(2) by redesignating subsection (d), and sub-
section (e) (as added by subsection (c)(1)), as sub-
sections (c) and (d), respectively. 
(e) CLARIFICATION OF USE OF FUNDS FOR STU-
DENT ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE.—Section 3007(c) (sec. 38– 
1853.07(c), D.C. Official Code), as redesignated by sub-
section (d)(2), is amended by striking ‘‘previously at-
tended’’ and all that follows through the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘previously attended an elementary school 
or secondary school identified as one of the lowest-per-
forming schools under the District of Columbia’s account-
ability system.’’. 
SEC. 8. PROGRAM EVALUATION. 
(a) REVISION OF EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND 
REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 3009(a) (sec. 38– 
1853.09(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) DUTIES
OF
THE
SECRETARY
AND
THE 
MAYOR.—The Secretary and the Mayor of the Dis-
trict of Columbia shall— 
‘‘(A) jointly enter into an agreement with 
the Institute of Education Sciences of the De-
partment of Education to evaluate annually the
opportunity scholarship program under this di-
vision; 
‘‘(B) jointly enter into an agreement to 
monitor and evaluate the use of funds author-
ized and appropriated for the District of Co-
lumbia public schools and the District of Co-
lumbia public charter schools under this divi-
sion; and 
‘‘(C) make the evaluations described in 
subparagraphs (A) and (B) public in accord-
ance with subsection (c). 
‘‘(2) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—The Sec-
retary, through a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement, shall— 
‘‘(A) ensure that the evaluation under 
paragraph (1)(A)— 
‘‘(i) is conducted using an acceptable 
quasi-experimental research design for de-
termining the effectiveness of the oppor-
tunity scholarship program under this divi-
sion that does not use a control study 
group consisting of students who applied 
for but did not receive opportunity scholar-
ships; and
‘‘(ii) addresses the issues described in 
paragraph (4); and 
‘‘(B) disseminate information on the im-
pact of the program— 
‘‘(i) in increasing academic achieve-
ment and educational attainment of par-
ticipating eligible students who use an op-
portunity scholarship; and 
‘‘(ii) on students and schools in the 
District of Columbia. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES
OF
THE
INSTITUTE
OF
EDU-
CATION
SCIENCES.—The Institute of Education 
Sciences of the Department of Education shall— 
‘‘(A) assess participating eligible students 
who use an opportunity scholarship in each of 
grades 3 through 8, as well as one of the grades 
at the high school level, by supervising the ad-
ministration of the same reading and mathe-
matics assessment used by the District of Co-
lumbia public schools to comply with section 
1111(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)); 
‘‘(B) measure the academic achievement of 
all participating eligible students who use an
opportunity scholarship in the grades described 
in subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(C) work with eligible entities receiving a 
grant under this division to ensure that the par-
ents of each student who is a participating eli-
gible student that uses an opportunity scholar-
ship agrees to permit their child to participate 
in the evaluations and assessments carried out 
by the Institute of Education Sciences under 
this subsection. 
‘‘(4) ISSUES TO BE EVALUATED.—The issues to 
be evaluated under paragraph (1)(A) shall include 
the following: 
‘‘(A) A comparison of the academic 
achievement of participating eligible students 
who use an opportunity scholarship on the 
measurements described in paragraph (3)(B) to 
the academic achievement of a comparison 
group of students with similar backgrounds in 
the District of Columbia public schools. 
‘‘(B) The success of the program under 
this division in expanding choice options for 
parents of participating eligible students and 
increasing the satisfaction of such parents and 
students with their choice.
‘‘(C) The reasons parents of participating 
eligible students choose for their children to 
participate in the program, including important 
characteristics for selecting schools. 
‘‘(D) A comparison of the retention rates, 
high school graduation rates, college enrollment 
rates, college persistence rates, and college 
graduation rates of participating eligible stu-
dents who use an opportunity scholarship with 
the rates of students in the comparison group 
described in subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(E) A comparison of the college enroll-
ment rates, college persistence rates, and col-
lege graduation rates of students who partici-
pated in the program in 2004, 2005, 2011, 
2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 as the result of 
winning the Opportunity Scholarship Program 
lottery with such enrollment, persistence, and 
graduation rates for students who entered but 
did not win such lottery in those years and who, 
as a result, served as the control group for pre-
vious evaluations of the program under this di-
vision. Nothing in this subparagraph may be 
construed to waive section 3004(a)(3)(A)(iii) 
with respect to any such student.
‘‘(F) A comparison of the safety of the 
schools attended by participating eligible stu-
dents who use an opportunity scholarship and 
the schools in the District of Columbia attended 
by students in the comparison group described 
in subparagraph (A), based on the perceptions 
of the students and parents. 
‘‘(G) An assessment of student academic 
achievement at participating schools in which 
85 percent of the total number of students en-
rolled at the school are participating eligible 
students who receive and use an opportunity 
scholarship. 
‘‘(H) Such other issues with respect to 
participating eligible students who use an op-
portunity scholarship as the Secretary considers 
appropriate for inclusion in the evaluation, such 
as the impact of the program on public elemen-
tary schools and secondary schools in the Dis-
trict of Columbia. 
‘‘(5) PROHIBITING DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL 
INFORMATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any disclosure of per-
sonally identifiable information obtained under 
this division shall be in compliance with section
444 of the General Education Provisions Act 
(commonly known as the ‘Family Educational 
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974’) (20 U.S.C. 
1232g). 
‘‘(B) STUDENTS NOT ATTENDING PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS.—With respect to any student who is 
not attending a public elementary school or sec-
ondary school, personally identifiable informa-
tion obtained under this division shall only be 
disclosed to— 
‘‘(i) individuals carrying out the eval-
uation described in paragraph (1)(A) for 
such student; 
‘‘(ii) the group of individuals pro-
viding information for carrying out the 
evaluation of such student; and 
‘‘(iii) the parents of such student.’’. 
(2) TRANSITION OF EVALUATION.— 
(A) TERMINATION OF PREVIOUS EVALUA-
TIONS.—The Secretary of Education shall— 
(i) terminate the evaluations con-
ducted under section 3009(a) of the Schol-
arships for Opportunity and Results Act 
(sec. 38–1853.09(a), D.C. Official Code), 
as in effect on the day before the date of
(b) DUTY OF MAYOR TO ENSURE INSTITUTE HAS 
ALL INFORMATION NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT EVALUA-
TIONS.—Section 3011(a)(1) (sec. 38–1853.11(a)(1), D.C. 
Official Code) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) INFORMATION NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT 
EVALUATIONS.—Ensure that all District of Colum-
bia public schools and District of Columbia public 
charter schools make available to the Institute of 
Education Sciences of the Department of Education 
all of the information the Institute requires to carry 
out the assessments and perform the evaluations re-
quired under section 3009(a).’’. 
SEC. 9. FUNDING FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS. 
(a) MANDATORY WITHHOLDING
OF FUNDS
FOR 
FAILURE
TO
COMPLY
WITH
CONDITIONS.—Section 
3011(b) (sec. 38–1853.11(b), D.C. Official Code) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) ENFORCEMENT.—If, after reasonable notice and 
an opportunity for a hearing, the Secretary determines 
that the Mayor has failed to comply with any of the re-
quirements of subsection (a), the Secretary may withhold 
from the Mayor, in whole or in part— 
‘‘(1) the funds otherwise authorized to be ap-
propriated under section 3014(a)(2), if the failure to
comply relates to the District of Columbia public 
schools; 
‘‘(2) the funds otherwise authorized to be ap-
propriated under section 3014(a)(3), if the failure to 
comply relates to the District of Columbia public 
charter schools; or 
‘‘(3) the funds otherwise authorized to be ap-
propriated under both paragraphs (2) and (3) of 
section 3014(a), if the failure relates to both the 
District of Columbia public schools and the District 
of Columbia public charter schools.’’. 
(b) RULES FOR USE OF FUNDS PROVIDED FOR SUP-
PORT
OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.—Section 3011 
(sec. 38–1853.11, D.C. Official Code), as amended by sec-
tion 7(b) and section 8(a), is further amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub-
section (d); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(c) SPECIFIC RULES REGARDING FUNDS PROVIDED 
FOR SUPPORT OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.—The fol-
lowing rules shall apply with respect to the funds provided 
under this division for the support of District of Columbia 
public charter schools:
‘‘(1) The Secretary may direct the funds pro-
vided for any fiscal year, or any portion thereof, to 
the Office of the State Superintendent of Education 
of the District of Columbia. 
‘‘(2) The Office of the State Superintendent of 
Education of the District of Columbia may transfer 
the funds to subgrantees that are— 
‘‘(A) specific District of Columbia public 
charter schools or networks of such schools; or 
‘‘(B) District of Columbia-based nonprofit 
organizations with experience in successfully 
providing support or assistance to District of 
Columbia public charter schools or networks of 
such schools. 
‘‘(3) The funds provided under this division for 
the support of District of Columbia public charter 
schools shall be available to any District of Columbia 
public charter school in good standing with the Dis-
trict of Columbia Charter School Board, and the Of-
fice of the State Superintendent of Education of the 
District of Columbia and the District of Columbia 
Charter School Board may not restrict the avail-
ability of such funds to certain types of schools on 
the basis of the school’s location, governing body, or 
the school’s facilities.’’.
SEC. 10. REVISION OF CURRENT MEMORANDUM OF UNDER-
STANDING. 
Not later than the beginning of the 2017–2018 school 
year, the Secretary of Education and the Mayor of the 
District of Columbia shall revise the memorandum of un-
derstanding which is in effect under section 3012(d) of 
the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act as of 
the day before the date of the enactment of this Act to 
address the following: 
(1) The amendments made by this Act. 
(2) The need to ensure that participating 
schools under the Scholarships for Opportunity and 
Results Act meet fire code standards and maintain 
certificates of occupancy. 
(3) The need to ensure that District of Colum-
bia public schools and District of Columbia public 
charter schools meet the requirements under such 
Act to comply with all reasonable requests for infor-
mation necessary to carry out the evaluations re-
quired under section 3009(a) of such Act. 
SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 3013 (sec. 38–1853.13, D.C. Official Code) 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
(10) as paragraphs (2) through (11), respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (1), the following: 
‘‘(1) CORE SUBJECT MATTER.—The term ‘core 
subject matter’ means— 
‘‘(A) mathematics; 
‘‘(B) science; and 
‘‘(C) English, reading, or language arts.’’; 
and 
(3) in paragraph (4)(B)(ii), as redesignated by 
paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘household with a’’ be-
fore ‘‘student’’. 
SEC. 12. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3014 (sec. 38–1853.14, 
D.C. Official Code) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘and for each 
of the 4 succeeding fiscal years’’ and inserting ‘‘and 
for each fiscal year through fiscal year 2021’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated under 
subsection (a)(1), including amounts appropriated and 
available under such subsection before the date of enact-
ment of the SOAR Reauthorization Act, shall remain 
available until expended.’’.
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4901 
AN ACT 
To reauthorize the Scholarships for Opportunity 
and Results Act, and for other purposes.