132
(3) the terms ‘‘community’’, ‘‘public’’, and ‘‘ad-
vocacy group’’ are to be interpreted to include rep-
resentatives of organizations advocating for the edu-
cation of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Na-
tive Hawaiian children and Indian tribes;
(4) the term ‘‘content standards’’ means broad
descriptions of the knowledge and skills students
should acquire in a particular subject area;
(5) the term ‘‘Governor’’ means the chief execu-
tive of the State;
(6) the terms ‘‘local educational agency’’ and
‘‘State educational agency’’ have the meaning given
those terms in section 1471 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965;
(7) the term ‘‘opportunity-to-learn standards’’
means the criteria for, and the basis of, assessing
the sufficiency or quality of the resources, practices,
and conditions necessary at each level of the edu-
cation system (schools, local educational agencies,
and States) to provide all students with an oppor-
tunity to learn the material in national or State con-
tent standards.
(8) the term ‘‘outlying areas’’ means Guam,
American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau
133
(until the effective date of the Compact of Free As-
sociation with the Government of Palau);
(9) the term ‘‘performance standards’’ means
concrete examples and explicit definitions of what
students have to know and be able to do to dem-
onstrate that they are proficient in the skills and
knowledge framed by content standards;
(10) the term ‘‘related services’’ has the same
meaning given such term under section 602(17) of
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
(11) the term ‘‘school’’ means a school that is
under the authority of the State educational agency
and a local educational agency or, for the purpose of
carrying out section 314(b), a school that is oper-
ated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
(12) the term ‘‘Secretary’’, except where used
in title IV, means the Secretary of Education; and
(13) except as otherwise provided, the term
‘‘State’’ means each of the 50 States, the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
each of the outlying areas.
SEC. 502. LIMITATIONS.
(a) ASSESSMENTS.—No funds provided under titles
II or III of this Act shall be used to undertake assess-
ments that will be used to make decisions regarding the
134
graduation, grade promotion, or retention of students for
five years after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) PUBLIC SCHOOL.—Nothing in this Act shall be
construed to authorize the use of funds under title III (ex-
cept as provided in section 310) to directly or indirectly
benefit any school other than a public school.
SEC. 503. ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS AC-
TIVITIES.
Section 421(h) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and
Applied Technology Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2421(h))
is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(h)’’; and
(2) by inserting at the end the following:
‘‘(2)(A) Notwithstanding any provision of section 406
of the General Education Provisions Act, the Commis-
sioner of Education Statistics may authorize a State edu-
cational agency or a consortium of such agencies to use
items and data from the National Assessment of Edu-
cational Progress for the purpose of evaluating a course
of study related to vocational education, if the Commis-
sioner has determined, in writing, that such use will not—
‘‘(i) result in the identification of characteristics
or performance of individual students or schools;
‘‘(ii) result in the ranking or comparing of
schools or local educational agencies;
135
‘‘(iii) be used to evaluate the performance of
teachers, principals, or other local educators for the
purpose of dispensing rewards or punishments; or
‘‘(iv) corrupt or harm the use and value of data
collected for the National Assessment of Educational
Progress.
‘‘(B) Not later than 60 days after making an author-
ization under subsection (a), the Commissioner shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the
House of Representatives and to the Committee on Labor
and Human Resources of the Senate, a report which con-
tains—
‘‘(i) a copy of the request for such authoriza-
tion;
‘‘(ii) a copy of the written determination under
subsection (a); and
‘‘(iii) a description of the details and duration
of such authorization.
‘‘(C) The Commissioner may not grant more than one
such authorization in any fiscal year and shall ensure that
the authorized use of items or data from the National As-
sessment is evaluated for technical merit and for its affect
on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The
results of such evaluations shall be promptly reported to
the committees specified in subparagraph (B).’’.
136
TITLE VI—PARENTAL INFORMA-
TION AND RESOURCE CEN-
TERS
SEC. 601. PARENTAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCE CEN-
TERS.
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Education is
authorized to make grants each year to private, nonprofit
organizations for the purpose of providing training and in-
formation to parents of children enrolled in participating
schools and to individuals who work with such parents to
encourage a more effective working relationship with pro-
fessionals in meeting the educational needs of children en-
rolled in participating schools.
(b) GRANTS.—Such grants shall—
(1) be designed to meet the unique training and
information needs of parents of children enrolled in
participating schools, particularly parents who are
severely disadvantaged educationally or economically;
(2) be distributed geographically to the greatest
extent possible throughout all the States and give
priority to grants which serve areas with high con-
centrations of low-income families;
(3) be targeted to parents of children enrolled
in participating schools in rural, suburban, and
urban areas;
137
(4) serve parents of low-income and minority
children enrolled in participating schools, including
limited-English-proficient children; and
(5) be funded at a sufficient size, scope, and
quality to ensure that the program is adequate to
serve the parents in the area.
SEC. 602. ELIGIBILITY.
(a) REPRESENTATION.—To receive a grant under
section 601, a private, nonprofit organization shall meet
the following requirements:
(1) Be governed by a board of directors in
which the membership includes, or be an organiza-
tion that represents the interests of, parents and es-
tablish a special governing committee in which the
membership includes—
(A) a majority of parents of children en-
rolled in participating schools; and
(B) representation of education profes-
sionals with expertise in improving services for
disadvantaged children.
(2) Provide that the parent and professional
membership of the board or special governing com-
mittee is broadly representative of minority, low-in-
come, and other individuals and groups that have an
138
interest in compensatory education and family lit-
eracy.
(3) Demonstrate the capacity and expertise to
conduct effective training and information activities
for which a grant may be made.
(4) Network with clearinghouses, other organi-
zations and agencies, and with other established na-
tional, State, and local parent groups representing
the full range of parents of children enrolled in par-
ticipating schools, especially parents of low-income
and minority children.
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Board of Directors or spe-
cial governing committee of an organization receiving a
grant under this title shall meet at least once each cal-
endar quarter to review the parent training and informa-
tion activities for which the grant is made.
(c) GRANT RENEWAL.—Whenever an organization
requests the renewal of a grant under section 601 for a
fiscal year, the Board of Directors or the special governing
committee shall submit to the Secretary a written review
of the parent training and information program conducted
by such organization during the preceding fiscal year.
SEC. 603. USES OF FUNDS.
Grants received under this title may be used—
139
(1) for parent training and information pro-
grams that assist parents to—
(A) better understand their children’s edu-
cational needs;
(B) provide follow up support for their
children’s educational achievement;
(C) communicate more effectively with
teachers, counselors, administrators, and other
professional educators and support staff;
(D) participate in the design and provision
of assistance to students who are not making
adequate progress;
(E) obtain information about the range of
options, programs, services, and resources avail-
able at the national, State, and local levels to
assist children enrolled in participating schools
and their parents;
(F) seek technical assistance regarding
compliance with the requirements of this Act
and of other Federal programs relevant to
achieving the goals of this Act;
(G) participate in State and local decision-
making; and
(H) train other parents;
140
(2) to include State or local educational person-
nel where such participation would further an objec-
tive of the program assisted by the grant; and
(3) to establish a parent training and informa-
tion center to carry out the activities in paragraphs
(1) and (2) and to represent parent interests at the
State level, including participation in the design of
the public outreach process described in section
306(b)(6), submitting recommendations concerning
State standards and plans, and commenting on pro-
posed waivers under this Act.
SEC. 604. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
The Secretary shall provide technical assistance, by
grant or contract, for the establishment, development, and
coordination of parent training and information programs
and centers.
SEC. 605. EXPERIMENTAL CENTERS.
After the establishment in each State of a parent
training and information center, the Secretary shall pro-
vide for the establishment of 5 additional experimental
centers, 3 to be located in urban areas and 2 in rural areas
where there are large concentrations of poverty.
SEC. 606. REPORTS.
Not later than June 30, 1995, and not later than
June 30 each succeeding year, the Secretary shall obtain
141
data concerning programs and centers assisted under this
title, including—
(1) the number of parents, including the num-
ber of minority and limited-English-proficient par-
ents, who receive information and training;
(2) the types and modes of information or
training provided; and
(3) the strategies used to reach and serve par-
ents of minority and limited-English-proficient chil-
dren and parents with limited literacy skills.
SEC. 607. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000
for fiscal year 1994 and such sums as may be necessary
for each of the fiscal years 1995 through 1998.
Æ
HR 3210 IH——2
HR 3210 IH——3
HR 3210 IH——4
HR 3210 IH——5
HR 3210 IH——6
HR 3210 IH——7
HR 3210 IH——8
HR 3210 IH——9
HR 3210 IH——10