[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4851-S4852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2128. Mr. KAINE (for himself, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr.
Casey, Mr. Warner, and Mrs. Boxer) submitted an amendment intended to
be proposed to amendment SA 2089 submitted by Mr. Alexander (for
himself and Mrs. Murray) to the bill S. 1177, to reauthorize the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to ensure that every
child achieves; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
After section 5010, insert the following:
SEC. 5011. MIDDLE SCHOOL TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.
Title V (20 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.), as amended by section
5001, is further amended by inserting after part I, as added
by section 5010, the following:
``PART J--MIDDLE SCHOOL TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
``SEC. 5951. PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this part is to support the
development of middle school career exploration programs
linked to career and technical education programs of study.
``(b) Definitions.--In this part:
``(1) Career and technical education exploration program.--
The term `career and technical education exploration program'
means a program that is developed through an organized,
systemic framework and is designed to aid students in making
informed plans and decisions about future education and
career opportunities and enrollment in career and technical
education programs of study.
``(2) Eligible partnership.--The term `eligible
partnership' means an entity that--
``(A) shall include--
``(i) not less than 1 local educational agency that
receives funding under section 131 of the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2351),
or an area career and technical education school
[[Page S4852]]
or educational service agency described in such section;
``(ii) not less than 1 eligible institution that receives
funding under section 132 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2352); and
``(iii) not less than 1 representative of either a local or
regional business, industry, nonprofit organization, or
apprenticeship program; and
``(B) may include other representatives of the community,
including representatives of parents' organizations, labor
organizations, nonprofit organizations, employers, and
representatives of local workforce development boards
(established under subtitle A of title I of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act).
``SEC. 5952. CAREER EXPLORATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary shall create a pilot
program to support the establishment of career and technical
education exploration programs. In carrying out the pilot
program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible
partnerships to enable the eligible partnerships to develop
middle school career and technical education exploration
programs that are aligned with career and technical education
programs of study described in section 122(c)(1)(A) of the
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006
(20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(A)).
``(b) Grant Duration.--Grants awarded under this part shall
be for a period of not more than 4 years.
``(c) Application.--An eligible partnership seeking a grant
under this section shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary
may require. Each application shall include--
``(1) a description of the partner entities comprising the
eligible partnership, the roles and responsibilities of each
partner, and a demonstration of each partner's capacity to
support the program;
``(2) a description of how the eligible partnership will
use grant funds to carry out each of the activities described
under subsection (e);
``(3) a description of how the middle school career and
technical education exploration program aligns to regional
economies and local emerging workforce needs;
``(4) a description of how the new middle school career and
technical education exploration program is linked to--
``(A) 1 or more career and technical education programs of
study offered by the agency or school described in section
5951(b)(2)(A)(i); and
``(B) 1 or more career and technical education programs of
study offered by the postsecondary institution described in
section 5951(b)(2)(A)(ii);
``(5) a description of the students that will be served by
the middle school career and technical education exploration
program;
``(6) a description of how the middle school career and
technical education exploration program funded by the grant
will be replicable;
``(7) a description of how the eligible partnership will
disseminate information about best practices resulting from
the middle school career and technical education exploration
program to similar career and technical education programs of
study, including such programs in urban and rural areas;
``(8) a description of how the middle school career and
technical education exploration program will be implemented;
``(9) a description of how the middle school career and
technical education exploration program will provide
accessibility to students, especially economically
disadvantaged, low-performing, and urban and rural students;
and
``(10) a description of how the eligible partnership will
carry out the evaluation required under subsection (f).
``(d) Selection of Grantees.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall determine, based on
the peer review process described in paragraph (3) and
subject to the requirement in paragraph (4), which eligible
partnership applicants shall receive funding under this part,
and the amount of the grant funding under this part that each
selected eligible partnership will receive.
``(2) Grant amounts.--In determining the amount of each
grant awarded under this part, the Secretary shall--
``(A) ensure that all grants are of sufficient size, scope,
and quality to be effective; and
``(B) take into account the total amount of funds available
for all grants under this part and the types of activities
proposed to be carried out by the eligible partnership.
``(3) Peer review process.--
``(A) Establishment of peer review committee.--The
Secretary shall convene a peer review committee to review
applications for grants under this part and to make
recommendations to the Secretary regarding the selection of
grantees.
``(B) Members of the peer review committee.--The peer
review committee shall include the following members:
``(i) Educators who have experience implementing career and
technical education programs and career exploration programs.
``(ii) Experts in the field of career and technical
education.
``(4) Rural or small local educational agencies.--The
Secretary shall set aside not less than 5 percent of the
funds made available to award grants under this part to award
grants to eligible partnerships that include rural or small
local educational agencies, as defined by the Secretary.
``(e) Use of Funds.--Each eligible partnership receiving a
grant under this section shall use grant funds to develop and
implement a middle school career and technical education
exploration program that--
``(1) shall--
``(A) include introductory courses or experiential
activities, such as student apprenticeships or other work-
based learning methods and project-based learning
experiences;
``(B) include the implementation of a plan that
demonstrates the transition from the middle school career and
technical education exploration program to a career and
technical education program of study that is offered by the
entity described in section 5951(b)(2)(A)(i);
``(C) include programs and activities related to the
development of individualized graduation and career plans for
students; and
``(D) offer career guidance and academic counseling that--
``(i) provides information about postsecondary education
and career options; and
``(ii) provides participating students with readily
available career and labor market information, such as
information about employment sectors, educational
requirements, information on workforce supply and demand, and
other information on careers that are aligned to State or
local economic priorities; and
``(2) may include expanded learning time activities that--
``(A) focus on career exploration, including
apprenticeships and internships;
``(B) are available to all students in a middle school; and
``(C) take place during a time that is outside of the
standard hours of enrollment for students that are served by
the local educational agency.
``(f) Evaluations and Report.--
``(1) Evaluation.--
``(A) In general.--Each eligible partnership that receives
a grant under this part shall collect appropriate data or
otherwise document through records (in a manner that complies
with section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20
U.S.C. 1232g), commonly known as the `Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974', and other applicable Federal
and State privacy laws) the information necessary to conduct
an evaluation of grant activities, including an evaluation
of--
``(i) the extent of student participation in the middle
school career and technical education exploration program
carried out under this part;
``(ii) the impact of the middle school career and technical
education exploration program carried out under this part on
the students' transition to, or planned participation in,
career and technical programs of study (as described in
section 122(c)(1)(A) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(A));
and
``(iii) any other measurable outcomes specified by the
Secretary.
``(B) Resources of the eligible partnership.--The
evaluation described in this paragraph shall reflect the
resources and capacity of the local educational agency, area
career and technical education school, or educational service
agency that is part of the eligible partnership in a manner
determined by the Secretary.
``(2) Report.--The eligible partnership shall prepare and
submit to the Secretary a report containing the results of
the evaluation described in paragraph (1).''.
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