196
(7) 
IMPROVING
UNITED
STATES
UNDER-
STANDING OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECH-
NOLOGY IN EAST ASIA.—Part F (20 U.S.C. 1862 
note). 
(8) WEB-BASED
EDUCATION
COMMISSION.—
Part J. 
(b) EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORIZATIONS AND STUD-
IES.—
(1) TRANSFER OF CREDIT.—Section 804(b) (20 
U.S.C. 1099b note) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘one year after the date of 
enactment of this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘Sep-
tember 30, 2006’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and policies of institu-
tions of higher education’’ after ‘‘agencies or 
associations’’. 
(2) COHORT DEFAULT RATE STUDY.—Section 
806 is amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘higher 
education at which less’’ and inserting ‘‘higher 
education. The study shall also review the effect 
of cohort default rates specifically on institu-
tions of higher education at which less’’; and
197
(B) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘Sep-
tember 30, 1999,’’ and inserting ‘‘September 
30, 2006,’’. 
(3) VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.—Section 826 
(20 U.S.C. 1152) is amended—
(A) in subsection (g)—
(i) by striking ‘‘1999’’ and inserting 
‘‘2005’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘4 succeeding’’ and in-
serting ‘‘5 succeeding’’; and 
(B) by redesignating subsections (f) and 
(g) as subsections (e) and (f), respectively. 
(4) UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.—Subsection (c) 
of section 841 (20 U.S.C. 1153(c)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$3,000,000 for fiscal year 2005 and such sums as may 
be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 
(c) DISBURSEMENT OF STUDENT LOANS.—Section 
422(d) of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 
(Public Law 105–244; 112 Stat. 1696) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘Such 
amendments shall also be effective on and after July 1, 
2005.’’.
198
SEC. 1022. TRIBALLY CONTROLLED COLLEGE OR UNIVER-
SITY ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1978. 
(a) TITLE I AUTHORIZATION.—Section 110(a) of the 
Tribally Controlled Community College or University As-
sistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1810(a)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘1999’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘2005’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘4 succeeding’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘5 succeeding’’. 
(b) TITLE III REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 306(a) 
of the Tribally Controlled Community College or Univer-
sity Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1836(a)) is amend-
ed—
(1) by striking ‘‘1999’’ and inserting ‘‘2005’’; 
and 
(2) by striking ‘‘4 succeeding’’ and inserting ‘‘5 
succeeding’’. 
(c) TITLE IV REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 403 of 
the Tribal Economic Development and Technology Re-
lated Education Assistance Act of 1990 (25 U.S.C. 1852) 
is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘1999’’ and inserting ‘‘2005’’; 
and 
(2) by striking ‘‘4 succeeding’’ and inserting ‘‘5 
succeeding’’.
199
(d) ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS.—The Tribally Con-
trolled Community College or University Assistance Act 
of 1978 is further amended—
(1) in section 2(a)(6) (25 U.S.C. 1801(a)(6)), 
by striking ‘‘in the field of Indian education’’ and in-
serting ‘‘in the field of Tribal Colleges and Univer-
sities and Indian higher education’’; 
(2) in section 2(b), by striking paragraph (5) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(5) Eligible credits earned in a continuing 
education program shall be determined as one credit 
for every 10 contact hours for institutions on a 
quarter system, and 15 contact hours for institu-
tions on a semester system, of participation in an or-
ganized continuing education experience under re-
sponsible sponsorship, capable direction, and quali-
fied instruction, as described in the criteria estab-
lished by the International Association for Con-
tinuing Education and Training, and may not exceed 
20 percent of an institution’s total Indian student 
count.’’; and 
(3) in section 103 (25 U.S.C. 1804), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (2), by striking the 
period at the end of paragraph (3) and inserting ‘‘;
200
and’’, and by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) has been accredited by a nationally recog-
nized accrediting agency or association determined 
by the Secretary of Education to be a reliable au-
thority as to the quality of training offered, or is, ac-
cording to such an agency or association, making 
reasonable progress toward accreditation.’’. 
SEC. 1023. NAVAJO COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACT. 
Section 5(a)(1) of the Navajo Community College Act 
(25 U.S.C. 640c–1(a)(1)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘1999’’ and inserting ‘‘2005’’; 
and 
(2) by striking ‘‘4 succeeding’’ and inserting ‘‘5 
succeeding’’. 
SEC. 1024. EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1992. 
Section 1543(d) of the Education Amendments of 
1992 (20 U.S.C. 1070 note) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘1999’’ and inserting ‘‘2005’’; 
and 
(2) by striking ‘‘4 succeeding’’ and inserting ‘‘5 
succeeding’’.
201
SEC. 1025. STUDY OF STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES AND 
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary shall provide 
for the conduct a study of the best practices of States in 
assessing undergraduate postsecondary student learning, 
particularly as such practices relate to public account-
ability systems. 
(b) CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ASSOCIATION.—Such 
study shall be conducted by an association or organization 
with specific expertise and knowledge in state practices 
and access to necessary state officials (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘association’’). The association respon-
sible for the study under this section shall be a national, 
non-partisan or bi-partisan entity representing States or 
State officials with expertise in evaluative and qualitative 
policy research for best practice models, the capacity to 
convene experts, and to formulate policy recommenda-
tions. 
(c) REQUIRED SUBJECTS OF STUDY.—In performing 
the study, the association shall, at a minimum, examine 
the following: 
(1) The current status of institutional and state 
efforts to embed student learning assessments into 
the state-level public accountability frameworks. 
(2) The extent to which there is commonality 
among educators and accrediting agencies on learn-
202
ing standards for the associates and bachelors de-
grees. 
(3) The reliability, rigor, and generalizability of 
available instruments to assess general education at 
the undergraduate level. 
(4) Roles and responsibilities for public ac-
countability for student learning. 
(d) CONSULTATION.—
(1) NATIONAL
COMMITTEE.—The association 
shall establish and consult with a national com-
mittee. The committee shall meet not less than twice 
a year to review the research, identify best practice 
models, and review recommendations. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The national advisory com-
mittee shall consist of a representative of the Sec-
retary of Education and individuals with expertise 
in—
(A) State accountability systems; 
(B) student learning assessments; 
(C) student flow data; 
(D) transitions between K–12 and higher 
education; and 
(E) federal higher education policy.
203
(3) ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE.—The association 
may augment this committee with other expertise, as 
appropriate. 
(e) CONGRESSIONAL CONSULTATION.—The associa-
tion shall consult on a regular basis with the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Health Education 
Labor and Pensions of the Senate in carrying out the 
study required by this section. 
(f) REPORT.—The association shall, not later than 
two years after the date of enactment of this Act, prepare 
and submit a report on the study required by this section 
to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
Æ