Strengthening Research in Adult Education Act

Summary: Strengthening Research in Adult Education Act - Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 to revise the mission statement for the Institute of Education Sciences of the Department of Education to ensure access to, and opportunities for, adult education and literacy activities. Revises the composition of presidential appointees to the National Board for Education Sciences to include adult educators. Revises the mission statement for the Institute's National Center for Education Research (Research Center) to include improving the literacy and numeracy skills of individuals who need adult education.  Revises also the Research Center's duties to include research on successful state and local adult education and literacy activities that:   result in increased literacy, numeracy, and educational attainment for adult learners, or prepare students for postsecondary education or employment.  Directs the Research Commissioner to support, through national research and development centers or through other means, research on adult education and digital literacy. Revises duties of the National Center for Education Statistics to require it to include in the statistical data on education in the United States it collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on access to, and opportunity for, adult education and literacy activities. Requires the National Center for Education and Regional Assistance to disseminate widely certain educational information with respect to educational practices that improve digital literacy. Amends the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 to revise the composition of regional advisory committees to include representatives of local or regional adult education providers.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Research in Adult 
Education Act''.

SEC. 2. STRENGTHEN RESEARCH IN ADULT EDUCATION.

    (a) Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002.--The Education Sciences 
Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 102 (20 U.S.C. 9501)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (8), 
                (9) through (22), and (23), as paragraphs (3) through 
                (9), (11) through (24), and (26), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) Adult education; adult education and literacy 
        activities.--The terms `adult education' and `adult education 
        and literacy activities' have the meanings given the terms in 
        section 203 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 
        U.S.C. 9202).'';
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (9), as 
                redesignated by subparagraph (A), the following:
            ``(10) Digital literacy skills.--The term `digital literacy 
        skills' has the meaning given the term in section 202 of the 
        Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101).''; and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (24), as 
                redesignated by subparagraph (A), the following:
            ``(25) Student.--Unless otherwise provided, the term 
        `student' means any elementary, secondary, postsecondary, or 
        adult education student.'';
            (2) in section 111(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. 9511(b)(1)), in the 
        matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, including 
        adult education'' after ``postsecondary study'';
            (3) in section 115(a) (20 U.S.C. 9515(a))--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 
                (20 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.),'' after ``the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et 
                seq.),''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and 
                        adults'' after ``children'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``and'' after the semicolon;
                            (iii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                        subparagraph (D); and
                            (iv) by inserting after subparagraph (B) 
                        the following:
                    ``(C) access to, and opportunities for, adult 
                education and literacy activities; and'';
            (4) in section 116(c)(4)(A)(ii) (20 U.S.C. 
        9516(c)(4)(A)(ii))--
                    (A) by inserting ``adult educators,'' after 
                ``professional educators,''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``State directors of adult 
                education,'' after ``postsecondary education 
                executives,'';
            (5) in section 131(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. 9531(b)(1))--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``and'' after 
                the semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) improve the literacy and numeracy skills of 
                individuals who need adult education;'';
            (6) in section 133 (20 U.S.C. 9533)--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) in paragraph (10)(D), by striking 
                        ``and'' after the semicolon;
                            (ii) in paragraph (11), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(12) carry out research on successful State and local 
        adult education and literacy activities that--
                    ``(A) result in increased literacy and numeracy and 
                educational attainment for adult learners; or
                    ``(B) prepare students for postsecondary education 
                or employment.''; and
                    (B) in subsection (c)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``At 
                        least one 1 center shall be assigned the topic 
                        of adult education.'' after ``paragraph (2).''; 
                        and
                            (ii) in paragraph (2)--
                                    (I) by striking subparagraph (A) 
                                and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) Adult education.'';
                                    (II) by redesignating subparagraphs 
                                (C) through (K) as subparagraphs (D) 
                                through (L), respectively; and
                                    (III) by inserting after 
                                subparagraph (B) the following:
                    ``(C) Digital literacy.'';
            (7) in section 153(a)(1) (20 U.S.C. 9543(a)(1))--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) through (O) 
                as subparagraphs (G) through (P), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the 
                following:
                    ``(F) access to, and opportunity for, adult 
                education and literacy activities;''; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (L), as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and in adult 
                education'' after ``secondary schools''; and
            (8) in section 172(a)(2) (20 U.S.C. 9562(a)(2))--
                    (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as 
                subparagraph (F); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the 
                following:
                    ``(E) educational practices that improve digital 
                literacy; and''.
    (b) Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002.--The Educational 
Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) is amended in 
section 206(b)(2)--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (F) as 
        subparagraphs (C) through (G), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
                    ``(B) Representatives of local or regional adult 
                education providers.''.