Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801(11))), and vocational and
technical subjects’’;
(E) in paragraph (11), by inserting ‘‘and
technology’’ after ‘‘equipment’’;
(F) by striking paragraph (19) and redes-
ignating paragraphs (12) through (18) as para-
graphs (13) through (19), respectively;
(G) by inserting after paragraph (11) the
following:
‘‘(12) describes how the eligible agency will en-
sure that any entity in the State that purchases
equipment with funds under this Act will dispose of
that equipment in such a manner as to ensure that
any personally identifiable information contained in
that equipment will be totally destroyed prior to, or
as part of, the disposition;’’;
(H) in paragraph (18) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘training and employment’’
and inserting ‘‘fields’’; and
(I) by redesignating paragraphs (20) and
(21) as paragraphs (22) and (23), respectively,
and inserting after paragraph (19) (as so redes-
ignated) the following:
‘‘(20) describes how the eligible agency will
award grants, on a competitive basis or on the basis
of a formula determined by the eligible agency, using
funds described in section 112 (a) (1) for activities
described in section 135(b)(3);
‘‘(21) describes how the eligible agency will
carry out measurable, sustainable, and coordinated
tech-prep activities in the State (as described in sec-
tion 135(b)(3)), with funds allocated under section
112(a), that are developed in consultation with the
entities described in subsection (b)(1) and that effec-
tively prepare students for post-secondary education
or employment in high-demand occupations through
a seamless program of study consisting of appro-
priate advanced academic and technical courses that
include a minimum of 2 years of secondary school
preceding graduation and a minimum of 2 years of
higher education or an apprenticeship program of at
least 2 years following secondary instruction;’’; and
(4) by striking subsections (d) and (f) and re-
designating subsection (e) as subsection (d).
SEC. 13. IMPROVEMENT PLANS.
Section 123 (20 U.S.C. 2343) is amended to read as
follows:
‘‘SEC. 123. IMPROVEMENT PLANS.
‘‘(a) STATE PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT.—
‘‘(1) PLAN.—If a State fails to meet the agreed
upon State adjusted levels of performance required
under section 113(b)(3), the eligible agency shall de-
velop and implement a program improvement plan
(with special consideration to performance gaps
identified under section 113(c)(2)) in consultation
with the appropriate agencies, individuals, and orga-
nizations for the first program year succeeding the
program year in which the eligible agency failed to
meet the State adjusted levels of performance, in
order to avoid a sanction under paragraph (3).
‘‘(2) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—If the Sec-
retary determines that an eligible agency is not
properly implementing the eligible agency’s respon-
sibilities under section 122, or is not making sub-
stantial progress in meeting the purposes of this
Act, based on the State’s adjusted levels of perform-
ance, the Secretary shall work with the eligible agen-
cy to implement improvement activities consistent
with the requirements of this Act.
‘‘(3) SUBSEQUENT ACTION.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If an eligible agency
fails to meet the State adjusted levels of per-
formance and the purposes of this Act, has not
implemented an improvement plan as described
in paragraph (1), has shown no improvement
within 1 year after implementing an improve-
ment plan as described in paragraph (1), or has
failed to meet the State adjusted levels of per-
formance and the purposes of this Act for 2 or
more consecutive years, the Secretary may,
after notice and opportunity for a hearing,
withhold from the eligible agency all, or a por-
tion of, the eligible agency’s allotment under
this title.
‘‘(B) WAIVER
FOR
EXCEPTIONAL
CIR-
CUMSTANCES.—The Secretary may waive the
sanction in subparagraph (A) due to exceptional
or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a nat-
ural disaster or a precipitous and unforeseen
decline in the financial resources of the State.
‘‘(4) FUNDS RESULTING FROM REDUCED AL-
LOTMENTS.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall
use funds withheld under paragraph (3) for a
State served by an eligible agency, to provide
(through alternative arrangements) services and
activities within the State to meet the purposes
of this Act.
‘‘(B) REDISTRIBUTION.—If the Secretary
cannot satisfactorily use funds withheld under
paragraph (3), then the amount of funds re-
tained by the Secretary as a result of a reduc-
tion in an allotment made under paragraph (3)
shall be redistributed to other eligible agencies
in accordance with section 111.
‘‘(b) LOCAL PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT.—
‘‘(1) LOCAL EVALUATION.—Each eligible agen-
cy shall evaluate annually, using the local adjusted
levels of performance described in section 113(b)(4),
the vocational and technical education activities of
each eligible recipient receiving funds under this
title.
‘‘(2) PLAN.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If, after reviewing the
evaluation, the eligible agency determines that
an eligible recipient is not making substantial
progress in achieving the local adjusted levels of
performance, or that an eligible recipient dem-
onstrates under section 113(b)(4)(C) persistent
or a widening of performance gaps between
multiple categories of students served by the eli-
gible recipient in comparison to all students in
the State served under the Act, the eligible
agency shall—
‘‘(i) conduct an assessment of the
educational needs that the eligible recipient
shall address to overcome local perform-
ance deficiencies;
‘‘(ii) enter into an improvement plan
agreement with an eligible recipient based
on the results of the assessment, for the
first program year succeeding the program
year in which the eligible recipient failed to
meet the local adjusted levels of perform-
ance, which plan shall demonstrate how
the local performance deficiencies will be
corrected and include strategies for profes-
sional development and instructional and
other programmatic innovations of dem-
onstrated effectiveness, giving special con-
sideration to performance gaps identified
under section 113(b)(4)(C); and
‘‘(iii) conduct regular evaluations of
the progress being made toward reaching
the local adjusted levels of performance as
described 
in 
section 
113(b)(4) 
and
progress on implementing the improvement
plan.
‘‘(B) CONSULTATION.—The eligible agency
shall conduct the activities described in para-
graph (2) in consultation with teachers, par-
ents, other school staff, appropriate agencies,
and other appropriate individuals and organiza-
tions.
‘‘(3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—If the eligible
agency determines that an eligible recipient is not
properly implementing the eligible recipient’s respon-
sibilities under section 134, or is not making sub-
stantial progress in meeting the purpose of this Act,
based on the local adjusted levels of performance,
the eligible agency shall provide technical assistance
to the eligible recipient to assist such recipient in
carrying out the improvement activities consistent
with the requirements of this Act.
‘‘(4) SUBSEQUENT ACTION.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If an eligible recipient
fails to meet the local adjusted levels of per-
formance as described in section 113(b)(4) and
the purposes of this Act, has not implemented
an improvement plan as described in paragraph
(2), has shown no improvement within 1 year
after implementing an improvement plan as de-
scribed in paragraph (2), or has failed to meet
the local adjusted levels of performance and the
purposes of this Act for 2 or more consecutive
years, the eligible agency may, after notice and
opportunity for a hearing, withhold from the el-
igible recipient all, or a portion of, the eligible
recipient’s allotment under this title.
‘‘(B) WAIVER
FOR
EXCEPTIONAL
CIR-
CUMSTANCES.—The eligible agency may waive
the sanction under this paragraph due to excep-
tional or uncontrollable circumstances such as a
natural disaster or a precipitous and unforeseen
decline in the financial resources of the State.
‘‘(5) FUNDS RESULTING FROM REDUCED AL-
LOTMENTS.—The eligible agency shall use funds
withheld under paragraph (4) to continue to provide
(through alternative arrangements) services and ac-
tivities in the area served by such recipient to meet
the purpose of this Act.’’.
SEC. 14. STATE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES.
Section 124 (20 U.S.C. 2344) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘learn-
ing’’ and inserting ‘‘education’’;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by inserting ‘‘, and the required
math and science education,’’ after ‘‘use of
technology in vocational and technical edu-
cation’’; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B)—
(I) by inserting ‘‘(including the
math and science knowledge that pro-
vides a strong basis for such skills)’’
after ‘‘technical skills’’; and
(II) 
by 
striking 
‘‘and 
tele-
communications field’’ and inserting
‘‘fields, 
including 
nontraditional
fields’’;
(C) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by inserting ‘‘at the secondary and
postsecondary levels’’ after ‘‘academic,
guidance, and administrative personnel’’;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs
(A) through (D) as subparagraphs (C)
through (F), respectively, and inserting be-
fore such subparagraphs (as so redesig-
nated) the following:
‘‘(A) will provide inservice and preservice
training for vocational and technical education
teachers in the integration and use of rigorous
and challenging academics with vocational and
technical subjects;
‘‘(B) are high quality, sustained, intensive,
and classroom-focused in order to have a posi-
tive and lasting impact on classroom instruction
and the teacher’s performance in the classroom,
and are not 1-day or short-term workshops or
conferences;’’;
(iii) in subparagraph (C) (as so redes-
ignated)—
(I) by inserting ‘‘scientifically
based’’ after ‘‘based on’’; and
(II) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and in-
serting a semicolon;
(iv) in subparagraph (D) (as so redes-
ignated), by striking ‘‘assist students in
meeting’’ and inserting ‘‘improve student
achievement in order to meet’’; and
(v) by amending subparagraph (E)
(as so redesignated) to read as follows:
‘‘(E) will support education programs for
teachers of vocational and technical education
in public schools and other public school per-
sonnel who are involved in the direct delivery of
educational services to vocational and technical
education students to ensure that teachers and
personnel—
‘‘(i) stay current with the needs, ex-
pectations, and methods of industry;
‘‘(ii) meet teacher certification or li-
censing requirements, especially in core
academic subjects as defined in section
9101(11) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801(11));
‘‘(iii) effectively develop integrated
rigorous and challenging academic and vo-
cational and technical education cur-
riculum;
‘‘(iv) develop a high level of academic
and industry knowledge and skills nec-
essary to provide effective instruction in
vocational and technical education; and
‘‘(v) effectively use applied learning
that contributes to the academic and voca-
tional and technical knowledge of the stu-
dent; and’’;
(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘integra-
tion of academics’’ and all that follows through