‘‘(1) the term ‘eligible institution’ means an in-
stitution of higher education as such term is defined
in section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of
1965, a local educational agency serving adults, or
an area vocational education school serving adults
that offers or will offer a program that meets the re-
quirements of section 225 and seeks to receive as-
sistance under this part; and
‘‘(2) the term ‘Pell Grant’ means a recipient of
financial aid under subpart 1 of part A of title IV
of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
‘‘SEC. 223. SPECIAL RULES FOR VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL
EDUCATION.
‘‘(a) SPECIAL RULE FOR MINIMAL ALLOCATION.—
‘‘(1) GENERAL
AUTHORITY.—Notwithstanding
the provisions of sections 221 and 222 and in order
to make a more equitable distribution of funds for
programs serving the areas of greatest economic
need, for any program year for which a minimal
amount is made available by a State for distribution
under section 221 or 222, such State may distribute
such minimal amount for such year—
‘‘(A) on a competitive basis; or
‘‘(B) through any alternative method de-
termined by the State.
‘‘(2) MINIMAL AMOUNT.—For purposes of this
section, the term ‘minimal amount’ means not more
than 15 percent of the total amount made available
for distribution under this part.
‘‘(b) REDISTRIBUTION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In any academic year that
a local educational agency or eligible institution does
not expend all of the amounts it is allocated for such
year under section 221 or 222, such recipient shall
return any unexpended amounts to the State to be
reallocated under section 221 or 222, as appropriate.
‘‘(2) REDISTRIBUTION OF AMOUNTS RETURNED
LATE IN AN ACADEMIC YEAR.—In any academic year
in which amounts are returned to the State under
section 221 or 222 and the State is unable to reallo-
cate such amounts according to such sections in
time for such amounts to be expended in such aca-
demic year, the State shall retain such amounts for
distribution in combination with amounts provided
under this title for the following academic year.
‘‘(c) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in section 221 or 222
shall be construed—
‘‘(1) to prohibit a local educational agency (or
a consortium thereof) that receives assistance under
section 221, from working with an eligible recipient
(or consortium thereof) that receives assistance
under section 222, to carry out secondary school vo-
cational-technical education programs in accordance
with this title;
‘‘(2) to prohibit an eligible recipient (or consor-
tium thereof) that receives assistance under section
222, from working with a local educational agency
(or consortium thereof) that receives assistance
under section 221, to carry out postsecondary and
adult vocational-technical education programs in ac-
cordance with this title; or
‘‘(3) to require a charter school which provides
vocational-technical education programs and is a
local educational agency to jointly establish its eligi-
bility unless the charter school is explicitly permitted
to do so under the State’s charter school statute.
‘‘(d) CONSISTENT APPLICATION.—For purposes of
this section, the State board shall provide funds to charter
schools that offer vocational-technical education programs
that are public schools of the local educational agency in
the same manner as it provides those funds to other
schools of the local educational agency. Such vocational-
technical education program within a charter school shall
be of sufficient size, scope, and quality as to be effective.
‘‘SEC. 224. LOCAL APPLICATION FOR VOCATIONAL-TECH-
NICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
‘‘(a) APPLICATION REQUIRED.—Any eligible recipi-
ent desiring financial assistance under this part shall, in
accordance with requirements established by the State
board, submit an application to the State board. Such ap-
plication shall cover the same period of time as the period
of time applicable to the State application submitted under
section 112.
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—The State board shall determine
requirements for local applications, except that each appli-
cation shall—
‘‘(1) describe how the vocational-technical edu-
cation programs required under section 225(b) will
be carried out with funds received under this part;
‘‘(2) describe how students participating in vo-
cational-technical education programs carried out
with funds under this Act will reach the State
benchmarks as established under section 114;
‘‘(3) describe how the eligible recipient will—
‘‘(A) improve the academic and technical
skills of students participating in vocational-
technical education programs by strengthening
the academic and vocational components of
such programs through the integration of aca-
demics with vocational-technical education pro-
grams through a coherent sequence of courses
to ensure learning in the core academic and vo-
cational subjects; and
‘‘(B) ensure that students who participate
in such vocational-technical education programs
are taught to the same challenging academic
proficiencies as are provided for all other stu-
dents;
‘‘(4) describe how parents, students, teachers,
business and representatives of employees are in-
volved in the development, implementation, and eval-
uation of vocational-technical education programs
assisted under this Act, and how these individuals
are effectively informed about, and assisted in un-
derstanding, the requirements of this Act; and
‘‘(5) provide assurances that the eligible recipi-
ent will provide a vocational-technical education pro-
gram that is of such size, scope, and quality as to
bring about improvement in the quality of voca-
tional-technical education programs.
‘‘SEC. 225. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.
‘‘(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—Each eligible recipient
that receives a grant under this part shall use such funds
to improve vocational-technical education programs.
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR USES OF FUNDS.—Funds
made available under this part shall be used to support
vocational-technical education programs that—
‘‘(1) strengthen the academic and technical
skills of students participating in vocational-tech-
nical education programs by strengthening the aca-
demic and vocational components of such programs
through the integration of academics with voca-
tional-technical education programs through a coher-
ent sequence of courses to ensure learning in the
core academic and vocational subjects;
‘‘(2) develop, improve, or expand the use of
technology in vocational-technical education which
may include—
‘‘(A) training of vocational-technical edu-
cation personnel to use State-of-the art tech-
nology, which may include distance learning;
‘‘(B) providing vocational-technical edu-
cation students with the academic and technical
skills that lead to entry into the high technology
and telecommunications field; or
‘‘(C) encouraging schools to work with
high tech industries to offer voluntary intern-
ships and mentoring programs;
‘‘(3) provide professional development pro-
grams, including—
‘‘(A) inservice training in state-of-the-art
vocational-technical education programs and
techniques, effective teaching skills based on re-
search, and effective practices to improve pa-
rental and community involvement; and
‘‘(B) support of education programs for
teachers of vocational-technical education in
public schools and other public school personnel
who are involved in the direct delivery of edu-
cational services to vocational-technical edu-
cation students, to ensure that such teachers
stay current with the needs, expectations, and
methods of industry;
‘‘(4) support vocational-technical education pro-
grams that improve the academic and technical skills
of students participating in vocational-technical edu-
cation programs by strengthening the academic com-
ponent of such vocational-technical education pro-
grams through the integration of academics with vo-
cational-technical education to ensure learning in the
core academic subjects; and
‘‘(5) provide an assessment of the vocational-
technical education programs carried out with funds
‘‘SEC. 408. AUTHORIZATION OF SECRETARY.
‘‘For the purposes of increasing and expanding the
use of technology in vocational-technical education in-
struction, including the training of vocational-technical
education personnel as provided in title II, the Secretary
is authorized to receive funds collected by the Federal
Government from fees for the use of property, rights-of-
way, and easements under the control of Federal depart-
ments and agencies for the placement of telecommuni-
cations services that are dependent, in whole or in part,
upon the utilization of general spectrum rights for the
transmission or reception of such services.
‘‘SEC. 409. PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE SCHOOL PERSON-
NEL.
‘‘A State or local educational agency which uses
funds under this Act for inservice and preservice voca-
tional-technical education professional development pro-
grams for vocational-technical education teachers, admin-
istrators, and other personnel may, upon request, permit
the participation in such programs of vocational-technical
education teachers, administrators, and other personnel in
nonprofit private schools offering vocational-technical edu-
cation programs located in the geographical area served
by such agency.