RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.

SEC. 403. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. Section 402 of the Act is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking “National Institute of Education or any other division of the Department of Education which the Secretary determines to be appropriate” and inserting “Office of Educational Research and Improvement”; (B) in paragraph (1), by striking “individuals who are single parents or homemakers” and inserting “single parents, displaced homemakers, single pregnant women”; (C) by striking paragraphs (5) and (6); (D) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (6); (E) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; (F) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); (G) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraphs: “(2) research on the development and implementation of performance standards and measures that fit within the needs of State boards or eligible recipients in carrying out the provisions of this Act and on the relationship of such standards and measures to the data system established under section 421, which may include evaluation of existing performance standards and measures and dissemination of such information to the State board and eligible recipients; “(3) evaluation of the use of performance standards and measures under this Act and the effect of such standards and measures on the participation of students in vocational education programs and on the outcomes of students in such programs, especially students who are members of special populations;”; (H) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by subparagraph (D) of this section)— (i) by inserting “and more advanced” after “basic”; and 104 STAT. 807 (ii) by inserting “and problem-solving” after “academic”; and (I) by inserting after paragraph (6) (as redesignated by subparagraph (D) of this section) the following new paragraph: “(7) successful methods for providing students, to the maxi-mum extent practicable, with experience in and understanding of all aspects of the industry such students are preparing to enter; and”; (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows: “(b) In addition, the Secretary shall support meritorious, unsolicited research proposals from individual researchers, community colleges, State advisory councils, and State and local educators relating to the goals of this Act.”; (3) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; (4) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection: “(c) Dissemination.— (1) The Secretary shall establish a system for disseminating information resulting from research and development activities carried out under this Act. In establishing such system, the Secretary shall use existing dissemination systems, including the National Diffusion Network, the National Center or Centers for Research in Vocational Education, and the National Network for Curriculum Coordination in Vocational and Technical Education, in order to assure broad access at the State and local levels to the information being disseminated. “(2) (A) In order to comply with paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish through grants or contracts a National Network for Curriculum Coordination in Vocational and Technical Education (in this paragraph referred to as the ‘Network’) consisting of 6 regional curriculum coordination centers. The Network shall— “(i) provide national dissemination of information on effective vocational education programs and materials, with particular attention to regional programs; “(ii) be accessible by electronic means; “(iii) provide leadership and technical assistance in the design, development, and dissemination of curricula for vocational education; “(iv) coordinate the sharing of information among the States with respect to vocational education curricula; “(v) reduce duplication of effort in State activities for the development of vocational education curricula; and “(vi) promote the use of research findings with respect to vocational education curricula. “(B) The Secretary shall encourage the designation by each State of a liaison representative for the Network.”; (5) in paragraph (1) of subsection (e) (as redesignated in paragraph (3)) by striking “(1)”; and (6) by striking paragraph (2) of subsection (e) (as redesignated in paragraph (3)).