In the Senate of the United States, 
July 23, 2018. 
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representa-
tives (H.R. 2353) entitled ‘‘An Act to reauthorize the Carl 
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.’’, 
do pass with the following 
AMENDMENT: 
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following: 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Career 
and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. References. 
Sec. 4. Effective date. 
Sec. 5. Table of contents of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 
Act of 2006. 
Sec. 6. Purpose. 
Sec. 7. Definitions. 
Sec. 8. Transition provisions. 
Sec. 9. Prohibitions. 
Sec. 10. Authorization of appropriations.
† HR 2353 EAS 
TITLE I—CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE TO 
THE STATES 
PART A—ALLOTMENT AND ALLOCATION 
Sec. 110. Reservations and State allotment 
Sec. 111. Within State allocation. 
Sec. 112. Accountability. 
Sec. 113. National activities. 
Sec. 114. Assistance for the outlying areas. 
Sec. 115. Native American Programs. 
Sec. 116. Tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical institutions. 
Sec. 117. 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 education programs. 
Sec. 132. Special rules for career and technical education. 
Sec. 133. Local application for career and technical education programs. 
Sec. 134. Local uses of funds. 
TITLE II—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Sec. 201. Federal and State administrative provisions. 
TITLE III—AMENDMENTS TO OTHER LAWS 
Sec. 301. Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act. 
Sec. 302. Amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 
Sec. 303. Amendment to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. 
SEC. 3. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever 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 Career and Technical 
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.).
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SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall 
take effect beginning on July 1, 2019. 
SEC. 5. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE CARL D. PERKINS CA-
REER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT OF 
2006. 
Section 1(b) 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. Prohibitions. 
‘‘Sec. 9. 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 programs. 
‘‘Sec. 117. Tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical institutions. 
‘‘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 education programs. 
‘‘Sec. 132. Distribution of funds for postsecondary education programs. 
‘‘Sec. 133. Special rules for career and technical education. 
‘‘Sec. 134. Local application for career and technical education programs. 
‘‘Sec. 135. Local uses of funds.
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‘‘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 and children. 
‘‘Sec. 218. Limitation on Federal regulations. 
‘‘Sec. 219. Study on programs of study aligned to high-skill, high-wage occupa-
tions. 
‘‘PART B—STATE ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 
‘‘Sec. 221. Joint funding. 
‘‘Sec. 222. Prohibition on use of funds to induce out-of-State relocation of busi-
nesses. 
‘‘Sec. 223. State administrative costs. 
‘‘Sec. 224. Student assistance and other Federal programs.’’. 
SEC. 6. PURPOSE. 
Section 2 (20 U.S.C. 2301) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘academic and career and 
technical skills’’ and inserting ‘‘academic knowl-
edge and technical and employability skills’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and programs of study’’ 
after ‘‘technical education programs’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘high demand 
occupations’’ and inserting ‘‘in-demand occupations’’; 
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘, including 
tech prep education’’;
† HR 2353 EAS 
the secondary level, aligned with the chal-
lenging State academic standards adopted 
by a State under section 1111(b)(1) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965;’’; 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘, an in-
dustry-recognized credential, a certificate, 
or an associate degree’’ and inserting ‘‘or a 
recognized postsecondary credential, which 
may include an industry-recognized creden-
tial, a certificate, or an associate degree’’; 
and 
(iii) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, work-based, or 
other’’ after ‘‘competency-based’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘contributes to the’’ 
and inserting ‘‘supports the development 
of’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘general’’; and 
(iv) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(C) to the extent practicable, coordinate be-
tween secondary and postsecondary education 
programs through programs of study, which may 
include coordination through articulation agree-
ments, early college high school programs, dual 
or concurrent enrollment program opportunities, 
or other credit transfer agreements that provide 
postsecondary credit or advanced standing; and 
‘‘(D) may include career exploration at the 
high school level or as early as the middle grades 
(as such term is defined in section 8101 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965).’’; 
(6) in paragraph (7)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘(and parents, as ap-
propriate)’’ and inserting ‘‘(and, as appro-
priate, parents and out-of-school youth)’’; 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘exploration opportu-
nities’’ after ‘‘regarding career awareness’’; 
and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semi-
colon; 
(B) in subparagraph (B)—
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(i) by inserting ‘‘to students (and, as 
appropriate, 
parents 
and 
out-of-school 
youth)’’ after ‘‘provides information’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘financial aid,’’ and 
all that follows through the end of the sub-
paragraph and inserting ‘‘financial aid, job 
training, secondary and postsecondary op-
tions (including associate and baccalaureate 
degree programs), dual or concurrent enroll-
ment programs, work-based learning oppor-
tunities, early college high schools, financial 
literacy, and support services, as appro-
priate; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) may provide assistance for special 
populations with respect to direct support serv-
ices that enable students to persist in and com-
plete career and technical education, programs of 
study, or career pathways.’’; 
(7) by inserting after paragraph (7) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(8) CAREER
PATHWAYS.—The term ‘career 
pathways’ has the meaning given the term in section 
3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3102).’’;
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(8) by inserting after paragraph (10) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 
‘‘(11) CREDIT
TRANSFER
AGREEMENT.—The 
term ‘credit transfer agreement’ means a formal 
agreement, such as an articulation agreement, among 
and between secondary and postsecondary education 
institutions 
or 
systems 
that 
grant 
students 
transcripted postsecondary credit, which may include 
credit granted to students in dual or concurrent en-
rollment programs or early college high school, dual 
credit, articulated credit, and credit granted on the 
basis of performance on technical or academic assess-
ments. 
‘‘(12) CTE CONCENTRATOR.—The term ‘CTE 
concentrator’ means— 
‘‘(A) at the secondary school level, a student 
served by an eligible recipient who has completed 
at least 2 courses in a single career and technical 
education program or program of study; and 
‘‘(B) at the postsecondary level, a student 
enrolled in an eligible recipient who has— 
‘‘(i) earned at least 12 credits within a 
career and technical education program or 
program of study; or
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‘‘(ii) completed such a program if the 
program encompasses fewer than 12 credits 
or the equivalent in total. 
‘‘(13) CTE PARTICIPANT.—The term ‘CTE par-
ticipant’ means an individual who completes not less 
than one course in a career and technical education 
program or program of study of an eligible recipient. 
‘‘(14) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means 
the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences. 
‘‘(15) DUAL OR CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘dual or concurrent enrollment pro-
gram’ has the meaning given the term in section 8101 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965. 
‘‘(16) EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.—The term 
‘early college high school’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965.’’; 
(9) by inserting after paragraph (18) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 
‘‘(19) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means a consortium that includes the following: 
‘‘(A) Representatives of not less than 2 of 
the following categories of entities, 1 of which 
shall serve as the fiscal agent for the consortium:
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‘‘(i) A local educational agency or a 
consortium of such agencies. 
‘‘(ii) An educational service agency 
serving secondary school students. 
‘‘(iii) An area career and technical 
education school or a consortium of such 
schools. 
‘‘(iv) An Indian Tribe, Tribal organi-
zation, or Tribal educational agency. 
‘‘(v) An institution of higher education 
whose most common degree awarded is an 
associate degree, or a consortium of such in-
stitutions. 
‘‘(vi) An institution of higher edu-
cation whose most common degree awarded 
is a bachelor’s or higher degree, or a consor-
tium of such institutions. 
‘‘(vii) A State educational agency. 
‘‘(B) One or more business or industry rep-
resentative partners, which may include rep-
resentatives of local or regional businesses or in-
dustries, including industry or sector partner-
ships in the local area, local workforce develop-
ment boards, or labor organizations.
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(C) One or more stakeholders, which may 
include— 
‘‘(i) parents and students; 
‘‘(ii) representatives of local agencies 
serving out-of-school youth, homeless chil-
dren and youth, and at-risk youth (as de-
fined in section 1432 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6472)); 
‘‘(iii) representatives of Indian tribes 
and Tribal organizations, where applicable; 
‘‘(iv) representatives of minority-serv-
ing institutions (as described in paragraphs 
(1) through (7) of section 371(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1067q(a)), where applicable; 
‘‘(v) representatives of special popu-
lations; 
‘‘(vi) representatives of adult career 
and technical education providers; or 
‘‘(vii) other relevant community stake-
holders.’’; 
(10) by amending paragraph (20) (as redesig-
nated by paragraph (2)) to read as follows:
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(20) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘eligi-
ble institution’ means— 
‘‘(A) a consortium of 2 or more of the enti-
ties described in subparagraphs (B) through (F); 
‘‘(B) a public or nonprofit private institu-
tion of higher education that offers and will use 
funds provided under this title in support of ca-
reer and technical education courses that lead to 
technical skill proficiency or a recognized post-
secondary credential, including an industry-rec-
ognized credential, a certificate, or an associate 
degree; 
‘‘(C) a local educational agency providing 
education at the postsecondary level; 
‘‘(D) an area career and technical edu-
cation school providing education at the postsec-
ondary level; 
‘‘(E) an Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, 
or Tribal education agency that operates a school 
or may be present in the State; 
‘‘(F) a postsecondary educational institu-
tion controlled by the Bureau of Indian Edu-
cation or operated by or on behalf of any Indian 
Tribe that is eligible to contract with the Sec-
retary of the Interior for the administration of
† HR 2353 EAS 
programs under the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 
et seq.) or the Act of April 16, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 
5342 et seq.); 
‘‘(G) a tribally controlled college or univer-
sity; or 
‘‘(H) an educational service agency.’’; 
(11) in paragraph (21) (as redesignated by 
paragraph (2)), by inserting ‘‘an Indian Tribe, Trib-
al organization, or Tribal educational agency’’ after 
‘‘service agency,’’; 
(12) by inserting after paragraph (21) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 
‘‘(22) ENGLISH
LEARNER.—The term ‘English 
learner’ means— 
‘‘(A) a secondary school student who is an 
English learner, as defined in section 8101 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965; or 
‘‘(B) an adult or an out-of-school youth who 
has limited ability in speaking, reading, writing, 
or understanding the English language and— 
‘‘(i) whose native language is a lan-
guage other than English; or
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(ii) who lives in a family environ-
ment or community in which a language 
other than English is the dominant lan-
guage. 
‘‘(23) EVIDENCE-BASED.—The term ‘evidence- 
based’ has the meaning given the term in section 
8101(21)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965.’’; 
(13) by inserting after paragraph (24) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 
‘‘(25) HIGH SCHOOL.—The term ‘high school’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 
‘‘(26) IN-DEMAND INDUSTRY SECTOR OR OCCUPA-
TION.—The term ‘in-demand industry sector or occu-
pation’ has the meaning given the term in section 3 
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3102). 
‘‘(27) INDIAN; INDIAN
TRIBE.—The terms ‘In-
dian’ and ‘Indian Tribe’ have the meanings given the 
terms ‘Indian’ and ‘Indian tribe’, respectively, in sec-
tion 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).’’; 
(14) by inserting after paragraph (28) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following:
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(29) INDUSTRY OR SECTOR PARTNERSHIP.—The 
term ‘industry or sector partnership’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 3 of the Workforce Innova-
tion and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).’’; 
(15) by inserting after paragraph (31) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 
‘‘(32) 
LOCAL
WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT 
BOARD.—The term ‘local workforce development 
board’ means a local workforce development board es-
tablished under section 107 of the Workforce Innova-
tion and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3122).’’; 
(16) in paragraph (33) (as redesignated by 
paragraph (2)), by striking ‘‘including’’ and inserting 
‘‘such as’’; 
(17) by inserting after paragraph (34) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 
‘‘(35) OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH.—The term ‘out- 
of-school youth’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 
‘‘(36) 
OUT-OF-WORKFORCE
INDIVIDUAL.—The 
term ‘out-of-workforce individual’ means— 
‘‘(A) an individual who is a displaced 
homemaker, as defined in section 3 of the Work-
† HR 2353 EAS 
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3102); or 
‘‘(B) an individual who— 
‘‘(i)(I) has worked primarily without 
remuneration to care for a home and fam-
ily, and for that reason has diminished 
marketable skills; or 
‘‘(II) is a parent whose youngest de-
pendent child will become ineligible to re-
ceive assistance under part A of title IV of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq.) not later than 2 years after the date on 
which the parent applies for assistance 
under such title; and 
‘‘(ii) is unemployed or underemployed 
and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining 
or upgrading employment. 
‘‘(37) PARAPROFESSIONAL.—The term ‘para-
professional’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965. 
‘‘(38) PAY FOR SUCCESS INITIATIVE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the term ‘pay for success initiative’ 
means a performance-based grant, contract, or
† HR 2353 EAS 
cooperative agreement awarded by a State or 
local public entity (such as a local educational 
agency) to a public or private nonprofit entity— 
‘‘(i) in which a commitment is made 
to pay for improved outcomes that result in 
increased public value and social benefit to 
students and the public sector, such as im-
proved student outcomes as evidenced by the 
indicators of performance described in sec-
tion 113(b)(2) and direct cost savings or 
cost avoidance to the public sector; and 
‘‘(ii) that includes— 
‘‘(I) a feasibility study on the ini-
tiative describing how the proposed 
intervention is based on evidence of ef-
fectiveness; 
‘‘(II) a rigorous, third-party eval-
uation that uses experimental or quasi- 
experimental design or other research 
methodologies that allow for the strong-
est possible causal inferences to deter-
mine whether the initiative has met its 
proposed outcomes;
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(III) an annual, publicly avail-
able report on the progress of the ini-
tiative; and 
‘‘(IV) a requirement that pay-
ments are made to the recipient of a 
grant, contract, or cooperative agree-
ment only when agreed upon outcomes 
are achieved, except that the entity 
may make payments to the third party 
conducting the evaluation described in 
subclause (II). 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘pay for suc-
cess initiative’ does not include any initiative 
that— 
‘‘(i) reduces the special education or 
related services that a student would other-
wise receive under the Individuals with Dis-
abilities Education Act; or 
‘‘(ii) otherwise reduces the rights of a 
student or the obligations of an entity under 
the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 
U.S.C. 701 et seq.), the Americans with Dis-
abilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et 
seq.), or any other law.’’.
† HR 2353 EAS 
(18) in paragraph (39)(C) (as redesignated by 
paragraph (2)), by striking ‘‘apprenticeship’’ and in-
serting ‘‘other skilled training’’; 
(19) by inserting after paragraph (39) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 
‘‘(40) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.—The term 
‘professional development’ means activities that— 
‘‘(A) are an integral part of eligible agency, 
eligible recipient, institution, or school strategies 
for providing educators (including teachers, 
principals, other school leaders, administrators, 
specialized instructional support personnel, ca-
reer guidance and academic counselors, and 
paraprofessionals) with the knowledge and skills 
necessary to enable students to succeed in career 
and technical education, to meet challenging 
State 
academic 
standards 
under 
section 
1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act, or to achieve academic skills at 
the postsecondary level; and 
‘‘(B) are sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, 
or short-term workshops), intensive, collabo-
rative, job-embedded, data-driven, and class-
room-focused, to the extent practicable evidence- 
based, and may include activities that—
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(i) improve and increase educators’— 
‘‘(I) knowledge of the academic 
and technical subjects; 
‘‘(II) understanding of how stu-
dents learn; and 
‘‘(III) ability to analyze student 
work and achievement from multiple 
sources, including how to adjust in-
structional strategies, assessments, and 
materials based on such analysis; 
‘‘(ii) are an integral part of eligible re-
cipients’ improvement plans; 
‘‘(iii) allow personalized plans for each 
educator to address the educator’s specific 
needs identified in observation or other feed-
back; 
‘‘(iv) support the recruitment, hiring, 
and training of effective educators, includ-
ing educators who became certified through 
State and local alternative routes to certifi-
cation; 
‘‘(v) advance educator understanding 
of— 
‘‘(I) effective instructional strate-
gies that are evidence-based; and
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(II) strategies for improving stu-
dent academic and technical achieve-
ment or substantially increasing the 
knowledge and teaching skills of edu-
cators; 
‘‘(vi) are developed with extensive par-
ticipation of educators, parents, students, 
and representatives of Indian Tribes (as ap-
plicable), of schools and institutions served 
under this Act; 
‘‘(vii) are designed to give educators of 
students who are English learners in career 
and technical education programs or pro-
grams of study the knowledge and skills to 
provide instruction and appropriate lan-
guage and academic support services to 
those students, including the appropriate 
use of curricula and assessments; 
‘‘(viii) as a whole, are regularly evalu-
ated for their impact on increased educator 
effectiveness and improved student academic 
and technical achievement, with the find-
ings of the evaluations used to improve the 
quality of professional development;
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(ix) are designed to give educators of 
individuals with disabilities in career and 
technical education programs or programs 
of study the knowledge and skills to provide 
instruction and academic support services 
to those individuals, including positive be-
havioral interventions and supports, multi- 
tier system of supports, and use of accom-
modations; 
‘‘(x) include instruction in the use of 
data and assessments to inform and in-
struct classroom practice; 
‘‘(xi) include instruction in ways that 
educators may work more effectively with 
parents and families; 
‘‘(xii) provide follow-up training to 
educators who have participated in activi-
ties described in this paragraph that are de-
signed to ensure that the knowledge and 
skills learned by the educators are imple-
mented in the classroom; 
‘‘(xiii) promote the integration of aca-
demic knowledge and skills and relevant 
technical knowledge and skills, including 
programming jointly delivered to academic
† HR 2353 EAS 
and career and technical education teachers; 
or 
‘‘(xiv) increase the ability of educators 
providing career and technical education 
instruction to stay current with industry 
standards. 
‘‘(41) PROGRAM OF STUDY.—The term ‘program 
of study’ means a coordinated, nonduplicative se-
quence of academic and technical content at the sec-
ondary and postsecondary level that— 
‘‘(A) incorporates challenging State aca-
demic standards, including those adopted by a 
State under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965; 
‘‘(B) addresses both academic and technical 
knowledge and skills, including employability 
skills; 
‘‘(C) is aligned with the needs of industries 
in the economy of the State, region, Tribal com-
munity, or local area; 
‘‘(D) progresses in specificity (beginning 
with all aspects of an industry or career cluster 
and leading to more occupation-specific instruc-
tion);
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(E) has multiple entry and exit points 
that incorporate credentialing; and 
‘‘(F) culminates in the attainment of a rec-
ognized postsecondary credential. 
‘‘(42) QUALIFIED
INTERMEDIARY.—The term 
‘qualified intermediary’ means a nonprofit entity, 
which may be part of an industry or sector partner-
ship, that demonstrates expertise in building, con-
necting, sustaining, and measuring partnerships with 
entities such as employers, schools, community-based 
organizations, postsecondary institutions, social serv-
ice organizations, economic development organiza-
tions, Indian tribes or Tribal organizations, and 
workforce systems to broker services, resources, and 
supports to youth and the organizations and systems 
that are designed to serve youth, including— 
‘‘(A) connecting employers to classrooms; 
‘‘(B) assisting in the design and implemen-
tation of career and technical education pro-
grams and programs of study; 
‘‘(C) delivering professional development; 
‘‘(D) connecting students to internships and 
other work-based learning opportunities; and 
‘‘(E) developing personalized student sup-
ports.
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(43) RECOGNIZED
POSTSECONDARY
CREDEN-
TIAL.—The term ‘recognized postsecondary credential’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3102).’’; 
(20) by inserting after paragraph (45) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 
‘‘(46) SPECIALIZED
INSTRUCTIONAL
SUPPORT 
PERSONNEL.—The term ‘specialized instructional 
support personnel’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965. 
‘‘(47) SPECIALIZED
INSTRUCTIONAL
SUPPORT 
SERVICES.—The term ‘specialized instructional sup-
port services’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965.’’; 
(21) in paragraph (48) (as redesignated by 
paragraph (2))— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘fos-
ter children’’ and inserting ‘‘low-income youth 
and adults’’; 
(B) by striking subparagraph (E) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(E) out-of-workforce individuals;’’;
† HR 2353 EAS 
(C) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘indi-
viduals with limited English proficiency.’’ and 
inserting ‘‘English learners;’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G) homeless individuals described in sec-
tion 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a); 
‘‘(H) youth who are in, or have aged out of, 
the foster care system; and 
‘‘(I) youth with a parent who— 
‘‘(i) is a member of the armed forces 
(as such term is defined in section 101(a)(4) 
of title 10, United States Code); and 
‘‘(ii) is on active duty (as such term is 
defined in section 101(d)(1) of such title).’’; 
(22) in paragraph (50) (as redesignated by 
paragraph (2)), by inserting ‘‘(including paraprofes-
sionals and specialized instructional support per-
sonnel)’’ after ‘‘supportive personnel’’; 
(23) in paragraph (52) (as redesignated by 
paragraph (2))— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘In-
dian tribe or Indian tribes’’ and inserting ‘‘In-
dian Tribe or Indian Tribes’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (D)—
† HR 2353 EAS 
(i) by striking ‘‘tribal’’ and inserting 
‘‘Tribal’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or tribal lands’’ after 
‘‘reservations’’; and 
(24) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(53) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘Tribal 
organization’ has the meaning given the term ‘tribal 
organization’ in section 4 of the Indian Self-Deter-
mination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
5304). 
‘‘(54) UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING.—The 
term ‘universal design for learning’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965. 
‘‘(55) WORK-BASED LEARNING.—The term ‘work- 
based learning’ means sustained interactions with in-
dustry or community professionals in real workplace 
settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated envi-
ronments at an educational institution that foster in- 
depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required 
in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum 
and instruction.’’. 
SEC. 8. TRANSITION PROVISIONS. 
Section 4 (20 U.S.C. 2303) is amended—
† HR 2353 EAS 
(1) by striking ‘‘the Secretary determines to be 
appropriate’’ and inserting ‘‘are necessary’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘Strengthening Career 
and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act’’; 
and 
(3) by striking ‘‘1998’’ and inserting ‘‘2006’’. 
SEC. 9. PROHIBITIONS. 
Section 8 (20 U.S.C. 2306a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Federal Gov-
ernment to mandate,’’ and all that follows through the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘Federal Govern-
ment— 
‘‘(1) to condition or incentivize the receipt of 
any grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, or the 
receipt of any priority or preference under such 
grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, upon a 
State, local educational agency, eligible agency, eligi-
ble recipient, eligible entity, or school’s adoption or 
implementation of specific instructional content, aca-
demic standards and assessments, curricula, or pro-
gram of instruction (including any condition, pri-
ority, or preference to adopt the Common Core State 
Standards developed under the Common Core State
† HR 2353 EAS 
Standards Initiative, any other academic standards 
common to a significant number of States, or any as-
sessment, instructional content, or curriculum aligned 
to such standards); 
‘‘(2) through grants, contracts, or other coopera-
tive agreements, to mandate, direct, or control a 
State, local educational agency, eligible agency, eligi-
ble recipient, eligible entity, or school’s specific in-
structional content, academic standards and assess-
ments, curricula, or program of instruction (includ-
ing any requirement, direction, or mandate to adopt 
the Common Core State Standards developed under 
the Common Core State Standards Initiative, any 
other academic standards common to a significant 
number of States, or any assessment, instructional 
content, or curriculum aligned to such standards); or 
‘‘(3) except as required under sections 112(b), 
211(b), and 223— 
‘‘(A) to mandate, direct, or control the allo-
cation of State or local resources; or 
‘‘(B) to mandate that a State or a political 
subdivision of a State spend any funds or incur 
any costs not paid for under this Act.’’; 
(2) by amending subsection (d) to read as fol-
lows:
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion affects the applicability of subchapter II of chapter 5, 
and chapter 7, of title 5, United States Code, (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Administrative Procedure Act’’) or chapter 
8 of title 5, United States Code, commonly known as the 
‘‘Congressional Review Act’’).’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) CONGRESSIONAL NOTICE AND COMMENT.— 
‘‘(1) NOTICE TO CONGRESS.—Not less than 15 
business days prior to issuing a notice of proposed 
rulemaking related to this Act in the Federal Register, 
the Secretary shall provide to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
ate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
of the House of Representatives, and other relevant 
congressional committees, notice of the Secretary’s in-
tent to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking that 
shall include— 
‘‘(A) a copy of the proposed regulation; 
‘‘(B) the need to issue the regulation; 
‘‘(C) a description of how the regulation is 
consistent with the scope of this Act; 
‘‘(D) the anticipated burden (including the 
time, cost, and paperwork burden) the regulation 
will impose on an eligible agency, institution, or
† HR 2353 EAS 
recipient that may be impacted by the regula-
tion, including the potential impact on rural 
areas; 
‘‘(E) the anticipated benefits to an eligible 
agency, institution, or recipient that may be im-
pacted by the regulation, including in rural 
areas; and 
‘‘(F) any regulations that will be repealed 
when the new regulation is issued. 
‘‘(2) COMMENT
PERIOD
FOR
CONGRESS.—The 
Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) before issuing any notice of proposed 
rulemaking under this subsection, provide Con-
gress with a comment period of 15 business days 
to make comments on the proposed regulation, 
beginning on the date that the Secretary provides 
the notice of intent to the appropriate commit-
tees of Congress under paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(B) include and seek to address all com-
ments submitted by members of Congress in the 
public rulemaking record for the regulation pub-
lished in the Federal Register. 
‘‘(3) COMMENT
AND
REVIEW
PERIOD; EMER-
GENCY SITUATIONS.—The comment and review period 
for any proposed regulation shall be not less than 60
† HR 2353 EAS 
days unless an emergency requires a shorter period, 
in which case the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) designate the proposed regulation as 
an emergency with an explanation of the emer-
gency in the notice to Congress under paragraph 
(1); 
‘‘(B) publish the length of the comment and 
review period in such notice and in the Federal 
Register; and 
‘‘(C) conduct immediately thereafter re-
gional meetings to review such proposed regula-
tion before issuing any final regulation.’’. 
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 9 (20 U.S.C. 2307) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act (other than sections 114 and 117)— 
‘‘(1) $1,229,568,538 for fiscal year 2019; 
‘‘(2) $1,246,782,498 for fiscal year 2020; 
‘‘(3) $1,264,237,452 for fiscal year 2021; 
‘‘(4) $1,281,936,777 for fiscal year 2022; 
‘‘(5) $1,299,883,892 for fiscal year 2023; and 
‘‘(6) $1,318,082,266 for fiscal year 2024.’’.
† HR 2353 EAS 
TITLE 
I—CAREER 
AND 
TECH-
NICAL 
EDUCATION 
ASSIST-
ANCE TO THE STATES 
PART A—ALLOTMENT AND ALLOCATION 
SEC. 110. RESERVATIONS AND STATE ALLOTMENT. 
Section 111 (20 U.S.C. 2321) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 111. RESERVATIONS AND STATE ALLOTMENT. 
‘‘(a) RESERVATIONS AND STATE ALLOTMENT.— 
‘‘(1) RESERVATIONS.—From the amount appro-
priated under section 9 for each fiscal year, the Sec-
retary shall reserve— 
‘‘(A) 0.13 percent to carry out section 115; 
and 
‘‘(B) 1.50 percent to carry out section 116, 
of which— 
‘‘(i) 1.25 percent of the sum shall be 
available to carry out section 116(b); and 
‘‘(ii) 0.25 percent of the sum shall be 
available to carry out section 116(h). 
‘‘(2) FOUNDATIONAL GRANT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—From the remainder of 
the amount appropriated under section 9 and 
not reserved under paragraph (1) for a fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall allot to a State for the
† HR 2353 EAS 
fiscal year an amount equal to the amount the 
State received in fiscal year 2018. 
‘‘(B) RATABLE REDUCTION.—If for any fis-
cal year the amount appropriated for allotments 
under this section is insufficient to satisfy the 
provisions of subparagraph (A), the payments to 
all States under such subparagraph shall be rat-
ably reduced. 
‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—Subject to paragraph 
(4), from the additional funds remaining from the 
amount appropriated under section 9 and not ex-
pended under paragraphs (1) and (2) for a fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall allot to a State for the fiscal 
year— 
‘‘(A) an amount that bears the same ratio 
to 50 percent of the sum being allotted as the 
product of the population aged 15 to 19, inclu-
sive, in the State in the fiscal year preceding the 
fiscal year for which the determination is made 
and the State’s allotment ratio bears to the sum 
of the corresponding products for all the States; 
‘‘(B) an amount that bears the same ratio 
to 20 percent of the sum being allotted as the 
product of the population aged 20 to 24, inclu-
sive, in the State in the fiscal year preceding the
† HR 2353 EAS 
fiscal year for which the determination is made 
and the State’s allotment ratio bears to the sum 
of the corresponding products for all the States; 
‘‘(C) an amount that bears the same ratio 
to 15 percent of the sum being allotted as the 
product of the population aged 25 to 65, inclu-
sive, in the State in the fiscal year preceding the 
fiscal year for which the determination is made 
and the State’s allotment ratio bears to the sum 
of the corresponding products for all the States; 
and 
‘‘(D) an amount that bears the same ratio 
to 15 percent of the sum being allotted as the 
amounts allotted to the State under subpara-
graphs (A), (B), and (C) for such years bears to 
the sum of the amounts allotted to all the States 
under subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) for such 
year. 
‘‘(4) MINIMUM ALLOTMENT FOR YEARS WITH AD-
DITIONAL FUNDS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), for a fiscal year for which there are 
additional funds described in paragraph (3), no 
State shall receive for such fiscal year under 
paragraph (3) less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the
† HR 2353 EAS 
additional funds available 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. 
‘‘(B) SPECIAL
RULE.—In the case of a 
qualifying State, the minimum allotment under 
subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year for the quali-
fying State shall be the lesser of— 
‘‘(i) 1/2 of 1 percent of the additional 
funds available for such fiscal year; and 
‘‘(ii) the product of— 
‘‘(I) 1/3 of the additional funds; 
multiplied by 
‘‘(II) the quotient of— 
‘‘(aa) the qualifying State’s 
ratio described in subparagraph 
(C) for the fiscal year for which 
the determination is made; di-
vided by 
‘‘(bb) the sum of all such ra-
tios for all qualifying States for 
the fiscal year for which the deter-
mination is made.
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(C) RATIO.—For purposes of subpara-
graph (B)(ii)(II)(aa), the ratio for a qualifying 
State for a fiscal year shall be 1.00 less the 
quotient of— 
‘‘(i) the amount the qualifying State is 
allotted under paragraph (3) for the fiscal 
year; divided by 
‘‘(ii) 1/2 of 1 percent of the amount 
appropriated under paragraph (3) for the 
fiscal year for which the determination is 
made. 
‘‘(D) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph, the 
term ‘qualifying State’ means a State (except the 
United States Virgin Islands) that, for the fiscal 
year for which a determination under this para-
graph is made, would receive, under the allot-
ment formula under paragraph (3) (without the 
application of this paragraph), an amount that 
would be less than the amount the State would 
receive under subparagraph (A) for such fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(b) REALLOTMENT.—If the Secretary determines that 
any amount of any State’s allotment under subsection (a) 
for any fiscal year will not be required for such fiscal year 
for carrying out the activities for which such amount has
† HR 2353 EAS 
been allotted, the Secretary shall make such amount avail-
able for reallotment. Any such reallotment among other 
States shall occur on such dates during the same year as 
the Secretary shall fix, and shall be made on the basis of 
criteria established by regulation. No funds may be reallot-
ted for any use other than the use for which the funds were 
appropriated. Any amount reallotted to a State under this 
subsection for any fiscal year shall remain available for ob-
ligation during the succeeding fiscal year and shall be 
deemed to be part of the State’s allotment for the year in 
which the amount is obligated. 
‘‘(c) ALLOTMENT RATIO.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The allotment ratio for any 
State shall be 1.00 less the product of— 
‘‘(A) 0.50; and 
‘‘(B) the quotient obtained by dividing the 
per capita income for the State by the per capita 
income for all the States (exclusive of the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico and the United States 
Virgin Islands), except that— 
‘‘(i) the allotment ratio in no case shall 
be more than 0.60 or less than 0.40; and 
‘‘(ii) the allotment ratio for the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico and the United 
States Virgin Islands shall be 0.60.
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(2) PROMULGATION.—The allotment ratios shall 
be promulgated by the Secretary for each fiscal year 
between October 1 and December 31 of the fiscal year 
preceding the fiscal year for which the determination 
is made. Allotment ratios shall be computed on the 
basis of the average of the appropriate per capita in-
comes for the 3 most recent consecutive fiscal years for 
which satisfactory data are available. 
‘‘(3) DEFINITION OF PER CAPITA INCOME.—For 
the purpose of this section, the term ‘per capita in-
come’ means, with respect to a fiscal year, the total 
personal income in the calendar year ending in such 
year, divided by the population of the area concerned 
in such year. 
‘‘(4) POPULATION
DETERMINATION.—For the 
purposes of this section, population shall be deter-
mined by the Secretary on the basis of the latest esti-
mates available to the Department of Education. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITION OF STATE.—For the purpose of this 
section, the term ‘State’ means each of the several States 
of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Is-
lands.’’. 
SEC. 111. WITHIN STATE ALLOCATION. 
Section 112 (20 U.S.C. 2322) is amended—
† HR 2353 EAS 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘10 per-
cent’’ and inserting ‘‘15 percent’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘1 percent’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2 percent’’; 
(II) by striking ‘‘State correc-
tional institutions and institutions’’ 
and inserting ‘‘State correctional insti-
tutions, juvenile justice facilities, and 
educational institutions’’; and 
(III) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; and 
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(B) the following: 
‘‘(C) an amount shall be made available for 
the recruitment of special populations to enroll 
in career and technical education programs, 
which shall be not less than the lesser of— 
‘‘(i) an amount equal to 0.1 percent; or 
‘‘(ii) $50,000; and’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ‘‘a 
local plan;’’ and inserting ‘‘local applications;’’; 
and
† HR 2353 EAS 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘section 135’’ 
and all that follows through the end and inserting 
‘‘section 135— 
‘‘(1) in— 
‘‘(A) rural areas; 
‘‘(B) areas with high percentages of CTE 
concentrators or CTE participants; 
‘‘(C) areas with high numbers of CTE con-
centrators or CTE participants; and 
‘‘(D) areas with disparities or gaps in per-
formance 
as 
described 
in 
section 
113(b)(3)(C)(ii)(II); and 
‘‘(2) in order to— 
‘‘(A) foster innovation through the identi-
fication and promotion of promising and proven 
career and technical education programs, prac-
tices, and strategies, which may include pro-
grams, practices, and strategies that prepare in-
dividuals for nontraditional fields; or 
‘‘(B) promote the development, implementa-
tion, and adoption of programs of study or ca-
reer pathways aligned with State-identified high- 
skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupations or in-
dustries.’’.
† HR 2353 EAS 
SEC. 112. ACCOUNTABILITY. 
Section 113 (20 U.S.C. 2323) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting 
‘‘DETERMINED’’ after ‘‘STATE’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by inserting ‘‘State determined’’ 
before ‘‘performance’’; 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
redesignating subparagraph (C) as subpara-
graph (B); 
(iii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; and 
(iv) in subparagraph (B), as so redes-
ignated— 
(I) by striking ‘‘a State adjusted 
level of performance’’ and inserting ‘‘a 
State determined level of performance’’; 
and 
(II) by striking ‘‘, and State levels 
of performance described in paragraph 
(3)(B) for each additional indicator of 
performance’’; and 
(C) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting 
the following:
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(2) INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE.— 
‘‘(A) CORE INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE 
FOR CTE CONCENTRATORS AT THE SECONDARY 
LEVEL.—Each eligible agency shall identify in 
the State plan core indicators of performance for 
CTE concentrators at the secondary level that 
are valid and reliable, and that include, at a 
minimum, measures of each of the following: 
‘‘(i) The percentage of CTE concentra-
tors who graduate high school, as measured 
by— 
‘‘(I) the four-year adjusted cohort 
graduation rate (defined in section 
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965); and 
‘‘(II) at the State’s discretion, the 
extended-year adjusted cohort gradua-
tion rate defined in such section 8101. 
‘‘(ii) CTE concentrator proficiency in 
the challenging State academic standards 
adopted 
by 
the 
State 
under 
section 
1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965, as measured 
by the academic assessments described in 
section 1111(b)(2) of such Act.
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(iii) The percentage of CTE con-
centrators who, in the second quarter after 
exiting from secondary education, are in 
postsecondary education or advanced train-
ing, military service or a service program 
that receives assistance under title I of the 
National and Community Service Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511 et seq.), are volun-
teers as described in section 5(a) of the 
Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)), or are 
employed. 
‘‘(iv) Indicators of career and technical 
education program quality as follows: 
‘‘(I) That shall include at least 1 
of the following: 
‘‘(aa) The percentage of CTE 
concentrators 
graduating 
from 
high school having attained a rec-
ognized postsecondary credential. 
‘‘(bb) The percentage of CTE 
concentrators 
graduating 
from 
high school having attained post-
secondary credits in the relevant 
career and technical education 
program or program of study
† HR 2353 EAS 
earned through a dual or concur-
rent enrollment program or an-
other credit transfer agreement. 
‘‘(cc) The percentage of CTE 
concentrators 
graduating 
from 
high school having participated in 
work-based learning. 
‘‘(II) That may include any other 
measure of student success in career 
and technical education that is state-
wide, valid, and reliable, and com-
parable across the State. 
‘‘(v) The percentage of CTE concentra-
tors in career and technical education pro-
grams and programs of study that lead to 
non-traditional fields. 
‘‘(B) CORE INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE 
FOR
CTE
CONCENTRATORS
AT
THE
POSTSEC-
ONDARY
LEVEL.—Each eligible agency shall 
identify in the State plan core indicators of per-
formance for CTE concentrators at the postsec-
ondary level that are valid and reliable, and that 
include, at a minimum, measures of each of the 
following:
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(i) The percentage of CTE concentra-
tors who, during the second quarter after 
program completion, remain enrolled in 
postsecondary education, are in advanced 
training, military service, or a service pro-
gram that receives assistance under title I 
of the National and Community Service Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511 et seq.), are vol-
unteers as described in section 5(a) of the 
Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)), or are 
placed or retained in employment. 
‘‘(ii) The percentage of CTE concentra-
tors who receive a recognized postsecondary 
credential during participation in or with-
in 1 year of program completion. 
‘‘(iii) The percentage of CTE con-
centrators in career and technical education 
programs and programs of study that lead 
to non-traditional fields. 
‘‘(C) ALIGNMENT OF PERFORMANCE INDICA-
TORS.—In developing core indicators of perform-
ance under subparagraphs (A) and (B), an eligi-
ble agency shall, to the greatest extent possible, 
align the indicators so that substantially similar 
information gathered for other State and Federal
† HR 2353 EAS 
programs, or for any other purpose, may be used 
to meet the requirements of this section.’’; 
(D) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in the paragraph heading, by in-
serting ‘‘DETERMINED’’ after ‘‘STATE’’; 
(ii) by amending subparagraph (A) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(A) STATE DETERMINED LEVELS OF PER-
FORMANCE FOR CORE INDICATORS OF PERFORM-
ANCE.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(I) LEVELS
DETERMINED
BY 
THE ELIGIBLE AGENCY.—Each eligible 
agency, with input from eligible recipi-
ents, shall establish in the State plan 
submitted under section 122, for each 
year covered by the State plan, State 
determined levels of performance for 
each of the core indicators described 
under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 
paragraph (2) for career and technical 
education activities authorized under 
this title. The level of performance for 
a core indicator shall be the same for 
all CTE concentrators in the State.
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(II) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.— 
The Secretary may assist an eligible 
agency in establishing the State deter-
mined levels of performance under this 
subparagraph only at the request of 
that eligible agency. 
‘‘(III) 
REQUIREMENTS.—Such 
State determined levels of performance 
shall, at a minimum— 
‘‘(aa) be expressed in a per-
centage or numerical form, so as 
to be objective, quantifiable, and 
measurable; 
‘‘(bb) require the State to 
continually 
make 
meaningful 
progress toward improving the 
performance of all career and 
technical education students, in-
cluding the subgroups of students 
described 
in 
section 
1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965, and special popu-
lations, as described in section 
3(48); and
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(cc) have been subject to the 
public comment process described 
in subparagraph (B), and the eli-
gible agency has provided a writ-
ten response; 
‘‘(dd) when being adjusted 
pursuant to clause (ii), take into 
account how the levels of perform-
ance involved compare with the 
State levels of performance estab-
lished for other States, considering 
factors including the characteris-
tics of actual (as opposed to an-
ticipated) 
CTE 
concentrators 
when the CTE concentrators en-
tered the program, and the serv-
ices or instruction to be provided; 
‘‘(ee) when being adjusted 
pursuant to clause (ii), be higher 
than the average actual perform-
ance of the 2 most recently com-
pleted program years, except in 
the case of unanticipated cir-
cumstances that require revisions
† HR 2353 EAS 
in accordance with clause (iii); 
and 
‘‘(ff) take into account the ex-
tent to which the State determined 
levels of performance advance the 
eligible agency’s goals, as set forth 
in the State plan. 
‘‘(ii) ALLOWABLE
ADJUSTMENT
OF 
STATE DETERMINED LEVELS OF PERFORM-
ANCE FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS.—Prior to 
the third program year covered by the State 
plan, each eligible agency may revise the 
State determined levels of performance for 
any of the core indicators of performance 
for the subsequent program years covered by 
the State plan, and submit the revised State 
determined levels of performance to the Sec-
retary. If the eligible agency adjusts any 
levels of performance, the eligible agency 
shall adjust those levels in accordance with 
clause (i), and address written comments of 
stakeholders as described in subparagraph 
(B). The Secretary shall approve those re-
vised levels of performance if those levels 
meet the requirements described in subclause
† HR 2353 EAS 
(III) of clause (i). The State determined ad-
justed levels of performance identified under 
this clause shall be considered to be the 
State determined levels of performance for 
the State for such years and shall be incor-
porated into the State plan. 
‘‘(iii) 
UNANTICIPATED
CIR-
CUMSTANCES.—If 
unanticipated 
cir-
cumstances arise in a State or changes 
occur related to improvements in data or 
measurement approaches, the eligible agen-
cy, at the end of the program year, may re-
vise the State determined levels of perform-
ance required under this subparagraph. 
After public comment, as described in sub-
paragraph (B), the eligible agency shall 
submit such revised levels of performance to 
the Secretary with evidence supporting the 
revision. The Secretary shall approve any 
such revision if that revision meets the re-
quirements of clause (ii).’’; 
(iii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) PUBLIC COMMENT.—
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible agen-
cy shall develop the levels of performance 
under subparagraph (A) in consultation 
with the stakeholders identified in section 
122(c)(1)(A). 
‘‘(ii) WRITTEN
COMMENTS.—Not less 
than 60 days prior to submission of the 
State plan, the eligible agency shall provide 
such stakeholders with the opportunity to 
provide written comments to the eligible 
agency, which shall be included in the State 
plan, regarding how the levels of perform-
ance described under subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(I) meet the requirements of the 
law; 
‘‘(II) support the improvement of 
performance of all CTE concentrators, 
including subgroups of students, as de-
scribed in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965, and special popu-
lations, as described in section 3(48); 
and
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(III) support the needs of the 
local education and business commu-
nity. 
‘‘(iii) ELIGIBLE AGENCY RESPONSE.— 
Each eligible agency shall provide, in the 
State plan, a written response to the com-
ments provided by stakeholders under clause 
(ii).’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) STATE REPORT.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible agen-
cy that receives an allotment under section 
111 shall annually prepare and submit to 
the Secretary a report regarding— 
‘‘(I) the progress of the State in 
achieving the State determined levels of 
performance on the core indicators of 
performance; and 
‘‘(II) the actual levels of perform-
ance for all CTE concentrators, and for 
each of the subgroups of students, as 
described in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) 
of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965, and special popu-
lations, as described in section 3(48).
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(ii) DATA.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (E), each eligible agency that 
receives an allotment under section 111 
shall— 
‘‘(I) disaggregate data for each of 
the indicators of performance under 
paragraph (2)— 
‘‘(aa) for subgroups of stu-
dents, as described in section 
1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965, and special popu-
lations, as described in section 
3(48), that are served under this 
Act; and 
‘‘(bb) by the career and tech-
nical education programs or pro-
grams of study of the CTE con-
centrators, except that in a case 
in which reporting by such pro-
gram or program of study is im-
practical, 
the 
data 
may 
be 
disaggregated by the career clus-
ters of the CTE concentrators, if 
appropriate;
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(II) identify and quantify any 
disparities or gaps in performance on 
the State determined levels of perform-
ance under subparagraph (A) between 
any such subgroup or special popu-
lation and the performance of all CTE 
concentrators served by the eligible 
agency under this Act, which shall in-
clude a quantifiable description of the 
progress each such subgroup or special 
population of students served by the el-
igible agency under this Act has made 
in meeting the State determined levels 
of performance; and 
‘‘(III) for CTE concentrators de-
scribed in paragraph (2)(A)(iii) and 
paragraph 
(2)(B)(i), 
disaggregate 
data, to the extent such data is avail-
able, by each of the following: 
‘‘(aa) Individuals enrolled in 
postsecondary 
education 
(disaggregated by postsecondary 
award level, including certificate, 
associate, or baccalaureate de-
gree).
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(bb) 
Individuals 
in 
ad-
vanced training. 
‘‘(cc) Individuals in military 
service or a service program that 
receives assistance under title I of 
the National and Community 
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12511 et seq.) or volunteers as de-
scribed in section 5(a) of the 
Peace 
Corps 
Act 
(22 
U.S.C. 
2504(a)). 
‘‘(dd) Individuals in employ-
ment (including those individuals 
who are employed in a high-skill, 
high-wage, or in-demand sector or 
occupation). 
‘‘(iii) 
NONDUPLICATION.—The 
Sec-
retary shall ensure that each eligible agency 
does not report duplicative information 
under this section. 
‘‘(iv) INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.— 
The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(I) make the information con-
tained in such reports available to the 
general public through a variety of for-
† HR 2353 EAS 
mats, including electronically through 
the Internet; 
‘‘(II) disseminate State-by-State 
comparisons of the information con-
tained in such reports; and 
‘‘(III) provide the appropriate 
committees of Congress with copies of 
such reports. 
‘‘(D) STATE
DISSEMINATION
OF
ACTUAL 
LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE.—At the end of each 
program year, the eligible agency shall dissemi-
nate the actual levels of performance described in 
subparagraph (C)(i)(II)— 
‘‘(i) widely, including to students, par-
ents, and educators; 
‘‘(ii) through a variety of formats, in-
cluding electronically through the Internet; 
and 
‘‘(iii) in user-friendly formats and lan-
guages that are easily accessible, as deter-
mined by the eligible agency. 
‘‘(E) RULES FOR REPORTING DATA.—The 
disaggregation of data under this paragraph 
shall not be required when the number of stu-
dents in a category is insufficient to yield statis-
† HR 2353 EAS 
tically reliable information or when the results 
would reveal personally identifiable information 
about an individual student.’’; and 
(E) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in the subparagraph heading, 
by striking ‘‘ADJUSTED’’; 
(II) by striking clauses (iii) and 
(v), and redesignating clauses (iv) and 
(vi) as clauses (iii) and (v), respec-
tively; 
(III) in clause (i)— 
(aa) in the matter preceding 
subclause (I)— 
(AA) by striking ‘‘State 
adjusted levels of perform-
ance’’ and inserting ‘‘State 
determined levels of perform-
ance for each year of the 
plan’’; and 
(BB) by striking ‘‘local 
adjusted levels’’ and inserting 
‘‘local levels’’ each place the 
term appears; 
(bb) in subclause (I)—
† HR 2353 EAS 
(AA) by striking ‘‘con-
sistent with the State levels 
of 
performance 
established 
under paragraph (3), so as’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘consistent 
with the form expressed in 
the State determined levels, 
so as’’; and 
(BB) by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; and 
(cc) in subclause (II), by 
striking 
‘‘continually 
make 
progress toward improving the 
performance of career and tech-
nical education students.’’ and in-
serting ‘‘continually make mean-
ingful progress toward improving 
the performance of all CTE con-
centrators, including subgroups of 
students 
described 
in 
section 
1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 and special popu-
lations, as described in section 
3(48);’’; and
† HR 2353 EAS 
(dd) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(III) when being adjusted as de-
scribed in clause (iii), be higher than 
the average actual performance levels 
of the previous 2 program years, except 
in a case in which unanticipated cir-
cumstances arise with respect to the el-
igible recipient and that eligible recipi-
ent meets the requirements for revisions 
under clause (iv); 
‘‘(IV) when being adjusted as de-
scribed in clause (iii), take into ac-
count how the local levels of perform-
ance compare with the local levels of 
performance established for other eligi-
ble recipients, considering factors in-
cluding the characteristics of actual (as 
opposed to anticipated) CTE con-
centrators at the time those CTE con-
centrators entered the program, and 
the services or instruction to be pro-
vided; and
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(V) set the local levels of per-
formance using valid and reliable data 
that measures— 
‘‘(aa) the differences within 
the State in actual economic con-
ditions (including differences in 
unemployment rates and job losses 
or gains in particular industries); 
and 
‘‘(bb) the abilities of the 
State and the eligible recipient to 
collect and access valid, reliable, 
and cost-effective data.’’; 
(IV) in clause (ii)— 
(aa) in the clause heading, 
by striking ‘‘PLAN’’ and inserting 
‘‘APPLICATION’’; 
(bb) by striking ‘‘plan’’ and 
inserting ‘‘application’’; and 
(cc) by striking ‘‘the first 2’’ 
and inserting ‘‘each of the’’; 
(V) by amending clause (iii), as 
redesignated by subclause (II), to read 
as follows:
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(iii) ALLOWABLE
ADJUSTMENTS
OF 
LOCAL LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE FOR SUB-
SEQUENT YEARS.—Prior to the third pro-
gram year covered by the local application, 
the eligible recipient may, if the eligible re-
cipient reaches an agreement with the eligi-
ble agency, adjust the local levels of per-
formance for any of the core indicators of 
performance for the subsequent program 
years covered by the local application, in 
accordance with that agreement and with 
this subparagraph. The local adjusted levels 
of performance agreed to under this clause 
shall be considered to be the local levels of 
performance for the eligible recipient for 
such years and shall be incorporated into 
the local application.’’; and 
(VI) in clause (v), as redesignated 
by subclause (II), by striking ‘‘If unan-
ticipated circumstances arise with re-
spect to an eligible recipient resulting 
in a significant change in the factors 
described in clause (v), the eligible re-
cipient may request that the local ad-
justed levels of performance agreed to
† HR 2353 EAS 
under clause (iii) or (iv) be revised.’’ 
and inserting ‘‘If unanticipated cir-
cumstances arise, or changes occur re-
lated to improvements in data or 
measurement approaches, the eligible 
recipient may request that the local 
levels of performance agreed to under 
clauses (i) and (iii) be revised.’’; 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
redesignating subparagraph (C) as subpara-
graph (B); and 
(iii) in subparagraph (B), as redesig-
nated by clause (ii)— 
(I) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘the 
data described in clause (ii)(I), regard-
ing the progress of such recipient in 
achieving the local adjusted levels of 
performance’’ and inserting ‘‘the data 
on the actual performance levels de-
scribed in clause (ii), including the 
progress of such recipient in achieving 
the local levels of performance’’; 
(II) in clause (ii)— 
(aa) in subclause (I)—
† HR 2353 EAS 
(AA) by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 1111(h)(1)(C)(i)’’ and 
inserting 
‘‘section 
1111(h)(1)(C)(ii)’’; 
(BB) by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 3(29)’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 3(48)’’; and 
(CC) by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; and 
(bb) in subclause (II)— 
(AA) by inserting ‘‘, as 
described 
in 
paragraph 
3(C)(ii)(II),’’ after ‘‘gaps in 
performance’’; 
(BB) by inserting ‘‘as 
described in subclause (I) 
(including 
special 
popu-
lations)’’ after ‘‘category of 
students’’; 
(CC) by striking ‘‘all 
students’’ and inserting ‘‘all 
CTE concentrators’’; and 
(DD) by adding at the 
end the following:
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(III) disaggregate data by the 
career and technical education pro-
grams or programs of study of the 
CTE concentrators, except that in a 
case in which reporting by such pro-
gram or program of study is imprac-
tical, the data may be disaggregated by 
the career clusters of the CTE con-
centrators, if appropriate; and 
‘‘(IV) for CTE concentrators de-
scribed in paragraph (2)(A)(iii) and 
paragraph 
(2)(B)(i), 
disaggregate 
data, to the extent such data is avail-
able, by each of the following: 
‘‘(aa) Individuals enrolled in 
postsecondary 
education 
(disaggregated by postsecondary 
award level, including certificate, 
associate, or baccalaureate de-
gree). 
‘‘(bb) 
Individuals 
in 
ad-
vanced training. 
‘‘(cc) Individuals in military 
service or a service program that 
receives assistance under title I of
† HR 2353 EAS 
the National and Community 
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12511 et seq.) or volunteers as de-
scribed in section 5(a) of the 
Peace 
Corps 
Act 
(22 
U.S.C. 
2504(a)). 
‘‘(dd) Individuals in employ-
ment (including those individuals 
who are employed in a high-skill, 
high-wage, or in-demand sector or 
occupation).’’; 
(III) in clause (iii), by striking 
‘‘subsection 
(c)(3)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘paragraph (3)(C)(iii)’’; 
(IV) in clause (iv), by striking 
‘‘clause (ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘this para-
graph’’; and 
(V) by striking clause (v) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(v) AVAILABILITY.—The report de-
scribed in clause (i) shall be made available 
by the eligible recipient through a variety of 
formats, including electronically through the 
Internet, to students, parents, educators, 
and the public, and the information con-
† HR 2353 EAS 
tained in such report shall be in a format 
that is understandable and uniform, and to 
the extent practicable, provided in a lan-
guage that students, parents, and educators 
can understand.’’; and 
(2) by striking subsection (c). 
SEC. 113. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES. 
Section 114 (20 U.S.C. 2324) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall’’ the 
first place it appears and inserting ‘‘The Sec-
retary shall, in consultation with the Director,’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘from eligible agencies 
under section 113(b)(3)(C)’’ after ‘‘pursuant to 
this title’’; 
(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(b) REASONABLE COST.—The Secretary shall take 
such action as may be necessary to secure at reasonable cost 
the information required by this title. To ensure reasonable 
cost, the Secretary, in consultation with the National Center 
for Education Statistics and the Office of Career, Technical, 
and Adult Education shall determine the methodology to
† HR 2353 EAS 
be used and the frequency with which such information is 
to be collected.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Sec-
retary may’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary shall’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘, acting through the Director,’’ after ‘‘de-
scribe how the Secretary’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting 
‘‘, in consultation with the Director,’’ after 
‘‘Secretary’’; 
(4) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘, acting through 
the Director,’’ after ‘‘The Secretary’’; 
(II) by inserting ‘‘and the plan 
developed under subsection (c)’’ after 
‘‘described in paragraph (2)’’; and 
(III) by striking ‘‘assessment’’ 
each place such term appears and in-
serting ‘‘evaluation’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)—
† HR 2353 EAS 
(I) in clause (v), by striking ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(II) in clause (vi)— 
(aa) by inserting ‘‘qualified’’ 
before ‘‘intermediaries’’; and 
(bb) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘, which 
may include individuals with ex-
pertise in addressing inequities in 
access to, and in opportunities 
for, academic and technical skill 
attainment;’’; and 
(III) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(vii) representatives of Indian Tribes 
and Tribal organizations; and 
‘‘(viii) representatives of special popu-
lations.’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (C)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘the Director,’’ 
after ‘‘the Secretary,’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘assessment’’ and 
inserting ‘‘evaluation’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)—
† HR 2353 EAS 
(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AND 
ASSESSMENT’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘subsection (e), the 
Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 
(f), the Secretary, acting through the 
Director,’’; 
(II) by striking ‘‘an independent 
evaluation and assessment’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘a series of research and evalua-
tion initiatives for each year for which 
funds are appropriated to carry out 
this Act, which are aligned with the 
plan in subsection (c)(2),’’; 
(III) by striking ‘‘Carl D. Perkins 
Career and Technical Education Im-
provement Act of 2006’’ and inserting 
‘‘Strengthening Career and Technical 
Education for the 21st Century Act’’; 
and 
(IV) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Whenever possible, data used 
for the evaluation for a fiscal year 
shall be data from the most recent fis-
cal year for which such data are avail-
† HR 2353 EAS 
able, and from the 5-year period pre-
ceding that fiscal year.’’; and 
(iii) by amending subparagraph (B) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—The evaluation required 
under subparagraph (A) shall include descrip-
tions and evaluations of— 
‘‘(i) the extent and success of the inte-
gration of challenging State academic 
standards adopted under section 1111(b)(1) 
of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 and career and technical 
education for students participating in ca-
reer and technical education programs, in-
cluding a review of the effect of such inte-
gration on the academic and technical pro-
ficiency achievement of such students, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(I) the number of such students 
that receive a regular high school di-
ploma, as such term is defined under 
section 8101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 or a 
State-defined alternative diploma de-
† HR 2353 EAS 
scribed 
in 
section 
8101(25)(A)(ii)(I)(bb) of such Act; 
‘‘(II) the number of such students 
that are high school students that re-
ceive a recognized postsecondary cre-
dential; and 
‘‘(III) the number of such students 
that are high school students that earn 
credit toward a recognized postsec-
ondary credential; 
‘‘(ii) the extent to which career and 
technical education programs and programs 
of study prepare students, including special 
populations, for subsequent employment in 
high-skill, high-wage occupations (including 
those in which mathematics and science 
skills are critical, which may include com-
puter science), or for participation in post-
secondary education; 
‘‘(iii) employer involvement in, benefit 
from, and satisfaction with, career and 
technical education programs and programs 
of study and career and technical education 
students’ preparation for employment;
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(iv) efforts to expand access to career 
and technical education programs of study 
for all students; 
‘‘(v) innovative approaches to work- 
based learning programs that increase par-
ticipation and alignment with employment 
in high-growth industries, including in 
rural and low-income areas; 
‘‘(vi) the effectiveness of different deliv-
ery systems and approaches for career and 
technical education, including comprehen-
sive high schools, technical high schools, 
area technical centers, career academies, 
community and technical colleges, early col-
lege high schools, pre-apprenticeship pro-
grams, voluntary after-school programs, and 
individual course offerings, including dual 
or concurrent enrollment program courses, 
as well as communication strategies for pro-
moting career and technical education op-
portunities involving teachers, school coun-
selors, and parents or other guardians; 
‘‘(vii) the extent to which career and 
technical education programs supported by
† HR 2353 EAS 
this Act are grounded on evidence-based re-
search; 
‘‘(viii) the impact of the amendments 
to this Act made under the Strengthening 
Career and Technical Education for the 
21st Century Act, including comparisons, 
where appropriate, of— 
‘‘(I) the use of the comprehensive 
needs assessment under section 134(c); 
‘‘(II) the implementation of pro-
grams of study; and 
‘‘(III) coordination of planning 
and program delivery with other rel-
evant laws, including the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) and the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965; 
‘‘(ix) changes in career and technical 
education program accountability as de-
scribed in section 113 and any effects of 
such changes on program delivery and pro-
gram quality; 
‘‘(x) changes in student enrollment 
patterns; and
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(xi) efforts to reduce disparities or 
performance gaps described in section 
113(b)(3)(C)(ii)(II).’’; and 
(iv) in subparagraph (C)— 
(I) in clause (i)— 
(aa) in the matter preceding 
subclause (I), by inserting ‘‘, in 
consultation with the Director,’’ 
after ‘‘The Secretary’’; and 
(bb) by striking subclauses 
(I) and (II) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(I) not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of the Strength-
ening Career and Technical Education 
for the 21st Century Act, an interim 
report regarding the evaluation and 
summary of research activities carried 
out under this section that builds on 
studies and analyses existing as of such 
date of enactment; 
‘‘(II) not later than 4 years after 
the date of enactment of the Strength-
ening Career and Technical Education 
for the 21st Century Act, a final report
† HR 2353 EAS 
summarizing the studies and analyses 
that relate to the evaluation and sum-
mary of research activities carried out 
under this section; and 
‘‘(III) a biennial update to such 
final report for succeeding years.’’; 
(II) in clause (ii), by inserting 
‘‘the Director,’’ after ‘‘the President, 
the Secretary,’’ each place the term ap-
pears; and 
(III) by adding after clause (ii) 
the following: 
‘‘(iii) DISSEMINATION.—In addition to 
submitting the reports required under clause 
(i), the Secretary shall disseminate the re-
sults of the evaluation widely and on a 
timely basis in order to increase the under-
standing among State and local officials 
and educators of the effectiveness of pro-
grams and activities supported under the 
Act and of the career and technical edu-
cation programs and programs of study 
that are most likely to produce positive edu-
cational and employment outcomes.’’;
† HR 2353 EAS 
(C) in subparagraph (3)(A), by striking 
‘‘State adjusted levels of performance described 
in section 113(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘State deter-
mined levels of performance described in section 
113(b), as long as such information does not re-
veal any personally identifiable information’’; 
and 
(D) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(4) RESEARCH.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—From amounts made 
available under subsection (f), the Secretary, 
after consultation with the Director, the Commis-
sioner for Education Research, and the States, 
and with input from the independent advisory 
panel established under subsection (d)(1)(A), 
shall award a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement, on a competitive basis, to an institu-
tion of higher education or to a consortium of 
one or more institutions of higher education and 
one or more private nonprofit organizations or 
agencies, to carry out one or more of the activi-
ties described in subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(B) GRANT ACTIVITIES.—An institution or 
consortium receiving a grant under this para-
† HR 2353 EAS 
graph shall use grant funds to carry out one or 
more of the following activities: 
‘‘(i) Evidence-based research and eval-
uation for the purpose of developing, im-
proving, and identifying the most successful 
methods for— 
‘‘(I) eliminating inequities in ac-
cess to, and in opportunities for, learn-
ing, skill development, or effective 
teaching in career and technical edu-
cation programs; and 
‘‘(II) addressing the education, 
employment, and training needs of 
CTE participants, including special 
populations, in career and technical 
education programs or programs of 
study. 
‘‘(ii) Research on, and evaluation of, 
the impact of changes made by the 
Strengthening Career and Technical Edu-
cation for the 21st Century Act, including 
State-by-State comparisons, where appro-
priate, of— 
‘‘(I) the use of the needs assess-
ment under section 134(c);
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(II) the implementation of pro-
grams of study; 
‘‘(III) how States have imple-
mented provisions of the Act, including 
both fiscal and programmatic elements; 
‘‘(IV) career and technical edu-
cation funding and finance models; 
and 
‘‘(V) coordination with other rel-
evant laws, including the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
and the Higher Education Act of 1965. 
‘‘(iii) Evidence-based research and 
analyses that provide longitudinal informa-
tion with respect to career and technical 
education programs and programs of study 
and student achievement. 
‘‘(iv) The implementation of, evalua-
tion of, or evidence-based research of, inno-
vative methods that support high-quality 
implementation of career and technical edu-
cation programs and programs of study and
† HR 2353 EAS 
student achievement related to career and 
technical education, including— 
‘‘(I) creating or expanding dual 
or concurrent enrollment program ac-
tivities and early college high schools; 
‘‘(II) awarding of academic credit 
or academic alignment for industry 
recognized 
credentials, 
competency- 
based education, or work-based learn-
ing; 
‘‘(III) making available open, 
searchable, and comparable informa-
tion on the quality of industry recog-
nized credentials, including the related 
skills or competencies, attainment by 
CTE concentrators, related employ-
ment and earnings outcomes, labor 
market value, and use by employers; or 
‘‘(IV) initiatives to facilitate the 
transition of sub-baccalaureate career 
and technical education students into 
baccalaureate degree programs, includ-
ing barriers affecting rural students 
and special populations.
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(C) REPORT.—The institution or consor-
tium receiving a grant under this paragraph 
shall annually prepare a report containing in-
formation about the key research findings of such 
entity under this paragraph and shall submit 
copies of the report to the Secretary and the Di-
rector. The Secretary shall submit copies of the 
report to the relevant committees of Congress, the 
Library of Congress, and each eligible agency. 
‘‘(D) DISSEMINATION.—The institution or 
consortium receiving a grant under this para-
graph shall conduct dissemination and training 
activities based on the research carried out under 
this paragraph on a timely basis, including 
through dissemination networks and, as appro-
priate and relevant, technical assistance pro-
viders within the Department.’’; 
(5) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection 
(f); 
(6) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) INNOVATION AND MODERNIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) GRANT
PROGRAM.—To identify, support, 
and rigorously evaluate evidence-based and innovative 
strategies and activities to improve and modernize ca-
† HR 2353 EAS 
reer and technical education and align workforce 
skills with labor market needs as part of the State 
plan under section 122 and local application under 
section 134 and the requirements of this subsection, 
the Secretary may use not more than 20 percent of 
the amounts appropriated under subsection (f) to 
award grants to eligible entities, eligible institutions, 
or eligible recipients to carry out the activities de-
scribed in paragraph (7). 
‘‘(2) NON-FEDERAL MATCH.— 
‘‘(A) MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED.—Except 
as provided under subparagraph (B), to receive 
a grant under this subsection, an eligible entity, 
eligible institution, or eligible recipient shall, 
through cash or in-kind contributions, provide 
matching funds from non-Federal sources in an 
amount equal to not less than 50 percent of the 
funds provided under such grant. 
‘‘(B) 
EXCEPTION.—The 
Secretary 
may 
waive the matching fund requirement under sub-
paragraph (A) if the eligible entity, eligible in-
stitution, or eligible recipient demonstrates ex-
ceptional circumstances. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant under 
this subsection, an eligible entity, eligible institution,
† HR 2353 EAS 
or eligible recipient shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may re-
quire, including, at a minimum— 
‘‘(A) an identification and designation of 
the agency, institution, or school responsible for 
the administration and supervision of the pro-
gram assisted under this paragraph; 
‘‘(B) a description of the budget for the 
project, the source and amount of the matching 
funds required under paragraph (2)(A), and how 
the applicant will continue the project after the 
grant period ends, if applicable; 
‘‘(C) a description of how the applicant will 
use the grant funds, including how such funds 
will directly benefit students, including special 
populations, served by the applicant; 
‘‘(D) a description of how the program as-
sisted under this subsection will be coordinated 
with the activities carried out under section 124 
or 135; 
‘‘(E) a description of how the career and 
technical education programs or programs of 
study to be implemented with grant funds reflect 
the needs of regional, State, or local employers,
† HR 2353 EAS 
as demonstrated by the comprehensive needs as-
sessment under section 134(c); 
‘‘(F) a description of how the program as-
sisted under this subsection will be evaluated and 
how that evaluation may inform the report de-
scribed in subsection (d)(2)(C); and 
‘‘(G) an assurance that the applicant will— 
‘‘(i) provide information to the Sec-
retary, as requested, for evaluations that the 
Secretary may carry out; and 
‘‘(ii) make data available to third par-
ties for validation, in accordance with ap-
plicable data privacy laws, including sec-
tion 444 of the General Education Provi-
sions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g, commonly 
known as the ‘Family Educational Rights 
and Privacy Act of 1974’). 
‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to appli-
cations from eligible entities, eligible institutions, or 
eligible recipients that will predominantly serve stu-
dents from low-income families. 
‘‘(5) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In awarding grants 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall award
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no less than 25 percent of the total available 
funds for any fiscal year to eligible entities, eli-
gible institutions, or eligible recipients proposing 
to fund career and technical education activities 
that serve— 
‘‘(i) a local educational agency with an 
urban-centric district locale code of 32, 33, 
41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Sec-
retary; 
‘‘(ii) an institution of higher education 
primarily serving the one or more areas 
served by such a local educational agency; 
‘‘(iii) a consortium of such local edu-
cational agencies or such institutions of 
higher education; 
‘‘(iv) a partnership between— 
‘‘(I) an educational service agency 
or a nonprofit organization; and 
‘‘(II) such a local educational 
agency or such an institution of higher 
education; or 
‘‘(v) a partnership between— 
‘‘(I) a grant recipient described in 
clause (i) or (ii); and 
‘‘(II) a State educational agency.
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‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding sub-
paragraph (A), the Secretary shall reduce the 
amount of funds made available under such 
clause if the Secretary does not receive a suffi-
cient number of applications of sufficient qual-
ity. 
‘‘(6) DURATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under 
this subsection shall be for a period of not more 
than 3 years. 
‘‘(B) EXTENSION.—The Secretary may ex-
tend such grants for not more than 1 additional 
2-year period if the grantee demonstrates to the 
Secretary that the grantee is achieving the grant-
ee’s program objectives and, as applicable, has 
improved education outcomes for career and 
technical education students, including special 
populations. 
‘‘(7) USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity, eligi-
ble institution, or eligible recipient that is awarded a 
grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds 
to create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to 
scale evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to 
modernize and improve effectiveness and alignment of 
career and technical education and to improve stu-
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dent outcomes in career and technical education, and 
rigorously evaluate such innovations, through one or 
more of the following activities: 
‘‘(A) Designing and implementing courses 
or programs of study aligned to labor market 
needs in new or emerging fields and working 
with industry to upgrade equipment, technology, 
and related curriculum used in career and tech-
nical education programs, which is needed for 
the development, expansion, and implementation 
of State-approved career and technical education 
programs of study, including— 
‘‘(i) the development or acquisition of 
instructional materials associated with the 
equipment and technology purchased by an 
eligible entity, eligible institution, or eligi-
ble recipient through the grant; or 
‘‘(ii) efforts to expand, develop, or im-
plement programs designed to increase op-
portunities for students to take rigorous 
courses in coding or computer science sub-
ject areas, and support for statewide efforts 
to increase access and implementation of 
coding or computer science courses in order 
to meet local labor market needs in occupa-
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tions that require skills in those subject 
areas. 
‘‘(B) Improving career and technical edu-
cation outcomes of students served by eligible en-
tities, eligible institutions, or eligible recipients 
through activities such as— 
‘‘(i) supporting the development and 
enhancement of innovative delivery models 
for career and technical education related 
work-based learning, including school-based 
simulated work sites, mentoring, work site 
visits, job shadowing, project-based learning, 
and skills-based and paid internships; 
‘‘(ii) increasing the effective use of 
technology within career and technical edu-
cation programs and programs of study; 
‘‘(iii) supporting new models for inte-
grating academic content at the secondary 
and postsecondary level in career and tech-
nical education; or 
‘‘(iv) integrating science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics fields, includ-
ing computer science education, with career 
and technical education. 
‘‘(C) Improving the transition of students—
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‘‘(i) from secondary education to post-
secondary education or employment through 
programs, activities, or services that may 
include the creation, development, or expan-
sion of dual or concurrent enrollment pro-
grams, 
articulation 
agreements, 
credit 
transfer agreements, and competency-based 
education; or 
‘‘(ii) from the completion of one post-
secondary program to another postsec-
ondary program that awards a recognized 
postsecondary credential. 
‘‘(D) Supporting the development and en-
hancement of innovative delivery models for ca-
reer and technical education. 
‘‘(E) Working with industry to design and 
implement courses or programs of study aligned 
to labor market needs in new or emerging fields. 
‘‘(F) Supporting innovative approaches to 
career and technical education by redesigning 
the high school experience for students, which 
may include evidence-based transitional support 
strategies for students who have not met postsec-
ondary education eligibility requirements.
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‘‘(G) Creating or expanding recruitment, 
retention, or professional development activities 
for career and technical education teachers, fac-
ulty, school leaders, administrators, specialized 
instructional support personnel, career guidance 
and academic counselors, and paraprofessionals, 
which may include— 
‘‘(i) providing resources and training 
to improve instruction for, and provide ap-
propriate accommodations to, special popu-
lations; 
‘‘(ii) externships or site visits with 
business and industry; 
‘‘(iii) the integration of coherent and 
rigorous academic content standards and 
career and technical education curricula, 
including through opportunities for appro-
priate academic and career and technical 
education teachers to jointly develop and 
implement curricula and pedagogical strat-
egies; 
‘‘(iv) mentoring by experienced teach-
ers;
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‘‘(v) providing resources or assistance 
with meeting State teacher licensure and 
credential requirements; or 
‘‘(vi) training for career guidance and 
academic counselors at the secondary level 
to improve awareness of postsecondary edu-
cation and postsecondary career options, 
and improve the ability of such counselors 
to communicate to students the career op-
portunities and employment trends. 
‘‘(H) Improving CTE concentrator employ-
ment outcomes in non-traditional fields. 
‘‘(I) Supporting the use of career and tech-
nical education programs and programs of study 
in a coordinated strategy to address identified 
employer needs and workforce shortages, such as 
shortages in the early childhood, elementary 
school, and secondary school education workforce. 
‘‘(J) Providing integrated student support 
that addresses the comprehensive needs of stu-
dents, such as incorporating accelerated and dif-
ferentiated learning opportunities supported by 
evidence-based strategies for special populations. 
‘‘(K) Establishing an online portal for ca-
reer and technical education students, including
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special populations, preparing for postsecondary 
career and technical education, which may in-
clude opportunities for mentoring, gaining fi-
nancial literacy skills, and identifying career op-
portunities and interests, and a platform to es-
tablish online savings accounts to be used exclu-
sively for postsecondary career and technical 
education programs and programs of study. 
‘‘(L) Developing and implementing a pay 
for success initiative. 
‘‘(8) EVALUATION.—Each eligible entity, eligible 
institution, or eligible recipient receiving a grant 
under this subsection shall provide for an independent 
evaluation of the activities carried out using such 
grant and submit to the Secretary an annual report 
that includes— 
‘‘(A) a description of how funds received 
under this paragraph were used; 
‘‘(B) the performance of the eligible entity, 
eligible institution, or eligible recipient with re-
spect to, at a minimum, the performance indica-
tors described under section 113, as applicable, 
and disaggregated by—
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(2) by striking subsections (b) and (c); and 
(3) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection 
(b). 
SEC. 115. NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAMS. 
Section 116 (20 U.S.C. 2326) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), in the paragraph 
heading, by striking ‘‘NATIVE’’ and inserting 
‘‘NATIVE’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (3); 
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and 
(5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; 
(D) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by 
subparagraph (C)), in the paragraph heading, 
by striking ‘‘HAWAIIAN’’ and inserting ‘‘HAWAI-
IAN’’; and 
(E) in paragraph (4) (as redesignated by 
subparagraph (C))— 
(i) in the paragraph heading, by strik-
ing ‘‘HAWAIIAN’’ and inserting ‘‘HAWAI-
IAN’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘(20 U.S.C. 7517)’’ 
after ‘‘Act’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)—
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(i) by striking ‘‘tribes’’ and inserting 
‘‘Tribes’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘tribal’’ and inserting 
‘‘Tribal’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking the paragraph heading 
and inserting ‘‘INDIAN TRIBES AND TRIBAL 
ORGANIZATIONS.—’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘Indian tribe or tribal 
organization’’ and inserting ‘‘Indian Tribe 
or Tribal organization’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘450f’’ and inserting 
‘‘5321’’; and 
(iv) by striking ‘‘455–457’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘5345–5347’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in the paragraph heading, by strik-
ing ‘‘BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS’’ and in-
serting ‘‘BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘tribe’’ and inserting 
‘‘Tribe’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘tribal’’ and inserting 
‘‘Tribal’’; and
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(iv) by striking ‘‘Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs’’ and inserting ‘‘Bureau of Indian 
Education’’; 
(D) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs’’ each place the term appears and in-
serting ‘‘Bureau of Indian Education’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘Assistant Secretary of 
the Interior for Indian Affairs’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Director of the Bureau of Indian Edu-
cation’’; 
(E) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ‘‘In-
dian tribes, tribal organizations, and individual 
tribal members’’ and inserting ‘‘Indian Tribes, 
Tribal organizations, and individual Tribal 
members’’; and 
(F) in paragraph (6)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘tribe’’ each place the 
term appears and inserting ‘‘Tribe’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘tribal’’ each place the 
term appears and inserting ‘‘Tribal’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 
paragraph (3); and
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(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) SPECIAL
RULE.—Notwithstanding section 
3(5)(A)(iii), funds made available under this section 
may be used to provide preparatory, refresher, and re-
medial education services that are designed to enable 
students to achieve success in career and technical 
education programs or programs of study.’’; 
(4) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘tribe’’ each 
place the term appears and inserting ‘‘Tribe’’; 
(5) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘tribal’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Tribal’’; 
(6) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘tribe’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Tribe’’; and 
(7) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘tribe’’ each 
place the term appears and inserting ‘‘Tribe’’. 
SEC. 116. TRIBALLY CONTROLLED POSTSECONDARY CA-
REER AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS. 
Section 117 (20 U.S.C. 2327) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘(25 U.S.C. 
640a et seq.)’’ and inserting ‘‘(Public Law 92–189; 85 
Stat. 646)’’; 
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘(25 U.S.C. 
640a et seq.)’’ and inserting ‘‘(Public Law 92–189; 85 
Stat. 646)’’;
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† HR 2353 EAS 
(3) in subsection (f)(3), by striking ‘‘tribe’’ each 
place the term appears and inserting ‘‘Tribe’’; 
(4) in subsection (h)— 
(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 
‘‘INDIAN TRIBE’’ and inserting ‘‘INDIAN TRIBE’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘terms ‘Indian’ and ‘Indian 
tribe’ have the meanings given the terms in’’ and 
inserting ‘‘terms ‘Indian’ and ‘Indian Tribe’ 
have the meanings given the terms ‘Indian’ and 
‘Indian tribe’, respectively, in’’; and 
(5) by striking subsection (i) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— 
‘‘(1) $9,762,539 for fiscal year 2019; 
‘‘(2) $9,899,215 for fiscal year 2020; 
‘‘(3) $10,037,804 for fiscal year 2021; 
‘‘(4) $10,178,333 for fiscal year 2022; 
‘‘(5) $10,320,829 for fiscal year 2023; and 
‘‘(6) $10,465,321 for fiscal year 2024.’’. 
SEC. 117. OCCUPATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT INFORMA-
TION. 
Section 118 (20 U.S.C. 2328) is repealed.
101 
† HR 2353 EAS 
PART B—STATE PROVISIONS 
SEC. 121. STATE ADMINISTRATION. 
Section 121(a)(2) (20 U.S.C. 2341(a)(2)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘parents’’ and all that follows through the end 
of the paragraph and inserting ‘‘teachers, faculty, special-
ized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, 
school leaders, authorized public chartering agencies and 
charter school leaders (consistent with State law), employ-
ers, representatives of business (including small businesses), 
labor organizations, eligible recipients, local program ad-
ministrators, State and local officials, Indian Tribes or 
Tribal organizations present in the State, parents, students, 
and community organizations;’’. 
SEC. 122. STATE PLAN. 
Section 122 (20 U.S.C. 2342) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘6-year period,’’ and 
inserting ‘‘4-year period, consistent with 
subsection (b) and paragraph (5),’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘Carl D. Perkins Ca-
reer and Technical Education Improvement 
Act of 2006’’ and inserting ‘‘Strengthening 
Career and Technical Education for the 
21st Century Act’’;
102 
† HR 2353 EAS 
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘6- 
year period’’ and inserting ‘‘4-year period’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘(includ-
ing charter school’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘and community organizations)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(including teachers, faculty, specialized instruc-
tional 
support 
personnel, 
paraprofessionals, 
school leaders, authorized public chartering agen-
cies and charter school leaders (consistent with 
State law), employers, labor organizations, par-
ents, students, Indian Tribes and Tribal organi-
zations that may be present in the State, and 
community organizations)’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) PUBLIC
COMMENT.—Each eligible agency 
shall make the State plan publicly available for pub-
lic comment for a period of not less than 30 days, by 
electronic means and in an easily accessible format, 
prior to submission to the Secretary for approval 
under this subsection. In the plan the eligible agency 
files under this subsection, the eligible agency shall 
provide an assurance that public comments were 
taken into account in the development of the State 
plan.
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(5) OPTIONAL
SUBMISSION
OF
SUBSEQUENT 
PLANS.—An eligible agency may, after the first 4-year 
State plan is submitted under this section, submit 
subsequent 4-year plans not later than 120 days prior 
to the end of the 4-year period covered by the pre-
ceding State plan or, if an eligible agency chooses not 
to submit a State plan for a subsequent 4-year period, 
the eligible agency shall submit, and the Secretary 
shall approve, annual revisions to the State deter-
mined levels of performance in the same manner as 
revisions submitted and approved under section 
113(b)(3)(A)(ii).’’; and 
(2) by striking subsections (b) through (e) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(b) OPTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF STATE PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) COMBINED PLAN.—The eligible agency may 
submit a combined plan that meets the requirements 
of this section and the requirements of section 103 of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3113). 
‘‘(2) NOTICE TO SECRETARY.—The eligible agen-
cy shall inform the Secretary of whether the eligible 
agency intends to submit a combined plan described 
in paragraph (1) or a single plan. 
‘‘(c) PLAN DEVELOPMENT.—
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The eligible agency shall— 
‘‘(A) develop the State plan in consultation 
with— 
‘‘(i) representatives of secondary and 
postsecondary career and technical edu-
cation programs, including eligible recipi-
ents and representatives of 2-year minority- 
serving institutions and historically Black 
colleges and universities and tribally con-
trolled colleges or universities in States 
where such institutions are in existence, 
adult career and technical education pro-
viders, and charter school representatives in 
States where such schools are in existence, 
which shall include teachers, faculty, school 
leaders, specialized instructional support 
personnel, career and academic guidance 
counselors, and paraprofessionals; 
‘‘(ii) interested community representa-
tives, including parents, students, and com-
munity organizations; 
‘‘(iii) representatives of the State work-
force development board established under 
section 101 of the Workforce Innovation and
105 
† HR 2353 EAS 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111) (referred 
to in this section as the ‘State board’); 
‘‘(iv) members and representatives of 
special populations; 
‘‘(v) representatives of business and in-
dustry (including representatives of small 
business), which shall include representa-
tives of industry and sector partnerships in 
the State, as appropriate, and representa-
tives of labor organizations in the State; 
‘‘(vi) representatives of agencies serv-
ing out-of-school youth, homeless children 
and youth, and at-risk youth, including the 
State Coordinator for Education of Home-
less Children and Youths established or des-
ignated under section 722(d)(3) of the 
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 11432(d)(3)); 
‘‘(vii) representatives of Indian Tribes 
and Tribal organizations located in, or pro-
viding services in, the State; and 
‘‘(viii) individuals with disabilities; 
and 
‘‘(B) consult the Governor of the State, and 
the heads of other State agencies with authority
106 
† HR 2353 EAS 
for career and technical education programs that 
are not the eligible agency, with respect to the 
development of the State plan. 
‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES.—The eligible 
agency shall develop effective activities and proce-
dures, including access to information needed to use 
such procedures, to allow the individuals and entities 
described in paragraph (1) to participate in State 
and local decisions that relate to development of the 
State plan. 
‘‘(3) CONSULTATION WITH THE GOVERNOR.—The 
consultation described in paragraph (1)(B) shall in-
clude meetings of officials from the eligible agency 
and the Governor’s office and shall occur— 
‘‘(A) during the development of such plan; 
and 
‘‘(B) prior to submission of the plan to the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(d) PLAN CONTENTS.—The State plan shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(1) a summary of State-supported workforce de-
velopment activities (including education and train-
ing) in the State, including the degree to which the 
State’s career and technical education programs and 
programs of study are aligned with and address the
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† HR 2353 EAS 
education and skill needs of the employers in the 
State identified by the State board; 
‘‘(2) the State’s strategic vision and set of goals 
for preparing an educated and skilled workforce (in-
cluding special populations) and for meeting the 
skilled workforce needs of employers, including in ex-
isting and emerging in-demand industry sectors and 
occupations as identified by the State, and how the 
State’s career and technical education programs will 
help to meet these goals; 
‘‘(3) a strategy for any joint planning, align-
ment, coordination, and leveraging of funds— 
‘‘(A) between the State’s career and tech-
nical education programs and programs of study 
with the State’s workforce development system, to 
achieve the strategic vision and goals described 
in paragraph (2), including the core programs 
defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102) and the 
elements related to system alignment under sec-
tion 102(b)(2)(B) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
3112(b)(2)(B)); and 
‘‘(B) for programs carried out under this 
title with other Federal programs, which may 
include programs funded under the Elementary
108 
† HR 2353 EAS 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the 
Higher Education Act of 1965; 
‘‘(4) a description of the career and technical 
education programs or programs of study that will be 
supported, developed, or improved at the State level, 
including descriptions of— 
‘‘(A) the programs of study to be developed 
at the State level and made available for adop-
tion by eligible recipients; 
‘‘(B) the process and criteria to be used for 
approving locally developed programs of study or 
career pathways, including how such programs 
address State workforce development and edu-
cation needs and the criteria to assess the extent 
to which the local application under section 132 
will— 
‘‘(i) promote continuous improvement 
in academic achievement and technical skill 
attainment; 
‘‘(ii) expand access to career and tech-
nical education for special populations; and 
‘‘(iii) support the inclusion of employ-
ability skills in programs of study and ca-
reer pathways; 
‘‘(C) how the eligible agency will—
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(i) make information on approved 
programs of study and career pathways (in-
cluding 
career 
exploration, 
work-based 
learning opportunities, early college high 
schools, and dual or concurrent enrollment 
program opportunities) and guidance and 
advisement resources, available to students 
(and parents, as appropriate), representa-
tives of secondary and postsecondary edu-
cation, and special populations, and to the 
extent practicable, provide that information 
and those resources in a language students, 
parents, and educators can understand; 
‘‘(ii) facilitate collaboration among eli-
gible recipients in the development and co-
ordination of career and technical education 
programs and programs of study and career 
pathways that include multiple entry and 
exit points; 
‘‘(iii) use State, regional, or local labor 
market data to determine alignment of eli-
gible recipients’ programs of study to the 
needs of the State, regional, or local econ-
omy, including in-demand industry sectors 
and occupations identified by the State
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† HR 2353 EAS 
board, and to align career and technical 
education with such needs, as appropriate; 
‘‘(iv) ensure equal access to approved 
career and technical education programs of 
study and activities assisted under this Act 
for special populations; 
‘‘(v) coordinate with the State board to 
support the local development of career 
pathways and articulate processes by which 
career pathways will be developed by local 
workforce development boards, as appro-
priate; 
‘‘(vi) support effective and meaningful 
collaboration between secondary schools, 
postsecondary institutions, and employers 
to provide students with experience in, and 
understanding of, all aspects of an industry, 
which may include work-based learning 
such as internships, mentorships, simulated 
work environments, and other hands-on or 
inquiry-based learning activities; and 
‘‘(vii) improve outcomes and reduce 
performance gaps for CTE concentrators, 
including those who are members of special 
populations; and
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(D) how the eligible agency may include 
the opportunity for secondary school students to 
participate in dual or concurrent enrollment 
programs, early college high school, or com-
petency-based education; 
‘‘(5) a description of the criteria and process for 
how the eligible agency will approve eligible recipients 
for funds under this Act, including how— 
‘‘(A) each eligible recipient will promote 
academic achievement; 
‘‘(B) each eligible recipient will promote 
skill attainment, including skill attainment that 
leads to a recognized postsecondary credential; 
and 
‘‘(C) each eligible recipient will ensure the 
comprehensive needs assessment under section 
134(c) takes into consideration local economic 
and education needs, including, where appro-
priate, in-demand industry sectors and occupa-
tions; 
‘‘(6) a description of how the eligible agency will 
support the recruitment and preparation of teachers, 
including special education teachers, faculty, school 
principals, administrators, specialized instructional 
support personnel, and paraprofessionals to provide
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† HR 2353 EAS 
career and technical education instruction, leader-
ship, and support, including professional development 
that provides the knowledge and skills needed to work 
with and improve instruction for special populations; 
‘‘(7) a description of how the eligible agency will 
use State leadership funds under section 124; 
‘‘(8) a description of how funds received by the 
eligible agency through the allotment made under sec-
tion 111 will be distributed— 
‘‘(A) among career and technical education 
at the secondary level, or career and technical 
education at the postsecondary and adult level, 
or both, including how such distribution will 
most effectively provide students with the skills 
needed to succeed in the workplace; and 
‘‘(B) among any consortia that may be 
formed among secondary schools and eligible in-
stitutions, and how funds will be distributed 
among the members of the consortia, including 
the rationale for such distribution and how it 
will most effectively provide students with the 
skills needed to succeed in the workplace; 
‘‘(9) a description of the eligible agency’s pro-
gram strategies for special populations, including a
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† HR 2353 EAS 
description of how individuals who are members of 
special populations— 
‘‘(A) will be provided with equal access to 
activities assisted under this Act; 
‘‘(B) will not be discriminated against on 
the basis of status as a member of a special pop-
ulation; 
‘‘(C) will be provided with programs de-
signed to enable individuals who are members of 
special populations to meet or exceed State deter-
mined levels of performance described in section 
113, and prepare special populations for further 
learning and for high-skill, high-wage, or in-de-
mand industry sectors or occupations; 
‘‘(D) will be provided with appropriate ac-
commodations; and 
‘‘(E) will be provided instruction and work- 
based learning opportunities in integrated set-
tings that support competitive, integrated em-
ployment; 
‘‘(10) a description of the procedure the eligible 
agency will adopt for determining State determined 
levels of performance described in section 113, which, 
at a minimum, shall include—
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(A) a description of the process for public 
comment under section 113(b)(3)(B) as part of 
the development of the State determined levels of 
performance under section 113(b); 
‘‘(B) an explanation of the State determined 
levels of performance; and 
‘‘(C) a description of how the State deter-
mined levels of performance set by the eligible 
agency align with the levels, goals, and objectives 
of other Federal and State laws; 
‘‘(11) a description of how the eligible agency 
will address disparities or gaps in performance, as 
described in section 113(b)(3)(C)(ii)(II), in each of 
the plan years, and if no meaningful progress has 
been achieved prior to the third program year, a de-
scription of the additional actions the eligible agency 
will take to eliminate these disparities or gaps; 
‘‘(12) describes how the eligible agency will in-
volve parents, academic and career and technical edu-
cation teachers, administrators, faculty, career guid-
ance and academic counselors, local business (includ-
ing small businesses), labor organizations, and rep-
resentatives of Indian Tribes and Tribal organiza-
tions, as appropriate, in the planning, development,
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implementation, and evaluation of such career and 
technical education programs; and 
‘‘(13) assurances that— 
‘‘(A) the eligible agency will comply with 
the requirements of this Act and the provisions 
of the State plan, including the provision of a fi-
nancial audit of funds received under this Act, 
which may be included as part of an audit of 
other Federal or State programs; 
‘‘(B) none of the funds expended under this 
Act 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 in-
terests of the acquiring entity or the employees of 
the acquiring entity, or any affiliate of such an 
organization; 
‘‘(C) the eligible agency will use the funds 
to promote preparation for high-skill, high-wage, 
or in-demand industry sectors or occupations 
and non-traditional fields, as identified by the 
eligible agency; 
‘‘(D) the eligible agency will use the funds 
provided under this Act to implement career and 
technical education programs and programs of
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† HR 2353 EAS 
study for individuals in State correctional insti-
tutions, including juvenile justice facilities; and 
‘‘(E) the eligible agency will provide local 
educational agencies, area career and technical 
education schools, and eligible institutions in the 
State with technical assistance, including tech-
nical assistance on how to close gaps in student 
participation and performance in career and 
technical education programs; and 
‘‘(14) a description of the opportunities for the 
public to comment in person and in writing on the 
State plan under this subsection. 
‘‘(e) CONSULTATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The eligible agency shall de-
velop the portion of each State plan relating to the 
amount and uses of any funds proposed to be reserved 
for adult career and technical education, postsec-
ondary career and technical education, and secondary 
career and technical education after consultation 
with— 
‘‘(A) the State agency responsible for super-
vision of community colleges, technical institutes, 
other 2-year postsecondary institutions pri-
marily engaged in providing postsecondary ca-
reer and technical education, or, where applica-
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† HR 2353 EAS 
of the plan under subsection (a)(2) (including a revi-
sion of State determined levels of performance in ac-
cordance with section 113(b)(3)(A)(iii)), if the Sec-
retary determines that the State has submitted in its 
State plan State determined levels of performance 
that meet the criteria established in section 113(b)(3), 
including the minimum requirements described in 
section 113(b)(3)(A)(i)(III), unless the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) determines that the State plan does 
not meet the requirements of this Act, including 
the minimum requirements as described in sec-
tion 113(b)(3)(A)(i)(III); and 
‘‘(B) meets the requirements of paragraph 
(2) with respect to such plan. 
‘‘(2) DISAPPROVAL.—The Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall have the authority to disapprove 
a State plan only if the Secretary— 
‘‘(i) determines how the State plan 
fails to meet the requirements of this Act; 
and 
‘‘(ii) provides to the eligible agency, in 
writing, notice of such determination and 
the supporting information and rationale to 
substantiate such determination; and
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(B) shall not finally disapprove a State 
plan, except after making the determination and 
providing the information described in subpara-
graph (A), and giving the eligible agency notice 
and an opportunity for a hearing.’’. 
SEC. 123. IMPROVEMENT PLANS. 
Section 123 (20 U.S.C. 2343) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘percent of an agreed 
upon’’ and inserting ‘‘percent of the’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘State adjusted level of 
performance’’ and inserting ‘‘State deter-
mined level of performance’’ each place the 
term appears; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘section 113(b)(3)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘113(b)(2) for all CTE con-
centrators’’; 
(iv) by striking ‘‘(with special consid-
eration to performance gaps identified 
under section 113(c)(2))’’ and inserting 
‘‘(that includes an analysis of the perform-
ance disparities or gaps identified under 
section 113(b)(3)(C)(ii)(II), and actions 
that will be taken to address such gaps)’’;
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† HR 2353 EAS 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘State’s adjusted levels 
of performance’’ and inserting ‘‘State deter-
mined levels of performance’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘purposes of this Act’’ 
and inserting ‘‘purposes of this section, in-
cluding after implementation of the im-
provement plan described in paragraph 
(1),’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)(A)— 
(i) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘or’’ 
after the semicolon; and 
(ii) by striking clauses (ii) and (iii) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(ii) with respect to any specific core 
indicator of performance that was identified 
in a program improvement plan under 
paragraph (1), fails to meet at least 90 per-
cent of a State determined level of perform-
ance for such core indicator for 2 consecu-
tive years after the eligible agency has been 
identified for improvement under such 
paragraph.’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following:
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(5) ADJUSTMENTS
PROHIBITED.—An eligible 
agency shall not be eligible to adjust performance lev-
els while executing an improvement plan under this 
section.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘adjusted’’ each place the 
term appears; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘for all CTE con-
centrators’’ after ‘‘section 113(b)(4)’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(with special consider-
ation to performance gaps identified under 
section 113(b)(4)(C)(ii)(II) in consultation 
with the eligible agency,’’ and inserting 
‘‘(that includes an analysis of the perform-
ance disparities or gaps identified under 
section 113(b)(3)(C)(ii)(II), and actions 
that will be taken to address such gaps) in 
consultation with local stakeholders de-
scribed in section 134(d)(1), the eligible 
agency, and’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘or’’ 
after the semicolon; and
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† HR 2353 EAS 
(II) by striking clauses (ii) and 
(iii) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(ii) with respect to any specific core 
indicator of performance that was identified 
in a program improvement plan under 
paragraph (2), fails to meet at least 90 per-
cent of the local level of performance for 
such core indicator for 2 consecutive years 
after the eligible recipient has been identi-
fied for improvement under such para-
graph.’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)— 
(I) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(II) in clause (ii), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
and 
(III) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) in response to a public request 
from an eligible recipient, if the eligible 
agency determines that the requirements de-
scribed in clause (i) or (ii) have been met.’’; 
and 
(D) by adding at the end the following:
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(6) ADJUSTMENTS
PROHIBITED.—An eligible 
recipient shall not be eligible to adjust performance 
levels while executing an improvement plan under 
this section.’’. 
SEC. 124. STATE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES. 
Section 124 (20 U.S.C. 2344) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘shall conduct 
State leadership activities.’’ and inserting ‘‘shall— 
‘‘(1) conduct State leadership activities to im-
prove career and technical education, which shall in-
clude support for— 
‘‘(A) preparation for non-traditional fields 
in current and emerging professions, programs 
for special populations, and other activities that 
expose students, including special populations, to 
high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupa-
tions; 
‘‘(B) individuals in State institutions, such 
as State correctional institutions, including juve-
nile justice facilities, and educational institu-
tions that serve individuals with disabilities; 
‘‘(C) recruiting, preparing, or retaining ca-
reer and technical education teachers, faculty, 
specialized instructional support personnel, or 
paraprofessionals, such as preservice, profes-
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† HR 2353 EAS 
sional development, or leadership development 
programs; and 
‘‘(D) technical assistance for eligible recipi-
ents; and 
‘‘(2) report on the effectiveness of such use of 
funds in achieving the goals described in section 
122(d)(2) and the State determined levels of perform-
ance described in section 113(b)(3)(A), and reducing 
disparities or performance gaps as described in sec-
tion 113(b)(3)(C)(ii)(II).’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘REQUIRED’’ and inserting ‘‘PERMISSIBLE’’; 
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘shall’’ and inserting ‘‘may’’; and 
(C) by striking paragraphs (1) through (9) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) developing statewide programs of study, 
which may include standards, curriculum, and course 
development, and career exploration, guidance, and 
advisement activities and resources; 
‘‘(2) approving locally developed programs of 
study that meet the requirements established in sec-
tion 122(d)(4)(B);
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(3) establishing statewide articulation agree-
ments aligned to approved programs of study; 
‘‘(4) establishing statewide industry or sector 
partnerships among local educational agencies, insti-
tutions of higher education, adult education pro-
viders, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations that 
may be present in the State, employers, including 
small businesses, and parents, as appropriate to— 
‘‘(A) develop and implement programs of 
study aligned to State and local economic and 
education needs, including, as appropriate, in- 
demand industry sectors and occupations; 
‘‘(B) facilitate the establishment, expansion, 
and integration of opportunities for students at 
the secondary level to— 
‘‘(i) successfully complete coursework 
that integrates rigorous and challenging 
technical and academic instruction aligned 
with the challenging State academic stand-
ards adopted by the State under section 
1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965; and 
‘‘(ii) earn a recognized postsecondary 
credential or credit toward a recognized 
postsecondary credential, which may be
126 
† HR 2353 EAS 
earned through a dual or concurrent enroll-
ment program or early college high school, 
at no cost to the student or the student’s 
family; and 
‘‘(C) facilitate work-based learning opportu-
nities (including internships, externships, and 
simulated work environments) into programs of 
study; 
‘‘(5) for teachers, faculty, specialized instruc-
tional support personnel, and paraprofessionals pro-
viding career and technical education instruction, 
support services, and specialized instructional sup-
port services, high-quality comprehensive professional 
development that is, to the extent practicable, ground-
ed in evidence-based research (to the extent a State 
determines that such evidence is reasonably available) 
that identifies the most effective educator professional 
development process and is coordinated and aligned 
with other professional development activities carried 
out by the State (including under title II of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and 
title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965), includ-
ing programming that— 
‘‘(A) promotes the integration of the chal-
lenging State academic standards adopted by the
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† HR 2353 EAS 
State under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and rel-
evant technical knowledge and skills, including 
programming jointly delivered to academic and 
career and technical education teachers; 
‘‘(B) prepares career and technical edu-
cation teachers, faculty, specialized instructional 
support personnel, and paraprofessionals to pro-
vide appropriate accommodations for students 
who are members of special populations, includ-
ing through the use of principles of universal de-
sign for learning, multi-tier systems of supports, 
and positive behavioral interventions and sup-
port; and 
‘‘(C) increases the ability of teachers, fac-
ulty, specialized instructional support personnel, 
and paraprofessionals providing career and tech-
nical education instruction to stay current with 
industry standards and earn an industry-recog-
nized credential or license, as appropriate, in-
cluding by assisting those with relevant industry 
experience in obtaining State teacher licensure 
or credential requirements; 
‘‘(6) supporting eligible recipients in eliminating 
inequities in student access to—
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(A) high-quality programs of study that 
provide skill development; and 
‘‘(B) effective teachers, faculty, specialized 
instructional support personnel, and paraprofes-
sionals; 
‘‘(7) awarding incentive grants to eligible recipi-
ents— 
‘‘(A) for exemplary performance in carrying 
out programs under this Act, which awards shall 
be based on— 
‘‘(i) eligible recipients exceeding the 
local level of performance on a core indi-
cator of performance established under sec-
tion 113(b)(4)(A) in a manner that reflects 
sustained or significant improvement; 
‘‘(ii) eligible recipients effectively devel-
oping connections between secondary edu-
cation and postsecondary education and 
training; 
‘‘(iii) the integration of academic and 
technical standards; 
‘‘(iv) eligible recipients’ progress in 
closing achievement gaps among subpopula-
tions who participate in programs of study; 
or
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(v) other factors relating to the per-
formance of eligible recipients under this 
Act as the eligible agency determines are 
appropriate; or 
‘‘(B) if an eligible recipient elects to use 
funds as permitted under section 135(c); 
‘‘(8) providing support for— 
‘‘(A) the adoption and integration of recog-
nized postsecondary credentials and work-based 
learning into programs of study, and for increas-
ing data collection associated with recognized 
postsecondary credentials and employment out-
comes; or 
‘‘(B) consultation and coordination with 
other State agencies for the identification and 
examination of licenses or certifications that— 
‘‘(i) pose an unwarranted barrier to 
entry into the workforce for career and tech-
nical education students; and 
‘‘(ii) do not protect the health, safety, 
or welfare of consumers; 
‘‘(9) the creation, implementation, and support 
of pay for success initiatives leading to a recognized 
postsecondary credential;
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(10) support for career and technical education 
programs for adults and out-of-school youth concur-
rent with their completion of their secondary school 
education in a school or other educational setting; 
‘‘(11) the creation, evaluation, and support of 
competency-based curricula; 
‘‘(12) support for the development, implementa-
tion, and expansion of programs of study or career 
pathways in areas declared to be in a state of emer-
gency under section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis-
aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5191); 
‘‘(13) partnering with qualified intermediaries 
to improve training, the development of public-private 
partnerships, systems development, capacity-building, 
and scalability of the delivery of high-quality career 
and technical education; 
‘‘(14) improvement of career guidance and aca-
demic counseling programs that assist students in 
making informed academic and career and technical 
education decisions, including academic and finan-
cial aid counseling; 
‘‘(15) support for the integration of employ-
ability skills into career and technical education pro-
grams and programs of study;
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(16) support for programs and activities that 
increase access, student engagement, and success in 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
fields (including computer science, coding, and archi-
tecture), support for the integration of arts and de-
sign skills, and support for hands-on learning, par-
ticularly for students who are members of groups 
underrepresented in such subject fields, such as female 
students, minority students, and students who are 
members of special populations; 
‘‘(17) support for career and technical student 
organizations, especially with respect to efforts to in-
crease the participation of students in nontraditional 
fields and students who are members of special popu-
lations; 
‘‘(18) support for establishing and expanding 
work-based learning opportunities that are aligned to 
career and technical education programs and pro-
grams of study; 
‘‘(19) integrating and aligning programs of 
study and career pathways; 
‘‘(20) supporting the use of career and technical 
education programs and programs of study aligned 
with State, regional, or local high-skill, high-wage, or 
in-demand industry sectors or occupations identified
132 
† HR 2353 EAS 
by the State workforce development board described in 
section 101 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111) or local workforce devel-
opment boards; 
‘‘(21) making all forms of instructional content 
widely available, which may include use of open edu-
cational resources; 
‘‘(22) developing valid and reliable assessments 
of competencies and technical skills and enhancing 
data systems to collect and analyze data on secondary 
and postsecondary academic and employment out-
comes; 
‘‘(23) support for accelerated learning programs, 
as described in section 4104(b)(3)(A)(i)(IV) of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, in 
the case of any such program that is part of a career 
and technical education program of study; 
‘‘(24) support for career academies to implement 
a postsecondary education and workforce-ready cur-
riculum at the secondary education level that inte-
grates rigorous academic, technical, and employ-
ability contents through career and technical edu-
cation programs and programs of study that address 
needs described in the comprehensive needs assessment 
under section 134(c); and
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(25) other State leadership activities that im-
prove career and technical education.’’; 
(3) by striking subsection (c); 
(4) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection 
(c); and 
(5) in subsection (c), as redesignated by para-
graph (4), by striking the period at the end and in-
serting ‘‘, unless expressly authorized under subsection 
(a).’’. 
PART C—LOCAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 131. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS TO SECONDARY EDU-
CATION PROGRAMS. 
Section 131 (20 U.S.C. 2351) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(3)(B), by striking ‘‘Bureau 
of Indian Affairs’’ and inserting ‘‘Bureau of Indian 
Education’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)(2)(A)(ii), by inserting ‘‘or 
programs of study’’ after ‘‘technical education pro-
grams’’; 
(3) in subsection (g), by inserting ‘‘and pro-
grams of study’’ after ‘‘technical education pro-
grams’’; and 
(4) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘Bureau of In-
dian Affairs’’ and inserting ‘‘Bureau of Indian Edu-
cation’’.
134 
† HR 2353 EAS 
SEC. 132. SPECIAL RULES FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL 
EDUCATION. 
Section 133 (20 U.S.C. 2353) is amended by inserting 
‘‘or programs of study’’ after ‘‘career and technical edu-
cation programs’’ each place the term appears. 
SEC. 133. LOCAL APPLICATION FOR CAREER AND TECH-
NICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. 
Section 134 (20 U.S.C. 2354) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘LOCAL 
PLAN’’ and inserting ‘‘LOCAL APPLICATION’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘LOCAL PLAN’’ and inserting ‘‘LOCAL APPLICA-
TION’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘submit a local plan’’ and 
inserting ‘‘submit a local application’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘Such local plan’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Such local application’’; and 
(3) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—The eligible agency shall determine 
the requirements for local applications, except that each 
local application shall contain— 
‘‘(1) a description of the results of the com-
prehensive needs assessment conducted under sub-
section (c);
136 
† HR 2353 EAS 
U.S.C. 3151(e)(2)), and other partners, will pro-
vide— 
‘‘(A) career exploration and career develop-
ment coursework, activities, or services; 
‘‘(B) career information on employment op-
portunities that incorporate the most up-to-date 
information on high-skill, high-wage, or in-de-
mand industry sectors or occupations, as deter-
mined by the comprehensive needs assessment de-
scribed in subsection (c); and 
‘‘(C) an organized system of career guidance 
and academic counseling to students before en-
rolling and while participating in a career and 
technical education program; 
‘‘(4) a description of how the eligible recipient 
will improve the academic and technical skills of stu-
dents participating in career and technical education 
programs by strengthening the academic and career 
and technical education components of such programs 
through the integration of coherent and rigorous con-
tent aligned with challenging academic standards and 
relevant career and technical education programs to 
ensure learning in the subjects that constitute a well- 
rounded education (as defined in section 8101 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965);
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† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(5) a description of how the eligible recipient 
will— 
‘‘(A) provide activities to prepare special 
populations for high-skill, high-wage, or in-de-
mand industry sectors or occupations that will 
lead to self-sufficiency; 
‘‘(B) prepare CTE participants for non-tra-
ditional fields; 
‘‘(C) provide equal access for special popu-
lations to career and technical education courses, 
programs, and programs of study; and 
‘‘(D) ensure that members of special popu-
lations will not be discriminated against on the 
basis of their status as members of special popu-
lations; 
‘‘(6) a description of the work-based learning op-
portunities that the eligible recipient will provide to 
students participating in career and technical edu-
cation programs and how the recipient will work with 
representatives from employers to develop or expand 
work-based learning opportunities for career and tech-
nical education students, as applicable; 
‘‘(7) a description of how the eligible recipient 
will provide students participating in career and 
technical education programs with the opportunity to
138 
† HR 2353 EAS 
gain postsecondary credit while still attending high 
school, such as through dual or concurrent enrollment 
programs or early college high school, as practicable; 
‘‘(8) a description of how the eligible recipient 
will coordinate with the eligible agency and institu-
tions of higher education to support the recruitment, 
preparation, retention, and training, including pro-
fessional development, of teachers, faculty, adminis-
trators, and specialized instructional support per-
sonnel and paraprofessionals who meet applicable 
State certification and licensure requirements (in-
cluding any requirements met through alternative 
routes to certification), including individuals from 
groups underrepresented in the teaching profession; 
and 
‘‘(9) a description of how the eligible recipient 
will address disparities or gaps in performance as de-
scribed in section 113(b)(3)(C)(ii)(II) in each of the 
plan years, and if no meaningful progress has been 
achieved prior to the third program year, a descrip-
tion of the additional actions such recipient will take 
to eliminate those disparities or gaps. 
‘‘(c) COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.—
139 
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive fi-
nancial assistance under this part, an eligible recipi-
ent shall— 
‘‘(A) conduct a comprehensive local needs 
assessment related to career and technical edu-
cation and include the results of the needs assess-
ment in the local application submitted under 
subsection (a); and 
‘‘(B) not less than once every 2 years, up-
date such comprehensive local needs assessment. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The comprehensive local 
needs assessment described in paragraph (1) shall in-
clude each of the following: 
‘‘(A) An evaluation of the performance of 
the students served by the eligible recipient with 
respect to State determined and local levels of 
performance established pursuant to section 113, 
including an evaluation of performance for spe-
cial populations and each subgroup described in 
section 1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965. 
‘‘(B) A description of how career and tech-
nical education programs offered by the eligible 
recipient are—
140 
† HR 2353 EAS 
‘‘(i) sufficient in size, scope, and qual-
ity to meet the needs of all students served 
by the eligible recipient; and 
‘‘(ii)(I) aligned to State, regional, 
Tribal, or local in-demand industry sectors 
or occupations identified by the State work-
force development board described in section 
101 of the Workforce Innovation and Op-
portunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111) (referred to 
in this section as the ‘State board’) or local 
workforce development board, including ca-
reer pathways, where appropriate; or 
‘‘(II) designed to meet local education 
or economic needs not identified by State 
boards or local workforce development 
boards. 
‘‘(C) An evaluation of progress toward the 
implementation of career and technical edu-
cation programs and programs of study. 
‘‘(D) A description of how the eligible re-
cipient will improve recruitment, retention, and 
training of career and technical education teach-
ers, faculty, specialized instructional support 
personnel, paraprofessionals, and career guid-
ance and academic counselors, including indi-
141 
† HR 2353 EAS 
viduals in groups underrepresented in such pro-
fessions. 
‘‘(E) A description of progress toward im-
plementation of equal access to high-quality ca-
reer and technical education courses and pro-
grams of study for all students, including— 
‘‘(i) strategies to overcome barriers that 
result in lower rates of access to, or per-
formance gaps in, the courses and programs 
for special populations; 
‘‘(ii) providing programs that are de-
signed to enable special populations to meet 
the local levels of performance; and 
‘‘(iii) providing activities to prepare 
special populations for high-skill, high- 
wage, or in-demand industry sectors or oc-
cupations in competitive, integrated settings 
that will lead to self-sufficiency. 
‘‘(d) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the comprehen-
sive needs assessment under subsection (c), and developing 
the local application described in subsection (b), an eligible 
recipient shall involve a diverse body of stakeholders, in-
cluding, at a minimum— 
‘‘(1) representatives of career and technical edu-
cation programs in a local educational agency or edu-
142 
† HR 2353 EAS 
cational service agency, including teachers, career 
guidance and academic counselors, principals and 
other school leaders, administrators, and specialized 
instructional support personnel and paraprofes-
sionals; 
‘‘(2) representatives of career and technical edu-
cation programs at postsecondary educational institu-
tions, including faculty and administrators; 
‘‘(3) representatives of the State board or local 
workforce development boards and a range of local or 
regional businesses or industries; 
‘‘(4) parents and students; 
‘‘(5) representatives of special populations; 
‘‘(6) representatives of regional or local agencies 
serving out-of-school youth, homeless children and 
youth, and at-risk youth (as defined in section 1432 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965); 
‘‘(7) representatives of Indian Tribes and Tribal 
organizations in the State, where applicable; and 
‘‘(8) any other stakeholders that the eligible agen-
cy may require the eligible recipient to consult. 
‘‘(e) CONTINUED CONSULTATION.—An eligible recipi-
ent receiving financial assistance under this part shall con-
sult with stakeholders described in subsection (d) on an on-
143 
† HR 2353 EAS 
going basis, as determined by the eligible agency. This may 
include consultation in order to— 
‘‘(1) provide input on annual updates to the 
comprehensive needs assessment required under sub-
section (c)(1)(B); 
‘‘(2) ensure programs of study are— 
‘‘(A) responsive to community employment 
needs; 
‘‘(B) aligned with employment priorities in 
the State, regional, tribal, or local economy iden-
tified by employers and the entities described in 
subsection (d), which may include in-demand in-
dustry sectors or occupations identified by the 
local workforce development board; 
‘‘(C) informed by labor market information, 
including information provided under section 
15(e)(2)(C) of the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 
491–2(e)(2)(C)); 
‘‘(D) designed to meet current, intermediate, 
or long-term labor market projections; and 
‘‘(E) allow employer input, including input 
from industry or sector partnerships in the local 
area, where applicable, into the development and 
implementation of programs of study to ensure 
such programs of study align with skills required
144 
† HR 2353 EAS 
by local employment opportunities, including ac-
tivities such as the identification of relevant 
standards, curriculum, industry-recognized cre-
dentials, and current technology and equipment; 
‘‘(3) identify and encourage opportunities for 
work-based learning; and 
‘‘(4) ensure funding under this part is used in 
a coordinated manner with other local resources.’’. 
SEC. 134. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS. 
Section 135 (20 U.S.C. 2355) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 135. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS. 
‘‘(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—Each eligible recipient 
that receives funds under this part shall use such funds to 
develop, coordinate, implement, or improve career and tech-
nical education programs to meet the needs identified in 
the comprehensive needs assessment described in section 
134(c). 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR USES OF FUNDS.—Funds 
made available to eligible recipients under this part shall 
be used to support career and technical education programs 
that are of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective 
and that— 
‘‘(1) provide career exploration and career devel-
opment activities through an organized, systematic
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framework designed to aid students, including in the 
middle grades, before enrolling and while partici-
pating in a career and technical education program, 
in making informed plans and decisions about future 
education and career opportunities and programs of 
study, which may include— 
‘‘(A) introductory courses or activities fo-
cused on career exploration and career aware-
ness, including non-traditional fields; 
‘‘(B) readily available career and labor 
market information, including information on— 
‘‘(i) occupational supply and demand; 
‘‘(ii) educational requirements; 
‘‘(iii) other information on careers 
aligned to State, local, or Tribal (as appli-
cable) economic priorities; and 
‘‘(iv) employment sectors; 
‘‘(C) programs and activities related to the 
development of student graduation and career 
plans; 
‘‘(D) career guidance and academic coun-
selors that provide information on postsecondary 
education and career options; 
‘‘(E) any other activity that advances 
knowledge of career opportunities and assists
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students in making informed decisions about fu-
ture education and employment goals, including 
non-traditional fields; or 
‘‘(F) providing students with strong experi-
ence in, and comprehensive understanding of, all 
aspects of an industry; 
‘‘(2) provide professional development for teach-
ers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, specialized 
instructional support personnel, career guidance and 
academic counselors, or paraprofessionals, which may 
include— 
‘‘(A) professional development on sup-
porting individualized academic and career and 
technical education instructional approaches, in-
cluding the integration of academic and career 
and technical education standards and curricula; 
‘‘(B) professional development on ensuring 
labor market information is used to inform the 
programs, guidance, and advisement offered to 
students, including information provided under 
section 15(e)(2)(C) of the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 
U.S.C. 49l–2(e)(2)(C)); 
‘‘(C) providing teachers, faculty, school 
leaders, administrators, specialized instructional 
support personnel, career guidance and academic
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counselors, or paraprofessionals, as appropriate, 
with opportunities to advance knowledge, skills, 
and understanding of all aspects of an industry, 
including the latest workplace equipment, tech-
nologies, standards, and credentials; 
‘‘(D) supporting school leaders and admin-
istrators in managing career and technical edu-
cation programs in the schools, institutions, or 
local educational agencies of such school leaders 
or administrators; 
‘‘(E) supporting the implementation of 
strategies to improve student achievement and 
close gaps in student participation and perform-
ance in career and technical education pro-
grams; 
‘‘(F) providing teachers, faculty, specialized 
instructional support personnel, career guidance 
and academic counselors, principals, school lead-
ers, or paraprofessionals, as appropriate, with 
opportunities to advance knowledge, skills, and 
understanding in pedagogical practices, includ-
ing, to the extent the eligible recipient determines 
that such evidence is reasonably available, evi-
dence-based pedagogical practices;
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‘‘(G) training teachers, faculty, school lead-
ers, administrators, specialized instructional 
support personnel, career guidance and academic 
counselors, or paraprofessionals, as appropriate, 
to provide appropriate accommodations for indi-
viduals with disabilities, and students with dis-
abilities who are provided accommodations 
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
701 et seq.) or the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act; 
‘‘(H) training teachers, faculty, specialized 
instructional support personnel, career guidance 
and academic counselors, and paraprofessionals 
in frameworks to effectively teach students, in-
cluding a particular focus on students with dis-
abilities and English learners, which may in-
clude universal design for learning, multi-tier 
systems of supports, and positive behavioral 
interventions and support; or 
‘‘(I) training for the effective use of commu-
nity spaces that provide access to tools, tech-
nology, and knowledge for learners and entre-
preneurs, such as makerspaces or libraries; 
‘‘(3) provide within career and technical edu-
cation the skills necessary to pursue careers in high-
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skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or oc-
cupations; 
‘‘(4) support integration of academic skills into 
career and technical education programs and pro-
grams of study to support— 
‘‘(A) CTE participants at the secondary 
school level in meeting the challenging State aca-
demic 
standards 
adopted 
under 
section 
1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 by the State in which the 
eligible recipient is located; and 
‘‘(B) CTE participants at the postsecondary 
level in achieving academic skills; 
‘‘(5) plan and carry out elements that support 
the implementation of career and technical education 
programs and programs of study and that result in 
increasing student achievement of the local levels of 
performance established under section 113, which may 
include— 
‘‘(A) a curriculum aligned with the require-
ments for a program of study; 
‘‘(B) sustainable relationships among edu-
cation, business and industry, and other commu-
nity stakeholders, including industry or sector 
partnerships in the local area, where applicable,
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that are designed to facilitate the process of con-
tinuously updating and aligning programs of 
study with skills that are in demand in the 
State, regional, or local economy, and in collabo-
ration with business outreach staff in one-stop 
centers, as defined in section 3 of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3102), and other appropriate organizations, in-
cluding community-based and youth-serving or-
ganizations; 
‘‘(C) where appropriate, expanding oppor-
tunities for CTE concentrators to participate in 
accelerated learning programs (as described in 
section 4104(b)(3)(A)(i)(IV) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7114(b)(3)(A)(i)(IV)), including dual or 
concurrent enrollment programs, early college 
high schools, and the development or implemen-
tation of articulation agreements as part of a ca-
reer and technical education program of study; 
‘‘(D) appropriate equipment, technology, 
and instructional materials (including support 
for library resources) aligned with business and 
industry needs, including machinery, testing 
equipment, tools, implements, hardware and soft-
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ware, and other new and emerging instructional 
materials; 
‘‘(E) a continuum of work-based learning 
opportunities, including simulated work environ-
ments; 
‘‘(F) industry-recognized certification ex-
aminations or other assessments leading toward 
a recognized postsecondary credential; 
‘‘(G) efforts to recruit and retain career and 
technical education program teachers, faculty, 
school leaders, administrators, specialized in-
structional support personnel, career guidance 
and academic counselors, and paraprofessionals; 
‘‘(H) where applicable, coordination with 
other education and workforce development pro-
grams and initiatives, including career path-
ways and sector partnerships developed under 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) and other Federal laws 
and initiatives that provide students with tran-
sition-related services, including the Individuals 
with Disabilities Education Act; 
‘‘(I) expanding opportunities for students to 
participate in distance career and technical edu-
cation and blended-learning programs;
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‘‘(J) expanding opportunities for students to 
participate in competency-based education pro-
grams; 
‘‘(K) improving career guidance and aca-
demic counseling programs that assist students 
in making informed academic and career and 
technical education decisions, including aca-
demic and financial aid counseling; 
‘‘(L) supporting the integration of employ-
ability skills into career and technical education 
programs and programs of study, including 
through family and consumer science programs; 
‘‘(M) supporting programs and activities 
that increase access, student engagement, and 
success in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics fields (including computer science 
and architecture) for students who are members 
of groups underrepresented in such subject fields; 
‘‘(N) providing career and technical edu-
cation, in a school or other educational setting, 
for adults or out-of-school youth to complete sec-
ondary school education or upgrade technical 
skills; 
‘‘(O) supporting career and technical stu-
dent organizations, including student prepara-
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tion for and participation in technical skills 
competitions aligned with career and technical 
education program standards and curricula; 
‘‘(P) making all forms of instructional con-
tent widely available, which may include use of 
open educational resources; 
‘‘(Q) supporting the integration of arts and 
design skills, when appropriate, into career and 
technical education programs and programs of 
study; 
‘‘(R) partnering with a qualified inter-
mediary to improve training, the development of 
public-private partnerships, systems develop-
ment, capacity-building, and scalability of the 
delivery of high-quality career and technical edu-
cation; 
‘‘(S) support to reduce or eliminate out-of- 
pocket expenses for special populations partici-
pating in career and technical education, includ-
ing those participating in dual or concurrent en-
rollment programs or early college high school 
programs, and supporting the costs associated 
with fees, transportation, child care, or mobility 
challenges for those special populations; or
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‘‘(T) other activities to improve career and 
technical education programs; and 
‘‘(6) develop and implement evaluations of the 
activities carried out with funds under this part, in-
cluding evaluations necessary to complete the com-
prehensive needs assessment required under section 
134(c) and the local report required under section 
113(b)(4)(B). 
‘‘(c) POOLING FUNDS.—An eligible recipient may pool 
a portion of funds received under this Act with a portion 
of funds received under this Act available to one or more 
eligible recipients to support implementation of programs 
of study through the activities described in subsection 
(b)(2). 
‘‘(d) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Each eligible recipient 
receiving funds under this part shall not use more than 5 
percent of such funds for costs associated with the adminis-
tration of activities under this section.’’. 
TITLE II—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 201. FEDERAL AND STATE ADMINISTRATIVE PROVI-
SIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Act (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) 
is amended— 
(1) in section 311—
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(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘and tech 
prep program activities’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in paragraph (1)— 
(I) by amending subparagraph 
(A) to read as follows: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), (C), or (D), in order for a 
State to receive its full allotment of funds under 
this Act for any fiscal year, the Secretary must 
find that the State’s fiscal effort per student, or 
the aggregate expenditures of such State, with re-
spect to career and technical education for the 
preceding fiscal year was not less than the fiscal 
effort per student, or the aggregate expenditures 
of such State, for the second preceding fiscal 
year.’’; 
(II) in subparagraph (B), by 
striking ‘‘shall exclude capital expendi-
tures, special 1-time project costs, and 
the cost of pilot programs.’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘shall, at the request of the State, 
exclude competitive or incentive-based 
programs established by the State, cap-
ital 
expenditures, 
special 
one-time