DATA SYSTEMS AUTHORIZED.

SEC. 407. DATA SYSTEMS AUTHORIZED. Section 421 of the Act (20 U.S.C. 2421) is amended to read as follows: “SEC. 421. DATA SYSTEMS AUTHORIZED. “(a) Establishment of System.— (1) The Secretary shall, directly, or by grant, contract or cooperative agreement, establish a vocational educational data system (in this section referred to as the ‘system’), using comparative information elements and uniform definitions, to the extent practicable. “(2) The Secretary shall establish the system not later than the end of the 6-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990. “(3) The National Center for Education Statistics (in this section referred to as the ‘National Center’) shall coordinate the development and implementation of the system. “(b) Functions of System.— Through the system, the Secretary shall collect data and analyze such data in order to provide— “(1) the Congress with information relevant to policymaking; and “(2) Federal, State, and local agencies and Tribal agencies with information relevant to program management, administration and effectiveness with respect to education and employment opportunities. “(c) Contents of System.— (1) (A) The system shall include information— “(i) describing the major elements of the vocational education system on at least a national basis, including information with respect to teachers, administrators, students, facilities, and, to the extent practicable, equipment; and “(ii) describing the condition of vocational education with respect to the elements described in clause (i). 104 STAT. 823 “(B) The information described in subparagraph (A) shall be provided, to the extent practicable, in the context of other educational data relating to the condition of the overall education system. “(C) The Secretary, in consultation with the Task Force, the National Center, and the Office of Adult and Vocational Education (in this section referred to as the ‘Office’), shall modify existing general purpose and program data systems to ensure that an appropriate vocational education component is included in the design, implementation and reporting of such systems in order to fulfill the information requirements of this section. “(2) The information system shall include data reflecting the extent of participation of the following populations: “(A) women; “(B) Indians; “(C) individuals with handicaps; “(D) individuals of limited English proficiency; “(E) economically disadvantaged students (including information on students in rural and urban areas); “(F) adults who are in need of training and retraining; “(G) single parents; “(H) youths incarcerated in juvenile detention or correctional facilities or criminal offenders who are serving time in correctional institutions; “(I) individuals who participate in programs designed to eliminate gender bias and sex stereotyping in vocational education; “(J) minorities; and “(K) displaced homemakers. “(3) The Secretary, in consultation with the National Center and the Office, shall maintain and update the system at least every 3 years and assure the system provides the highest quality statistics and is adequate to meet the information needs of this Act. In carrying out the requirements of this paragraph, the Secretary shall ensure that appropriate methodologies are used in assessments of students of limited English proficiency and students with handicaps to ensure valid and reliable comparisons with the general student population and across program areas. With respect to standardized tests and assessments administered under this Act, test results shall be used as 1 of multiple independent indicators in assessment of performance and achievement. “(d) Assessment of International Competitiveness.— The Center shall carry out an assessment of data availability and adequacy with respect to international competitiveness in vocational skills. To the extent practicable, the assessment shall include comparative policy-relevant data on vocational education in nations which are major trade partners of the United States. The assessment shall at a minimum identify available internationally comparative data on vocational education and options for obtaining and upgrading such data. The results of the assessment required by this paragraph shall be reported to the appropriate committees of the Congress not later than August 31, 1994. “(e) Use of and Compatibility With Other Data Collection Systems.— (1) In establishing, maintaining, and updating the system, the Secretary shall— “(A) use existing data collection systems operated by the Secretary and, to the extent appropriate, data collection systems operated by other Federal agencies; 104 STAT. 824 “(B) conduct additional data collection efforts to augment the data collection systems described in subparagraph (A) by providing information necessary for policy analysis required by this section; and “(C) use any independent data collection efforts that are complementary to the data collection efforts described in sub-paragraphs (A) and (B). “(2) In carrying out the responsibilities imposed by this part, the Secretary shall cooperate with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, and the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee established under section 422 with respect to the development of an information system under section 463 of the Job Training Partnership Act to ensure that the information system operated under this section is compatible with and complementary to other occupational supply and demand information systems developed or maintained with Federal assistance. The Secretary shall also ensure that the system allows international comparisons to the extent feasible. “(3) The Secretary shall assure that the system, to the extent practicable, uses data definitions common to State plans, performance standards, local applications and evaluations required by this Act. The data in the system shall be available for use in preparing such plans, standards, applications, and evaluations. “(f) Reports.— The Secretary shall report to the Congress at least biennially with respect to— “(1) the performance of the system established under subsection (a); and “(2) strategies to improve the system and expand its implementation. “(g) Vocational Education Advisory Task Force.— (1) The Secretary, in consultation with the National Center and the Office shall establish a Vocational Education Advisory Task Force. “(2) The Secretary shall establish the Task Force before the expiration of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990, and shall terminate upon the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on such date. “(3) The Task Force shall advise the Secretary on the development and implementation of an information reporting and accounting system responsive to the diverse programs supported by this Act. “(4) The membership of the Task Force shall be representative of Federal, State, and local agencies and Tribal agencies affected by technological information, representatives of secondary and vocational postsecondary educational institutions, representatives of vocational student organizations, representatives of special populations, representatives of adult training programs funded under this Act, and representatives of apprenticeships, business, and industry. “(5) The National Center shall provide the Task Force with staff for the purpose of carrying out its functions. “(h) Assessment of Educational Progress Activities.— As a regular part of its assessments, the National Assessment of Educational Progress shall collect and report information for at least a nationally representative subsample of vocational education students, including students who are members of special populations, which shall allow for fair and accurate assessment and comparison of the educational achievement of vocational education students and 104 STAT. 825other students in the areas assessed. Such assessment may include international comparisons.”.