Strengthening Education through Research Act

Bill: 114-s-227
Sponsor: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN]
Introduced: 2015-01-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Adult education and literacy
Advisory bodies
Census and government statistics
Congressional oversight
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
Higher education
Intergovernmental relations
Libraries and archives
Minority education
Preschool education
Public-private cooperation
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Right of privacy
School administration
Special education
Student records
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-21
text:  
 

Strengthening Education through Research Act

 
Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA) to require the Secretary of Education, in collecting information and data under that Act, to not duplicate other reporting requirements and to use information and data available from existing federal, state, and local sources to reduce the burden and cost to the Department of Education (ED), states, and local educational agencies (LEAs).
 
TITLE I--EDUCATION SCIENCES REFORM
 
Amends the ESRA to require: (1) the mission of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to include providing national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of adult education, and (2) IES activities to be free of disability bias.
 
Allows the IES to accept requests from the Secretary of Education to administer activities other than those assigned to it, provided they are consistent with the IES's priorities or mission.
 
Allows a Director of the IES (Director) to be appointed to one additional six-year term in office.
 
Adds to the Director's duties: (1) coordinating IES research activities with the education research activities of public and private entities, and (2) coordinating with the Secretary to ensure that IES results are coordinated with and utilized by ED's technical assistance providers and dissemination networks.
 
Requires the Director to establish and maintain a peer-review system to review and evaluate applications for grants or cooperative agreements, IES reports, and other products.
 
Requires the Director to:
 
 
ensure that IES activities address significant challenges faced by practitioners and increase knowledge in the education field;
 
ensure that the IES information, products, and publications are prepared and widely disseminated in a timely, understandable, and convenient manner;
 
promote the utilization of IES information, products, and publications; and
 
monitor and manage all activities authorized under the ESRA.
 
 
Requires the Director to propose the IES's priorities to the National Board for Education Sciences (Board) at least once every six years. Includes among those priorities:
 
 
closing the achievement gap between disabled and nondisabled students;
 
improving access to and the quality of early childhood education;
 
improving elementary and secondary education, particularly among low-performing students and schools; and
 
improving access to, opportunities for, and the completion of postsecondary education and adult education. 
 
 
 Adds to the Board's duties:
 
 
providing ongoing advice and input to the Director on IES activities,
 
providing advice to the Director on ensuring that IES activities are free of disability bias,
 
ensuring that IES activities are relevant to education policy and practice by soliciting ongoing advice and information from those in the education field,
 
recommending to the Director ways to enhance strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts with public and private entities, and
 
issuing a report every five years assessing IES effectiveness. 
 
 
 Makes the Board independent of the Director and the other offices and officers of the IES. Provides that the Executive Director of the Board is to be appointed by the Board for a term of up to six years and may be reappointed for an additional term.
 
Provides that the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, like the Commissioners of the other National Education Centers, is to be appointed by the Director and serve under the Director's supervision. 
 
Requires the National Center for Education Research (Research Center) to: (1) conduct research that is consistent with IES priorities, and (2) widely disseminate and promote the utilization of its work. Adds to the Research Center's duties conducting research on: (1) follow-up questions provoked by previous research, (2) the impact of technology on education, and (3) the quality of the implementation of practices and strategies determined to be effective through scientifically valid research.
 
Authorizes the Research Commissioner to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, applicants that have the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research.
 
Eliminates: (1) the requirement that the Research Commissioner support at least eight national research and development centers, and (2) the list of research topics eligible for support.
 
Requires research conducted or supported by the Research Center to be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by age, race, gender, disability status, English learner status, socioeconomic background, and other population characteristics as determined by the Research Commissioner, so long as any reported information does not reveal individually identifiable information.
 
Directs the National Center for Education Statistics (Statistics Center) to collect, analyze, and report education information and statistics in a manner that is: (1) consistent with the ESRA's privacy protections; (2) free of disability bias; and (3) relevant, timely, and widely disseminated. Adds to the data the Statistics Center is to collect and disseminate. 
 
Requires the Statistics Center to provide technical assistance to states in developing statewide longitudinal data systems that link individual student data and protect student privacy to improve student academic achievement and close achievement gaps.
 
Directs the Statistics Commissioner to develop and implement a plan for Statistic Center activities that is consistent with the priorities of the IES and subject to appropriate modifications.
 
Authorizes the Statistics Commissioner to renew grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements for up to two years if the recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of the ESRA's performance measurement system.
 
 Requires the joint statistical projects the Statistic Center carries out with nonprofit entities to adhere to the ESRA's student privacy requirements. Requires federal agencies and other parties seeking access to educational data from the Statistics Center to describe their research-related need for such data and how the data will be protected from misuse or privacy violations. Authorizes the Statistics Center to deny requests for access to its data if such data would: (1) be unnecessary for, or unrelated to, the proposed research; or (2) introduce the risk that the data would be misused or used to violate privacy rights.
 
 Renames "national cooperative education statistics systems" as "cooperative education statistics partnerships" between the Statistics Center and states that volunteer to participate and requires the partnerships to review and improve data quality standards. Prohibits the partnerships from collecting student data or establishing a national student data system.
 
 Requires the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance to evaluate the impact and implementation of federal education programs administered by the Secretary. Authorizes the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner o: (1) award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements on a competitive basis for up to five years and renew them for up to two years if the recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of the ESRA's performance measurement system; and (2) establish a National Library of Education within the Center. Requires the Center to:
 
 
examine evaluations conducted or supported by others, with the Director's approval;
 
review and supplement federal education program evaluations;
 
conduct implementation evaluations that promote continuous improvement and inform policymaking;
 
evaluate the effects and cost efficiencies of federal education programs; and
 
synthesize the results of evaluation studies for and across federal education programs, policies, and practices. 
 
 
Requires the Evaluation Commissioner to enter into grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with public or private, nonprofit or for-profit research organizations, other organizations, or institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish a networked system of 10 regional educational laboratories that serve the needs of each region of the United States. 
 
Authorizes the Evaluation Commissioner to determine that establishing 10 regional educational laboratories is unnecessary and grant an alternative number of awards or reorganize such laboratories.
 
Requires each regional educational laboratory to: (1) conduct applied research, development, data analysis, and evaluation activities with states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and Indian schools; (2) widely disseminate such work; and (3) develop the capacity of states, LEAs, and Indian schools to carry out such activities.
 
Directs the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner to conduct ongoing summative and interim evaluations of each of the regional educational laboratories.
 
Adds to the duties of the National Center for Special Education Research:
 
 
examining the participation and outcomes of disabled students in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs;
 
assisting the Board in the preparation and dissemination of the report evaluating the effectiveness of the IES;
 
examining the needs of disabled children who are English learners, who are gifted and talented, or who have other unique learning needs; and
 
examining innovations in the special education field, such as multi-tiered systems of support. 
 
 
Authorizes the Special Education Research Commissioner to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements on a competitive basis for up to five years and renew them for up to two years if the recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of the ESRA's performance measurement system.
 
Directs the Special Education Research Center to synthesize, disseminate, and promote the utilization of the special education research it conducts or supports.
 
 Prohibits the use of IES funding to endorse, approve, or sanction any curriculum designed to be used in early education or in an elementary school, secondary school, or IHE.
 
Allows IES data to disclose information regarding individual schools so long as no individually identifiable information is disclosed. Subjects IES volunteers or those who provide the IES with uncompensated services to punishment for privacy violations. Requires IES data to be made available to the public through electronic means.
 
Requires the Director to establish a performance management system to promote the continuous improvement of activities authorized under the ESRA and ensure the effective use of federal funds. 
 
Requires the Director to provide the Secretary and other relevant offices with an advance copy of IES publications before their public release.
 
 Reauthorizes appropriations for activities under the ESRA through FY2021.
 
TITLE II--EDUCATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
 
Amends the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (ETAA) to direct the Secretary to award up to 17 competitive grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to establish comprehensive centers to provide states and LEAs with technical assistance, analysis, and training to build their capacity to implement federal educational laws and research-based practices. Authorizes the Secretary to determine that establishing 17 comprehensive centers is unnecessary and grant an alternative number of awards or reorganize such centers.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish at least one comprehensive center for each of the 10 geographic regions served by the regional educational laboratories established under the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994. Allows the Secretary to establish additional comprehensive centers serving one or more of those regions or the nation as a whole. 
 
Includes in the training, professional development, and technical assistance provided by comprehensive centers the replication and adaptation of exemplary practices and innovative methods that have an evidence base of effectiveness.
 
Requires the Secretary to provide for an interim and summative evaluation of each comprehensive center.
 
Repeals the requirement that the Secretary establish a regional advisory committee for each region served by a regional educational laboratory. 

 Requires the Director and the Secretary to establish priorities for the regional educational laboratories and comprehensive centers using the results of relevant regional and national surveys of educational needs.
 
 Allows states that receive competitive grants to design, develop, and implement statewide, longitudinal data systems to provide subgrants to LEAs for their role in those activities. Requires the Secretary, before awarding such grants, to establish measurable performance indicators for use in assessing the ongoing progress and performance of state grantees in designing, developing, and implementing those systems.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to renew such grants for up to three years if the state demonstrates progress on the measurable performance indicators.
 
Reauthorizes appropriations for activities under the ETAA through FY2021.
 
TITLE III--NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS
 
Amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (NAEPA) to require the National Assessment Governing Board (Assessment Board) to oversee and set policies for the National Assessment of Educational Progress consistent with its duties and accepted professional standards.
 
Directs the Secretary to fill vacancies on the Assessment Board from among individuals who are nominated by the Assessment Board.
 
Directs the Assessment Board, in selecting the subject areas to be assessed, to select the grades or ages being assessed and the year in which such assessments will be conducted.
 
Directs the Assessment Board to provide input to the Director on annual budget requests for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Directs the Statistics Commissioner to carry out such Assessment in a manner consistent with accepted professional standards and the policies set forth by the Assessment Board.
 
Adds to the Statistics Commissioner's duties determining the content of initial and subsequent National Assessment of Educational Progress reports and ensuring their validity and reliability.
 
Requires LEAs participating in the school improvement program under part A of title I of the ESEA to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 
 
Eliminates the option allowing the Assessment Board to develop appropriate achievement levels for each age, rather than grade level, for each subject area being tested. Directs the Assessment Board to use a national consensus approach in establishing the appropriate student achievement levels.
 
Reauthorizes appropriations for activities under the NAEPA through FY2021.
 
TITLE IV--EVALUATION PLAN
 
Requires the IES to be the primary entity for conducting research on and evaluations of federal education programs within ED to ensure the rigor and independence of such research and evaluations. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary to reserve and consolidate specified percentages of funds from ESEA programs to: (1) carry out high-quality evaluations of programs authorized under the ESEA, (2) increase the usefulness of those evaluations or assist ESEA program grantees in collecting and analyzing data and other activities related to the evaluations. Prohibits the Secretary from being required to evaluate each ESEA program each year. Requires the Secretary or the Director to disseminate the findings from such evaluations.
 
 
action_date: 2015-02-04
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

Strengthening Education through Research Act

 
(Sec. 3) Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA) to require the Secretary of Education, in collecting information and data under that Act, to not duplicate other reporting requirements and to use information and data available from existing federal, state, and local sources to reduce the burden and cost to the Department of Education (ED), states, and local educational agencies (LEAs).
 
TITLE I--EDUCATION SCIENCES REFORM
 
(Sec. 102) Amends the ESRA to replace the definition of, and references to: (1) a "historically black college or university" with the definition of, and references to, a "minority-serving institution"; and (2) "scientifically based research standards" with the definition of, and references to, "principles of scientific research." Defines &quot;adult education,&quot; &quot;adult education and literacy activities,&quot; &quot;English learner,&quot; and &quot;school leader."
 
Part A--The Institute of Education Sciences
 
(Sec. 111) Requires the mission of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to include providing national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of adult education, in addition to providing leadership with regard to education from early childhood through postsecondary study. Requires the activities of the IES to be free of disability bias.
 
(Sec. 112) Directs the IES to widely disseminate the findings and results of its education evaluations, which are to include evaluations of impact and implementation.
 
(Sec. 113) Allows the IES to accept requests from the Secretary to administer activities other than those assigned to it, provided they are consistent with the IES's priorities or mission. Requires the Director of the IES (Director) to be consulted during the procurement process, and with regard to contract performance management, under the ESRA.
 
(Sec. 114) Allows a Director to: (1) serve for up to one year beyond his or her six-year term if a successor has not yet been appointed, and (2) be appointed to one additional term. 
 
Adds to the Director's duties: (1) coordinating IES research activities with the education research activities of public and private entities, and (2) coordinating with the Secretary to ensure that IES results are coordinated with and utilized by ED's technical assistance providers and dissemination networks.
 
Requires the Director to establish and maintain a peer-review system involving highly-qualified individuals to review and evaluate: (1) each application for a grant or cooperative agreement exceeding $100,000, and (2) all reports and other products that exceed $100,000 and that are to be published and publicly released by the IES. Requires IES peer reviewers of special education research to have an understanding of special education.
 
Requires the Director to: 
 
 
 ensure that IES activities address significant challenges faced by practitioners and increase knowledge in the education field; 
 
 ensure that IES information, products, and publications are prepared and widely disseminated in a timely, understandable, and convenient manner; 
 
 promote the utilization of IES information, products, and publications; and 
 
 monitor and manage all activities authorized under the ESRA.
 
 
(Sec. 115) Requires the Director to propose the IES's priorities to the National Board for Education Sciences (Board) at least once every six years. Includes among those priorities: 
 
 
 closing the achievement gap between disabled and nondisabled students; 
 
 improving access to, and the quality of, early childhood education; 
 
 improving elementary and secondary education, particularly among low-performing students and schools; and 
 
 improving access to, opportunities for, and the completion of postsecondary education and adult education.
 
 
(Sec. 116) Adds to the Board's duties: 
 
 
 providing ongoing advice and input to the Director on IES activities; 
 
 providing advice to the Director on ensuring that IES activities are free of disability bias; 
 
 ensuring that IES activities are relevant to education policy and practice by soliciting, on an ongoing basis, advice and information from those in the education field; 
 
 recommending to the Director ways to enhance strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts with public and private entities; and 
 
 issuing a report every five years assessing IES effectiveness.
 
 
Expands the pool of entities and organizations whose advice the President is to solicit regarding appointments to the Board.
 
Requires the Board to be composed of at least two practitioners who are knowledgeable about the education needs of the United States. Allows state leaders in adult education to be on the Board. Allows Board members to: (1) serve for up to one year beyond their four-year term if their successor has not yet been appointed, and (2) serve a full term if they are appointed to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term of office.
 
Makes the Board independent of the Director and the other offices and officers of the IES. Provides that the Executive Director of the Board is to be appointed by the Board for a term of up to six years and may be reappointed for an additional term.
 
Allows the Board to establish standing or temporary subcommittees to provide the Board with recommendations for carrying out activities authorized under the ESRA.
 
Directs the Board, every five years, to submit to the Director, the Secretary, and Congress and make widely available to the public, a report evaluating IES effectiveness, including an independent evaluation of the activities authorized for each of the National Education Centers. Requires interim findings to be made widely available to the public three years after the independent entity begins reviewing the work of the IES.
 
(Sec. 117) Provides that the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, like the Commissioners of the other National Education Centers, is to be appointed by the Director and serve under the Director's supervision. (Currently, that Commissioner is appointed by the President.)
 
(Sec. 118) Requires the Director to make a description of all IES grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements exceeding $100,000 publicly available within 120 days of their consummation.
 
(Sec. 119) Requires IES grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to be awarded through a peer review process.
 
Part B--National Center for Education Research
 
(Sec. 131) Requires the National Center for Education Research (Research Center) to: (1) conduct research that is consistent with the IES priorities, and (2) widely disseminate and promote the utilization of its work.
 
(Sec. 132) Adds to the Research Center's duties conducting research on: (1) follow up questions provoked by previous research, (2) the impact of technology on education, and (3) the quality of the implementation of practices and strategies determined to be effective through scientifically valid research.
 
Provides that the Research Center's research on successful state and local education reform activities may include research on social and emotional learning and the acquisition of competencies and skills.
 
Authorizes the Research Commissioner to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, applicants that have the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research.
 
Requires the Research Commissioner to support national research and development centers that address topics of importance and relevance in the education field that are consistent with IES priorities. Eliminates: (1) the requirement that the Research Commissioner support at least eight centers, and (2) the list of research topics eligible for support.
 
Authorizes the Director to renew support for a national research and development center without competition for up to two years beyond the initial period of support if the Director determines that the center's research continues to effectively address IES priorities. (Currently, that support is available for an additional period of up to five years.)
 
Requires research conducted or supported by the Research Center, to the extent feasible and relevant to the research being conducted, to be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by age, race, gender, disability status, English learner status, socioeconomic background, and other population characteristics as determined by the Research Commissioner, so long as any reported information does not reveal individually identifiable information.
 
Part C--National Center for Education Statistics
 
 (Sec. 151) Directs the National Center for Education Statistics (Statistics Center) to collect, analyze, and report education information and statistics in a manner that is: (1) consistent with the ESRA's privacy protections; (2) free of disability bias; and (3) relevant, timely, and widely disseminated. 
 
(Sec. 152) Adds to the data the Statistics Center is to collect and disseminate data on:
 
 
 secondary school graduation and completion rates; 
 
 postsecondary education completion; 
 
 teaching and school leadership that includes information on pre-service preparation, professional development, teacher distribution, and teacher and school leader evaluation; 
 
 the supply of, and demand for, school leaders; 
 
 school safety that includes data on school climate and in- and out-of-school suspensions and expulsions;
 
access to, and use of, technology to improve elementary and secondary schools;
 
the quality of early childhood education; 
 
students' access to summer school; and
 
access to, and opportunities for, adult education and literacy activities.
 
 
Requires the Statistics Center to provide technical assistance to states (currently, to determine voluntary standards and guidelines to assist states) in developing statewide longitudinal data systems that link individual student data and protect student privacy to improve student academic achievement and close achievement gaps.
 
Requires the Statistics Center to assist the Board in the preparation and dissemination of the report evaluating the effectiveness of the IES.
 
Directs the Statistics Commissioner to develop and implement a plan for Statistics Center activities that is consistent with the priorities of the IES and subject to appropriate modifications.
 
(Sec. 153) Requires entities that wish to receive a grant or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement with the Statistics Center to submit an application. Authorizes the Statistics Commissioner to renew those grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements for up to two years if the recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of the ESRA's performance measurement system. (Currently, such grants, contracts, and agreements may be renewed for up to five years at the discretion of the Statistics Commissioner.)
 
(Sec. 155) Requires the joint statistical projects the Statistic Center carries out with nonprofit entities to adhere to the ESRA's student privacy requirements. Requires federal agencies and other parties seeking access to educational data from the Statistics Center to describe their research-related need for such data and how the data will be protected from misuse or privacy violations. Authorizes the Statistics Center to deny requests for access to its data if such data would: (1) be unnecessary for, or unrelated to, the proposed research; or (2) introduce the risk that the data would be misused or used to violate privacy rights. Makes that denial authority inapplicable to public use data sets.
 
(Sec. 156) Renames "national cooperative education statistics systems" as " cooperative education statistics partnerships" between the Statistics Center and states that volunteer to participate. Provides that, rather than producing and maintaining education data, the partnerships are to review and improve data quality standards. Prohibits the partnerships from collecting student data or establishing a national student data system.
 
Part D--National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
 
(Sec. 171) Requires the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (Evaluation Center) to: (1) evaluate the impact and implementation of federal education programs administered by the Secretary; and (2) support the wide dissemination and utilization of all its evaluations, research, and products. Repeals the Evaluation Center's authority to provide technical assistance.
 
(Sec. 172) Requires the Evaluation Center to assist the Board in the preparation and dissemination of the report evaluating the effectiveness of the IES.
 
Directs the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner (Evaluation Commissioner) to propose to the Director and to implement, subject to the Director's approval, a plan for Evaluation Center activities that is consistent with IES priorities and subject to appropriate modifications.
 
Authorizes the Evaluation Commissioner to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements on a competitive basis for up to five years and renew them for up to two years if their recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of the ESRA's performance measurement system.
 
Authorizes the Evaluation Commissioner to establish a National Library of Education within the Evaluation Center.
 
(Sec. 173) Requires the Evaluation Center, in addition to its existing duties, to: (1) provide its findings in an understandable, easily accessible, and usable format to support program improvement; and (2) support the Director's evaluation activities. Requires the Evaluation Center to: 
 
 
 examine evaluations conducted or supported by others, with the Director's approval; 
 
 review and supplement federal education program evaluations; 
 
 conduct implementation evaluations that promote continuous improvement and inform policy making; 
 
 evaluate the short- and long-term effects and cost efficiencies of federal education programs; and 
 
 synthesize the results of evaluation studies for and across federal education programs, policies, and practices. 
 
 
(Sec. 174) Requires the Evaluation Commissioner (currently, the Director) to enter into grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with public or private, nonprofit or for-profit research organizations, other organizations, or institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish a networked system of 10 regional educational laboratories that serve the needs of each region of the United States. 
 
Authorizes the Evaluation Commissioner to determine that establishing 10 regional educational laboratories is unnecessary and to grant an alternative number of awards or reorganize such laboratories, including by not basing the awards on the regions, if an insufficient number of regional educational laboratories: (1) are meeting the needs of the regions, or (2) are meeting or have the capacity to meet specified performance indicators.
 
Requires the Evaluation Commissioner to give priority to applicants that will provide a portion of non-federal funds to maximize support for the regional educational laboratories.
 
Requires each regional educational laboratory to: (1) conduct applied research, development, data analysis, and evaluation activities with states, LEAs, and Indian schools; (2) widely disseminate such work; and (3) develop the capacity of states, LEAs, and Indian schools to carry out such activities.
 
Authorizes each regional educational laboratory to establish an advisory board to support its priorities. (Currently, each regional educational laboratory is required to establish a governing board.) Prohibits such an advisory board from exceeding 25 members. Requires each advisory board to include a state official, LEA representatives, researchers, and at least one representative from the advisory board of a comprehensive center servicing the region, if applicable.
 
Directs the Evaluation Commissioner to conduct ongoing summative and interim evaluations that assess how well each of the regional educational laboratories tis meeting measurable performance indicators. Reserves 16.13% of the funds authorized to be appropriated under the ESRA for such regional educational laboratories.
 
Part E--National Center for Special Education Research
 
(Sec. 175) Adds to the mission of the National Center for Special Education Research the promotion of scientifically valid special education research.
 
(Sec. 176) Includes disabled youth on the list of the Special Education Research Commissioner's required subjects of expertise. 
 
(Sec. 177) Adds to the duties of the Special Education Research Center: 
 
 
 examining the participation and outcomes of disabled students in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs; 
 
 assisting the Board in the preparation and dissemination of the report evaluating the effectiveness of the IES; 
 
examining the needs of disabled children who are English learners, who are gifted and talented, or who have other unique learning needs; and 
 
examining innovations in the special education field, such as multi-tiered systems of support.
 
 
Authorizes the Special Education Research Commissioner to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements on a competitive basis for up to five years and renew them for up to two years if their recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of the ESRA's performance measurement system.
 
Directs the Special Education Research Center to synthesize, disseminate, and promote the utilization of the special education research it conducts or supports.
 
Reauthorizes appropriations for the Special Education Research Center through FY2021.
 
Part F--General Provisions 
 
(Sec. 181) Prohibits the ESRA's provisions from being construed to authorize the federal government to mandate, direct, or control the specific academic achievement or content standards or assessments of a state, LEA, or school.
 
Prohibits the use of IES funding to endorse, approve, or sanction any curriculum designed to be used in early education or in an elementary school, secondary school, or IHE.
 
(Sec. 182) Allows IES data to disclose information regarding individual schools so long as no individually identifiable information is disclosed. Subjects IES volunteers or those who provide the IES with uncompensated services to punishment for privacy violations. 
 
(Sec. 183) Requires IES data to be made available to the public through electronic means, such as posting to the IES's website in an easily accessible manner.
 
(Sec. 184) Requires the Director to establish a performance management system to promote the continuous improvement of activities authorized under the ESRA and ensure the effective use of federal funds by:
 
 
developing and using measurable performance indicators, including time lines, to evaluate and improve those activities;
 
using the performance indicators to inform funding decisions;
 
establishing and improving formal stakeholder feedback mechanisms; and 
 
promoting the wide dissemination and utilization of IHE information, products, and publications.
 
 
(Sec. 185) Requires the Director to provide the Secretary and other relevant offices with an advance copy of IES publications before their public release.
 
(Sec. 186) Repeals provisions dealing with: (1) filling vacancies on the Board and within the IES; and (2) removing the Commissioners of the National Education Centers, the Director, and Board members.
 
(Sec. 187) Establishes as the goal of the Director's research, evaluation, and statistics fellowships at IHEs, improving this nation's capacity to carry out high-quality research, evaluation, and statistics related to education and the mission of each National Education Center.
 
(Sec. 188) Reauthorizes appropriations for activities under the ESRA through FY2021.
 
Part G--Technical and Conforming Amendments
 
(Sec. 191) Makes technical and conforming amendments to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
 
TITLE II--EDUCATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
 
(Sec. 202) Amends the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (ETAA) to define "school leader."
 
(Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary to award 17 competitive grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public or private, nonprofit or for-profit, research organizations, other organizations, or IHEs to establish comprehensive centers to provide states and LEAs with technical assistance, analysis, and training to build their capacity to implement federal educational laws and research-based practices.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish at least one comprehensive center for each of the 10 geographic regions served by the regional educational laboratories established under the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994. Allows the Secretary to establish additional comprehensive centers serving one or more of those regions or the nation as a whole.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to determine that establishing 17 comprehensive centers is unnecessary and grant an alternative number of awards or reorganize such centers, including by organizing the centers around content areas instead of by regions, if an insufficient number of centers: (1) are meeting the needs of the regions, or (2) are meeting or have the capacity to meet specified performance indicators.
 
Requires the Secretary to give priority to applicants that will provide a portion of non-federal funds to maximize support for the comprehensive centers.
 
Requires the comprehensive centers to consider the number of low-performing schools in an area when considering an area's need for assistance.
 
Includes in the training, professional development, and technical assistance provided by comprehensive centers the replication and adaptation of exemplary practices and innovative methods that have an evidence base of effectiveness.
 
Authorizes (currently, requires) each comprehensive center to establish an advisory board to support its priorities. Prohibits such an advisory board from exceeding 25 members. Requires each advisory board to include a state official, LEA representatives, researchers, and at least one representative from the advisory board of a regional educational laboratory in the region being served by the center.
 
Requires the annual report each comprehensive center provides to the Secretary to include: (1) a description of how well the center is meeting the educational needs of its region, using measurable performance indicators; and (2) any changes to its plan to improve its effectiveness.
 
(Sec. 204) Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide for an interim and summative evaluation of each comprehensive center at the midpoint and at the end of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement that established such center; and (2) transmit the results of such evaluations to Congress, the Director, and the public.
 
(Sec. 206) Repeals the requirement that the Secretary establish a regional advisory committee for each region of this country served by a regional educational laboratory.
 
(Sec. 207) Requires the Director and the Secretary to establish priorities for the regional educational laboratories and comprehensive centers using the results of relevant regional and national surveys of educational needs. 
(Sec. 208) Allows states that receive competitive grants to design, develop, and implement statewide, longitudinal data systems to provide subgrants to LEAs for their role in those activities. Requires those data systems to be consistent with the requirements of the ESEA, the Higher Education Act of 1965, and the IDEA. Requires the Secretary, before awarding such grants, to establish measurable performance indicators for use in assessing the ongoing progress and performance of state grantees in designing, developing, and implementing those systems.
 
Requires the peer review process used in awarding such grants to:
 
 
promote the generation and use of the data needed to align statewide longitudinal data systems from early education through postsecondary education and the workforce;
 
ensure the protection of student privacy;
 
ensure that state grantees support professional development that enables teachers and school leaders to use data effectively; and 
 
give priority to states that leverage the use of such systems to improve student achievement and growth, including by demonstrating the capacity to share teacher and school leader performance data with LEAs and teacher and school leader preparation programs.
 
 
Authorizes the Secretary to renew such grants for up to three years if the state demonstrates progress on the measurable performance indicators.
 
Directs the Secretary, one year after this Act's enactment and every three years thereafter, to make publicly available a report on the implementation and effectiveness of the activities carried out by the state grantees.
 
(Sec. 209) Reauthorizes appropriations for activities under the ETAA through FY2021.
 
TITLE III--NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS 
 
(Sec. 302) Amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (NAEPA) to require the National Assessment Governing Board (Assessment Board) to oversee and set policies for the National Assessment of Educational Progress consistent with its duties and accepted professional standards.
 
Includes one elementary school leader and one secondary school leader on the Assessment Board. (This replaces the requirement that school principals be selected.)
 
 Directs the Secretary to fill vacancies on the Assessment Board from among individuals who are nominated by the Assessment Board.
 
Requires the Assessment Board to consult with the Statistics Commissioner in carrying out its functions.
 
Directs the Assessment Board, in selecting the subject areas to be assessed, to select the grades or ages being assessed and the year in which such assessments will be conducted.
 
Requires school leaders to be involved in the assessment review process.
 
Directs the Assessment Board to provide input to the Director on annual budget requests for the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
 
(Sec. 303) Directs the Statistics Commissioner to carry out the National Assessment of Educational Progress in a manner consistent with accepted professional standards and the policies set forth by the Assessment Board.
 
Adds to the Statistics Commissioner's duties determining the content of initial and subsequent National Assessment of Educational Progress reports and ensuring their validity and reliability.
 
Requires LEAs participating in the school improvement program under part A of title I of the ESEA to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 
 
Eliminates the option allowing the Assessment Board to develop appropriate achievement levels for each age, rather than grade level, for each subject area being tested. Directs the Assessment Board to use a national consensus approach in establishing the appropriate student achievement levels, providing for the active participation of teachers, school leaders, curriculum specialists, local school administrators, parents, and concerned members of the public.
 
(Sec. 304) Defines a "school leader." 
 
(Sec. 305) Reauthorizes appropriations for activities under the NAEPA through FY2021.
 
TITLE IV--EVALUATION PLAN 
 
(Sec. 401) Requires the IES to be the primary entity for conducting research on and evaluations of federal education programs within ED to ensure the rigor and independence of such research and evaluations.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to reserve and consolidate specified percentages of funds from ESEA programs to: (1) carry out high-quality evaluations of programs authorized under the ESEA, and (2) increase the usefulness of those evaluations or assist ESEA program grantees in collecting and analyzing data and other activities related to the evaluations. Prohibits the Secretary from being required to evaluate each ESEA program each year. Requires the Secretary or the Director to disseminate the findings from such evaluations.
 
Requires the Director, on a biennial basis, to develop, submit to Congress, and make publicly available an evaluation plan that: (1) describes the specific activities that will be carried out with the reserved funds over the two years of the plan, (2) contains the results of the activities carried out with such funds for the most recent two-year period, and (3) describes how ESEA programs will be regularly evaluated.

action_date: 2015-12-17
text: 

Strengthening Education through Research Act

 
(Sec. 3) This bill amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA) to require the Department of Education (ED), in collecting information and data under that Act, to avoid duplicating reporting requirements by using information and data available from existing federal, state, and local sources.
 
TITLE I--EDUCATION SCIENCES REFORM
 
(Sec. 102) The bill further amends ESRA to replace the definition of, and references to: (1) a "historically black college or university" with the definition of, and references to, a "minority-serving institution"; and (2) "scientifically based research standards" with the definition of, and references to, "principles of scientific research." 
 
Part A--The Institute of Education Sciences
 
(Sec. 111) The mission of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) must include providing national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of adult education, in addition to providing leadership with regard to education from early childhood through postsecondary study.
 
(Sec. 112) The IES shall widely disseminate the findings and results of its education evaluations, which are to include evaluations of impact and implementation.
 
(Sec. 113) The IES may accept requests from ED to administer activities other than those assigned to it, provided those activities are consistent with its priorities or mission. With respect to any contract entered into under ESRA, the IES must be consulted during the procurement process as well as in the management of the contract's performance.
 
(Sec. 114) The Director of the IES (Director) may: (1) serve for up to one year beyond the six-year term if a successor has not yet been appointed, and (2) be appointed to one additional term. 
 
The Director's duties shall include: (1) coordinating IES research activities with the education research activities of public and private entities, and (2) coordinating with ED to ensure that IES results are coordinated with and utilized by ED's technical assistance providers and dissemination networks.
 
The IES must establish and maintain a peer-review system involving highly-qualified individuals to review and evaluate: (1) each application for a grant or cooperative agreement exceeding $100,000, and (2) all reports and other products that exceed $100,000 and are to be published and publicly released by the IES. Peer reviewers of special education research must have an understanding of special education.
 
The IES must: 
 
 
ensure that its activities address significant challenges faced by practitioners and increase knowledge in the education field; 
 
ensure that its information, products, and publications are prepared and widely disseminated in a timely, understandable, and convenient manner; 
 
promote the utilization of its information, products, and publications; and 
 
monitor and manage all activities authorized under ESRA. 

 
(Sec. 115) The Director must propose the IES's priorities to the National Board for Education Sciences (Board) at least once every six years. Priorities may include: 
 
 
closing the achievement gap between disabled and nondisabled students; 
 
improving access to, and the quality of, early childhood education; 
 
improving elementary and secondary education, particularly among low-performing students and schools; and 
 
improving access to, and the completion of, postsecondary education and adult education. 

 
(Sec. 116) Additional duties of the Board shall include: 
 
 
providing ongoing advice and input to the Director on IES activities; 
 
providing advice to the Director on ensuring that IES activities are free of disability bias; 
 
ensuring that IES activities are relevant to education policy and practice by soliciting, on an ongoing basis, advice and information from those in the education field; 
 
recommending to the Director ways to enhance strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts with public and private entities; and 
 
reporting every five years on IES effectiveness. 

 
The Board must be composed of at least two practitioners who are knowledgeable about the education needs of the United States. State leaders in adult education may serve on the Board. Board members may: (1) serve for up to one year beyond their four-year term if their successor has not yet been appointed, and (2) serve a full term if they are appointed to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term of office.
 
The Board shall be independent of the Director and the other offices and officers of the IES. The Executive Director of the Board shall be appointed by the Board for a term of up to six years and may be reappointed for an additional term.
 
The Board may establish standing or temporary subcommittees to provide the Board with recommendations for carrying out activities authorized under ESRA.
 
(Sec. 117) The Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, like the Commissioners of the other National Education Centers, shall be appointed by the Director rather than by the President.
 
(Sec. 118) The Director must make a description of all IES grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements exceeding $100,000 publicly available within 120 days of their consummation.
 
(Sec. 119) IES grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements must be awarded through a peer review process.
 
Part B--National Center for Education Research
 
(Sec. 131) The National Center for Education Research (Research Center) must: (1) conduct research that is consistent with IES priorities, and (2) widely disseminate and promote the utilization of its work.
 
(Sec. 132) The bill expands the Research Center's duties to include research on: (1) follow-up questions provoked by previous research, (2) the impact of technology on education, and (3) the quality of the implementation of practices and strategies determined to be effective through scientifically valid research.
 
The Research Center's work on successful state and local education reform activities may include research on social and emotional learning and the acquisition of competencies and skills.
 
The Research Commissioner is authorized to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, applicants that have the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research.
 
The Research Commissioner shall support national research and development centers that address topics of importance and relevance in the education field that are consistent with IES priorities. The bill eliminates: (1) the requirement that the Research Commissioner support at least eight centers, and (2) the list of research topics eligible for support.
 
The Director is authorized to renew support for a national research and development center without competition for up to two years (rather than for up to five years) beyond the initial period of support if the Director determines that the center's research continues to effectively address IES priorities. 
 
Research conducted or supported by the Research Center, to the extent feasible and relevant to the research being conducted, must be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by age, race, gender, disability status, English learner status, socioeconomic background, and other population characteristics as determined by the Research Commissioner, so long as any reported information does not reveal individually identifiable information.
 
Part C--National Center for Education Statistics
 
(Sec. 151) The National Center for Education Statistics (Statistics Center) must collect, analyze, and report education information and statistics in a manner that is: (1) consistent with ESRA's privacy protections; (2) free of disability bias; and (3) relevant, timely, and widely disseminated. 
 
(Sec. 152) The Statistics Center must collect and disseminate additional data on:
 
 
secondary school graduation and completion rates; 
 
postsecondary education completion; 
 
teaching and school leadership, including information on pre-service preparation, professional development, teacher distribution, and teacher and school leader evaluation; 
 
the supply of, and demand for, school leaders; 
 
school safety that includes data on school climate and in- and out-of-school suspensions and expulsions; 
 
access to, and use of, technology to improve elementary and secondary schools; 
 
the quality of early childhood education; 
 
students' access to summer school; and 
 
access to, and opportunities for, adult education and literacy activities. 

 
The Statistics Center must provide technical assistance to states in developing statewide longitudinal data systems that link individual student data and protect student privacy to improve student academic achievement and close achievement gaps.
 
The Statistics Center shall assist the Board in the preparation and dissemination of the report evaluating the effectiveness of the IES.
 
The Statistics Commissioner must develop and implement a plan for Statistics Center activities that is consistent with the priorities of the IES and subject to appropriate modifications.
 
(Sec. 153) Entities that wish to receive a grant or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement with the Statistics Center shall submit an application. The Statistics Commissioner is authorized to renew those grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements for up to two years if the recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of ESRA's performance measurement system (rather than for up to five years at the discretion of the Statistics Commissioner).
 
(Sec. 155) Joint statistical projects carried out between the Statistics Center and nonprofit entities must adhere to ESRA's student privacy requirements. Federal agencies and other parties seeking access to educational data from the Statistics Center must describe their research-related need for such data and how the data will be protected from misuse or privacy violations. The Statistics Center may deny requests for access to its data if such data would: (1) be unnecessary for, or unrelated to, the proposed research; or (2) introduce the risk that the data would be misused or used to violate privacy rights. However, that denial authority is inapplicable to public use data sets.
 
(Sec. 156) The bill renames "national cooperative education statistics systems" as " cooperative education statistics partnerships" between the Statistics Center and participating states. Rather than producing and maintaining education data, the partnerships are tasked with reviewing and improving data quality standards. The partnerships may not collect student data or establish a national student data system.
 
Part D--National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
 
(Sec. 171) The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (Evaluation Center) must: (1) evaluate the impact and implementation of federal education programs administered by ED; and (2) support the wide dissemination and utilization of all its evaluations, research, and products. The bill repeals the Evaluation Center's authority to provide technical assistance.
 
(Sec. 172) The Evaluation Center must assist the Board in the preparation and dissemination of the report evaluating the effectiveness of the IES.
 
The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner (Evaluation Commissioner) shall propose to the Director and implement, subject to the Director's approval, a plan for Evaluation Center activities that is consistent with IES priorities and subject to appropriate modifications.
 
The Evaluation Commissioner is authorized to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements on a competitive basis for up to five years and renew them for up to two years if their recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of ESRA's performance measurement system.
 
The Evaluation Commissioner is authorized to establish a National Library of Education within the Evaluation Center.
 
(Sec. 173) The Evaluation Center must, in addition to its existing duties: (1) provide its findings in an understandable, easily accessible, and usable format to support program improvement; and (2) support the Director's evaluation activities. The Evaluation Center must also: 
 
 
examine evaluations conducted or supported by others, with the Director's approval; 
 
review and supplement federal education program evaluations; 
 
conduct implementation evaluations that promote continuous improvement and inform policy making; 
 
evaluate the short- and long-term effects and cost efficiencies of federal education programs; and 
 
synthesize the results of evaluation studies for and across federal education programs, policies, and practices. 

 
(Sec. 174) The Evaluation Commissioner (rather than the Director) shall enter into grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with public or private, nonprofit or for-profit research organizations, other organizations, or institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish a networked system of 10 regional educational laboratories that serve the needs of each region of the United States. 
 
The Evaluation Commissioner is authorized to determine that establishing 10 regional educational laboratories is unnecessary and to grant an alternative number of awards or reorganize such laboratories, including by not basing the awards on the regions, if an insufficient number of regional educational laboratories: (1) are meeting the needs of the regions, or (2) are meeting or have the capacity to meet specified performance indicators.
 
The Evaluation Commissioner shall give priority to applicants that will provide a portion of non-federal funds to maximize support for the regional educational laboratories.
 
Each regional educational laboratory must: (1) conduct applied research, development, data analysis, and evaluation activities with states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and Indian schools; (2) widely disseminate such work; and (3) develop the capacity of states, LEAs, and Indian schools to carry out such activities.
 
Each regional educational laboratory is authorized (rather than required) to establish an advisory board to support its priorities. An advisory board may not have more than 25 members but must include a state official, LEA representatives, researchers, and at least one representative from the advisory board of a comprehensive center servicing the region, if applicable.
 
The Evaluation Commissioner must conduct ongoing summative and interim evaluations that assess how well each of the regional educational laboratories is meeting measurable performance indicators. The bill reserves 16.13% of the funds authorized to be appropriated under ESRA for such regional educational laboratories.
 
Part E--National Center for Special Education Research
 
(Sec. 175) The bill adds to the mission of the National Center for Special Education Research the promotion of scientifically valid special education research.
 
(Sec. 176) The bill includes disabled youth on the list of the Special Education Research Commissioner's required subjects of expertise. 
 
(Sec. 177) The bill adds to the duties of the Special Education Research Center: 
 
 
examining the participation and outcomes of disabled students in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs; 
 
assisting the Board in the preparation and dissemination of the report evaluating the effectiveness of the IES; 
 
examining the needs of disabled children who are English learners, who are gifted and talented, or who have other unique learning needs; and 
 
examining innovations in the special education field, such as multi-tiered systems of support. 

 
The Special Education Research Commissioner is authorized to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements on a competitive basis for up to five years and renew them for up to two years if their recipients demonstrate progress on the requirements of ESRA's performance measurement system.
 
The Special Education Research Center must synthesize, disseminate, and promote the utilization of the special education research it conducts or supports.
 
The bill reauthorizes through FY2021 the Special Education Research Center.
 
Part F--General Provisions 
 
(Sec. 181) IES funding may not be used to endorse, approve, or sanction any curriculum designed to be used in early education or in an elementary school, secondary school, or IHE.
 
(Sec. 182) IES data may disclose information regarding individual schools so long as no individually identifiable information is disclosed. IES volunteers are subject to punishment for privacy violations. 
 
(Sec. 183) IES data must be made available to the public through electronic means, such as posting to the IES's website in an easily accessible manner.
 
(Sec. 184) The Director must establish a performance management system to promote the continuous improvement of activities authorized under ESRA and ensure the effective use of federal funds by:
 
 
developing and using measurable performance indicators, including time lines, to evaluate and improve those activities; 
 
using the performance indicators to inform funding decisions; 
 
establishing and improving formal stakeholder feedback mechanisms; and 
 
promoting the wide dissemination and utilization of IHE information, products, and publications. 

 
(Sec. 185) The Director must provide ED and other relevant offices with an advance copy of IES publications before their public release.
 
(Sec. 186) The bill repeals provisions dealing with: (1) filling vacancies on the Board and within the IES; and (2) removing the Commissioners of the National Education Centers, the Director, and Board members.
 
(Sec. 187) The bill establishes as the goal of the Director's research, evaluation, and statistics fellowships at IHEs, improving this nation's capacity to carry out high-quality research, evaluation, and statistics related to education and the mission of each National Education Center.
 
(Sec. 188) The bill reauthorizes through FY2021 activities under ESRA.
 
Part G--Technical and Conforming Amendments
 
(Sec. 191) The bill makes technical and conforming amendments to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
 
TITLE II--EDUCATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
 
(Sec. 202) The bill amends the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (ETAA) to define "school leader."
 
(Sec. 203) ED shall award 17 competitive grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public or private, nonprofit or for-profit, research organizations, other organizations, or IHEs to establish comprehensive centers to provide states and LEAs with technical assistance, analysis, and training to build their capacity to implement federal educational laws and research-based practices.
 
ED must establish at least one comprehensive center for each of the 10 geographic regions served by the regional educational laboratories established under the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994. ED may establish additional comprehensive centers serving one or more of those regions or the nation as a whole.
 
However, ED is authorized to determine that establishing 17 comprehensive centers is unnecessary and grant an alternative number of awards or reorganize such centers, including by organizing the centers around content areas instead of by regions, if an insufficient number of centers: (1) are meeting the needs of the regions, or (2) are meeting or have the capacity to meet specified performance indicators.
 
ED must give priority to applicants that will provide a portion of non-federal funds to maximize support for the comprehensive centers.
 
The comprehensive centers shall consider the number of low-performing schools in an area when considering an area's need for assistance.
 
The bill includes in the training, professional development, and technical assistance provided by comprehensive centers the replication and adaptation of exemplary practices and innovative methods that have an evidence base of effectiveness.
 
Each comprehensive center is authorized (rather than required) to establish an advisory board of not more than 25 members to support its priorities. Each advisory board must include a state official, LEA representatives, researchers, and at least one representative from the advisory board of a regional educational laboratory in the region being served by the center.
 
The annual report each comprehensive center provides to ED must include: (1) a description of how well the center is meeting the educational needs of its region, using measurable performance indicators; and (2) any changes to its plan to improve its effectiveness.
 
(Sec. 204) ED must: (1) provide for an interim and summative evaluation of each comprehensive center at the midpoint and at the end of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement that established such center; and (2) transmit the results of such evaluations to Congress, the Director, and the public.
 
(Sec. 206) The bill repeals the requirement that ED establish a regional advisory committee for each region of the country served by a regional educational laboratory.
 
(Sec. 207) The Director and ED must establish priorities for the regional educational laboratories and comprehensive centers using the results of relevant regional and national surveys of educational needs. 
 
(Sec. 208) States that receive competitive grants may design, develop, and implement statewide, longitudinal data systems to provide subgrants to LEAs for their role in those activities. Those data systems must be consistent with the requirements of the ESEA, the Higher Education Act of 1965, and IDEA. ED must, before awarding such grants, establish measurable performance indicators for use in assessing the ongoing progress and performance of state grantees in designing, developing, and implementing those systems.
 
The peer review process used in awarding such grants must:
 
 
promote the generation and use of data needed to align statewide longitudinal data systems from early education through postsecondary education and the workforce; 
 
ensure the protection of student privacy; 
 
ensure that state grantees support professional development that enables teachers and school leaders to use data effectively; and 
 
give priority to states that leverage the use of such systems to improve student achievement and growth, including by demonstrating the capacity to share teacher and school leader performance data with LEAs and teacher and school leader preparation programs. 

 
ED is authorized to renew such grants for up to three years if the state demonstrates progress on the measurable performance indicators.
 
ED must report on the implementation and effectiveness of the activities carried out by the state grantees.
 
(Sec. 209) The bill reauthorizes through FY2021 activities under the ETAA.
 
TITLE III--NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS 
 
(Sec. 302) The bill amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (NAEPA) to require the National Assessment Governing Board (Assessment Board) to oversee and set policies for the National Assessment of Educational Progress consistent with its duties and accepted professional standards.
 
ED shall fill vacancies on the Assessment Board from among individuals who are nominated by the Assessment Board.
 
The Assessment Board must consult with the Statistics Commissioner in carrying out its functions.
 
The Assessment Board shall, in selecting the subject areas to be assessed, select the grades or ages being assessed and the year in which such assessments will be conducted.
 
School leaders must be involved in the assessment review process.
 
The Assessment Board shall provide input to the Director on annual budget requests for the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
 
(Sec. 303) The Statistics Commissioner shall carry out the National Assessment of Educational Progress in a manner consistent with accepted professional standards and the policies set forth by the Assessment Board.
 
The bill adds to the Statistics Commissioner's duties determining the content of initial and subsequent National Assessment of Educational Progress reports and ensuring their validity and reliability.
 
LEAs participating in the school improvement program under the ESEA must also participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 
 
The bill eliminates the option allowing the Assessment Board to develop appropriate achievement levels for each age, rather than grade level, for each subject area being tested. The Assessment Board must use a national consensus approach in establishing the appropriate student achievement levels, providing for the active participation of teachers, school leaders, curriculum specialists, local school administrators, parents, and concerned members of the public.
 
(Sec. 304) The bill defines a "school leader." 
 
(Sec. 305) The bill reauthorizes through FY2021 activities under the NAEPA.
 
TITLE IV--EVALUATION PLAN 
 
(Sec. 401) The IES shall be the primary entity for conducting research on and evaluations of federal education programs within ED to ensure the rigor and independence of such research and evaluations.
 
ED shall reserve and consolidate specified percentages of funds from ESEA programs to: (1) carry out high-quality evaluations of programs authorized under the ESEA, and (2) increase the usefulness of those evaluations or assist ESEA program grantees in collecting and analyzing data and other activities related to the evaluations. ED may not be required to evaluate each ESEA program each year. Either ED or the Director must disseminate the findings from such evaluations.
 
The Director shall, on a biennial basis, develop, submit to Congress, and make publicly available an evaluation plan that: (1) describes the specific activities that will be carried out with the reserved funds over the two years of the plan, (2) contains the results of the activities carried out with such funds for the most recent two-year period, and (3) describes how ESEA programs will be regularly evaluated.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-12-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2015-12-18
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2015-12-18
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2015-12-17
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2015-12-17
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2015-12-17
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S8830-8831)
action_date: 2015-02-04
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 13.
action_date: 2015-02-04
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2015-02-04
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2015-01-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-01-21
text: Introduced in Senate