and inserting 
     ``recipients, and shall meet the requirements of this 
     section.''; and

       (vii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(F) Alignment of performance indicators.--In the course 
     of identifying core indicators of performance and additional 
     indicators of performance, States shall, to the greatest 
     extent possible, define the indicators so that substantially 
     similar information gathered for other State and Federal 
     programs, or any other purpose, is used to meet the 
     requirements of this section.'';
       (C) in paragraph (3)--
       (i) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Levels'' and 
     inserting ``State levels'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A)--

       (I) in clause (i)--

       (aa) by striking ``paragraph (2)(A)'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2)'';
       (bb) by inserting ``after taking into account the local 
     adjusted levels of performance and'' after ``eligible 
     agency,''; and
       (cc) by striking subclause (II) and inserting the 
     following:

       ``(II) require the eligible recipients to make continuous 
     and significant improvement in career and technical 
     achievement of career and technical education students, 
     including special populations.'';
       (II) in clause (v)--

       (aa) in the clause heading, by striking ``3rd, 4th, and 
     5th'' and inserting ``Subsequent'';
       (bb) by striking ``third program year'' and inserting 
     ``third and fifth program years''; and
       (cc) by striking ``third, fourth, and fifth'' and inserting 
     ``corresponding subsequent'';

       (III) in clause (vi)(II), by inserting ``and significant'' 
     after ``continuous''; and
       (IV) in clause (vii), by striking ``or (vi)'' and inserting 
     ``or (v)''; and

       (iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``(2)(B)'' and 
     inserting ``(2)(C)''; and
       (D) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Local levels of performance.--
       ``(A) Local adjusted levels of performance for core 
     indicators of performance.--
       ``(i) In general.--Each eligible recipient shall agree to 
     accept the State adjusted levels of performance established 
     under paragraph (3) as local adjusted levels of performance, 
     or negotiate with the State to reach agreement on new local 
     adjusted levels of performance, for each of the core 
     indicators of performance described in subparagraphs (A) and 
     (B) of paragraph (2) for career and technical education 
     activities authorized under this title. The levels of 
     performance established under this subparagraph shall, at a 
     minimum--

       ``(I) be expressed in a percentage or numerical form, so as 
     to be objective, quantifiable, and measurable; and
       ``(II) require the eligible recipient to make continuous 
     and significant improvement in career and technical 
     achievement of career and technical education students.

       ``(ii) Identification in the local plan.--Each eligible 
     recipient shall identify, in the local plan submitted under 
     section 134, levels of performance for each of the core 
     indicators of performance for the first 2 program years 
     covered by the local plan.
       ``(iii) Agreement on local adjusted levels of performance 
     for first 2 years.--The eligible agency and each eligible 
     recipient shall reach agreement, as described in clause (i), 
     on the eligible recipient's levels of performance for each of 
     the core indicators of performance for the first 2 program 
     years covered by the local plan, taking into account the 
     levels identified in the local plan under clause (ii) and the 
     factors described in clause (v). The levels of performance 
     agreed to under this clause shall be considered to be the 
     local adjusted levels of performance for the eligible 
     recipient for such years and shall be incorporated into the 
     local plan prior to the approval of such plan.
       ``(iv) Agreement on local adjusted levels of performance 
     for subsequent years.--Prior to the third and fifth program 
     years covered by the local plan, the eligible agency and each 
     eligible recipient shall reach agreement on the local 
     adjusted levels of performance for each of the core 
     indicators of performance for the corresponding subsequent 
     program years covered by the local plan, taking into account 
     the factors described in clause (v). The local adjusted 
     levels of performance agreed to under this clause shall be 
     considered to be the local adjusted levels of performance for 
     the eligible recipient for such years and shall be 
     incorporated into the local plan.
       ``(v) Factors.--The agreement described in clause (iii) or 
     (iv) shall take into account--

       ``(I) how the levels of performance involved compare with 
     the local adjusted levels of performance established for 
     other eligible recipients, taking into account factors 
     including the characteristics of participants when the 
     participants entered the program and the services or 
     instruction to be provided; and
       ``(II) the extent to which the local adjusted levels of 
     performance involved promote continuous and significant 
     improvement on the core indicators of performance by the 
     eligible recipient.

       ``(vi) Revisions.--If unanticipated circumstances arise 
     with respect to an eligible recipient resulting in a 
     significant change in the factor described in clause (v)(II), 
     the eligible recipient may request that the local adjusted 
     levels of performance agreed to under clause (iii) or (iv) be 
     revised. The eligible agency shall issue objective criteria 
     and methods for making such revisions.
       ``(B) Levels of performance for additional indicators.--
     Each eligible recipient may identify, in the local plan, 
     local levels of performance for any additional indicators of 
     performance described in paragraph (2)(C). Such levels shall 
     be considered to be the local levels of performance for 
     purposes of this title.
       ``(C) Report.--Each eligible recipient that receives an 
     allocation under section 131 shall publicly report, on an 
     annual basis, its progress in achieving the local adjusted 
     levels of performance on the core indicators of 
     performance.''; and
       (4) by striking subsection (c)(1)(B) and inserting:
       ``(B) information on the levels of performance achieved by 
     the State with respect to the additional indicators of 
     performance, including the levels of performance 
     disaggregated for postsecondary institutions, by special 
     populations and gender, and for secondary institutions, by 
     special populations and by the categories described in 
     section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965, except that such disaggregation shall 
     not be required in a

[[Page S2442]]

     case in which the number of individuals in a category is 
     insufficient to yield statistically reliable information or 
     the results would reveal personally identifiable information 
     about an individual.''.

     SEC. 105. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

       Section 114 (20 U.S.C. 2324) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (2) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``, including an 
     analysis of performance data regarding special populations'' 
     and inserting ``, including an analysis of performance data 
     that is disaggregated for postsecondary institutions, by 
     special populations, and for secondary institutions, by 
     special populations and by the categories described in 
     section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965, except that such disaggregation shall 
     not be required in a case in which the number of individuals 
     in a category is insufficient to yield statistically reliable 
     information or the results would reveal personally 
     identifiable information about an individual'';
       (3) in subsection (c)--
       (A) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
       ``(2) Independent advisory panel.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall appoint an 
     independent advisory panel to advise the Secretary on the 
     implementation of the assessment described in paragraph (3), 
     including the issues to be addressed and the methodology of 
     the studies involved to ensure that the assessment adheres to 
     the highest standards of quality.
       ``(B) Members.--The advisory panel shall consist of--
       ``(i) educators, principals, administrators, and chief 
     executives (including State directors of career and technical 
     education), with expertise in the integration of academic and 
     career and technical education;
       ``(ii) experts in evaluation, research, and assessment;
       ``(iii) representatives of labor organizations and 
     businesses, including small businesses, economic development 
     entities, and State workforce investment boards established 
     under section 111 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
     U.S.C. 2821) or local workforce investment boards;
       ``(iv) parents;
       ``(v) career guidance and academic counseling 
     professionals; and
       ``(vi) other individuals and intermediaries with relevant 
     expertise.
       ``(C) Independent analysis.--The advisory panel shall 
     transmit to the Secretary and to the relevant committees of 
     Congress an independent analysis of the findings and 
     recommendations resulting from the assessment described in 
     paragraph (3).
       ``(D) FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) shall not apply to the panel established under this 
     paragraph.'';
       (B) in paragraph (3)--
       (i) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(A) In general.--From amounts made available under 
     subsection (d), the Secretary shall provide for the conduct 
     of an independent evaluation and assessment of career and 
     technical education programs under this Act, including the 
     implementation of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
     Education Improvement Act of 2005, to the extent practicable, 
     through studies and analyses conducted independently through 
     grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements that are 
     awarded on a competitive basis.'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (B)--

       (I) by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following:

       ``(iii) the preparation and qualifications of teachers and 
     faculty of career and technical education, as well as 
     shortages of such teachers and faculty;'';

       (II) by striking clause (v) and inserting the following:

       ``(v) academic and career and technical education 
     achievement and employment outcomes of career and technical 
     education students, including analyses of--

       ``(I) the number of career and technical education students 
     and tech-prep students who meet the State adjusted levels of 
     performance established under section 113;
       ``(II) the extent and success of integration of challenging 
     academic and career and technical education for students 
     participating in career and technical education programs;
       ``(III) the extent to which career and technical education 
     programs prepare students, including special populations, for 
     subsequent employment in high skill, high wage occupations, 
     or participation in postsecondary education; and
       ``(IV) the number of career and technical education 
     students receiving a high school diploma;'';
       (III) in clause (vi), by inserting ``, and career and 
     technical education students' preparation for employment'' 
     after ``programs''; and
       (IV) in clause (viii), by inserting ``and local'' after 
     ``State'' both places such term appears; and

       (iii) in subparagraph (C)--

       (I) in clause (i)--

       (aa) by striking ``Committee on Education'' and all that 
     follows through ``Senate'' and inserting ``relevant 
     committees of Congress''; and
       (bb) by striking ``2002'' both places it appears and 
     inserting ``2009''; and

       (II) in clause (ii), by striking ``Committee on Education'' 
     and all that follows through ``Senate'' and inserting 
     ``relevant committees of Congress'';

       (C) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ``Committee on 
     Education'' and all that follows through ``Senate'' and 
     inserting ``relevant committees of Congress'';
       (D) in paragraph (5)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A)--

       (I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
     ``higher education'' and all that follows through ``centers'' 
     and inserting ``higher education offering comprehensive 
     graduate programs in career and technical education that 
     shall be the primary recipient and shall collaborate with a 
     public or private nonprofit organization or agency, or a 
     consortium of such institutions, organizations, or agencies, 
     to establish a national research center'';
       (II) in clause (i)--

       (aa) by inserting ``and evaluation'' after ``to carry out 
     research''; and
       (bb) by inserting ``, including special populations,'' 
     after ``participants'';

       (III) by redesignating clauses (ii), (iii), and (iv), as 
     clauses (iii), (iv), and (v), respectively;
       (IV) by inserting after clause (i) the following:

       ``(ii) to carry out research for the purpose of developing, 
     improving, and identifying the most successful methods for 
     successfully addressing the needs of employers in high skill, 
     high wage business and industry, including evaluation and 
     scientifically based research of--

       ``(I) collaboration between career and technical education 
     programs and business and industry;
       ``(II) academic and technical skills required to respond to 
     the challenge of a global economy and rapid technological 
     changes; and
       ``(III) technical knowledge and skills required to respond 
     to needs of a regional or sectoral workforce, including small 
     business;'';
       (V) in clause (iii) (as redesignated by subclause (III) of 
     this clause), by inserting ``that are integrated with 
     challenging academic instruction'' before ``, including''; 
     and
       (VI) by striking clause (iv) (as redesignated by subclause 
     (III) of this clause) and inserting the following:

       ``(iv) to carry out scientifically based research, where 
     appropriate, that can be used to improve preparation and 
     professional development of teachers, faculty, principals, 
     and administrators and student learning in the career and 
     technical education classroom, including--

       ``(I) effective in-service and pre-service teacher and 
     faculty education that assists career and technical education 
     programs in--

       ``(aa) integrating those programs with academic content 
     standards and student academic achievement standards, as 
     adopted by States under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary 
     and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and
       ``(bb) promoting technical education aligned with industry-
     based standards and certifications to meet regional industry 
     needs;

       ``(II) dissemination and training activities related to the 
     applied research and demonstration activities described in 
     this subsection, which may also include serving as a 
     repository for information on career and technical education 
     skills, State academic standards, and related materials; and
       ``(III) the recruitment and retention of career and 
     technical education teachers, faculty, counselors, 
     principals, and administrators, including individuals in 
     groups underrepresented in the teaching profession; and'';

       (ii) in subparagraph (B)--

       (I) by striking ``or centers'' both places the term 
     appears; and
       (II) by striking ``Committee on Education'' and all that 
     follows through ``Senate'' and inserting ``relevant 
     committees of Congress'';

       (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or centers''; and
       (iv) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(D) Independent governing board.--
       ``(i) In general.--An institution of higher education that 
     desires a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under 
     this paragraph shall identify, in its application, an 
     independent governing board for the center established 
     pursuant to this paragraph.
       ``(ii) Members.--The independent governing board shall 
     consist of the following:

       ``(I) Two representatives of secondary career and technical 
     education.
       ``(II) Two representatives of postsecondary career and 
     technical education.
       ``(III) Two representatives of eligible agencies.
       ``(IV) Two representatives of business and industry.
       ``(V) Two representatives of career and technical teacher 
     preparation institutions.
       ``(VI) Two nationally recognized researchers in the field 
     of career and technical education.

       ``(iii) Coordination.--The independent governing board 
     shall ensure that the research and dissemination activities 
     carried out by the center are coordinated with the research 
     activities carried out by the Secretary.'';
       (E) in paragraph (6)(B)(ii), by striking ``or centers''; 
     and
       (F) by striking paragraph (8); and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such 
     sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2006 
     through 2011.''.

     SEC. 106. ASSISTANCE FOR THE OUTLYING AREAS.

       Section 115 (20 U.S.C. 2325) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States 
     of Micronesia,'';
       (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``training and 
     retraining;'' and inserting ``preparation;'';
       (C) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
     (3) and (4), respectively; and
       (D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) professional development for teachers, faculty, 
     principals, and administrators;''; and
       (3) in subsection (d)--
       (A) by striking ``the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
     Federated States of Micronesia, and''; and

[[Page S2443]]

       (B) by striking ``2001'' and inserting ``2007''.

     SEC. 107. NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM.

       Section 116 (20 U.S.C. 2326) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (2) in subsection (a)(5), by adding a period at the end;
       (3) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``(d)'' and inserting 
     ``(c)''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(other than in 
     subsection (i))'';
       (4) in subsection (d), by striking ``section an'' and 
     inserting ``section, an'';
       (5) in subsection (e), by striking ``paragraph'' and 
     inserting ``section''; and
       (6) in subsection (h), by striking ``which are recognized 
     by the Governor of the State of Hawaii''.

     SEC. 108. TRIBALLY CONTROLLED POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND 
                   TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS.

       Section 117 (20 U.S.C. 2327) is amended--
       (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 117. TRIBALLY CONTROLLED POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND 
                   TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS.'';

       (2) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (3) in subsection (g)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``The Secretary'' and 
     inserting ``On an annual basis, the Secretary'';
       (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``2000'' and inserting 
     ``2007''; and
       (C) in paragraph (3)(C), by striking ``beginning'' and all 
     that follows through the period and inserting ``beginning on 
     the date of enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
     Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005.'';
       (4) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as subsections 
     (j) and (k), respectively;
       (5) by inserting after subsection (g) the following:
       ``(h) Appeals.--
       ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 
     shall provide a tribally controlled postsecondary career and 
     technical institution with a hearing on the record before an 
     administrative law judge with respect to the following 
     determinations:
       ``(A) A determination that such institution is not eligible 
     for a grant under this section.
       ``(B) A determination regarding the calculation of the 
     amount of a grant awarded under this section.
       ``(2) Procedure for appeal.--To appeal a determination 
     described in paragraph (1), a tribally controlled 
     postsecondary career and technical institution shall--
       ``(A) in the case of an appeal based on a determination 
     that such institution is not eligible for a grant under this 
     section, file a notice of appeal with the Secretary not later 
     than 30 days after receipt of such determination; and
       ``(B) in the case of an appeal based on a determination 
     regarding the calculation of the amount of a grant awarded 
     under this section--
       ``(i) file a notice of appeal with the Secretary not later 
     than 30 days after receipt of the Secretary's notification of 
     the grant amount; and
       ``(ii) identify the amount of funding that gives rise to 
     such appeal.
       ``(3) Withholding of amount.--If a tribally controlled 
     postsecondary career and technical institution appeals a 
     determination described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
     withhold the amount in dispute from the award of grant funds 
     under this section until such time as the administrative law 
     judge has issued a written decision on the appeal.
       ``(i) Restricted Indirect Cost.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the Secretary shall not request the use of 
     a restricted indirect cost rate for grants awarded under this 
     section.''; and
       (6) by striking subsection (k) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (4) of this section) and inserting the following:
       ``(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.''.

     SEC. 109. OCCUPATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION.

       Section 118 (20 U.S.C. 2328) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``(f)'' and inserting ``(g)'';
       (B) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``(b)'' both places it 
     appears and inserting ``(c)'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``(b)'' and inserting 
     ``(c)''; and
       (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``(b)'' and 
     inserting ``(c)''; and
       (C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(b)'' both places it 
     appears and inserting ``(c)'';
       (2) by redesignating subsections (b) through (f) as 
     subsections (c) through (g), respectively;
       (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
       ``(b) State Application.--
       ``(1) In general.--Each State desiring assistance under 
     this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
     the same time the State submits its State plan under section 
     122, in such manner, and accompanied by such additional 
     information, as the Secretary may reasonably require.
       ``(2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall include--
       ``(A) a description of how the State entity designated in 
     subsection (c) will provide information based on labor market 
     trends to inform program development; and
       ``(B) information about the academic content standards and 
     student academic achievement standards adopted by the State 
     under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965.'';
       (4) in subsection (c) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
     this section)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``individuals'' and all 
     that follows through the semicolon and inserting ``students 
     and parents, including postsecondary education and training, 
     including academic and technical preparation for high skill, 
     high wage, or high demand occupations and nontraditional 
     fields in emerging or established professions;'';
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``academic and career 
     and technical'' after ``relate'';
       (C) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       ``(3) to equip teachers, faculty, administrators, and 
     counselors with the knowledge, skills, and occupational 
     information needed to assist parents and all students, 
     especially special populations underrepresented in certain 
     careers, with career exploration, educational opportunities, 
     education financing, and exposure to high skill, high wage, 
     or high demand occupations and nontraditional fields, 
     including occupations and fields requiring a baccalaureate 
     degree;'';
       (D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``such entities;'' and 
     inserting ``such entities, with an emphasis on high skill, 
     high wage, or high demand occupations in emerging or 
     established professions;'';
       (E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (F) in paragraph (6), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (G) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) to provide information, if available, for each 
     occupation, on--
       ``(A) the average earnings of an individual in the 
     occupation at entry level and after 5 years of employment;
       ``(B) the expected lifetime earnings; and
       ``(C) the expected future demand for the occupation, based 
     on employment projections.'';
       (5) in subsection (d)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section), by striking ``(b)'' both places it appears 
     and inserting ``(c)'';
       (6) in subsection (e)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section), by striking ``(b)'' and inserting ``(c)'';
       (7) in subsection (f)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section), by striking ``an identification'' and 
     inserting ``a description''; and
       (8) in subsection (g) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
     this section), by striking ``1999 through 2003'' and 
     inserting ``2006 through 2011''.

     SEC. 110. STATE ADMINISTRATION.

       Section 121 (20 U.S.C. 2341) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (a)(2) as subsection (b) 
     and indenting appropriately;
       (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (D) of 
     subsection (a)(1) as paragraphs (1) through (4), 
     respectively, and indenting appropriately;
       (3) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (4) 
     (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of this section) as 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting 
     appropriately;
       (4) by striking the following:
       ``(a) Eligible Agency Responsibilities.--
       ``(1) In general.--The responsibilities'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(a) Eligible Agency Responsibilities.--The 
     responsibilities'';
       (5) in subsection (a)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section), by striking ``training and employment'' and 
     inserting ``fields'';
       (6) in subsection (a)(2) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) 
     of this section)--
       (A) by inserting ``teacher and faculty preparation 
     programs,'' after ``teachers,''; and
       (B) by inserting ``all types and sizes of'' after 
     ``representatives of''; and
       (7) in subsection (b) (as redesignated by paragraph (1) of 
     this section), by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)''.

     SEC. 111. STATE PLAN.

       Section 122 (20 U.S.C. 2342) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (2) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking ``5'' and inserting ``6''; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following: ``Each eligible 
     agency may submit a transition plan during the first full 
     year of implementation of this Act after the date of 
     enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
     Education Improvement Act of 2005. The transition plan shall 
     fulfill the eligible agency's State plan submission 
     obligation under this section.''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``5 year State plan'' 
     and inserting ``6-year period'';
       (3) by striking subsection (b)(1) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) In general.--The eligible agency shall develop the 
     State plan in consultation with academic and career and 
     technical education teachers, faculty, principals, and 
     administrators, career guidance and academic counselors, 
     eligible recipients, parents, students, the State tech-prep 
     coordinator and representatives of tech-prep consortia (if 
     applicable), the lead State agency officials with 
     responsibility for the programs and activities that are 
     described in section 121(b) of the Workforce Investment Act 
     of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2841(b)) and carried out by one-stop 
     partners, the State workforce investment board, interested 
     community members (including parent and community 
     organizations), representatives of special populations, 
     representatives of business and industry (including 
     representatives of small business and economic development 
     entities), and representatives of labor organizations in the 
     State, and shall consult the Governor of the State with 
     respect to such development.'';
       (4) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:

[[Page S2444]]

       ``(c) Plan Contents.--The State plan shall include 
     information that--
       ``(1) describes the career and technical education 
     activities to be assisted that are designed to meet or exceed 
     the State adjusted levels of performance, including a 
     description of--
       ``(A) how the eligible agency will support eligible 
     recipients in developing or implementing career pathways for 
     career and technical education content areas that are 
     designed to meet relevant workforce needs, including how the 
     eligible agency will--
       ``(i) support eligible recipients in developing 
     articulation agreements between secondary and postsecondary 
     institutions;
       ``(ii) support eligible recipients in using labor market 
     information to identify career pathways that prepare 
     individuals for high skill, high wage, or high demand 
     occupations;
       ``(iii) make available information about career pathways 
     offered by eligible recipients; and
       ``(iv) consult with business and industry and use industry-
     recognized standards and assessments, if appropriate;
       ``(B) the secondary and postsecondary career and technical 
     education programs to be carried out, including programs that 
     will be carried out by the eligible agency to develop, 
     improve, and expand access to quality technology in career 
     and technical education programs;
       ``(C) the criteria that will be used by the eligible agency 
     to approve eligible recipients for funds under this title, 
     including criteria to assess the extent to which the local 
     plan will--
       ``(i) promote higher levels of academic achievement;
       ``(ii) promote higher levels of technical skill attainment; 
     and
       ``(iii) identify and address workforce needs;
       ``(D) how programs at the secondary level will prepare 
     career and technical education students, including special 
     populations to graduate from high school with a diploma;
       ``(E) how such programs will prepare career and technical 
     education students, including special populations, both 
     academically and technically, for opportunities in 
     postsecondary education or entry into high skill, high wage, 
     or high demand occupations in emerging or established 
     occupations, and how participating students will be made 
     aware of such opportunities; and
       ``(F) how funds will be used to improve or develop new 
     career and technical education courses in high skill, high 
     wage, or high demand occupations that are aligned with 
     business needs and industry standards, as appropriate--
       ``(i) at the secondary level that are aligned with 
     challenging academic content standards and student academic 
     achievement standards adopted by the State under section 
     1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
     1965; and
       ``(ii) at the postsecondary level that are relevant and 
     challenging;
       ``(2) describes how career and technical education 
     teachers, faculty, principals, administrators, and career 
     guidance and academic counselors will be provided 
     comprehensive initial preparation and professional 
     development, including through programs and activities that--
       ``(A) promote the integration of challenging academic 
     curricula and career and technical education curricula, 
     including opportunities for teachers to jointly develop and 
     implement curriculum and pedagogical strategies with 
     appropriate academic teachers;
       ``(B) increase the academic and career and technical 
     education knowledge of career and technical education 
     teachers and faculty;
       ``(C) are high-quality, sustained, intensive, focused on 
     instruction, directly related to industry standards, and 
     includes structured induction and mentoring components for 
     new personnel, with an emphasis on identifying and addressing 
     the needs of local businesses, including small businesses;
       ``(D) ensure an increasing number of career and technical 
     education teachers and faculty meet teacher certification and 
     licensing requirements reflecting the needs of their subject 
     area or areas;
       ``(E) equip career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, principals, administrators, and career guidance and 
     academic counselors with the knowledge and skills needed to 
     work with and improve instruction for special populations;
       ``(F) assist in accessing and utilizing data, including 
     labor market indicators, student achievement, and 
     assessments;
       ``(G) enhance the leadership capacity of principals and 
     administrators;
       ``(H) are integrated with professional development 
     activities that the State carries out under title II of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and title II 
     of the Higher Education Act of 1965; and
       ``(I) include strategies to expose all career and technical 
     education students to comprehensive information regarding 
     career options that lead to high skill, high wage, or high 
     demand occupations and nontraditional fields;
       ``(3) describes efforts to improve--
       ``(A) the recruitment and retention of career and technical 
     education teachers, faculty, counselors, principals, and 
     administrators, including individuals in groups 
     underrepresented in the teaching profession; and
       ``(B) the transition to teaching from business and 
     industry, including small business;
       ``(4) describes efforts to improve the capacity of programs 
     and faculty at postsecondary institutions to effectively 
     prepare career and technical education personnel, including, 
     as appropriate, through electronically delivered distance 
     education, and articulation agreements between 2-year 
     technical programs and postsecondary education programs;
       ``(5) describes efforts to facilitate the transition of 
     sub-baccalaureate career and technical education students 
     into baccalaureate degree programs, including--
       ``(A) statewide articulation agreements between sub-
     baccalaureate career and technical education programs and 
     baccalaureate degree programs;
       ``(B) postsecondary dual and concurrent enrollment 
     programs;
       ``(C) academic and financial aid counseling; and
       ``(D) other initiatives to encourage the pursuit of a 
     baccalaureate degree and to overcome barriers to 
     participation in baccalaureate degree programs, including 
     geographic and other barriers affecting rural students and 
     special populations;
       ``(6) describes how the eligible agency will actively 
     involve parents, academic and career and technical education 
     teachers, faculty, principals, and administrators, career 
     guidance and academic counselors, local businesses (including 
     small- and medium-sized businesses and business 
     intermediaries), State workforce investment boards, local 
     workforce investment boards, economic development entities, 
     and labor organizations in the planning, development, 
     implementation, and evaluation of such career and technical 
     education programs;
       ``(7) describes how funds received by the eligible agency 
     through the allotment made under section 111 will be 
     allocated--
       ``(A) among secondary school career and technical 
     education, or postsecondary and adult career and technical 
     education, or both, including the rationale for such 
     allocation; and
       ``(B) among any consortia that will be formed among 
     secondary schools and eligible institutions, and how funds 
     will be allocated among the members of the consortia, 
     including the rationale for such allocation;
       ``(8) describes how the eligible agency will--
       ``(A) use funds to improve or develop new career and 
     technical education courses in high skill, high wage, or high 
     demand occupations--
       ``(i) at the secondary level that are aligned with 
     challenging academic content standards and student academic 
     achievement standards adopted by the State under section 
     1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
     1965; and
       ``(ii) at the postsecondary level that are challenging and 
     aligned with business needs and industry standards, as 
     appropriate;
       ``(B) improve the academic and technical skills of students 
     participating in career and technical education programs, 
     including strengthening the academic, and career and 
     technical, components of career and technical education 
     programs through the integration of academics with career and 
     technical education to ensure learning in the core academic 
     subjects and career and technical education subjects, and 
     provide students with strong experience in, and understanding 
     of, all aspects of an industry;
       ``(C) ensure that students who participate in such career 
     and technical education programs are taught to the same 
     challenging academic proficiencies as are taught to all other 
     students; and
       ``(D) encourage secondary school students who participate 
     in such career and technical education programs to enroll in 
     challenging courses in core academic subjects;
       ``(9) describes how the eligible agency will annually 
     evaluate the effectiveness of such career and technical 
     education programs, and describes, to the extent practicable, 
     how the eligible agency is coordinating such programs to 
     promote relevant lifelong learning and ensure nonduplication 
     with other existing Federal programs;
       ``(10) describes the eligible agency's program strategies 
     for special populations, including a description of how 
     individuals who are members of the special populations--
       ``(A) will be provided with equal access to activities 
     assisted under this title;
       ``(B) will not be discriminated against on the basis of 
     their status as members of the special populations; and
       ``(C) will be provided with programs designed to enable the 
     special populations to meet or exceed State adjusted levels 
     of performance, and prepare special populations for further 
     learning and for high skill, high wage, or high demand 
     occupations;
       ``(11) how the eligible agency will collaborate in 
     developing the State plan with--
       ``(A) the entity within the State with responsibility for 
     elementary and secondary education;
       ``(B) the entity within the State with responsibility for 
     public institutions engaged in postsecondary education;
       ``(C) State institutions such as State correctional 
     institutions and institutions that serve individuals with 
     disabilities; and
       ``(D) all other relevant State agencies with responsibility 
     for career and technical education and training investment, 
     and economic and workforce development;
       ``(12) describes what steps the eligible agency will take 
     to involve representatives of eligible recipients in the 
     development of the State adjusted levels of performance;
       ``(13) provides assurances that the eligible agency will 
     comply with the requirements of this title and the provisions 
     of the State plan, including the provision of a financial 
     audit of funds received under this title which may be 
     included as part of an audit of other Federal or State 
     programs;
       ``(14) provides assurances that none of the funds expended 
     under this title will be used to acquire equipment (including 
     computer software) in any instance in which such acquisition 
     results in a direct financial benefit to any organization 
     representing the interests of the purchasing entity, the 
     employees of the purchasing entity, or any affiliate of such 
     an organization;
       ``(15) describes how the eligible agency will measure and 
     report data relating to students participating in and 
     completing career and technical education within specific 
     career clusters in

[[Page S2445]]

     order to adequately measure the progress of the students, 
     including special populations, at--
       ``(A) the secondary level, disaggregated by the categories 
     described in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965, except that such 
     disaggregation shall not be required in a case in which the 
     number of individuals in a category is insufficient to yield 
     statistically reliable information or the results would 
     reveal personally identifiable information about an 
     individual; and
       ``(B) the postsecondary level, disaggregated by special 
     populations, except that such disaggregation shall not be 
     required in a case in which the number of individuals in a 
     category is insufficient to yield statistically reliable 
     information or the results would reveal personally 
     identifiable information about an individual;
       ``(16) describes how the eligible agency will adequately 
     address the needs of students in alternative education 
     programs, if appropriate;
       ``(17) describes how the eligible agency will provide local 
     educational agencies, area career and technical education 
     schools, and eligible institutions in the State with 
     technical assistance;
       ``(18) describes how career and technical education relates 
     to State and regional occupational opportunities;
       ``(19) describes the methods proposed for the joint 
     planning and coordination of programs carried out under this 
     title with other Federal education and workforce investment 
     programs;
       ``(20) describes how funds will be used to promote 
     preparation for high skill, high wage, or high demand 
     occupations and nontraditional fields in emerging and 
     established professions;
       ``(21) describes how funds will be used to serve 
     individuals in State correctional institutions;
       ``(22) describes how the eligible agency will ensure that 
     the data reported to the eligible agency from local 
     educational agencies and eligible institutions under this 
     title and the data the eligible agency reports to the 
     Secretary are complete, accurate, and reliable; and
       ``(23) contains the description and information specified 
     in sections 112(b)(8) and 121(c) of the Workforce Investment 
     Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2822(b)(8) and 2841(c)) concerning the 
     provision of services only for postsecondary students and 
     school dropouts.'';
       (5) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
       ``(d) Plan Options.--
       ``(1) Single plan.--The eligible agency may fulfill the 
     plan or application submission requirements of this section, 
     section 118(b), and section 141(c) by submitting a single 
     State plan. In such plan, the eligible agency may allow 
     eligible recipients to fulfill the plan or application 
     submission requirements of section 134 and subsections (a) 
     and (b) of section 143 by submitting a single local plan.
       ``(2) Plan submitted as part of 501 plan.--The eligible 
     agency may submit the plan required under this section as 
     part of the plan submitted under section 501 of the Workforce 
     Investment Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 9271), if the plan 
     submitted pursuant to the requirement of this section meets 
     the requirements of this Act.''; and
       (6) by striking subsection (f).

     SEC. 112. IMPROVEMENT PLANS.

       Section 123 (20 U.S.C. 2343) is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 123. IMPROVEMENT PLANS.

       ``(a) State Program Improvement Plan.--
       ``(1) Plan.--If a State fails to meet the State adjusted 
     levels of performance described in the report submitted under 
     section 113(c), the eligible agency shall develop and 
     implement a program improvement plan in consultation with the 
     appropriate agencies, individuals, and organizations for the 
     first program year succeeding the program year in which the 
     eligible agency failed to meet the State adjusted levels of 
     performance, in order to avoid a sanction under paragraph 
     (3).
       ``(2) Technical assistance.--If the Secretary determines 
     that an eligible agency is not properly implementing the 
     eligible agency's responsibilities under section 122, or is 
     not making substantial progress in meeting the purpose of 
     this Act, based on the State's adjusted levels of 
     performance, the Secretary shall work with the eligible 
     agency to implement improvement activities consistent with 
     the requirements of this Act.
       ``(3) Failure.--
       ``(A) In general.--If an eligible agency fails to meet the 
     State adjusted levels of performance, has not implemented an 
     improvement plan as described in paragraph (1), has shown no 
     improvement within 1 year after implementing an improvement 
     plan as described in paragraph (1), or has failed to meet 
     more than 1 of the State adjusted levels of performance for 
     the same performance indicator for 2 or more consecutive 
     years, the Secretary may, after notice and opportunity for a 
     hearing, withhold from the eligible agency all, or a portion 
     of, the eligible agency's allotment under this title.
       ``(B) Waiver for exceptional circumstances.--The Secretary 
     may waive the sanction in subparagraph (A) due to exceptional 
     or uncontrollable circumstances such as a natural disaster or 
     a precipitous and unforeseen decline in financial resources 
     of the State.
       ``(4) Funds resulting from reduced allotments.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall use funds withheld 
     under paragraph (3) for a State served by an eligible agency, 
     to provide (through alternative arrangements) services and 
     activities within the State to meet the purposes of this Act.
       ``(B) Redistribution.--If the Secretary cannot 
     satisfactorily use funds withheld under paragraph (3), then 
     the amount of funds retained by the Secretary as a result of 
     a reduction in an allotment made under paragraph (3) shall be 
     redistributed to other eligible agencies in accordance with 
     section 111.
       ``(b) Local Program Improvement.--
       ``(1) Local evaluation.--Each eligible agency shall 
     evaluate annually, using the local adjusted levels of 
     performance described in section 113(b)(4), the career and 
     technical education activities of each eligible recipient 
     receiving funds under this title.
       ``(2) Plan.--
       ``(A) In general.--If, after reviewing the evaluation, the 
     eligible agency determines that an eligible recipient is not 
     making substantial progress in achieving the local adjusted 
     levels of performance, the eligible agency shall--
       ``(i) conduct an assessment of the educational needs that 
     the eligible recipient shall address to overcome local 
     performance deficiencies, including the performance of 
     special populations;
       ``(ii) enter into an improvement plan with an eligible 
     recipient based on the results of the assessment, for the 
     first program year succeeding the program year in which the 
     eligible recipient failed to meet the local adjusted levels 
     of performance, which plan shall demonstrate how the local 
     performance deficiencies will be corrected and include 
     instructional and other programmatic innovations of 
     demonstrated effectiveness, and, where necessary, strategies 
     for appropriate staffing and professional development; and
       ``(iii) conduct regular evaluations of the progress being 
     made toward reaching the local adjusted levels of 
     performance, as described in section 113(b)(4), and progress 
     on implementing the improvement plan.
       ``(B) Consultation.--The eligible agency shall conduct the 
     activities described in subparagraph (A) in consultation with 
     teachers, principals, administrators, faculty, parents, other 
     school staff, appropriate agencies, and other appropriate 
     individuals and organizations.
       ``(3) Technical assistance.--If the eligible agency 
     determines that an eligible recipient is not properly 
     implementing the eligible recipient's responsibilities under 
     section 134, or is not making substantial progress in meeting 
     the purpose of this Act, based on the local adjusted levels 
     of performance, the eligible agency shall provide technical 
     assistance to the eligible recipient to assist the eligible 
     recipient in carrying out the improvement activities 
     consistent with the requirements of this Act. An eligible 
     recipient, in collaboration with the eligible agency, may 
     request that the Secretary provide additional technical 
     assistance.
       ``(4) Failure.--
       ``(A) In general.--If an eligible recipient fails to meet 
     the local adjusted levels of performance as described in 
     section 113(b)(4) and has not implemented an improvement plan 
     as described in paragraph (2), has shown no improvement 
     within 1 year after implementing an improvement plan as 
     described in paragraph (2), or has failed to meet more than 1 
     of the local adjusted levels of performance for the same 
     performance indicator for 2 or more consecutive years, the 
     eligible agency may, after notice and opportunity for a 
     hearing, withhold from the eligible recipient all, or a 
     portion of, the eligible recipient's allotment under this 
     title.
       ``(B) Waiver for exceptional circumstances.--The eligible 
     agency may waive the sanction under this paragraph due to 
     exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances such as 
     organizational structure, or a natural disaster or a 
     precipitous and unforeseen decline in financial resources of 
     the eligible recipient.
       ``(5) Funds resulting from reduced allotments.--The 
     eligible agency shall use funds withheld under paragraph (4) 
     to provide (through alternative arrangements) services and 
     activities to students within the area served by such 
     recipient to meet the purpose of this Act.''.

     SEC. 113. STATE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES.

       Section 124 (20 U.S.C. 2344) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (2) in subsection (a), by striking ``112(a)(2)'' and 
     inserting ``112(a)(2)(A)'';
       (3) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``further learning'' and 
     all that follows through the semicolon and inserting 
     ``further education, further training, or for high skill, 
     high wage, or high demand occupations;'';
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraphs (A) through 
     (C) and inserting the following:
       ``(A) training of career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, principals, career guidance and academic counselors, 
     and administrators to use technology, including distance 
     learning;
       ``(B) encouraging schools to work with technology 
     industries to offer voluntary internships and mentoring 
     programs; or
       ``(C) encouraging lifelong learning, including through 
     partnerships that may involve institutions of higher 
     education, organizations providing career and technical 
     education, businesses, workforce investment entities, and 
     communications entities;'';
       (C) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       ``(3) professional development programs, including 
     providing comprehensive professional development (including 
     initial teacher preparation) for career and technical 
     education teachers, faculty, principals, administrators, and 
     career guidance and academic counselors at the secondary and 
     postsecondary levels, that support activities described in 
     section 122 and--
       ``(A) provide in-service and pre-service training in career 
     and technical education programs and techniques, effective 
     teaching skills based on promising practices and, where 
     available and appropriate, scientifically based research, and 
     effective practices to improve parental and community 
     involvement;
       ``(B) improve student achievement in order to meet the 
     State adjusted levels of performance established under 
     section 113;
       ``(C) support education programs for teachers and faculty 
     of career and technical education in

[[Page S2446]]

     public schools and other public school personnel who are 
     involved in the direct delivery of educational services to 
     career and technical education students to ensure that such 
     personnel--
       ``(i) stay current with the needs, expectations, and 
     methods of industry;
       ``(ii) can effectively develop challenging, integrated 
     academic and career and technical education curriculum 
     jointly with academic teachers, to the extent practicable; 
     and
       ``(iii) develop a higher level of academic and industry 
     knowledge and skills in career and technical education; and
       ``(D) are integrated with the teacher certification or 
     licensing and professional development activities that the 
     State carries out under title II of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 and title II of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965;'';
       (D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``support for'' and 
     inserting ``supporting'';
       (E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``nontraditional training 
     and employment'' and inserting ``nontraditional fields in 
     emerging and established professions, and other activities 
     that expose students, including special populations, to high 
     skill, high wage occupations'';
       (F) in paragraph (6)--
       (i) by inserting ``intermediaries,'' after ``labor 
     organizations,''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``, or complete career pathways, as 
     described in section 122(c)(1)(A)'' after ``skills'';
       (G) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (H) in paragraph (8), by striking ``wage careers.'' and 
     inserting ``wage, or high demand occupations; and''; and
       (I) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(9) technical assistance for eligible recipients.'';
       (4) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
       ``(c) Permissible Uses of Funds.--The leadership activities 
     described in subsection (a) may include--
       ``(1) improvement of career guidance and academic 
     counseling programs that assist students in making informed 
     academic, and career and technical education, decisions, 
     including encouraging secondary and postsecondary students to 
     graduate with a diploma or degree, and expose students to 
     high skill, high wage occupations and nontraditional fields 
     in emerging and established professions;
       ``(2) establishment of agreements, including articulation 
     agreements, between secondary and postsecondary career and 
     technical education programs in order to provide 
     postsecondary education and training opportunities for 
     students participating in such career and technical education 
     programs, such as tech-prep programs;
       ``(3) support for initiatives to facilitate the transition 
     of sub-baccalaureate career and technical education students 
     into baccalaureate degree programs, including--
       ``(A) statewide articulation agreements between sub-
     baccalaureate degree granting career and technical 
     postsecondary educational institutions and baccalaureate 
     degree granting postsecondary educational institutions;
       ``(B) postsecondary dual and concurrent enrollment 
     programs;
       ``(C) academic and financial aid counseling; and
       ``(D) other initiatives--
       ``(i) to encourage the pursuit of a baccalaureate degree; 
     and
       ``(ii) to overcome barriers to participation in 
     baccalaureate degree programs, including geographic and other 
     barriers affecting rural students and special populations;
       ``(4) support for career and technical student 
     organizations, especially with respect to efforts to increase 
     the participation of students who are members of special 
     populations;
       ``(5) support for public charter schools operating 
     secondary career and technical education programs;
       ``(6) support for career and technical education programs 
     that offer experience in, and understanding of, all aspects 
     of an industry for which students are preparing to enter;
       ``(7) support for family and consumer sciences programs;
       ``(8) support for partnerships between education and 
     business or business intermediaries, including cooperative 
     education and adjunct faculty arrangements at the secondary 
     and postsecondary levels;
       ``(9) support to improve or develop new career and 
     technical education courses and initiatives, including career 
     clusters, career academies, and distance learning, that 
     prepare individuals academically and technically for high 
     skill, high wage, or high demand occupations;
       ``(10) awarding incentive grants to eligible recipients for 
     exemplary performance in carrying out programs under this 
     Act, which awards shall be based on local performance 
     indicators, as described in section 113, in accordance with 
     previously publicly disclosed priorities;
       ``(11) providing career and technical education programs 
     for adults and school dropouts to complete their secondary 
     school education, in coordination, to the extent practicable, 
     with activities authorized under title II of the Workforce 
     Investment Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.);
       ``(12) providing assistance to individuals, who have 
     participated in services and activities under this title, in 
     finding an appropriate job and continuing their education or 
     training through collaboration with the workforce investment 
     system established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
     (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.);
       ``(13) developing valid and reliable assessments of 
     technical skills that are integrated with industry 
     certification assessments where available;
       ``(14) developing and enhancing data systems to collect and 
     analyze data on secondary and postsecondary academic and 
     employment outcomes;
       ``(15) improving--
       ``(A) the recruitment and retention of career and technical 
     education teachers, faculty, principals, administrators, and 
     career guidance and academic counselors, including 
     individuals in groups underrepresented in the teaching 
     profession; and
       ``(B) the transition to teaching from business and 
     industry, including small business; and
       ``(16) adopting, calculating, or commissioning a self-
     sufficiency standard.''; and
       (5) in subsection (d), by striking ``112(a)(2)'' and 
     inserting ``112(a)(2)(A)''.

     SEC. 114. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS TO SECONDARY SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

       Section 131 (20 U.S.C. 2351) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career'';
       (2) by striking subsection (a);
       (3) by redesignating subsections (b) through (i) as 
     subsections (a) through (h), respectively;
       (4) in subsection (a) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Special 
     Distribution Rules for Succeeding Fiscal Years'' and 
     inserting ``Distribution Rules''; and
       (B) by striking ``for fiscal year 2000 and succeeding 
     fiscal years'';
       (5) in subsection (b) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section)--
       (A) by striking ``subsection (b)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)''; and
       (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``9902(2))'' and 
     inserting ``9902(2)))'';
       (6) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section), in the subsection heading, by striking 
     ``Vocational'' and inserting ``Career''; and
       (7) in subsection (g) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section), by striking ``subsections (a), (b), (c), and 
     (d)'' and inserting ``subsections (a), (b), and (c)''.

     SEC. 115. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND 
                   TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

       Section 132 (20 U.S.C. 2352) is amended--
       (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 132. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR POSTSECONDARY CAREER 
                   AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.'';

     and
       (2) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``for career and 
     technical education programs leading to a technical skill 
     proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a 
     certificate, or an associate's degree'' before the period; 
     and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``leading to a technical 
     skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a 
     certificate, or an associate's degree and'' after ``enrolled 
     in programs''.

     SEC. 116. SPECIAL RULES FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

       Section 133 (20 U.S.C. 2353) is amended--
       (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 133. SPECIAL RULES FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL 
                   EDUCATION.'';

     and
       (2) by striking ``vocational'' each place such term appears 
     and inserting ``career''.

     SEC. 117. LOCAL PLAN FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
                   PROGRAMS.

       Section 134 (20 U.S.C. 2354) is amended--
       (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 134. LOCAL PLAN FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
                   PROGRAMS.'';

       (2) in subsection (a), by inserting ``and workforce 
     investment'' after ``such other educational''; and
       (3) in subsection (b), by striking paragraphs (1) through 
     (10) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) describe how the career and technical education 
     programs required under section 135(b) will be carried out 
     with funds received under this title;
       ``(2) describe how the career and technical education 
     activities will be carried out with respect to meeting State 
     and local adjusted levels of performance established under 
     section 113;
       ``(3) describe how the eligible recipient will--
       ``(A) offer the appropriate courses of not less than 1 of 
     the career pathways described in section 122(c)(1)(A);
       ``(B) improve the academic and technical skills of students 
     participating in career and technical education programs by 
     strengthening the academic and career and technical education 
     components of such programs through the integration of 
     challenging academics with career and technical education 
     programs through a coherent sequence of courses to ensure 
     learning in the core academic subjects, and career and 
     technical education subjects;
       ``(C) provide students with strong experience in and 
     understanding of all aspects of an industry; and
       ``(D) ensure that students who participate in such career 
     and technical education programs are taught to the same 
     challenging academic proficiencies as are taught for all 
     other students;
       ``(4) describe how comprehensive professional development 
     will be provided that is consistent with section 122;
       ``(5) describe how parents, students, academic and career 
     and technical education teachers, faculty, principals, 
     administrators, career guidance and academic counselors, 
     representatives of tech-prep consortia (if applicable), 
     representatives of the local workforce investment board (if 
     applicable), representatives of the local economic 
     development entity (if applicable), representatives of 
     business (including small business) and industry, labor 
     organizations, representatives of special populations, and 
     other interested individuals are involved in the development, 
     implementation, and evaluation of career and technical 
     education programs assisted

[[Page S2447]]

     under this title, and how such individuals and entities are 
     effectively informed about, and assisted in, understanding, 
     the requirements of this title, including career pathways;
       ``(6) provide assurances that the eligible recipient will 
     provide a career and technical education program that is of 
     such size, scope, and quality to bring about improvement in 
     the quality of career and technical education programs;
       ``(7) describe the process that will be used to evaluate 
     and continuously improve the performance of the eligible 
     recipient;
       ``(8) describe how the eligible recipient--
       ``(A) will review career and technical education programs, 
     and identify and adopt strategies to overcome barriers that 
     result in lowering rates of access to or lowering success in 
     the programs, for special populations; and
       ``(B) will provide programs that are designed to enable the 
     special populations to meet the local adjusted levels of 
     performance and prepare for high skill, high wage, or high 
     demand occupations, including those that will lead to self-
     sufficiency;
       ``(9) describe how individuals who are members of special 
     populations will not be discriminated against on the basis of 
     their status as members of the special populations;
       ``(10) describe how funds will be used to promote 
     preparation for nontraditional fields;
       ``(11) describe how career guidance and academic counseling 
     will be provided to all career and technical education 
     students, including linkages to the information and services 
     available through the one-stop delivery system established 
     under section 121 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
     U.S.C. 2841), as appropriate; and
       ``(12) describe efforts to improve the recruitment and 
     retention of career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, counselors, principals, and administrators, 
     including individuals in groups underrepresented in the 
     teaching profession, and the transition to teaching from 
     business and industry.''.

     SEC. 118. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.

       Section 135 (20 U.S.C. 2355) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``vocational'' and 
     inserting ``career'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``vocational'' and inserting ``career''; and
       (B) by striking paragraphs (1) through (8) and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(1) strengthen the academic and career and technical 
     education skills of students participating in career and 
     technical education programs by strengthening the academic 
     and career and technical education components of such 
     programs through the integration of academics with career and 
     technical education programs through a coherent sequence of 
     courses, such as career pathways described in section 
     122(c)(1)(A), to ensure learning in the core academic 
     subjects and career and technical education subjects;
       ``(2) link secondary career and technical education and 
     postsecondary career and technical education, including by--
       ``(A) offering the relevant elements of not less than 1 
     career pathway described in section 122(c)(1)(A);
       ``(B) developing and supporting articulation agreements 
     between secondary and postsecondary institutions; or
       ``(C) supporting tech-prep programs and consortia;
       ``(3) provide students with strong experience in and 
     understanding of all aspects of an industry;
       ``(4) develop, improve, or expand the use of technology in 
     career and technical education, which may include--
       ``(A) training of career and technical education teachers, 
     faculty, principals, and administrators to use technology, 
     including distance learning; or
       ``(B) encouraging schools to collaborate with technology 
     industries to offer voluntary internships and mentoring 
     programs;
       ``(5) provide professional development programs that are 
     consistent with section 122 to secondary and postsecondary 
     teachers, faculty, principals, administrators, and career 
     guidance and academic counselors who are involved in 
     integrated career and technical education programs, 
     including--
       ``(A) in-service and pre-service training--
       ``(i) in career and technical education programs and 
     techniques;
       ``(ii) in effective integration of challenging academic and 
     career and technical education jointly with academic 
     teachers, to the extent practicable;
       ``(iii) in effective teaching skills based on research that 
     includes promising practices; and
       ``(iv) in effective practices to improve parental and 
     community involvement;
       ``(B) support of education programs that provide 
     information on all aspects of an industry;
       ``(C) internship programs that provide relevant business 
     experience; and
       ``(D) programs dedicated to the effective use of 
     instructional technology;
       ``(6) develop and implement evaluations of the career and 
     technical education programs carried out with funds under 
     this title, including an assessment of how the needs of 
     special populations are being met;
       ``(7) initiate, improve, expand, and modernize quality 
     career and technical education programs, including relevant 
     technology;
       ``(8) provide services and activities that are of 
     sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective; and
       ``(9) provide activities to prepare special populations, 
     including single parents and displaced homemakers (if 
     enrolled in the program), for high skill, high wage, or high 
     demand occupations, including those that will lead to self-
     sufficiency.''; and
       (3) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``vocational'' and 
     inserting ``career''; and
       (B) by striking paragraphs (2) through (15) and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(2) to provide career guidance and academic counseling 
     that is based on current labor market indicators, as provided 
     pursuant to section 118, for students participating in career 
     and technical education programs that--
       ``(A) improves graduation rates and provides information on 
     postsecondary and career options, including baccalaureate 
     degree programs, for secondary students, which activities may 
     include the use of graduation and career plans; and
       ``(B) provides assistance for postsecondary students, 
     including for adult students who are changing careers or 
     updating skills;
       ``(3) for partnerships between or among the eligible 
     recipient and a business (including a small business or 
     business intermediary), a local workforce investment board, 
     or a local economic development entity, including for--
       ``(A) work-related experience for students, such as 
     internships, cooperative education, school-based enterprises, 
     entrepreneurship, and job shadowing that are related to 
     career and technical education programs;
       ``(B) adjunct faculty arrangements at the secondary and 
     postsecondary levels; and
       ``(C) industry experience for teachers and faculty;
       ``(4) to provide programs for special populations;
       ``(5) to assist career and technical student organizations;
       ``(6) for mentoring and support services;
       ``(7) for leasing, purchasing, upgrading, or adapting 
     instructional equipment, including support for library 
     resources, such as business journals, publications, and other 
     related resources designed to strengthen and support academic 
     and technical skill achievement;
       ``(8) for teacher preparation programs that address the 
     integration of academic and career and technical education 
     and that assist individuals who are interested in becoming 
     career and technical education teachers and faculty, 
     including individuals with experience in business and 
     industry;
       ``(9) to develop and expand postsecondary program offerings 
     at times and in formats that are convenient and accessible 
     for working students, including through the use of distance 
     education;
       ``(10) to develop initiatives that facilitate the 
     transition of sub-baccalaureate career and technical 
     education students into baccalaureate degree programs, 
     including--
       ``(A) articulation agreements between sub-baccalaureate 
     degree granting career and technical education postsecondary 
     educational institutions and baccalaureate degree granting 
     postsecondary educational institutions;
       ``(B) postsecondary dual and concurrent enrollment 
     programs;
       ``(C) academic and financial aid counseling for sub-
     baccalaureate career and technical education students that 
     inform the students of the opportunities for pursuing a 
     baccalaureate degree and advise the students on how to meet 
     any transfer requirements; and
       ``(D) other initiatives--
       ``(i) to encourage the pursuit of a baccalaureate degree; 
     and
       ``(ii) to overcome barriers to enrollment in and completion 
     of baccalaureate degree programs, including geographic and 
     other barriers affecting rural students and special 
     populations;
       ``(11) for improving or developing new career and technical 
     education courses, including entrepreneurship and development 
     of new career pathways;
       ``(12) to develop and support small, personalized career-
     themed learning communities;
       ``(13) to provide support for family and consumer sciences 
     programs;
       ``(14) to provide career and technical education programs 
     for adults and school dropouts to complete their secondary 
     school education or upgrade their technical skills;
       ``(15) to provide assistance to individuals who have 
     participated in services and activities under this title in 
     finding an appropriate job and continuing their education or 
     training through collaboration with the workforce investment 
     system established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
     (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.);
       ``(16) to support activities in nontraditional fields, such 
     as mentoring and outreach; and
       ``(17) to support other career and technical education 
     activities that are consistent with the purpose of this 
     Act.''.

     SEC. 119. TECH-PREP EDUCATION.

       (a) Redesignation.--Title II (20 U.S.C. 2371 et seq.) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking the title heading and inserting the 
     following:

                    ``PART D--TECH-PREP EDUCATION'';

       (2) by striking sections 201, 202, 206, and 207; and
       (3) by redesignating sections 203, 204, 205, and 208, as 
     sections 141, 142, 143, and 144, respectively.
       (b) State Allotment and Application.--Section 141 (as 
     redesignated by subsection (a) of this section) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``section 206'' and 
     inserting ``section 144''; and
       (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
       ``(c) State Application.--Each eligible agency desiring 
     assistance under this part shall submit an application to the 
     Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
     such information as the Secretary may require. Such 
     application shall describe how activities under this part 
     will be coordinated, to the extent practicable, with 
     activities described in section 122.''.

[[Page S2448]]

       (c) Tech-Prep Education.--Section 142 (as redesignated by 
     subsection (a) of this section) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking ``section 203'' and inserting ``section 
     141'';
       (ii) by striking ``title'' and inserting ``part'';
       (iii) by striking ``vocational'' both places the term 
     appears and inserting ``career''; and
       (iv) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, educational 
     service agency,'' after ``intermediate educational agency''; 
     and
       (B) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) employers, including small businesses, or business 
     intermediaries; and
       ``(D) labor organizations.'';
       (2) in subsection (c)--
       (A) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
       ``(2) consist of not less than 2 years of secondary school 
     with a common core of technical skills and core academic 
     subjects preceding graduation and 2 years or more of higher 
     education, or an apprenticeship program of not less than 2 
     years following secondary instruction, designed to lead to 
     technical skill proficiency, a credential, a certificate, or 
     a degree, in a specific career field;'';
       (B) in paragraph (3)(B), by inserting ``including through 
     the use of articulation agreements, and'' after ``career 
     fields,'';
       (C) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
       ``(4) include in-service professional development for 
     teachers, faculty, principals, and administrators that--
       ``(A) supports effective implementation of tech-prep 
     programs;
       ``(B) supports joint training in the tech-prep consortium;
       ``(C) supports the needs, expectations, and methods of 
     business and all aspects of an industry;
       ``(D) supports the use of contextual and applied curricula, 
     instruction, and assessment;
       ``(E) supports the use and application of technology; and
       ``(F) assists in accessing and utilizing data, including 
     labor market indicators, achievement, and assessments;'';
       (D) in paragraph (5)--
       (i) by striking ``training'' and inserting ``professional 
     development'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, which may 
     include through the use of graduation and career plans'' 
     after ``programs'';
       (iii) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'';
       (iv) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       (v) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(F) provide comprehensive career guidance and academic 
     counseling to participating students, including special 
     populations;'';
       (E) in paragraph (6)--
       (i) by inserting ``(including pre-apprenticeship 
     programs)'' after ``programs''; and
       (ii) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
       (F) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (G) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(8) coordinate with activities conducted under this 
     title.''; and
       (3) in subsection (d)--
       (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting a semicolon; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) improve career guidance and academic counseling for 
     participating students through the development and 
     implementation of graduation and career plans; and
       ``(5) develop curriculum that supports effective 
     transitions between secondary and postsecondary career and 
     technical education programs.''.
       (d) Consortium Applications.--Section 143 (as redesignated 
     by subsection (a) of this section) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``title'' and inserting 
     ``part'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) by striking ``5'' and inserting ``6''; and
       (B) by striking ``title'' and inserting ``part'';
       (3) in subsection (d)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``or advanced'' after 
     ``baccalaureate'';
       (B) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
       ``(4) provide education and training in areas or skills, 
     including emerging technology, in which there are significant 
     workforce shortages based on the data provided by the entity 
     in the State under section 118;'';
       (C) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (D) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) demonstrate success in, or provide assurances of, 
     coordination and integration with eligible recipients 
     described in part C.''; and
       (4) in subsection (e), by striking ``title'' and inserting 
     ``part''.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 144 (as 
     redesignated by subsection (a) of this section) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``title (other than section 207)'' and 
     inserting ``part''; and
       (2) by striking ``1999 and each of the 4'' and inserting 
     ``2006 and each of the 5''.

                      TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

     SEC. 201. REDESIGNATION OF TITLE.

       (a) Federal Administrative Provisions.--Title III (20 
     U.S.C. 2391 et seq.) is amended by redesignating sections 311 
     through 318 as sections 211 through 218, respectively.
       (b) State Administrative Provisions.--Title III (20 U.S.C. 
     2391 et seq.) is amended by redesignating sections 321 
     through 325 as sections 221 through 225, respectively.
       (c) Title Heading.--The title heading of title III (20 
     U.S.C. 2391 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:

                   ``TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS''.

     SEC. 202. FISCAL REQUIREMENTS.

       Section 211 (as redesignated by section 201 of this Act) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) Determination.--
       ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) 
     and (C), no payments shall be made under this Act for any 
     fiscal year to a State for activities authorized under title 
     I unless the Secretary determines that the average fiscal 
     effort per student or the aggregate expenditures of such 
     State for career and technical education programs for the 3 
     fiscal years preceding the fiscal year for which the 
     determination is made, equaled or exceeded such effort or 
     expenditures for career and technical education programs, for 
     the 3 fiscal years preceding the fiscal year for which the 
     determination is made.
       ``(B) Computation.--In computing the average fiscal effort 
     or aggregate expenditures pursuant to subparagraph (A), the 
     Secretary shall exclude capital expenditures, special one-
     time project costs, and the cost of pilot programs.
       ``(C) Decrease in federal support.--If the amount made 
     available for career and technical education programs under 
     this Act for a fiscal year is less than the amount made 
     available for career and technical education programs under 
     this Act for the preceding fiscal year, then the average 
     fiscal effort per student or the aggregate expenditures of a 
     State required by subparagraph (A) for the 3 preceding fiscal 
     years shall be decreased by the same percentage as the 
     percentage decrease in the amount so made available.''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``fiscal effort'' both 
     places the term appears and inserting ``average fiscal 
     effort''.

     SEC. 203. VOLUNTARY SELECTION AND PARTICIPATION.

       Section 214 (as redesignated by section 201 of this Act) is 
     amended by striking ``vocational'' both places the term 
     appears and inserting ``career''.

     SEC. 204. LIMITATION FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS.

       Section 215 (as redesignated by section 201 of this Act) is 
     amended by striking ``vocational'' and inserting ``career''.

     SEC. 205. AUTHORIZATION OF SECRETARY; PARTICIPATION OF 
                   PRIVATE SCHOOL PERSONNEL.

       Part A of title II (as redesignated by section 201 of this 
     Act) is amended--
       (1) by striking section 217;
       (2) by redesignating section 218 as section 217; and
       (3) in section 217 (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
     this section)--
       (A) by inserting ``principals,'' after ``for vocational and 
     technical education teachers,'';
       (B) by inserting ``principals,'' after ``of vocational and 
     technical education teachers,''; and
       (C) by striking ``vocational'' each place the term appears 
     and inserting ``career''.

     SEC. 206. STUDENT ASSISTANCE AND OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS.

       Section 225(c) (as redesignated by section 201 of this Act) 
     is amended--
       (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Vocational'' 
     and inserting ``Career''; and
       (2) by striking ``vocational'' both places the term appears 
     and inserting ``career''.

     SEC. 207. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       Section 1(b) (20 U.S.C. 2301 note) is amended to read as 
     follows:
       ``(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this 
     Act is as follows:.

``Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
``Sec. 2. Purpose.
``Sec. 3. Definitions.
``Sec. 4. Transition provisions.
``Sec. 5. Privacy.
``Sec. 6. Limitation.
``Sec. 7. Special rule.
``Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.

   ``TITLE I--CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO THE STATES

                   ``Part A--Allotment and Allocation

``Sec. 111. Reservations and State allotment.
``Sec. 112. Within State allocation.
``Sec. 113. Accountability.
``Sec. 114. National activities.
``Sec. 115. Assistance for the outlying areas.
``Sec. 116. Native American program.
``Sec. 117. Tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical 
              institutions.
``Sec. 118. Occupational and employment information.

                       ``Part B--State Provisions

``Sec. 121. State administration.
``Sec. 122. State plan.
``Sec. 123. Improvement plans.
``Sec. 124. State leadership activities.

                       ``Part C--Local Provisions

``Sec. 131. Distribution of funds to secondary school programs.
``Sec. 132. Distribution of funds for postsecondary career and 
              technical education programs.
``Sec. 133. Special rules for career and technical education.
``Sec. 134. Local plan for career and technical education programs.
``Sec. 135. Local uses of funds.

                     ``Part D--Tech-Prep Education

``Sec. 141. State allotment and application.

[[Page S2449]]

``Sec. 142. Tech-prep education.
``Sec. 143. Consortium applications.
``Sec. 144. Authorization of appropriations.

                     ``TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

              ``Part A--Federal Administrative Provisions

``Sec. 211. Fiscal requirements.
``Sec. 212. Authority to make payments.
``Sec. 213. Construction.
``Sec. 214. Voluntary selection and participation.
``Sec. 215. Limitation for certain students.
``Sec. 216. Federal laws guaranteeing civil rights.
``Sec. 217. Participation of private school personnel.

               ``Part B--State Administrative Provisions

``Sec. 221. Joint funding.
``Sec. 222. Prohibition on use of funds to induce out-of-State 
              relocation of businesses.
``Sec. 223. State administrative costs.
``Sec. 224. Limitation on Federal regulations.
``Sec. 225. Student assistance and other Federal programs.''.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I thank the Senate for considering this bill 
at this moment. It is a bill that has wide bipartisan support. I thank 
Senator Kennedy and all of the members of the Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions Committee and all of the staff members who have worked on 
this bill. It has been a tremendous bipartisan effort to make sure that 
we will have as many people able to enter the workforce with good 
skills as possible and to make an improvement in the way high schools 
operate.
  I thank a number of Senators for being cosponsors: Senators Gregg, 
Alexander, Dodd, Jeffords, Murray, Harkin, Mikulski, Clinton, Reed, 
Bingaman, Sessions, Burns, Thomas, Isakson, and Roberts. Of course, 
those are in addition to the two main sponsors, Senator Kennedy and 
myself.
  We are pleased to have a bipartisan effort, one that strengthens and 
improves the Federal program designed to support career and technical 
education. I am pleased the Senate is able to consider this legislation 
at this time.
  This legislation was reported favorably by the Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions Committee yesterday morning and it was by unanimous 
vote. I am encouraged by the wide range of support in the committee and 
outside, and there are good reasons for that. The program adds emphasis 
to academic instruction. It provides career training. It is already at 
work in all of the schools and is making some great inroads. And those 
will be much better with these changes.
  I have to mention a couple of examples of the ways this is working in 
Wyoming. In Casper, WY right now, the community college and the school 
district are working on plans to create a hybrid career and technical 
education center which will help students earn credit toward a college 
degree, learn relevant job skills, and meet State academic standards 
all through a single sequence of courses. The legislation encourages 
more schools to begin innovative programs such as the one developed in 
Casper.
  The second reason the legislation is important is because it will 
help ensure that we are preparing students for tomorrow's workforce. We 
are in the midst of a skills revolution. Students going to school 
probably will not go to work for a single company and work there 30 
years and then retire. The statistics show that they will probably have 
14 different careers--not 14 different jobs, 14 different careers. Many 
of them won't even have been invented now. It is very important that we 
have a flexible learning environment that will allow them to cope with 
these changes.
  I also wanted to mention a program in Rock Springs, WY. Ted 
Schroeder, a career and technical education teacher, has demonstrated 
firsthand the success that comes from connecting career and technical 
education to the needs of business. In response to complaints heard 
from local businesses about the need for students with stronger 
accounting skills, Ted went looking for a program that could help train 
his students with the skills requested by the businesses. I am very 
pleased that it was accounting, too. We could use a couple more 
accountants in the Senate.
  Working with local teachers and school leaders, Ted began a computer-
based accounting program at the high school in Rock Springs and has 
been enrolling students successfully for the past few years. Some of 
the students are now moving on to community college. Some have moved 
into the workforce where they are successfully meeting a need for the 
business community and for their own lives.
  A final reason, too, for this being important legislation is that it 
provides a foundation for the redesign of Federal education policy.
  I have a letter from the Secretary of Education that asks some 
questions that we have answers for based on the work we did putting 
this bill together. I ask unanimous consent that her letter be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


                                   The Secretary of Education,

                                    Washington, DC, March 9, 2005.
     Hon. Michael B. Enzi,
     Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
         Pensions, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to express my strong 
     opposition to S. 250, the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
     Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005, which would 
     reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical 
     Education Act of 1998 (Perkins Act). The Perkins Act is 
     currently the primary Federal funding source for educational 
     programs in high schools. Unfortunately, in its current form, 
     the bill does little to address the urgent challenge that has 
     been highlighted by both President Bush and the nation's 
     governors to reform our Nation's high schools.
       Given the changing dynamic of the workforce, all students, 
     including those in vocational and technical education 
     programs, need to complete high school with a high level of 
     academic skills and be prepared to participate in the 
     globally competitive workforce. Unfortunately, recent results 
     from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 
     demonstrate that, while achievement for our Nation's fourth- 
     and eighth-graders is on the rise, scores for twelfth-graders 
     have declined in both reading and mathematics. Currently just 
     68 out of every 100 ninth-graders will graduate from high 
     school on time, and two-thirds of students leave high school 
     without the skills to succeed in college. Clearly, our high 
     schools are not getting the job done for America's students. 
     With governors and educators just beginning to consider 
     various reform options, the President's High School 
     Initiative is essential to foster nationwide efforts to 
     transform our high schools.
       As you are aware, the President's fiscal year 2006 budget 
     request proposed to eliminate funding for the Vocational 
     Education State Grants and National programs, authorized by 
     the Perkins Act. Career and technical education programs, at 
     their best, can provide students with both strong academic 
     and advanced technical skills, in a ``real-world'' context 
     that can hold up against the best schools and colleges, both 
     in the United States and internationally. However, under the 
     Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) process, the Vocational 
     Education State Grants program, by far the largest component 
     of the Perkins Act, was rated ineffective because it has 
     produced little evidence of improved outcomes for students 
     despite decades of Federal investment. On the most recent 
     NAEP assessments, less than 10 percent of vocational students 
     scored at or above proficiency in mathematics (2000) and only 
     29 percent scored at or above proficiency in reading (1998). 
     In its final report to Congress in June 2004, the National 
     Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) found no evidence 
     that high school vocational courses themselves contribute to 
     academic achievement or college enrollment. Also, the NAVE 
     did find that high school students, on average, earn more 
     credits in vocational education (4.2) than in math (3.5) or 
     science (3.2). In addition, the most telling data come from 
     employers--according to a February 2005 Achieve, Inc. survey, 
     employers estimate that 39 percent of high school graduates 
     who have no further education are not prepared for their 
     current job and 45 percent are unprepared for advancement.
       As a result of these findings, and the widely recognized 
     need for a more comprehensive approach to the improvement of 
     high school education, the President instead proposes that 
     these funds be redirected to support a new High School 
     Initiative to improve achievement and narrow achievement gaps 
     at the high school level. This proposed initiative will give 
     educators greater flexibility to design and implement 
     programs that best meet the needs of all students, including 
     career and technical education students. The fiscal year 2006 
     budget also includes funds to improve access to community 
     colleges and to expand the training programs administered by 
     those institutions.
       Enactment of S. 250 in its current form would continue to 
     reauthorize, with little change, the very programs that have 
     been ineffective in improving the quality of education of our 
     Nation's career and technical education students. It would be 
     irresponsible to continue an investment in a program that 
     does not improve the education of students at the high school 
     level.
       The Perkins Act requires fundamental changes to its mission 
     and focus. While the Administration still supports a 
     redirection of Perkins funds, any extension of the Perkins 
     Act should, at the very least:

[[Page S2450]]

       Promote a stronger academic foundation by ensuring that all 
     career and technical education (CTE) students receiving 
     services under the Perkins Act have access to a rigorous 
     academic curriculum to prepare them to enter college or the 
     workforce. CTE students should have a smooth transition to a 
     postsecondary education program leading to a technical 
     certificate, an associate or baccalaureate degree, an 
     apprenticeship, or a job. This change will support the 
     findings of the American Diploma Project, which concluded, 
     ``successful preparation for both postsecondary education and 
     employment requires learning the same rigorous English and 
     mathematics content and skills. No longer do students 
     planning to go to work after high school need a different and 
     less rigorous curriculum than those planning to go to 
     college.''
       Require that, by school year 2009-2010, students 
     participating in Perkins Act programs be tested annually in 
     three high school grades in reading/language arts and math in 
     order to assess their progress in meeting State standards. 
     The President's FY 2006 budget proposed funding for high 
     school assessments so that principals and teachers have new 
     tools and data to meet the needs of individual students and 
     strengthen high school accountability.
       Give the Secretary adequate authority to establish common 
     measures to assess program performance and to ensure that 
     data provided by the States are valid and reliable. In the 
     bill's current form, State performance measures would not 
     have to be valid or reliable indicators of what they purport 
     to measure. It is thus inequitable to sanction eligible 
     recipients, as the bill allows, for failure to meet 
     performance levels if the performance measures themselves do 
     not meet basic standards of validity and reliability.
       Provide the Secretary authority to negotiate specific 
     performance measures and targets, in percentage form, with 
     each State. Currently, the bi11 would permit States to 
     continue using previously developed performance measures and 
     would limit the role of the Secretary to reaching agreement 
     on the percentage or numbers of students who attain the 
     State-adjusted levels of performance.
       The Office of Management and Budget advises that there is 
     no objection to the submission of this report.
           Sincerely,
                                               Margaret Spellings.

  This legislation reflects a bipartisan effort to strengthen and 
improve Federal programs designed to support career and technical 
education. I am very pleased to have introduced this bill with my 
friend and colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Kennedy.
  This legislation was reported favorably by the Senate Health, 
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee yesterday morning by a 
unanimous vote. I am encouraged by the wide range of support for this 
legislation as we move forward in the legislative process.
  This legislation is important for three reasons. The 1st reason is 
the added emphasis on academic instruction. I commend the President and 
the Governors for raising the issue of high school reform, and I 
believe this legislation is an important part of that process. 
Improving and strengthening the academic focus of the Perkins Act is 
part of a much larger effort to ensure that today's students will be 
ready for tomorrow's reality, whether it is in college or the 
workplace.
  In 1998, when Congress last reauthorized the Perkins program, 
additional emphasis on student academic achievement was incorporated 
into the bill. That emphasis was critical, and the results have been 
demonstrated in the program. More Perkins students are performing 
better on national reading and math assessments than ever before.
  According to a recent study of Arizona career and technical education 
students, students in career and technical training courses were more 
likely to meet State math proficiency levels than students not enrolled 
in technical training courses. That's good, because today's jobs are 
requiring stronger academic preparation than ever before, especially in 
math and science.
  We are also facing a significant problem in terms of today's students 
completing high school. Many college instructors and employers agree 
that public high school graduates are not prepared for college-level 
classes or to advance beyond entry level jobs.
  Only 68 percent of the students entering the ninth grade 4 years ago 
are expected to graduate this year; and, that for minority students 
this number hovers around 50 percent. In addition, we continue to 
experience an overall drop out rate of 11 percent per year.
  Another recent study, conducted by the Organization for Economic 
Cooperation and Development, shows that American students are lagging 
behind the international average in math proficiency. Another study by 
this same group has pointed out that American high school students are 
less likely to complete high school than their peers in other 
countries. In that study, the United States ranked sixteenth out of 
twenty nations studied in terms of graduation rates.
  The legislation we are now considering emphasizes high school 
completion by making academic courses more relevant. According to the 
National Assessment of Vocational Education, released last year, career 
and technical education students are three times more likely to apply 
academic skills to job related tasks than students in academic courses.
  Making learning relevant is one of the best ways to ensure students 
stay interested in their coursework, while also preparing them for 
college or the workforce.
  The National Governors Association recently held an education summit 
here in Washington, DC, to discuss the issue of high school reform and 
how we can do a better job of graduating students on time with the 
knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life. According to their 
report, high school is now the front line in America's battle to remain 
competitive on the increasingly competitive international economic 
stage.
  In the bill we are now considering, we have made academic achievement 
one of several core indicators of performance for programs receiving 
funds from this act. As states are elevating their expectations for 
students under No Child Left Behind, we anticipate that career and 
technical education students will benefit from those same high 
expectations. We believe that career and technical education programs 
should be able to take credit for helping students improve their 
academic achievement in core subject areas, like reading, math, and 
science.
  This legislation also emphasizes the connection to postsecondary 
education. Many of today's high schools students are entering college 
behind the curve before they even start. Twenty-eight percent of 
college students are taking some remedial education courses before 
graduating. We need to make sure that more high school students are 
receiving the instruction they need before they leave high school in 
order to be successful in college.
  The impact of the need for remedial academic instruction has dramatic 
consequences. As many as three in four students requiring remedial 
reading instruction will not complete a postsecondary degree program. 
Over 60 percent of students requiring remedial math education will not 
complete a postsecondary degree.
  The Perkins program can help address the ``wasted senior year'' by 
helping to improve student academic achievement. It does that by 
linking learning to relevant applications and tasks. Students that are 
excited about learning will always do better, and a great way to get 
students excited about learning is to show them how they will use some 
the skills they're learning.
  For many students, understanding how they will use the skills they 
learn can mean the difference between completing a high school degree 
and dropping out. For others, it means greater investment in their 
studies than they might otherwise have.
  The Perkins program can support students in high school by providing 
strong academic courses linked through a career pathway that will help 
reduce the need for remedial education.
  The Perkins program is in a unique position to help prevent the need 
for additional remedial education at the postsecondary level. Because 
the program provides funds to both secondary and postsecondary schools, 
programs are more coordinated, and students have broader exposure to 
postsecondary education before leaving high school. A number of 
programs enabling students to earn concurrent credits for high school 
and college are springing up within the Perkins program, helping 
students prepare for college and reduce their time to graduation from a 
postsecondary degree certificate or degree program.
  In Casper, WY, right now, the community college and the school 
district are working on plans to create a hybrid career and technical 
education center, which will help students earn credit toward a college 
degree, learn relevant

[[Page S2451]]

job skills, and meet state academic standards, all through a single 
sequence of courses. This legislation encourages more schools to begin 
innovative programs like the one being developed in Casper.
  The second reason this legislation is important is because it will 
help ensure we are preparing students for tomorrow's workforce. We are 
in the midst of a skills revolution. It is estimated that today's 
students leaving high school or college will have fourteen different 
careers in their lifetimes. It is also estimated that the top 10 jobs 
ten years from now haven't been invented yet. The question that faces 
all of us, put simply, is ``got skills?''
  We must equip our workers with the skills the technology-driven 
economy demands. We need to prepare our students for tomorrow's economy 
in order to remain competitive in the global marketplace. China is 
graduating four times as many engineers as the United States, and there 
is no way for us to catch up in terms of raw numbers of graduates. The 
only way we can compete is to graduate students with the highest 
quality academic and technical skills. If we are going to support a 
strong economy, we need to ensure our students have the high quality 
skills they need to succeed in postsecondary education and the 
workforce.
  Earlier this week on the Senate floor we discussed the need for 
skills training and its impact on wages. I made a speech to the effect 
that the problem we are facing is one of minimum skills--not minimum 
wages. The effect may be low wages, but the cause is low skills. We 
need to address those workers who have few, if any, of the skills they 
need to compete for a better job and command higher wages. We need to 
start thinking in terms of skills, the kinds of skills that will help 
students support themselves and their families in the future.
  Research suggests that high school dropouts have an unemployment rate 
two times higher than high school graduates, and three times higher 
than college graduates. Over time, the earning differential between 
high school and college graduates has increased as well. In 1980, 
college graduates earned fifty percent more during their lifetime than 
high school graduates. Today this differential has increased to 100 
percent and continues to expand.
  The Perkins program helps students learn and develop the skills they 
need to compete in the workforce. In the bill before us, we've 
emphasized the need to prepare students for placement in high skill, 
high wage, or high demand occupations. These are the types of jobs that 
will ensure a stronger future for students and will help them become 
self-sufficient.
  Eighty percent of the jobs created over the next ten years will 
require some postsecondary education. However, the majority of those 
jobs will require less than a four year degree. This is a critical 
issue, and we need to start now to meet the needs of the future 
workforce. I believe that a stronger, more effective Perkins program is 
an important way to address this issue.
  As you can see on this chart, by 2010 we face a projected skilled 
worker shortage of 5.3 million workers. That's 5.3 million American 
jobs that can't be filled because our workers don't have the right 
skills. That is why career and technical education funds are so 
critical to the supply of skilled labor in this country. These are 
precisely the types of careers for which the Perkins program is 
preparing students. Career and technical programs in this country are 
preparing engineers, health care professionals, information technology 
workers, trade, industry, and business leaders, and a host of other 
careers.
  One of the most critical improvements we've made to the Perkins 
program in this bill is to strengthen the connection of career and 
technical education programs to the needs of businesses. If we are 
going to help fill the growing need for skilled workers, we need to 
ensure Perkins programs are coordinating their instruction with current 
practices in industry and the needs of the local workforce.
  In Rock Springs, WY, Ted Schroeder, a career and technical education 
teacher, has demonstrated firsthand the success that comes from 
connecting career and technical education to the needs of business. In 
response to complaints heard from local businesses about the need for 
students with stronger accounting skills, Ted went looking for a 
program that could help train his students with the skills requested by 
the businesses.

  Working with local school leaders, Ted began a computer-based 
accounting program at the high school in Rock Springs and has been 
enrolling students successfully for the past few years. Some of those 
students are now moving on to community college or the workforce.
  That's the type of relevant instruction that we need to encourage and 
that we are encouraging through this bill. I would expect that the 
students performing well in that accounting class are also performing 
well on state math assessments in Wyoming.
  The final reason that this legislation is important is because it 
provides a foundation for the redesign of federal education policy. We 
need to structure Federal education policies that provide students and 
adult learners have access to lifelong education opportunities. In this 
21st century economy, learning never ends, and school is never out.
  The Perkins Act is one part of a ``three-legged stool'' of federal 
education and training programs, all of which we will be considering 
this year. The other two key pieces of this approach are the Workforce 
Investment Act, and the Higher Education Act.
  If we are going to stay competitive, Federal education programs need 
to help support seamless transitions from education to the workforce, 
throughout life, from preschool through postsecondary education and 
beyond. The bill we are considering takes the first step in that 
direction by emphasizing the connection between academic and technical 
education and the workforce and postsecondary education. The Workforce 
Investment Act and the Higher Education Act will be the next critical 
steps in ensuring that American students are prepared for today and 
tomorrow's careers, many which haven't been invented yet.
  Today's students are more and more likely to return to school 
throughout their lives for additional training. Some estimates suggest 
that as many as 75 percent of today's workers will need additional 
training just to stay current with their jobs. The modern college 
student reflects this trend perfectly. Today's average college student 
is likely to be older than 24, independent, and more likely to be 
female.
  That snapshot reflects the reality that today's college students are 
there for training and technical skills acquisition more than anything 
else. Postsecondary education is one of the fastest means to 
advancement in today's economy. With a postsecondary education, workers 
are more likely to keep their jobs and take advantage of opportunities 
to grow and advance in the workforce, or transition to another 
occupation as the workforce changes.
  Federal policy needs to reflect the 21st century reality that we are 
in the midst of a jobs revolution. We are going to experience dramatic 
changes in the workforce over the next ten to fifteen years, and we 
need to start now if we are going to adapt Federal education and 
training policy to meet the coming crisis of too few workers with too 
few skills.
  I am grateful for the work of my colleagues and the distinguished 
ranking member of the committee on this legislation. We were able to 
move this bill quickly through committee, and now to the floor, because 
we were able to work in a bipartisan manner to reauthorize a program 
that the members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee 
feel is an important part of the federal education and training system.
  I hope that we will be able to proceed quickly to conference with the 
House. I know they marked up their legislation yesterday as well, and I 
expect they will also proceed quickly to floor consideration.
  We look forward to working with the House to conference this bill and 
send it to President for signature this spring.
  I am hopeful we will be able to complete action on this bill quickly 
and send it to the President for signature, so that we can begin work 
on the Workforce Investment Act and the Higher Education Act, the next 
critical pieces of a comprehensive approach to federal education and 
training initiatives--and lifelong educational opportunities.

[[Page S2452]]

  Mr. President, S. 250 makes significant changes in the Perkins 
program. It does so to further emphasize a stronger academic focus in 
career and technical education so students are ready for the workforce 
and for college. The bill requires better articulation between high 
school and college career and technical programs. It requires States to 
develop career pathways that incorporate challenging academic courses 
and requires that information about academic preparation for the 
workforce be provided for all students, not just career and technical 
education students.
  The bill also links the accountability between the Perkins program to 
rigorous and challenging academic standards under the No Child Left 
Behind Act. The bill is consistent with the goals outlined by the 
American Diploma Project which suggests students need stronger academic 
preparation regardless of whether the next step is college or the 
workforce. Today's students need to be ready for the next step in life, 
whether it is the workforce or college. That is why the Senate bill 
emphasizes both academic and technical achievement that leads to 
postsecondary education or a high skill, high wage, or high demand 
occupation, perhaps all three incorporated in one.
  The bill incorporates the assessments required under No Child Left 
Behind and maintains the same requirement for all high school students 
rather than applying an uneven standard for Perkins and non-Perkins 
students. The Perkins program is not a substitute for comprehensive 
high school reform because it doesn't reach all high school students. 
It is an important part of that effort, however.
  The Senate bill provides much stronger accountability than even the 
No Child Left Behind Act. Not only does it require that students meet 
academic standards, but it also requires schools to report on students 
moving on to college, receiving postsecondary credit, earning an 
industry-recognized credential, certificate, or a degree. It even wants 
to know if they got a job.
  The bill also emphasizes stronger ties between high schools and 
colleges so students can begin to prepare themselves for the next step 
in their education. It also strengthens connections between schools and 
employers so students who don't go to college will be ready for the 
workforce. The bill requires that information is provided to students 
so they know how their academic course work will prepare them for work 
and college in the future.
  The bill also requires accountability systems to be based on either 
industry-recognized credentials or other standardized secondary and 
postsecondary performance indicators, such as completion of a 
postsecondary degree or certificate program. It requires participating 
schools to report on indicators that are nationally understood. In many 
instances we have followed the Department's request that indicators be 
made consistent between programs, which we have done.
  The bill draws extensively from No Child Left Behind, the Workforce 
Investment Act, and the Adult and Basic Education Act, incorporating 
many common requirements into this bill. The Senate bill provides an 
opportunity for the Secretary to work with States to develop 
performance measures. The bill allows States to use percentages or 
numbers to determine performance standards. The performance indicators 
are negotiated at the State level with the Secretary, and the goal 
ought to be helping States improve their Perkins program by meeting 
performance indicators regardless of whether they are expressed in 
number or percentage forms.
  We have covered a lot of ground in this bill, aspects that haven't 
been included before, aspects that will improve provisions, that which 
will help the students focus on getting jobs. We think this is a bill 
that America needs, and we want to get it to them quickly. We 
appreciate the efforts of the Senate to get it brought up quickly and 
to get it passed so we can get it into conference and get this great 
piece of legislation active this spring.
  I would particularly like to thank staff of the Senate Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions who have worked to successfully 
bring this bill forward. I want to thank Beth Buehlmann, Scott Fleming, 
and Courtney Brown from my own staff; Jane Oates, Carmel Martin, and 
Liz Maher from Senator Kennedy's staff. I'd also like to thank the 
other staff members who worked diligently on this legislation.
  I yield to my ranking member, Senator Kennedy.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Chafee). The Senator from Massachusetts is 
recognized.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, first of all, I join all of our 
colleagues on this side of the aisle who have the good opportunity to 
work on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in 
commending our friend and chairman, Senator Enzi, for his good work in 
bringing this legislation out of our committee yesterday and being able 
to arrange for us to have a chance to consider it on the floor this 
afternoon.
  This legislation is enormously important to more than 70,000 students 
in my State and to millions of students all across the country. To a 
great extent, we are here because of the chairman's determination and 
persistence in ensuring that our committee meets its responsibilities 
on this legislation, as he has on others as well.
  I will just mention that we also passed out of committee the Child 
Care Development Block Grant Program, with which my friend and 
colleague, Senator Dodd, has had so much to do. It will make a large 
difference in terms of child care for families. Also, there are some 
important protections, in terms of the FDA, on the whole issue of 
contact lenses. And then there is a very important piece of legislation 
dealing with the improvement of patient safety, to reduce the incidents 
of events that adversely affect patient safety. We are waiting to work 
out some minor details. That is an enormously important piece of 
legislation. This has been a very full agenda so far this year.
  We have been on the floor over the last 6 or 7 days talking about a 
piece of legislation that has divided this institution. Today, we are 
strongly together on a matter that will make a great deal of difference 
to young people and old people alike.
  Our chairman pointed out the importance of acquiring skills, 
retaining skills, and lifelong learning in the United States today. 
Especially in this age of globalization, we want every one of our 
citizens to have the learning and the skills essential to the 
continuing strength of our modern economy.
  Investing in our education system, continuing education, continuing 
training, and the acquiring of skills is essential in terms of our 
national security as well. It is not always thought of in those terms, 
but it clearly is. This legislation, which has been upgraded in the 
course of this Congress, is essential for equipping millions of 
Americans with the skills they need to compete in the global economy.
  It is a lifeline to many of those young people. With the changes we 
have made in this bill, and with a number of changes that have been 
made at the State level, we have the assurance that these young people 
are going to get a first-class education.
  I ask my colleagues to look at this chart behind me. In my State of 
Massachusetts, we have some 78,000 students who are involved in 
vocational education. Years ago, vocational education simply meant an 
extra class in shop in many schools. That is not the case now. The 
kinds of skills these young people are getting are enormously 
sophisticated, complex, and incredibly important, as our whole economy 
has become that way. There are more than 74,000 students in career and 
technical education programs who passed what we call the MCAS test, our 
State assessment exam. We have over 74,000 career and technical 
education students who passed the test out of 78,376. That is 95 
percent. That percentage is extraordinary.
  The MCAS test is a difficult test. The extraordinary thing about 
Massachusetts--if I can take 10 more seconds on this--is that the State 
publishes the MCAS test, and makes public the items on the test each 
year. So every parent and school teacher, and people around the 
country, know the quality of the test itself and know the demands 
that this puts on young people. What these results demonstrate is that 
these young people are acquiring skills and also developing very, very 
important academic skills in their career and technical programs.

[[Page S2453]]

  Now, look at this chart, which says, ``What does the Perkins program 
mean in Massachusetts?'' We have students in Brockton who received 
onsite clinical training in health care facilities. In New Bedford, a 
city that has suffered tremendously with the outsourcing of 
manufacturing jobs, the regional school has begun an engineering 
program. The program partners with 2- and 4-year colleges, Texas 
Instruments, and Bose. Students will be able to earn $22,000 directly 
after high school and far more when they go on to earn their college 
degree. All Massachusetts community colleges have instructional support 
staff and a major source of funding for adaptive equipment for students 
with disabilities who are enrolled in technical education programs.
  Now, this chart shows the positive placement rates of five vocational 
schools in Massachusetts--all are over 90 percent. We have shown the 
academic rates and accomplishments of career and technical education 
students. The bottom line is, when we are looking for accountability 
and results, we should look at the placement rates for these young 
students. It is 98 percent at Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School 
in Marlborough. At Worcester Vocational High, it is 96 percent. At 
Northeast Metropolitan Vocational in Wakefield, it is 95 percent. At 
New Bedford Regional Technical, 90 to 95 percent of the graduates go on 
to the workforce or postsecondary education. This is true also at Upper 
Cape Cod Tech, at 90 percent.
  I want to mention a couple of stories. I will mention one other very 
significant, impressive result of a technical school. At Shawsheen 
Technical High School, we have 600 eighth-grade students vying for 320 
seats in the program. A third of the students are in special education. 
Yet, the school has a 100 percent pass rate on the Statewide student 
assessment exam. That is an extraordinary outcome.
  These are outcomes we can see, and they make a difference for young 
students who need special education. At Shawsheen Tech, special 
education students have an outstanding rate of passing the Statewide 
student assessment exams. Learning academic skills in an applied 
context is responsible for this success. Ninety-seven percent of the 
graduates go on to immediate employment in their field or continue 
their education.
  Let me mention a couple of other interesting facts about this 
extraordinary school. Shawsheen has developed an intensive Licensed 
Practical Nurses program for adults. Students serve in clinical 
rotations on alternate weekends at one of the great medical centers, 
the Leahy Clinic, which my family has benefitted from for three 
generations--it is a first-rate clinic in Massachusetts. These students 
are able to gain jobs in this very prestigious and important clinic. 
Fifty percent of the students enrolled in this program are minority 
students. Sixty percent are Pell recipients. The first 3 classes of 40 
students each had a 90 percent retention rate and a 98 percent pass 
rate for the program completers, and their average starting salary is 
more than $23 an hour.
  These are extraordinary outcomes. Let me mention one other example. 
Kerry is a student at Middlesex Community College in the dental hygiene 
program. She is the mother of two preschool-age children and struggled 
at several different colleges because of a learning disability. At 
Middlesex she receives support and accommodation from disability 
support services and works closely with a disability support 
specialist. That specialist's salary is paid for with Perkins funding. 
There we have a tie of special needs students into these well-
organized, structured programs, and the outcome has been a very 
important success. Kerry's success in school is due to the fact that 
she receives Perkins funding.
  The story really is in the outcome. I see my friend from Rhode 
Island. He knows and values the importance of vocational training 
because of the excellent programs in the State of Rhode Island. In our 
region of the country, training programs have made an enormous 
contribution to the industrial and commercial success of so many of our 
industries. This program has played a very important role. It has been 
upgraded and improved from an academic point of view, from a training 
point of view, from the expectations of results, of working with 
businesses to give new emphasis to the kinds of specialities which are 
in short supply, and we have benefitted from broad participation.
  Chairman Enzi pointed out the very good work of the various 
communities that have given valuable help and assistance to us and the 
incredible staff of all the Members on both sides of the aisle. We have 
approached this legislation with an attitude of how we can make it 
better, how we can improve on it, and the lessons we have learned in 
the past that are going to strengthen this program.
  This is an important program that makes a real difference in the 
lives of people. I know the President has some reservations about this 
program and does not support Perkins in his budget. We take important 
steps in this bill to strengthen the program and address a number of 
the concerns the President has.
  With that in mind, we are very hopeful we will continue to have the 
support of our colleagues in the Senate.
  I again thank Senator Enzi for his hard work. As we are finding out, 
he and his staff have welcomed ideas and suggestions. He does not 
always say yes, but he does not always say no. It has been a real 
pleasure to work with him. We on our side are in very strong support of 
this legislation. We believe it is a stronger bill than exists at the 
current time. We believe it will help in critical areas for young 
people and old people--continuing education and the adult education 
programs.
  This legislation is about acquiring skills--skills, skills, skills, 
skills--which we all understand is absolutely essential if this country 
is going to continue to be the leader of the free world economically 
and from a national security point of view.
  Mr. President, I reserve the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Massachusetts for 
his outstanding comments, and I appreciate the charts he had giving 
real-life examples of some things happening in his State. I can tell 
you that those are happening throughout the Nation.
  The issue our committee is concerned about is the high dropout rate 
in high schools in the United States. Mr. President, 68 percent of the 
kids who start as freshmen will not graduate. They will drop out of the 
program at some time. For minorities, it is considerably higher. We are 
trying to figure out some way to keep them more interested in school, 
keep them on a learning program, which they will have to be for the 
rest of their lives if they are going to have high-quality jobs. We 
believe this bill is the first leg of a three-legged stool that will 
provide that. We will have other bills we will be bringing along at a 
later time.
  I thank our fellow Senators for their indulgence in allowing us to 
bring this bill up. I look forward to getting it through the Senate.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of a 
critical piece of legislation, the reauthorization of the Carl D. 
Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act. More than ever, we need 
rigorous, relevant career and technical education programs to help 
students prepare for postsecondary education and to address the 
shortage of highly skilled workers necessary to meet the demands of the 
contemporary workforce. A skilled and flexible workforce is essential 
to building a strong and dynamic economy and to maintaining our 
country's ability to compete in a global economy.
  According to a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey, 75 percent of 
employers report severe difficulties when trying to hire qualified 
workers, with 40 percent of job applicants having poor skills. Further, 
a survey by the National Association of Manufacturers found that 80 
percent of manufacturers experience a shortage of qualified workers. 
Most troubling, as many as 3.3 million jobs may be sent overseas in the 
next 15 years, resulting in American workers losing $136 billion in 
wages.
  With this reality, it is vitally important to support S. 250, the 
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education, CTE, Improvement Act of 
2005. This legislation promotes a rigorous curriculum, innovative 
learning environments, and relevant coursework and

[[Page S2454]]

training, thus ensuring students receive the education and training 
necessary to develop a highly skilled workforce. Strong career and 
technical education programs are essential in addressing this shortage 
of highly skilled workers and in preserving American jobs.
  Career and technical education must be academically rigorous and 
enhance students' critical thinking and applied skills. Accordingly, 
this bill makes a number of significant improvements to ensure that CTE 
students participate in a rigorous and challenging curriculum, and 
realize positive educational and employment outcomes.
  For example, the bill integrates challenging academic and technical 
standards, aligned with No Child Left Behind and nationally-recognized 
industry standards, into CTE instruction. The bill also strengthens 
educational and career pathways for students beyond high school and 
makes significant strides in building alliances among high schools, 2- 
and 4-year colleges, business and industry, and community 
organizations. Further, the bill expands career guidance and academic 
counseling services to ensure that students have a career plan and 
career objectives.
  Well-prepared CTE teachers and good professional development are 
essential components of an effective, rigorous CTE curriculum. CTE 
teachers must possess the knowledge and skills to teach effectively. 
Hence, this bill dedicates resources to promoting the leadership, 
initial preparation, and professional development of career and 
technical education teachers to foster effective practices.
  Mr. President, this bill is designed to improve student educational 
and employment outcomes, including their technical and workplace 
knowledge and skills. But, we must be able to measure how well CTE 
programs are meeting the needs of its students. Accordingly, the 
legislation will require states to identify core indicators of 
performance that include measures of student achievement on technical 
assessments and attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies.
  Thus, it is essential to develop valid and reliable assessments of 
technical and career competencies that are aligned with national 
industry standards and integrate industry certification assessments, if 
available and appropriate. To address this need for high-quality 
technical assessments, this bill permits State leadership funds to be 
used to develop valid and reliable assessments of technical skills that 
are integrated with industry certification assessments where available.
  Yet, increasing academic and technical rigor alone is not enough to 
prepare students to enter into and compete in the 21st century 
workforce. The learning environment students experience also heavily 
impacts academic performance and student outcomes. When smaller 
learning communities are in place, students benefit greatly: they 
experience a greater sense of belonging to their schools and they have 
fewer discipline, crime, violence, and substance abuse problems.
  I would like to highlight two high schools in my home State of New 
Mexico which demonstrate some of the best practices of rigorous and 
innovative career and technical education. Rio Rancho High School, in 
partnership with Intel Corporation, has served as a model example of 
how academic rigor, hands-on-learning, strong professional development, 
defined career pathways, and robust alliances are elements of a 
successful, quality CTE program. Rio Rancho has created academies of 
study for all students, which allow students to: pursue career pathways 
to postsecondary education and beyond; take core courses geared toward 
interests, skills, and competitive careers; form partnerships with 
instructors; and become part of a smaller learning community within the 
larger high school. The academies allow students to explore personal 
strengths and interests in relationship to career planning and job 
markets. Accordingly, Rio Rancho has been designated as a Microsoft 
Center of Innovation and Time Magazine has called Rio Rancho one of the 
ten most innovative career and technical schools in the nation.
  Another great example of innovative career and technical education 
can be found at Albuquerque High School. In just a couple of years, the 
career academies at Albuquerque High School have demonstrated very 
positive student outcomes. The first students in Albuquerque's Academy 
of Advanced Technology have lower dropout rates and improved academic 
achievement.
  Accordingly, this legislation recognizes that smaller learning 
communities are a critical educational investment and thus allows local 
funds to be used to support and develop personalized career themed 
learning communities. As Rio Rancho and Albuquerque High Schools 
demonstrate, rigorous career and technical education and smaller 
learning environments enhance students' achievement and motivation to 
learn.
  Mr. President, this country is facing a crisis. Only 68 percent of 
our Nation's students are graduating high school with a regular diploma 
in four years. We must devote more attention and resources to increase 
graduation rates and promote dropout prevention. Providing quality 
career and technical education is one crucial way to increase 
graduation rates. CTE programs provide students with relevance, and are 
themselves a form of dropout prevention. In fact, quality CTE programs 
result in positive educational and employment outcomes for students. 
Effective career and technical education results in increased school 
attendance, reduced high school dropout rates, increased entry into 
post-secondary education and greater access to high-tech careers.
  Accordingly, we must improve our ability to measure the effectiveness 
of career and technical education programs. High-quality data systems 
are essential to collect and analyze information regarding educational 
and employment outcomes and to inform the development of effective 
career and technical education programs. The data reported, however, 
must be complete, accurate, and reliable. Yet present data and data 
systems are too often incapable of meeting the requirements of career 
and technical education programs, of states, and of this Act. 
Accordingly, the bill includes several new provisions for data 
collection, utilization, and analysis, including provisions which allow 
the State allocation to be used to support and develop State data 
systems, and State leadership funds to be used to develop and enhance 
data systems to collect and analyze data on postsecondary and 
employment outcomes.
  Effective career and technical education programs are necessary to 
build a strong and dynamic economy and to maintain a competitive 
American workforce. This legislation evinces some of the best 
principles of strong, effective career and technical education. Mr. 
President, I fully support Senate passage of S. 250.
  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)
 Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise in support 
of the Carl D. Perkins Vocation and Technical Education Improvement 
Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation and am extremely 
pleased that this bill was written in a bipartisan fashion. I thank 
Senator Enzi, Senator Kennedy, and their staff members, Scott Fleming, 
Ilyse Schulman, and Jane Oates, for working so hard on this 
legislation. I sincerely hope that we continue in this spirit of 
bipartisanship in the HELP Committee.
  The bill before us today recognizes the important role of career and 
technical education for preparing today's workforce and rejects the 
Bush administration's proposal to eliminate the Perkins program, a 
proposal that would cost New York approximately $65 million a year. The 
bill before us today is evidence of a strong bipartisan commitment to 
maintaining and strengthening the program.
  It is an often overlooked fact that the Perkins program is the 
largest Federal investments in our Nation's high schools. Over 66 
percent of all public high schools have at least one vocational and 
technical education program and 96 percent of high school students in 
this country will take at least one vocational or technical course 
while they are in high school.
  The Perkins program also plays a key role in postsecondary education. 
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 38 
percent of all degree-seeking undergraduates are pursuing vocational 
careers. These

[[Page S2455]]

programs play a key role in educating our workforce, and census data 
consistently shows that people with higher educational attainment have 
higher median incomes. Nearly 75 percent of employers say they have a 
very hard time when trying to hire qualified workers, according to a 
2002 survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  In New York, the demand for business career and technical education 
programs in New York increased by 44 percent between the 2002 to 2003 
school year and the 2003 to 2004 school year. In New York City, there 
was a 211 percent increase in enrollment in the approved business 
program and a 55 percent increase in the technology and communications 
programs. And the vast majority of these students are succeeding 
academically. Eighty-five percent of New York students that completed a 
career and technical education program passed all of the required 
regent's exams.
  The Perkins program is extremely important--not just for the numbers 
of students it serves but for the communities that benefit from a 
better prepared workforce as a result of these programs. This is why 
for the last 3 years I have spearheaded a letter to the Senate 
Appropriations Committee requesting additional funding for Perkins. I 
also offered an amendment to the budget resolution in 2003 to protect 
the Perkins programs from cuts because I was deeply concerned that 
President Bush's proposal to slash the Perkins program by 25 percent 
would be reflected in the Senate's budget.

  The Carl D. Perkins Vocation and Technical Education Improvement Act 
will go a long way towards strengthening vocational and technical 
education in New York and across the country. Among other things, it 
will provide for comprehensive professional development for career and 
technical education teachers, increase States' flexibility to meet 
their unique needs, and align secondary and postsecondary indicators 
with those established in other programs to ultimately reduce 
paperwork.
  I am particularly pleased that this bill also improves programs and 
services for women and girls pursuing nontraditional occupations. Last 
fall, at a HELP Committee hearing on vocational education, an inspiring 
woman from New York, Angela Olszewski, testified about how important it 
is that we support and encourage women and girls in their pursuit of 
non-traditional, traditionally ``male'' careers--in technology, math, 
science, and the construction and building trades. Unfortunately, women 
are still significantly underrepresented in these fields. For example, 
we know that while the number of women carpenters has tripled since 
1972, they still only represent 1.7 percent of all carpenters. You can 
say the same about many other high-skill, high-wage trades.
  Many of these skilled trades industries are experiencing a 
significant labor shortage and experts expect these shortages to get 
worse over the next two decades as many workers retire. If women were 
to enter these professions, most of which are unionized and pay a 
livable paycheck and benefits, women would increase their earnings and 
standard of living for their families. For example, a journey-level 
electrician will make over $1,000,000 more than a typical cashier in a 
30-year career.
  This bill requires States to measure students' participation and 
completion in career and technical programs in nontraditional fields 
and to disaggregate their data on performance by gender and race. In 
addition, programs will be required to prepare special populations for 
high skill, high wage occupations that will lead to self-sufficiency. 
These important provisions will go a long way toward helping more women 
follow in Angela's footsteps.
  Finally, I am pleased that the bill maintains Tech Prep as a separate 
program, rejecting the Bush administration proposal to eliminate it. 
Innovative Tech Prep programs in New York have made a real difference 
in the lives of students. For example, the Syracuse City Health Center 
Tech Prep program reduced the achievement gap between ethnic groups, 
white vs. non-white--to 2.8 percent. And at least 65 percent of 
students in the Syracuse City Health Careers Tech Prep program enroll 
in health-related professions, where New York has a critical shortage, 
after high school. In New York State, the average age of nurses is 47 
and 80 percent of current nurses will reach retirement age within 10 
years.
  For all of these reasons, I am thrilled that we are passing this 
legislation today.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise in support of the Carl D. Perkins 
Vocational and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005. To compete 
in this global economy, we need to make sure our students have 21st 
century skills for 21st century jobs. Vocational and technical 
education is an extremely important part of this effort. The Perkins 
Act, which provides $1.3 billion to help train more than 10 million 
Americans across the country, is a vital investment in our nation's 
high schools, community colleges, and our students.
  The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical program gives a boost to 
America's workforce development system by providing funds to schools 
that teach technical skills ranging from auto shop to computer 
programming. The Perkins Act also supports practical career programs 
and links between secondary and post-secondary education, helping 
students to move up the opportunity ladder and prepare them for high-
skill, high-wage jobs. Students who have completed Perkins-supported 
programs are better prepared not only for higher education but for the 
workplace.
  The President has proposed eliminating funding for all vocational and 
technical education programs. This is the wrong way to go. If Perkins 
was eliminated, high schools, technical schools, and community colleges 
in every state would suffer. In Maryland, our schools would lose almost 
$19 million. Last year, we had more than 150,000 students enrolled in 
career and technical programs in Maryland. In the United States, 97 
percent of high school students take at least one career and technical 
education course. One-third of college students are involved in career 
and technical programs. And almost 40 million adults attend short-term 
occupational training. If these schools had to close their doors or 
shut down their vocational programs, where would these students go to 
learn the skills they need to get good paying jobs?
  Vocational and technical education provides students across the 
country with opportunities to develop academic and technical skills 
that are critical for economic and workforce development. It is our job 
in the United States Senate to make sure these opportunities are there 
for the people who need them and to invest in our human capital to 
create a world class workforce. That is why I strongly support this 
bipartisan bill and I oppose any cuts to the Perkins Vocational and 
Technical Education programs.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise in support of the Carl D. Perkins 
Vocational and Technical Education program.
  By the year 2010, 80 percent of all jobs in the Nation will require 
secondary and postsecondary education and training as a prerequisite 
for a job that supports a middle-class lifestyle. The Perkins 
Vocational and Technical Education program provides business and 
industry with the skilled workers they need to compete in the 21st 
century economy and provides a future of hope for those workers.
  Unfortunately, President Bush has proposed eliminating Federal 
funding for these programs in his fiscal year 2006 budget. This would 
have a tremendous negative impact across the nation and especially in 
Illinois, which is receiving $49.6 million dollars in fiscal year 2005 
for these programs. In fact, in Illinois, 3 out of 5 high school 
students are enrolled in Vocational and Technical Education annually, 
representing more than 348,000 students.
  The Senate's strong support for this legislation today demonstrates 
that the Bush administration is out of touch with regular people and 
the state of our economy. We need to create more good jobs in America; 
that's what vocation education programs do.
  For example, we need more teachers. Stacy J. attended Capital Area 
Career center and went on to graduate from Lincoln Land Community 
College and from there to the University of Illinois Springfield. She 
earned a Bachelor's in Psychology and an elementary teaching 
certificate and now works for the Springfield School District. Her path

[[Page S2456]]

was largely funded by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical 
Education program.
  We need car specialists. Nick O. graduated from the welding program 
at Capital Area Career Center and now works for Ray Evernham 
Motorsports in research and development and as a tire specialist. 
Again, Nick took advantage of the Perkins program.
  We need electricians, x-ray technicians, dental assistants, and 
plumbers. Justin K. is an apprentice plumber in Springfield after 
completed the Perkins program at the Capital Career Center.
  We need nurses, carpenters, and firefighters. Andy, Josh and Dustin 
studied Fire Science at the Kishwaukee Education Consortium.
  Because we need these people, we need the Carl D. Perkins Vocational 
and Technical Education program.
  Of course, we also need our students to graduate. Another Perkins 
program student, Jessica G., began her career as a co-op student from 
Limestone Community College. She works for the RSM McGladrey Network 
and is now one course away from earning her masters of business 
administration. One of the most spectacular attributes of the Perkins 
program is the increase in the probability of graduation. Participation 
in a career and technical program raises the probability of graduation 
by 15 percentage points for those who registered for at least one 
course and nearly 28 percentage points for those who completed a career 
and technical program.
  The school-based programs supported through the Perkins program 
provide a foundation for our Nation's workforce development system, by 
teaching technical skills based on industry standards and workplace 
skills and employability skills common to all occupations. This program 
is the single largest Federal investment in the nation's high schools.
  We want our students to succeed in their education. This means we 
need the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education program. 
Research proves students engaged in Perkins-supported programs are 
better prepared to transition into post-secondary education and the 
workplace. Students who complete a rigorous academic core coupled with 
a career concentration have test scores that equal or exceed college 
prep students. These dual concentrators are more likely to pursue 
postsecondary education, have a higher grade point average in college 
and are less likely to drop out in the first year. Fifty-two per cent 
of all career and technical education students enroll in college.
  I strongly support this legislation and commend Chairman Enzi and 
Senator Kennedy for their leadership in ensuring that the Carl D. 
Perkins Vocational and Technical Education program continues.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise to speak on behalf of the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act. This bill 
reauthorizes the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act 
of 1998 and supports a key goal for this country's future: to ensure 
America's students have the knowledge and skills to be competitive in 
today's global economy. Specifically, this legislation supports the 
creation of stronger partnerships between high schools, colleges, and 
businesses to allow for career and technical education programs to 
better meet the needs of the workforce, including small businesses. 
Also, S. 250 provides for the creation of outlines for logical 
sequences of courses, including high school and college courses, that 
will lead to an industry recognized credential, certificate, or 
postsecondary degree. Furthermore, this measure promotes activities to 
improve the recruitment and retention of career and technical education 
teachers, including those underrepresented in the profession.
  As a former member of the organization previously known as Future 
Farmers of America FFA, I am proud of Montana's highly successful 
vocational education programs. Montana has over 500 approved career and 
technical education programs and more than 800 certified teachers in 
agriculture, business, marketing, family and consumer sciences, 
industrial technology, and health occupations. Over 160 Montana high 
schools participate in the Federal Carl D. Perkins and State career and 
technical education grant programs in order to support and improve 
their career and technical education programs. These valuable programs 
prepare Montana K-12 students for a variety of careers and post 
secondary education programs.
  I will continue my strong support of vocational education programs 
and look forward to working with the leadership as the Senate examines 
education programs during the 109th Congress.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to support the 
reauthorization of the Perkins Career and Technical Education 
Improvement Act of 2005.
  This bill is critically important to ensure that students are 
entering the workforce with the academic, vocational, and technical 
skills they will need to be successful in today's job market.
  According to 2003 U.S. Census data, only 27 percent of Americans have 
a college degree. Therefore, vocational education programs are 
necessary to provide occupational training to the majority of high 
school students who do not go on to earn a bachelor's degree.
  Without adequate vocational and technical training programs, these 
individuals have few career options. Unfortunately, high schools 
currently offer fewer vocational education classes than in the past, 
due to funding shortages.
  There are many ways in which Perkins funds are used, and I would like 
to share a few examples of how these dollars are utilized in my State 
of California which typically receives approximately 11 percent of 
Federal funding for vocational education through Perkins.
  The Fresno Unified School District uses about $1 million in Perkins 
money to fund vocational education classes in areas such as 
introductory business, computers, and multimedia for students in grades 
7-10.
  Perkins funding also helps to pay for 10 resource center facilitators 
who assist students in researching colleges and registering for 
entrance exams.
  The Los Angeles Unified School District receives Perkins funds to 
build career and technical education, CTE, programs. With these funds, 
the district has created 15 ``industry clusters,'' each of which 
contains a specific career pathway. These industry clusters range from 
agriculture to the arts to engineering to medical technology.
  I understand the importance of Federal support for vocational and 
technical education, and I will continue to do all I can to ensure that 
all students have access to the educational opportunities that will 
allow them to become productive and successful adults.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I am pleased to support S. 250, the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005. The 
product of a true bipartisan effort, this bill reauthorizes and 
strengthens the federal investment in career and technical education 
programs, which touch students of all ages in communities across the 
Nation.
  I commend Senator Enzi for his extraordinary leadership on this 
issue. His dedication to creating opportunities for lifelong learning 
and ensuring that students of all ages have the skills they need to 
succeed in higher education and in the workforce is reflected 
throughout this bill.
  Nearly every student in America enrolls in at least one career and 
technical education class during high school, and millions of adults 
update their skills at the postsecondary level each year. Career and 
technical education provides increasingly rigorous, relevant learning 
that prepares students for success in postsecondary education and in a 
wide array of occupations. Given that a majority of jobs created over 
the next decade will require skills that only a relative few workers 
currently possess, it is important that we provide opportunities for 
students and workers to gain the skills they need to secure and succeed 
in these jobs.
  In many communities, including those in my own State of New 
Hampshire, innovative career and technical education programs are 
helping to fill pressing workforce needs, including in fast growing 
fields like technology and health care. High school students in health 
science programs may earn CPR

[[Page S2457]]

and, first aid certifications and gain valuable clinical experience in 
hospitals and nursing homes, as well as enroll in certified nursing 
assistant programs. Through Project Running Start, high school students 
can earn community college credit in a variety of disciplines. New 
Hampshire Community Technical College in Nashua offers programs ranging 
from an FAA-approved aviation technology program to a 
telecommunications program in partnership with Verizon. Such 
opportunities at both the secondary and postsecondary level are 
constantly expanding, offering students more options than ever before.
  Career and technical education programs are also helping alleviate 
shortages of skilled workers in certain industries, such as the 
automotive industry. The Automotive Youth Educational Systems program, 
which operates in New Hampshire and 44 other States, is widely regarded 
as a successful education and business partnership, and has been 
praised by both the Department of Labor and the Department of 
Education. The AYES program affords high school juniors and seniors the 
opportunity to gain valuable experience as interns working alongside 
skilled auto technicians who serve as mentors. Upon graduation, this 
work experience then translates into high-skill, high-wage, high-demand 
jobs for students.
  The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 
2005 would strengthen career and technical education programs in a 
number of ways. Among the improvements are stronger accountability 
provisions, increased flexibility for States, and greater emphasis on 
the integration of academic and technical course content, on connecting 
programs with business and industry to ensure that students gain 
relevant skills, and on building pathways from secondary to 
postsecondary programs and the workforce. All of these efforts will 
help ensure that students acquire the tools and knowledge necessary to 
acquire and excel in high-skill, high wage occupations.
  S. 250, which I am pleased to cosponsor, stands as an example of what 
is possible when we work in a bipartisan way in good faith. I would 
like to thank Senator Kennedy and my colleagues on the other side of 
the aisle for their commitment to career and technical education and 
for helping move the reauthorization process forward.
  This bill was also crafted with significant input and support from 
the career and technical education community, which helped us refine 
and improve the legislation. The result is a work product of which we 
can all be proud. I look forward to the bill's final passage.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I am pleased to be a cosponsor of the Carl 
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act. By passing 
this legislation today, the Senate recognizes the critical need to 
maintain the Perkins program--the Federal Government's single biggest 
investment in our nation's high schools.
  The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act provides a 
vital link between students and the high-skilled workforce American 
business depends on to thrive. It funds rigorous and challenging career 
and technical education programs that give more than 10 million 
Americans the opportunity to attain the specific skills needed to 
successfully embark on careers and undertake further education.
  The President's decision to eliminate this program in his fiscal year 
2006 budget proposal is exceedingly short-sighted. It would aggravate 
the skills gap that employers already face and cost our country in 
future competitiveness, productivity, and innovation. The President 
seeks to eliminate a $1.3 billion investment, $6.4 million of which 
would be a loss to my state, Rhode Island.
  Instead, the Senate's action today will help ensure this program's 
continued success.
  I am especially pleased that this legislation contains provisions I 
authored to address the needs expressed to me by educators in Rhode 
Island. As I have in other education reauthorization bills, I worked to 
strengthen professional development programs for career and technical 
educators, principals, administrators, and counselors. I also ensured 
the legislation gives states more flexibility in their use of funding 
and in implementing innovative statewide initiatives. In addition, I 
added language to ensure schools can offer students the benefit of 
real-world internships and other work-based learning experiences to 
enhance their skills.
  These and other provisions in the bill will strengthen the Perkins 
Act. I sincerely hope that we will maintain the same cooperative and 
bipartisan spirit as we work toward final passage of this bill.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I commend my friend, Chairman Enzi, for 
his bipartisan leadership on this legislation and his effective work in 
bringing it before the full Senate today.
  One of our highest priorities in Congress is to expand educational 
opportunities for every American. Especially in this age of 
globalization, we want every one of our citizens to have the learning 
and the skills essential to the continuing strength of our modern 
economy. We want them to fulfill their hopes and dreams, to raise 
healthy families, and contribute to their communities. We will be a 
fairer and stronger America when every citizen takes part and 
contributes.
  We know that in today's global economy, every person counts more than 
ever. We cannot afford to leave out anyone. We must equip our citizens 
to compete in the global economy--not by lowering their pay and sending 
their jobs overseas, but by increasing their skills.
  The legislation before us today will strengthen our commitment to a 
vital aspect of that mission, by equipping millions of young Americans 
with the skills they need through career and technical education.
  There was a time in many schools when vocational education meant 
simply an extra class in shop. But today in Massachusetts, and many 
other states, we see the vital role that vocational education--now 
appropriately called career and technical education--can have in 
transforming the lives of students and workers, and in strengthening 
our economy.
  Career and technical students are high school students who want to 
link their learning to a career. They are students who want a real 
world application of their high school education. They are students who 
earn college credits or earn industry-recognized credentials and pass 
state licensing exams while still in high school. Career and technical 
education today is designed to prepare and train students for 21st 
century jobs.
  Career and technical education students go on to higher education--
almost two-thirds of all high school graduates of career and technical 
programs enter college or another form of postsecondary education.
  In addition, through its educational programs at the postsecondary 
level, the Perkins Act also serves adults who are seeking critical 
training to be competitive in the job market. Whether we are talking 
about new immigrants, struggling adults, or women who are seeking 
employment outside the home for the first time, these are adults who 
need specially designed programs.
  In Massachusetts, career and technical education serves more than 
70,000 students. Through Perkins funding, high school programs in 
partnership with community colleges and local businesses, provide 
students with the academic and technical skills they need to continue 
their education or to compete for high-skill, high-wage jobs 
immediately. The outcomes of these programs are extraordinary. Last 
year, 95 percent of career and technical education students in 
Massachusetts passed our state assessment--the MCAS exams.
  The Perkins program has worked to reduce the gender imbalance in 
earnings by emphasizing the importance of eliminating discrimination 
and actively recruiting students for non-traditional employment. The 
segregation of certain demographic groups into low-wage industries can 
and should be corrected as soon as possible through education. The 
program sets aside specific dollars for the collection and 
dissemination of occupational and employment information. Providing the 
most complete and up-to-date information is essential if counselors are 
to help their students make good decisions about course selection and 
career choice.
  To be competitive in today's economy, we need a renaissance in math, 
in

[[Page S2458]]

science, and in technical skills. Technology and innovation are 
essential for America's economic strength and competitiveness in the 
future. The Tech Prep program in this bill addresses these needs by 
creating programs that integrate technology skills based on employer 
needs. At Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts, 
students can enroll in the Diagnostic Medical Imaging Program. They 
take rigorous math and science courses that prepare them to use today's 
newest technology.
  It has always been a priority for our committee to see that all 
students have the opportunity for high quality educational 
opportunities. Ensuring strong career and technical programs is an 
essential part of reaching that goal. In the legislation before us 
today, we were able to address critical issues for the continued growth 
of this program--the integration of academic and technical education, 
the use of funds for secondary and post-secondary programs, and the 
importance of the Tech Prep programs that form the bridge between the 
high school and college programs.
  Our bill also builds on existing provisions designed to ensure that 
students, parents and teachers have the information they need to select 
the courses that will give them the best options for obtaining a good 
job or continuing with their education after high school.
  This bill also addresses the unique professional development needs of 
Career and Technical Education teachers. Every day, we see rapid pace 
of change in industry. Cell phones and computers can become obsolete in 
a year. Teachers need to see the changing aspects of the industries 
that they teach about in the classroom, so that their students of all 
ages can receive the best possible training. Local schools and 
districts must provide opportunities for these teachers to spend time 
with the industries they are teaching about. They are preparing the 
next workforce generation, and their knowledge base must be state of 
the art.
  In Massachusetts, Perkins grants fund a wide variety of important 
programs. Students in Brockton have received onsite clinical training 
in health care facilities.
  In New Bedford, a city that has suffered tremendously with the 
outsourcing of manufacturing jobs, the regional technical school has 
begun an engineering program in partnership with 2 and 4-year colleges, 
Texas Instruments and Bose.
  Graduates will be able to earn $22,000 a year directly after high 
school, and far more when they go on to earn their college degree.
  At Shawsheen Technical High School, six hundred 8th grade students 
are vying for 320 seats in the program. A third of the students are 
special education, yet the school has a 100 percent pass rate on the 
statewide student assessment exams. Learning academic skills in an 
applied context is responsible for this success. Ninety-seven percent 
of the graduates go on to immediate employment in their field or 
continue their education.
  Responding to the critical shortage in the nursing profession, 
Shawsheen has developed an intensive Licensed Practical Nurses program 
for adults. Classes are held for 10 months, four nights a week from 
5:30 to 10 p.m. Students serve in clinical rotations on alternate 
weekends at the Lahey Clinic. The program has become an entry to a good 
career for many low-income adults; 50 percent of those enrolled are 
minority students and 60 percent are Pell recipients. The first three 
classes of 40 students each have had a 90 percent retention rate, a 98 
percent pass rate for program completers and a 100 percent placement 
rate in the Merrimack Valley and the graduates are in jobs with an 
average starting salary of $23 an hour.
  In addition, because of Perkins grants, all Massachusetts community 
colleges have instructional support staff and major funding for 
adaptive equipment for students with disabilities enrolled in technical 
education.
  None of this would be possible without Perkins dollars.
  Again, I commend Chairman Enzi and his staff for all their good work. 
Special thanks go to Scott Fleming and Beth Buehlmann with Senator 
Enzi, Kelly Scott with Senator Gregg, Meredith Davis with Senator 
Frist, Kristin Bannerman with Senator Alexander, Jenny Hanson with 
Senator Burr, Bradford Swann and Glee Smith with Senator Isakson, 
Lindsay Morris with Senator DeWine, Lindsay Lovlien with Senator 
Ensign, Juliann Andreen with Senator Hatch, Prim Formby with Senator 
Sessions, Jennifer Swenson with Senator Roberts, Dana Lewis with 
Senator Reid, Mary Ellen McGuire with Senator Dodd, Laura Prebeck with 
Senator Harkin, Dvora Lovinger with Senator Mikulski, Sherry Kaiman 
with Senator Jeffords, Michael Yudin with Senator Bingaman, Jamie 
Fasteau with Senator Murray, Catherine Brown with Senator Clinton, 
Kristen Romero and Amy Gaynor from Legislative Counsel, and Carmel 
Martin and Liz Maher of my staff.
  And I want particularly to express my appreciation to Jane Oates who 
had principle responsibility for this bill for my staff. I am grateful 
for her important contributions and insights on this legislation.
  I thank our Chairman, Senator Enzi, for moving this bill so quickly 
through our Committee and am pleased we are able to move it to final 
passage today. I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I am here today in support of a bipartisan 
bill that would reauthorize the Perkins Vocational and Technical 
Education Act. Few issues are as critically important to the future of 
the country as the competitiveness of our workforce. This bill will 
help to ensure America's economic dominance for years to come.
  Essential to strengthening the workforce, the Carl D. Perkins Career 
and Technical Education Improvement Act not only prepares youth and 
adults for the careers of today, it prepares them for the careers of 
tomorrow. For that reason, it is the first line of defense in ensuring 
America's competitive advantage in a global economy.
  We have heard a lot lately about American students losing their 
competitive edge. In math and science our fourth graders are among the 
best in the world but by their senior year of high school, they score 
near the bottom of all industrialized nations. Our college dropout rate 
is one of the highest in the world. The United States has dropped from 
first to fifth in the percentage of young adults with a college degree. 
Singapore has displaced the United States as the top economy in 
information technology competitiveness. And, the number of patents 
awarded to Americans is declining. Clearly, all of this is having an 
effect on our global competitiveness.
  The problem is further compounded by the fact that our universities 
are facing intense competition in higher education and are slipping in 
their ability to attract the world's best students. Yesterday, the 
Council of Graduate Schools released a study showing that foreign 
applications to graduate schools are down 6 percent. These are 
individuals that contribute to the cutting-edge research American 
universities and corporations have long been known for.
  Do we need to increase our efforts to attract these students back? 
Yes. Do we also need to do everything we can to increase our 
competitiveness from within? Yes. The bill before us will help us to do 
that.
  The bill before us does a number of important things. First and 
foremost, it emphasizes accountability and improved results. Second, it 
improves monitoring and enforcement. Third, it disaggregates 
performance goals and report information by special populations so no 
one falls through the cracks. And fourth, it strengthens the ties 
between industry, high schools, and higher education by ensuring that 
teachers are well trained, that students are academically ready for 
college, and that high schools are training students for the actual 
needs of their communities.
  The premise of the bill is that high schools, industry and higher 
education need to work together to provide our workforce with the 
skills that they need in order to achieve and compete in the 21st 
century. This bill works to ensure that American students are not just 
getting a world-class education, but the best education in the world.
  I would be remiss in my remarks if I did not mention the President's 
proposed elimination of the Perkin's program in his fiscal year 2006 
budget. And, I would be remiss if I did not commend the leadership of 
Senator Enzi, our committee chair, in bringing this

[[Page S2459]]

bill forward despite the President's plan. Senator Enzi's unwavering 
commitment in this area is unparalleled. I hope that the administration 
understands that our decision to make this the first major piece of 
education legislation that we take up this Congress is reflective of 
our unwavering commitment to career and technical education. We will 
not let this program fall by the wayside. Perkins will not be 
eliminated.
  We often hear the pledge that we will leave no child behind. May I 
suggest that we also make every effort to ensure that we leave no 
career and technical education student behind? Passage of these 
important provisions today will go a long way toward ensuring that 
career and vocational education students are not left behind in the 
classroom, that they are being held to high academic standards, that 
their teachers are provided with the training they need to keep up to 
date with the latest industry needs, and that high schools, industry 
and higher education work seamlessly together to provide our workforce 
with the skills that they need to maintain America's economic dominance 
in the 21st century.
  Career and vocational programs are an essential part of keeping 
students in school and helping our Nation train its workforce. I am 
confident that this bill will go a long way in helping another 
generation of Americans succeed, and, in doing so, strengthen our 
economy.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I will be glad to yield back my time.
  Mr. ENZI. I yield back my time.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the committee 
substitute is adopted and the bill will be read a third time.
  The committee amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was agreed 
to.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  Mr. ENZI. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the next series 
of votes begin at 4:30 p.m. today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. ENZI. For the information of my colleagues, the next vote, which 
will begin at 4:30 p.m., will be on passage of the Perkins vocational 
education bill which was just debated, to be followed by a series of 
rollcall votes on the remaining amendments to the bankruptcy bill, to 
be followed by final passage. That means there could be up to seven 
rollcall votes in this next series of consecutive rollcall votes. Once 
again, we urge Members to stay close to the Chamber during these votes 
to avoid missing any.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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