To provide grants to colleges to improve remedial education (including English language instruction), to customize remediation to student career goals, and to help students move rapidly from remediation into for-credit occupation program courses and through program completion.

Summary: Bridges from Jobs to Careers Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to improve remedial education, customize remediation to student career goals, and help remedial students progress into and through for-credit occupational programs.

Gives grant priority to IHEs: (1) in which at least 50% of the first-year students are enrolled in remedial courses designed to give them collegiate reading, writing, or mathematics skills; and (2) that propose to collaborate with adult education providers and replicate practices that have proven effective with adults.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bridges from Jobs to Careers Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO CREATE BRIDGES FROM JOBS TO CAREERS.

    (a) Authorization of Program.--From amounts appropriated under 
subsection (k), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to institutions of higher education for the purposes of 
improving remedial education, including English language instruction, 
to customize remediation to student career goals, and to help students 
move rapidly from remediation into for-credit occupational program 
courses and through program completion. The grants shall focus in 
particular on creating bridges to for-credit occupational certificate 
programs that are articulated to degree programs.
    (b) Application.--An eligible institution seeking a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require.
    (c) Priorities.--The Secretary shall give priority to applications 
that--
            (1) are from institutions of higher education in which not 
        less than 50 percent of the institution's entering first-year 
        students are enrolled in developmental courses to bring 
        reading, writing, or mathematics skills up to college-level; 
        and
            (2) propose to replicate practices that have proven 
        effective with adults and to applications that propose to 
        collaborate with adult education providers.
    (d) Peer Review.--The Secretary shall convene a peer review process 
to review applications for grants under this section and to make 
recommendations to the Secretary regarding the selection of grantees.
    (e) Mandatory Activity.--An eligible institution that receives a 
grant under this section shall use the grant funds to create workforce 
bridge programs that customize developmental education curricula, 
including English language instruction, to the content of the for-
credit occupational certificate or degree programs, or clusters of 
programs, in which developmental education students seek to enroll. 
Such bridge programs may include those that integrate the curricula and 
the instruction of both remediation and college-level coursework or 
dual enroll students in remediation and college-level coursework.
    (f) Permissible Activities.--An eligible institution that receives 
a grant under this section, in addition to creating workforce bridge 
programs, may use the grant funds to carry out the following:
            (1) Design and implement innovative ways to improve 
        retention in and completion of developmental education courses, 
        including but not limited to enrolling students in cohorts, 
        accelerating course content, integrating remediation and 
        college-level curricula and instruction, dual enrolling 
        students in remediation and college-level courses, tutoring, 
        providing counseling and other supportive services, and giving 
        small, material incentives for attendance and performance.
            (2) In consultation with faculty in the appropriate 
        departments, redesignating class schedules to meet the needs of 
        working adults, such as by creating evening, weekend, modular, 
        compressed, distance learning formats or other alternative 
        schedules.
            (3) Improving the quality of teaching in remedial courses 
        through professional development, reclassification of such 
        teaching positions, or other means the eligible institution 
        determines appropriate.
            (4) Any other activities the eligible institution and the 
        Secretary determine will promote retention of and completion by 
        students attending institutions of higher education.
            (5) Fully advise students on the range of options and 
        programs available, which may include: diploma; certification; 
        2-year degree; associate's degree; transfer degree to upper 
        division; and career options.
    (g) Grant Period.--Grants made under this section shall be for a 
period of not less than 36 months and not more than 60 months.
    (h) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance to grantees under this section throughout the grant period.
    (i) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of 
program impacts under the demonstration program, and shall disseminate 
to the public the findings from the evaluation and information on best 
practices. The Secretary is encouraged to partner with other providers 
of funds, such as private foundations, to allow for use of a random 
assignment evaluation in at least one of the demonstration sites.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years, of which an aggregate of not 
more than 5 percent may be used to carry out subsections (i) and (j).
    (k) Definition of Institution.--In this section, the term 
``institution of higher education'' means an institution of higher 
education as defined in section 101(a).