Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Amendments of 1998 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)
`(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY- Each eligible recipient that receives funds under this part shall use such funds to improve vocational and technical education programs.
`(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR USES OF FUNDS- Funds made available to eligible recipients under this part shall be used to support vocational and technical education programs that--
`(1) strengthen the academic, and vocational and
technical skills of students participating in vocational and technical
education programs by strengthening the academic, and vocational and technical
components of such programs through the integration of academics with
vocational and technical education programs through a coherent sequence of
courses to ensure learning in the core academic, and vocational and technical
subjects;
`(2) provide students with strong experience in and understanding of all aspects of an industry;
`(3) develop, improve, or expand the use of
technology in vocational and technical education, which may include--
`(A) training of vocational and technical education personnel to use state-of-the-art technology, which may include distance learning;
`(B) providing vocational and technical education students with the academic, and vocational and technical skills that lead to entry into the high technology and telecommunications field; or
`(C) encouraging schools to work with high technology industries to offer voluntary internships and mentoring programs;
`(4) provide professional
development programs to teachers, counselors, and administrators, including--
`(A) inservice and preservice training in state-of-the-art vocational and technical education programs and techniques, in effective teaching skills based on research, and in effective practices to improve parental and community involvement;
`(B) support of education programs for teachers of vocational and technical education in public schools and other public school personnel who are involved in the direct delivery of educational services to vocational and technical education students, to ensure that such teachers and personnel stay current with all aspects of an industry;
`(C) internship programs that provide business experience to teachers; and
`(D) programs designed to train teachers specifically in the use and application of technology;
`(5) develop and implement evaluations of the vocational and technical education programs carried out with funds under this title, including an assesstyle='margin-left:.5in'>`(c) PERMISSIVE- Funds made available to an eligible recipient under this title may be used--
`(1) to involve parents, businesses, and labor organizations as appropriate, in the design, implementation, and evaluation of vocational and technical education programs authorized under this title, including establishing effective programs and procedures to enable informed and effective participation in such programs;
`(2) to provide career guidance and academic counseling for students participating in vocational and technical education programs;
`(3) to provide work-related experience, such as internships, cooperative education, school-based enterprises, entrepreneurship, and job shadowing that are related to vocational and technical education programs;
`(4) to provide programs for special populations;
`(5) for local education and business partnerships;
`(6) to assist vocational
and technical student organizations;
`(7) for mentoring and support services;
`(3) TECH-PREP PROGRAM- The term `tech-prep program' means a program of study that--
`(A) combines at a minimum 2 years of secondary education (as determined under State law) with a minimum of 2 years of postsecondary education in a nonduplicative, sequential course of study;
`(B) integrates academic, and vocational and technical, instruction, and utilizes work-based and worksite learning where appropriate and available;
`(C) provides technical preparation in a career field such as engineering technology, applied science, a mechanical, industrial, or practical art or trade, agriculture, health occupations, business, or applied economics;
`(D) builds student competence in mathematics, science, reading, writing, communications, economics, and workplace skills through applied, contextual academics, and integrated instruction, in a coherent sequence of courses;
`(E) leads to an associate or a baccalaureate degree or a postsecondary certificate in a specific career field; and
`(F) leads to placement in appropriate employment or to further education.
`(a) IN GENERAL- For any fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot the amount made available under section 206 among the States in the same manner as funds are allotted to States under paragraph (2) of section 111(a).
`(b) PAYMENTS TO ELIGIBLE AGENCIES- The Secretary shall make a payment in the amount of a State's allotment under subsection (a) to the eligible agency that serves the State and has an application approved under subsection (c).
`(c) STATE APPLICATION- Each eligible agency desiring assistance under this title shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require.
`(a) GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED-
`(1) IN GENERAL- From amounts made available to each eligible agency under section 203, the eligible agency, in accordance with the provisions of this title, shall award grants, on a competitive basis or on the basis of a formula determined by the eligible agency, for tech-prep education programs described in subsection (c). The grants shall be awarded to consortia between or among--
`(A) a local educational agency, an intermediate educational agency or area vocational and technical education school serving secondary school students, or a secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and
`(B)(i) a nonprofit institution of higher education that offers--
`(I) a 2-year associate degree program, or a 2-year certificate program, and is qualified as institutions of higher education pursuant to section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, including an institution receiving assistance under the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and a tribally controlled postsecondary vocational and technical institution; or
`(II) a 2-year apprenticeship program that follows secondary instruction,
if such nonprofit institution of higher education is not prohibited from receiving assistance under part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.) pursuant to te provisions of section 435(a)(3) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1083(a)); or
`(ii) a proprietary institution of higher education that offers a 2-year associate degree program and is qualified as an institution of higher education pursuant to section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, if such proprietary institution of higher education is not subject to a default management plan required by the Secretary.
`(2) SPECIAL RULE- In addition, a consortium described in paragraph (1) may include 1 or more--
`(A) institutions of higher education that award a baccalaureate degree; and
`(B) employer or labor organizations.
`(b) DURATION- Each grant recipient shall use amounts provided under the grant to develop and operate a 4- or 6-year tech-prep education program described in subsection (c).
`(c) CONTENTS OF TECH-PREP PROGRAM- Each tech-prep program shall--
`(1) be carried out under an articulation agreement between the participants in the consortium;
`(2) consist of at least 2 years of secondary school preceding graduation and 2 years or more of higher education, or an apprenticeship program of at least 2 years following secondary instruction, with a common core of required proficiency in mathematics, science, reading, writing, communications, and technologies designed to lead to an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate in a specific career field;
`(3) include the development of tech-prep programs for both secondary and postsecondary, including consortium, participants in the consortium that--
`(A) meets academic standards developed by the State;
`(B) links secondary schools and 2-year postsecondary institutions, and if possible and practicable, 4-year institutions of higher education through nonduplicative sequences of courses in career fields, including the investigation of opportunities for tech-prep secondary students to enroll concurrently in secondary and postsecondary coursework;
`(C) uses, if appropriate and available, work-based or worksite learning in conjunction with business and all aspects of an industry; and
`(D) uses educational technology and distance learning, as appropriate, to involve all the consortium partners more fully in the development and operation of programs;
`(4) include in-service training for teachers that--
`(A) is designed to train vocational and technical teachers to effectively implement tech-prep programs;
`(B) provides for joint training for teachers in the tech-prep consortium;
`(C) is designed to ensure that teachers and administrators stay current with the needs, expectations, and methods of business and all aspects of an industry;
`(D) focuses on training postsecondary education faculty in the use of contextual and applied curricula and instruction; and
`(E) provides training in the use and application of technology;
`(5) include training programs for counselors designed to enable counselors to more effectively--
`(A) provide information to students regarding tech-prep education programs;
`(B) supportstudent progress in completing tech-prep programs;
`(C) provide information on related employment opportunities;
`(D) ensure that such students are placed in appropriate employment; and
`(E) stay current with the needs, expectations, and methods of business and all aspects of an industry;
`(6) provide equal access, to the full range of technical preparation programs, to individuals who are members of special populations, including the development of tech-prep program services appropriate to the needs of special populations; and
`(7) provide for preparatory services that assist participants in tech-prep programs.
`(d) ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES- Each tech-prep program may--
`(1) provide for the acquisition of tech-prep program equipment;
`(2) acquire technical assistance from State or local entities that have designed, established, and operated tech-prep programs that have effectively used educational technology and distance learning in the delivery of curricula and services and in the articulation process; and
`(3) establish articulation agreements with institutions of higher education, labor organizations, or businesses located inside or outside the State and served by the consortium, especially with regard to using distance learning and educational technology to provide for the delivery of services and programs.
`(a) IN GENERAL- Each consortium that desires to receive a grant under this title shall submit an application to the eligible agency at such time and in such manner as the eligible agency shall prescribe.
`(b) PLAN- Each application submitted under this section shall contain a 5-year plan for the development and implementation of tech-prep programs under this title, which plan shall be reviewed after the second year of the plan.
`(c) APPROVAL- The eligible agency shall approve applications based on the potential of the activities described in the application to create an effective tech-prep program.
`(d) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION- The eligible agency, as appropriate, shall give special consideration to applications that--
`(1) provide for effective employment placement activities or the transfer of students to baccalaureate degree programs;
`(2) are developed in consultation with business, industry, institutions of higher education, and labor organizations;
`(3) address effectively the issues of school dropout prevention and reentry and the needs of special populations;
`(4) provide education and training in areas or skills in which there are significant workforce shortages, including the information technology industry; and
`(5) demonstrate how tech-prep programs will help students meet high academic and employability competencies.
`(e) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF ASSISTANCE- In awarding grants under this title, the eligible agency shall ensure an equitable distribution of assistance between urban and rural consortium participants.
`Each eligible agency that receives a grant under this title annually shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a report on the effectiveness of the tech-prep programs assisted under this title, including a description of how grants were awarded within the State.
`(a) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED- From funds appropriated under subsection (e) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants to consortia described in section 204(a) to enable the consortia to carry out tech-prep education programs.
`(b) PROGRAM CONTENTS- Each tech-prep program referred to in subsection (a)--
`(1) shall--
`(A) involve the location of a secondary school on the site of a community college;
`(B) involve a business as a member of the consortium; and
`(C) require the voluntary participation of secondary school students in the tech-prep education program; and
`(2) may provide summer internships at a business for students or teachers.
`(c) APPLICATION- Each consortium desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require.
`(d) APPLICABILITY- The provisions of sections 203, 204, 205, and 206 shall not apply to this section, except that--
`(1) the provisions of section 204(a) shall apply for purposes of describing consortia eligible to receive assistance under this section;
`(2) each tech-prep education program assisted under this section shall meet the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), (3)(A), (3)(B), (3)(C), (3)(D), (4), (5), (6), and (7) of section 204(c), except that such paragraph (3)(B) shall be applied by striking `, and if possible and practicable, 4-year institutions of higher education through nonduplicative sequences of courses in career fields'; and
`(3) in awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to consortia submitting applications under subsection (c) that meet the requirements of paragraphs (1), (3), (4), and (5) of section 205(d), except that such paragraph (1) shall be applied by striking `or the transfer of students to baccalaureate degree programs'.
`(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.