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That this Act may be cited as the ‘‘Career Preparation
Education Reform Act of 1995’’.
TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO THE CARL D. PER-
KINS VOCATIONAL AND APPLIED TECH-
NOLOGY EDUCATION ACT
AMENDMENT TO THE ACT
SEC. 101. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Ap-
plied Technology Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.;
hereinafter referred to as ‘‘the Act’’) is amended in its
entirety to read as follows:
‘‘SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS
‘‘SECTION 1. (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be
cited as the ‘Carl D. Perkins Career Preparation Edu-
cation Act’.
‘‘(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents
for this Act is as follows:
‘‘TABLE OF CONTENTS
‘‘Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
‘‘Sec. 2. Declaration of policy, findings, and purpose.
‘‘Sec. 3. Authorization of appropriations.
‘‘TITLE I—PREPARING STUDENTS FOR CAREERS
‘‘PART A—IMPROVING STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS
‘‘Sec. 101. Priorities.
‘‘Sec. 102. State leadership activities.
‘‘Sec. 103. Local activities.
‘‘Sec. 104. Combination of funds.
‘‘Sec. 105. State plans.
‘‘Sec. 106. State administration.
‘‘Sec. 107. Local applications.
‘‘Sec. 108. Performance goals and indicators.
‘‘Sec. 109. Evaluation, improvement, and accountability.
‘‘PART B—ALLOCATING STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES
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‘‘Sec. 111. Allotments.
‘‘Sec. 112. Within-State allocation.
‘‘Sec. 113. Distribution of funds.
‘‘TITLE II—NATIONAL SUPPORT FOR STATE AND LOCAL
REFORMS
‘‘Sec. 201. Awards for excellence.
‘‘Sec. 202. National activities.
‘‘Sec. 203. National assessment.
‘‘Sec. 204. National research center.
‘‘Sec. 205. Data systems.
‘‘Sec. 206. Career preparation for Indians and Native Hawaiians.
‘‘TITLE III—GENERAL PROVISIONS
‘‘Sec. 301. Waivers.
‘‘Sec. 302. Effect of Federal payments.
‘‘Sec. 303. Identification of State-imposed requirements.
‘‘Sec. 304. Out-of-State relocations.
‘‘Sec. 305. Definitions.
‘‘DECLARATION OF POLICY, FINDINGS, AND PURPOSE
‘‘SEC. 2. (a) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—The Con-
gress declares it to be the policy of the United States that,
in order to meet new economic challenges brought about
by changing technologies and increasing international eco-
nomic competition, the Nation must put in place a system
that enables all students to obtain the education needed
to pursue productive and adaptable careers.
‘‘(b) DECLARATION
OF FINDINGS.—The Congress
finds that—
‘‘(1) although employment and earnings in-
creasingly depend on educational attainment and the
ability to acquire and transfer skills among jobs in
broad clusters of occupations or industry sectors, a
majority of high school graduates in the United
States lack sufficient curriculum focus to prepare
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them for completing a two-year or four-year college
degree or for entering careers with a high-skill, high-
wage potential;
‘‘(2) enactment of the Goals 2000: Educate
America Act has helped to establish a new frame-
work for education reform, based on challenging
State academic standards and industry-based skill
standards for all students;
‘‘(3) enactment of the School-to-Work Opportu-
nities Act of 1994 has helped to catalyze the devel-
opment, in all States, of statewide systems offering
opportunities for all students to participate in
school-based, work-based, and connecting activities
leading to postsecondary education, further learning,
and first jobs in high-skill, high-wage careers;
‘‘(4) the GI Bill for America’s Workers, of
which this Act is a key component, will further
strengthen the capacity of States, schools, and busi-
nesses, working together, to upgrade the skills of
youth and to prepare them for high-wage careers;
‘‘(5) local, State, and national programs sup-
ported under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and
Applied Technology Education Act have assisted
many students in obtaining occupational and aca-
demic skills, as well as employment, but now these
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programs must become part of the larger reforms
taking place under the School-to-Work Opportunities
Act of 1994;
‘‘(6) when properly aligned with related Federal
statutes and the broader reforms that States and lo-
calities carry out under the Goals 2000: Educate
America Act, this Act can enhance the capacity of
States to establish school-to-work opportunities sys-
tems that serve all students, enable a greater num-
ber of students to achieve to challenging State aca-
demic standards and industry-based skill standards,
and contribute to enabling all Americans to prosper
in a highly competitive, technological economy;
‘‘(7) certain individuals (including students with
disabilities, educationally or economically disadvan-
taged students, students of limited English pro-
ficiency, incarcerated youth, migrant children, foster
children, school dropouts, and women) often face
great challenges in acquiring the academic knowl-
edge and occupational skills needed for successful
employment and thus may need special assistance
and services to allow them to participate fully in ca-
reer preparation activities;
‘‘(8) Federal resources currently support a
maze of employment-related education and training
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programs that are often focused on specific content
areas or populations, have conflicting or overlapping
requirements, and are not administered in an inte-
grated manner, thus inhibiting the capacity of State
and local administrators to implement programs that
meet the needs of individual States and localities;
‘‘(9) the Federal Government can—through a
performance partnership with States and localities
based on clear programmatic goals, increased State
and local flexibility, improved accountability, and
performance goals, indicators, and incentives—pro-
vide to States and localities financial assistance for
the expansion of school-to-work opportunities sys-
tems in all States, as well as for services and activi-
ties that ensure that all students, including students
with special needs, have full access to the programs
offered through those systems; and
‘‘(10) the Federal Government can also assist
States and localities by carrying out nationally sig-
nificant research, development, demonstration, dis-
semination, evaluation, capacity-building, data col-
lection, training, and technical assistance activities
that support State and local efforts to implement
successfully services and activities that are funded
under this Act, as well as to implement State and
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local career preparation activities that are supported
with their own resources.
‘‘(c) DECLARATION OF PURPOSE.—The purpose of
this Act is to assist all students, through a performance
partnership with States and localities, to acquire the
knowledge and skills they need to meet challenging State
academic standards and industry-based skill standards
and to prepare for postsecondary education, further learn-
ing, and a wide range of opportunities in high-skill, high-
wage careers. This purpose shall be pursued through sup-
port for State and local efforts that—
‘‘(1) build on the efforts of States and localities
under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, as well
as the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and other
legislation;
‘‘(2) integrate reforms of vocational education
with overall State reforms of academic preparation
in schools;
‘‘(3) promote, in particular, the development of
activities and services that integrate academic and
occupational instruction, link secondary and post-
secondary education, link school-based and work-
based learning, coordinate efforts for in-school and
out-of-school youth, and enable students to complete
career majors in broad occupational clusters;
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‘‘(4) increase State and local flexibility in pro-
viding services and activities designed to develop, im-
plement, and improve school-to-work opportunities
systems, as well as integrating these services and ac-
tivities with services and activities supported with
other Federal, State, and local funds, such as those
under the Job Training Partnership Act, in ex-
change for clear accountability for results;
‘‘(5) provide all students, including students
who are members of special populations, with the op-
portunity to participate in the full range of career
preparation services and activities; and
‘‘(6) benefit from national research, develop-
ment, demonstration, dissemination, evaluation, ca-
pacity-building, data collection, training, and tech-
nical assistance activities supporting the develop-
ment, implementation, and improvement of school-
to-work opportunities systems.
‘‘AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
‘‘SEC. 3. (a) STATE AND LOCAL ACTIVITIES.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out title I, sec-
tion 201, section 206(a), and section 206(d) of this Act
$1,141,088,000 for the fiscal year 1996 and such sums
as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1997
through 2005.
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‘‘(b) NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out title II, except sections
201, 206(a), and 206(d) of this Act, $37,000,000 for the
fiscal year 1996 and such sums as may be necessary for
each of the fiscal years 1997 through 2005.
‘‘TITLE I—PREPARING STUDENTS FOR
CAREERS
‘‘PART A—IMPROVING STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS
‘‘PRIORITIES
‘‘SEC. 101. In order to prepare students for a wide
range of opportunities in high-skill, high-wage careers,
funds under this title shall be used to support the develop-
ment, implementation, and improvement of school-to-work
opportunities systems in secondary and postsecondary
schools, as set forth in title I of the School-to-Work Op-
portunities Act of 1994. States and local recipients shall
give priority to services and activities designed to—
‘‘(1) ensure that all students, including stu-
dents who are members of special populations, have
the opportunity to achieve to challenging State aca-
demic standards and industry-based skill standards;
‘‘(2) promote the integration of academic and
vocational education;
‘‘(3) support career majors in broad occupa-
tional clusters or industry sectors;
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‘‘(4) effectively link secondary and postsecond-
ary education;
‘‘(5) provide students, to the extent possible,
with strong experience in, and understanding of, all
aspects of the industry they are preparing to enter;
‘‘(6) combine school-based and work-based in-
struction, including instruction in general workplace
competencies;
‘‘(7) 
provide 
school-site 
and 
workplace
mentoring; and
‘‘(8) provide career guidance and counseling for
students at the earliest possible age, including the
provision of career awareness, exploration, and guid-
ance information to students and their parents that
is, to the extent possible, in a language and form
that the students and their parents understand.
‘‘STATE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES
‘‘SEC. 102. Each State that receives a grant under
this title shall, from amounts reserved for State leadership
activities under section 112(c), conduct services and activi-
ties that further the development, implementation, and im-
provement of its statewide school-to-work opportunities
system and that are integrated, to the maximum extent
possible, with broader educational reforms underway in
the State as well as activities the State carries out under
the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the School-to-Work
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Opportunities Act of 1994, title II of the Job Training
Partnership Act, and the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965, including such activities as—
‘‘(1) providing comprehensive professional de-
velopment for vocational teachers, academic teach-
ers, and career guidance personnel that—
‘‘(A) will help such teachers and personnel
to meet the goals established by the State
under section 108; and
‘‘(B) reflects the State’s assessment of its
needs for professional development, as deter-
mined under section 2205(b)(2)(C) the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and
is integrated with the professional development
activities that the State carries out under title
II of that Act;
‘‘(2) developing and disseminating curricula
that are aligned, as appropriate, with challenging
State academic standards and industry-based skill
standards;
‘‘(3) monitoring and evaluating the quality of,
and improvement in, services and activities con-
ducted with assistance under this Act;
‘‘(4) promoting equity in secondary and post-
secondary education and, to the maximum extent
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possible, ensuring opportunities for all students, in-
cluding students who are members of special popu-
lations, as well as single parents and single, preg-
nant women, to participate in education activities
that are free from sexual and other harassment and
that lead to high-skill, high-wage careers;
‘‘(5) improving career guidance and counseling
for students, including use of one-stop career cen-
ters;
‘‘(6) expanding and improving the use of edu-
cational technology;
‘‘(7) supporting partnerships of local edu-
cational agencies, institutions of higher education,
and, as appropriate, other entities, such as employ-
ers, labor organizations, and community-based orga-
nizations, to provide models, such as youth develop-
ment partnerships as described in section 202(a)(3)
and tech-prep education, for enabling all students,
including students who are members of special popu-
lations, to achieve to challenging State academic
standards and industry-based skill standards;
‘‘(8) promoting the dissemination and use of oc-
cupational information, including use of one-stop ca-
reer centers;
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‘‘(9) providing financial incentives or awards to
one or more local recipients in recognition of exem-
plary quality or innovation in education services and
activities, or exemplary services and activities for
students who are members of special populations, as
determined by the State through a peer review proc-
ess, using performance goals and indicators de-
scribed in section 108 or other appropriate criteria;
‘‘(10) supporting vocational student organiza-
tions, especially with respect to efforts to increase
the participation of students who are members of
special populations in such organizations;
‘‘(11) serving special populations and individ-
uals in State institutions, such as State correctional
institutions and institutions that serve individuals
with disabilities.
‘‘LOCAL ACTIVITIES
‘‘SEC. 103. (a) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.—Each
local recipient that receives a subgrant under this title
shall use funds to—
‘‘(1) conduct services and activities that further
the development, implementation, and improvement
of the school-to-work opportunities system in the
State;
‘‘(2) provide services and activities that are of
sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective; and
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‘‘(3) focus assistance under this title on schools
or campuses that serve the highest numbers or per-
centages of students who are members of special
populations.
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Each local recipient
that receives a subgrant under this title may use funds
to—
‘‘(1) provide services and activities that promote
the priorities described in section 101, such as—
‘‘(A) developing curricula, including estab-
lishing and expanding career majors;
‘‘(B) acquiring and adapting equipment,
including instructional aids;
‘‘(C) providing professional development
activities;
‘‘(D) providing services, directly or through
community-based organizations, such as cur-
riculum modification, equipment modification,
classroom modification, supportive personnel,
instructional aids and devices, guidance, career
information, English language instruction, and
child care, to meet the education needs of stu-
dents who are members of special populations;
‘‘(E) providing tech-prep education services
and activities;
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‘‘(F) carrying out activities that ensure ac-
tive and continued involvement of business and
labor in the development, implementation, and
improvement of a school-to-work opportunities
system in the State;
‘‘(G) matching students with the work-
based learning opportunities of employers; and
‘‘(H) providing assistance to students who
have participated in services and activities
under this Act in finding an appropriate job
and continuing their education and training;
and
‘‘(2) carry out other services and activities that
meet the purpose of this Act.
‘‘(c) EVALUATION ACTIVITIES.—In order to improve
educational practices and performance of all students, in-
cluding students who are members of special populations,
each local recipient that receives a subgrant under this
title may use such funds to carry out the evaluation under
section 109(a)(1) or 109(a)(2).
‘‘(d) EQUIPMENT.—Equipment acquired or adapted
with funds under this title may be used for other instruc-
tional purposes when not being used to carry out this title
if such acquisition or adaptation was reasonable and nec-
essary for providing services or activities under this title
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and such other use is incidental to, does not interfere with,
and does not add to the cost of, the use of such equipment
under this title.
‘‘COMBINATION OF FUNDS
‘‘SEC. 104. (a) IN GENERAL.—In order to develop,
implement, and improve school-to-work opportunities sys-
tems, States and local recipients that are assisted under
this Act may combine funds from programs listed in sub-
section (e) in accordance with subsections (b) through (d).
‘‘(b) STATE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES.—A State may
combine funds authorized under section 112(c) with funds
available for State leadership activities under one or more
of the programs listed in subsection (e) in order to carry
out State leadership activities that are authorized under
this title as well as under such other program or pro-
grams.
‘‘(c) LOCAL ACTIVITIES.—A local recipient may com-
bine funds authorized under section 112(a) with funds
available for services and activities related to the develop-
ment, implementation, or improvement of school-to-work
opportunities systems in one or more of the programs list-
ed in subsection (e) in order to provide services and activi-
ties that are authorized under this title as well as under
such other program or programs.
‘‘(d) ADMINISTRATION.—Nothing in this section shall
be construed to—
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‘‘(1) require a State or local recipient under
this Act to maintain separate records tracing any
services or activities conducted with funds combined
under this section to the individual program or pro-
grams listed in subsection (e) under which funds
were authorized; or
‘‘(2) waive or amend any requirement of the
programs listed in subsection (e), except as author-
ized in section 301.
‘‘(e) INCLUDED PROGRAMS.—Funds may be com-
bined for programs, services, or activities authorized
under—
‘‘(1) this Act;
‘‘(2) the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of
1994;
‘‘(3) the Goals 2000: Educate America Act;
‘‘(4) the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965; and
‘‘(5) the Job Training Partnership Act.
‘‘STATE PLANS
‘‘SEC. 105. (a) STATE PLAN.—Any State desiring to
receive a grant under section 111(f) for any fiscal year
shall submit to, or have on file with, the Secretary a five-
year State plan in accordance with this section. The State
may submit its State plan as part of a comprehensive plan
that may include State plan provisions under the Goals
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2000: Educate America Act, the School-to-Work Opportu-
nities Act of 1994, section 14302 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Job Training Part-
nership Act, and any other Federal education and training
program. If the State has an approved State plan under
section 213(d) of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act
of 1994, it shall base its plan under this section on that
plan. If the State does not have an approved plan under
section 213(d) of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act
of 1994, it shall base its plan under this section on an
objective assessment of its progress in developing, imple-
menting, and improving its school-to-work opportunities
system and in meeting the priorities described in section
101.
‘‘(b) APPROVALS.—(1) Notwithstanding the designa-
tion of the responsible agency or agencies under section
112, the agencies that shall approve the State plan under
subsection (a) are—
‘‘(A) the State educational agency; and
‘‘(B) each of the State agencies responsible for
higher education (including community colleges) that
the State chooses.
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall approve a State plan under
subsection (a) if the plan meets the requirements of this
section and is of sufficient quality to meet the purpose
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of this Act. The Secretary shall establish a peer review
process to make recommendations regarding approval of
the State plan and revisions to the plan. The Secretary
shall not finally disapprove a State plan before giving the
State reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—(1) In developing and imple-
menting its plan under subsection (a), and any revisions
under subsection (f), the State shall consult widely with
individuals, employers, and organizations in the State that
have an interest in education and training, such as those
described in section 213(d)(5) of the School-to-Work Op-
portunities Act of 1994, and individuals, employers, and
organizations that have an interest in education and train-
ing for students who are members of special populations.
‘‘(2) The State educational agency shall submit the
State plan under this section, and any revisions to the
State plan under subsection (f), to the Governor for review
and comment and shall ensure that any comments the
Governor may have are included with the State plan or
revision when the State plan or revision is submitted to
the Secretary.
‘‘(d) CONTENTS.—(1) Each State plan under sub-
section (a) shall describe how the State will use funds
under this title to—
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‘‘(A) develop, implement, or improve the state-
wide school-to-work opportunities system and ad-
dress the priorities described in section 101;
‘‘(B) ensure that all students, including stu-
dents who are members of special populations, have
the opportunity to achieve to challenging State aca-
demic standards and industry-based skill standards
and will be prepared for postsecondary education,
further learning, and entrance into high-skill, high-
wage careers;
‘‘(C) establish performance goals and indicators
described in section 108;
‘‘(D) further the State’s approved State plan
under section 213(d) of the School-to-Work Oppor-
tunities Act of 1994 or address the needs identified
in the State’s objective assessment of its progress in
developing, implementing, and improving its school-
to-work opportunities system; and
‘‘(E) carry out State leadership activities under
section 102.
‘‘(2) Each State plan under subsection (a) shall also
describe how the State will integrate its services and ac-
tivities under this title with broad educational reforms in
the State, including those under the Goals 2000: Educate
America Act and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of