To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to support early college high schools and other dual enrollment programs.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fast Track to College Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to increase high school graduation rates 
and the percentage of students who complete a recognized postsecondary 
credential by the age of 26, including among low-income students and 
students from other populations underrepresented in higher education.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Dual enrollment program.--The term ``dual enrollment 
        program'' means an academic program through which a high school 
        student is able simultaneously to earn credit toward a high 
        school diploma and a postsecondary degree or certificate.
            (2) Early college high school.--The term ``early college 
        high school'' means a high school that provides a course of 
        study that enables a student to earn a high school diploma and 
        either an associate's degree or one to two years of college 
        credit toward a postsecondary degree or credential.
            (3) Educational service agency.--The term ``educational 
        service agency'' means an educational service agency as defined 
        by section 9101(17) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965.
            (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        local educational agency, which may be an educational service 
        agency, in a collaborative partnership with an institution of 
        higher education. Such partnership also may include other 
        entities, such as a nonprofit organization with experience in 
        youth development.
            (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' means an institution of 
        higher education as defined by section 102 of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965.
            (6) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' means a local educational agency as defined by section 
        9101(26) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Early College High Schools.--To support early college high 
schools under this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated 
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
    (b) Other Dual Enrollment Programs.--To support other dual 
enrollment programs under this Act, there are authorized to be 
appropriated $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
    (c) Funds Reserved.--The Secretary shall reserve 3 percent of funds 
appropriated pursuant to subsection (b) for grants to States under 
section 9.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZED PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award six-year 
grants to eligible entities seeking to establish a new or support an 
existing early college high school or other dual enrollment program.
    (b) Grant Amount.--A grant under this Act shall not exceed 
$2,000,000.
    (c) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity shall contribute 
        matching funds toward the costs of the early college high 
        school or other dual enrollment program to be supported under 
        this Act, of which not less than half shall be from non-Federal 
        sources, which funds shall represent not less than the 
        following:
                    (A) 20 percent of the grant amount in the first and 
                second years of the grant.
                    (B) 30 percent in the third and fourth years.
                    (C) 40 percent in the fifth year.
                    (D) 50 percent in the sixth year.
            (2) Determination of amount contributed.--The Secretary 
        shall allow an eligible entity to satisfy the requirement of 
        this subsection through in-kind contributions.
    (d) Supplement, Not Supplant.--An eligible entity shall use a grant 
received under this Act only to supplement funds that would, in the 
absence of such grant, be made available from non-Federal funds for 
support of the activities described in the eligible entity's 
application under section 7, and not to supplant such funds.
    (e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this Act, the Secretary 
shall give priority to applicants--
            (1) that propose to establish or support an early college 
        high school or other dual enrollment program that will serve a 
        student population of which 40 percent or more are students 
        counted under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965; and
            (2) from States that provide assistance to early college 
        high schools or other dual enrollment programs, such as 
        assistance to defray the costs of higher education, such as 
        tuition, fees, and textbooks.
    (f) Geographic Distribution.--The Secretary shall, to the maximum 
extent practicable, ensure that grantees are from a representative 
cross-section of urban, suburban, and rural areas.

SEC. 6. USES OF FUNDS.

    (a) Mandatory Activities.--An eligible entity shall use grant funds 
received under section 7 to support the activities described in its 
application, including for the following:
            (1) Planning year.--In the case of a new early college high 
        school or dual enrollment program, during the first year of the 
        grant--
                    (A) hiring a principal and staff, as appropriate;
                    (B) designing the curriculum and sequence of 
                courses in collaboration with at a minimum, teachers 
                from the local educational agency and faculty from the 
                partner institution of higher education;
                    (C) educating parents and the community about the 
                school;
                    (D) recruiting students;
                    (E) liaison activities among partners in the 
                eligible entity; and
                    (F) coordinating secondary and postsecondary 
                support services, academic calendars, and 
                transportation.
            (2) Implementation period.--During the remainder of the 
        grant period--
                    (A) academic and social support services, including 
                counseling;
                    (B) student recruitment and community education and 
                engagement;
                    (C) professional development, including joint 
                professional development for secondary school and 
                faculty from the institution of higher education; and
                    (D) school design and planning team activities, 
                including curriculum development.
    (b) Allowable Activities.--An eligible entity may also use grant 
funds received under this Act to otherwise support the activities 
described in its application, including, but not limited to--
            (1) purchasing textbooks and equipment that support 
        academic programs;
            (2) learning opportunities for students that complement 
        classroom experiences, such as internships, career-based 
        capstone projects, and opportunities provided under title IV, 
        part A, subpart 2, and chapters 1 and 2 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965;
            (3) transportation;
            (4) planning time for high school and college educators to 
        collaborate; and
            (5) data collection, sharing, reporting, and evaluation.

SEC. 7. APPLICATION.

    (a) In General.--To receive a grant under section 4(a) or (b), an 
eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 
time, in such manner, and including such information as the Secretary 
determines to be appropriate.
    (b) Contents of Application.--At a minimum, the application 
described in subsection (a) shall include a description of--
            (1) the early college high school's or other dual 
        enrollment program's budget;
            (2) each partner in the eligible entity and its experience 
        with early college high schools or other dual enrollment 
        programs, key personnel from each partner and their 
        responsibilities for the early college high school or dual 
        enrollment program, and how the eligible entity will work with 
        secondary and postsecondary teachers, other public and private 
        entities, community-based organizations, businesses, and labor 
        organizations to ensure that students will be prepared to 
        succeed in postsecondary education and employment, which may 
        include the development of an advisory board;
            (3) how the eligible entity will target and recruit at-risk 
        youth, including those at risk of dropping out of school, first 
        generation college students, and students from populations 
        described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965;
            (4) a system of student supports including, but not limited 
        to, small group activities, tutoring, literacy and numeracy 
        skill development in all academic disciplines, parental 
        outreach, extended learning time, and college readiness 
        activities, such as early college academic seminars and 
        counseling;
            (5) in the case of an early college high school, how a 
        graduation and career plan will be developed, consistent with 
        State graduation requirements, for each student and reviewed 
        each semester;
            (6) how parents or guardians of dually enrolled students 
        will be informed of their academic performance and progress 
        and, subject to paragraph (5), involved in the development of 
        their career and graduation plan;
            (7) coordination between the institution of higher 
        education and the local educational agency, including regarding 
        academic calendars, provision of student services, curriculum 
        development, and professional development;
            (8) how the eligible entity will ensure that teachers in 
        the early college high school or other dual enrollment program 
        receive appropriate professional development and other 
        supports, including to enable them to help English-language 
        learners, students with disabilities, and students from diverse 
        cultural backgrounds to succeed;
            (9) learning opportunities for students that complement 
        classroom experiences, such as internships, career-based 
        capstone projects, and opportunities provided under title IV, 
        part A, subpart 2, and chapters 1 and 2 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965;
            (10) a plan to ensure that postsecondary credits earned 
        will be transferable to, at a minimum, public institutions of 
        higher education within the State, consistent with existing 
        statewide articulation agreement;
            (11) student assessments and other measurements of students 
        achievement including benchmarks for student achievement;
            (12) outreach programs to provide elementary and secondary 
        school students, especially those in middle grades, and their 
        parents, teachers, school counselors, and principals 
        information about and academic preparation for the early 
        college high school or other dual enrollment program;
            (13) how the eligible entity will help students meet 
        eligibility criteria for postsecondary courses; and
            (14) how the eligible entity will sustain the early college 
        high school or other dual enrollment program after the grant 
        expires.
    (c) Assurances.--An eligible entity's application under subsection 
(a) shall include assurances that--
            (1) in the case of an early college high school, the 
        majority of courses offered, including of postsecondary 
        courses, will be offered at facilities of the institution of 
        higher education;
            (2) students will not be required to pay tuition or fees 
        for postsecondary courses;
            (3) postsecondary credits earned will be transcribed upon 
        completion of the requisite coursework; and
            (4) faculty teaching postsecondary courses meet the normal 
        standards for faculty established by the institution of higher 
        education.
    (d) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirement of subsection 
(c)(1) upon a showing that it is impractical to apply due to geographic 
considerations.

SEC. 8. PEER REVIEW.

    (a) Peer Review of Applications.--The Secretary shall establish 
peer review panels to review applications submitted pursuant to section 
7 to advise the Secretary regarding such applications.
    (b) Composition of Peer Review Panels.--The Secretary shall ensure 
that each peer review panel is not comprised wholly of full-time 
officers or employees of the Federal Government and includes, at a 
minimum--
            (1) experts in the establishment and administration of 
        early college high schools or other dual enrollment programs 
        from the high school and college perspective;
            (2) faculty at institutions of higher education and 
        secondary school teachers with expertise in dual enrollment; 
        and
            (3) experts in the education of at-risk students.

SEC. 9. GRANTS TO STATES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award six-year 
grants to State agencies responsible for secondary or postsecondary 
education for efforts to support or establish statewide dual enrollment 
programs.
    (b) Application.--To receive a grant under this section, a State 
agency shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and including such information as the Secretary determines 
to be appropriate.
    (c) Contents of Application.--At a minimum, the application 
described in subsection (b) shall include--
            (1) how the State will create outreach programs to ensure 
        that middle and high school students and their families are 
        aware of dual enrollment programs in the State;
            (2) how the State will provide technical assistance to 
        local dual enrollment programs as appropriate;
            (3) how the State will ensure the quality of state and 
        local dual enrollment programs; and
            (4) such other information as the Secretary determines to 
        be appropriate.
    (d) State Activities.--A State receiving a grant under this section 
shall use such funds for--
            (1) planning and implementing a statewide strategy for 
        expanding access to dual enrollment programs for students who 
        are underrepresented in higher education; and
            (2) providing technical assistance to local dual enrollment 
        programs.

SEC. 10. REPORTING AND OVERSIGHT.

    (a) Reporting by Grantees.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish uniform 
        guidelines for all grantees concerning information such 
        grantees annually shall report to the Secretary to demonstrate 
        a grantee's progress toward achieving the goals of this Act.
            (2) Contents of report.--At a minimum, the report described 
        in paragraph (1) shall include, for eligible entities receiving 
        funds under section 7, for each category of students described 
        in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965:
                    (A) The number of students.
                    (B) The percentage of students scoring advanced, 
                proficient, basic, and below basic on the assessments 
                described in section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965.
                    (C) The performance of students on other 
                assessments or measurements of achievement.
                    (D) The number of secondary school credits earned.
                    (E) The number of postsecondary credits earned.
                    (F) Attendance rate.
                    (G) Graduation rate.
                    (H) Placement in postsecondary education or 
                advanced training, in military service, and in 
                employment.
    (b) Reporting by the Secretary.--The Secretary annually shall 
compile and analyze the information described in subsection (a) and 
report it to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
Representatives, which report shall include identification of best 
practices for achieving the goals of this Act.
    (c) Monitoring Visits.--The Secretary's designee shall visit each 
grantee at least once for the purpose of helping the grantee achieve 
the goals of this Act and to monitor the grantee's progress toward 
achieving such goals.
    (d) National Evaluation.--Within six months of the appropriation of 
funds for this Act, the Secretary shall enter into a contract with an 
independent organization to perform an evaluation of the grants awarded 
under this Act. Such evaluation shall apply rigorous procedures to 
obtain valid and reliable data concerning participants' outcomes by 
social and academic characteristics and monitor the progress of 
students from high school to and through postsecondary education.
    (e) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance to eligible entities concerning best practices in early 
college high schools and dual enrollment programs and shall disseminate 
such best practices among eligible entities and State and local 
educational agencies.

SEC. 11. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) Employees.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter or 
otherwise affect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded to the 
employees of local educational agencies (including schools) or 
institutions of higher education under Federal, State, or local laws 
(including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms 
of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or 
other agreements between such employees and their employers.
    (b) Graduation Rate.--A student who graduates from an early college 
high school supported under this Act in the standard number of years 
for graduation described in the eligible entity's application shall be 
considered to have graduated on time for purposes of section 
1111(b)(2)(C)(6) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Summary: Fast Track to College Act of 2008 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award matching six-year grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that partner with institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish or support dual enrollment programs, such as early college high schools, that allow high school students to simultaneously earn credit toward a high school diploma and a postsecondary degree or certificate.

Gives grant priority to applicants: (1) that propose to establish or support a dual enrollment program for a student body at least 40% of which is impoverished; and (2) from states that provide assistance to dual enrollment programs, such as assistance defraying the costs of higher education.

Requires applicants to make assurances that students will not be required to pay tuition or fees for postsecondary courses, and that those courses will be taught by faculty that meet their partner IHE's normal standards.

Authorizes the Secretary to award six-year grants to states to: (1) plan and implement statewide strategies to make dual enrollment programs more accessible to students who are underrepresented in postsecondary education; and (2) provide technical assistance to local dual enrollment programs.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract for an independent evaluation of this Act's programs; and (2) provide technical assistance to LEAs and their partners, and disseminate information concerning best practices in dual enrollment programs.