STATE AND LOCAL STANDARDS AND MEASURES.

SEC. 115. STATE AND LOCAL STANDARDS AND MEASURES. Section 115 of the Act (20 U.S.C. 2325) is amended to read as follows: “SEC. 115. STATE AND LOCAL STANDARDS AND MEASURES. “(a) General Authority.— Each State board receiving funds under this Act shall develop and implement a statewide system of core standards and measures of performance for secondary and postsecondary vocational education programs. Each State board receiving funds under this Act, before the expiration of the 30-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990, shall appoint the State Committee of Practitioners (in this section referred to as the ‘Committee’) as prescribed by section 512(a) after consulting with local school officials representing eligible recipients, and representatives of organized labor, business, superintendents, community-based organizations, private industry councils established under section 102(a) of the Job Training Partnership Act, State councils, parents, special populations, correctional institutions, the administrator appointed under section 11(b)(1), the State administrator of programs assisted under part B of the Education of the Handicapped Act, the State administrator of programs assisted under chapter 1 of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the State administrator of programs for students of limited English proficiency, and guidance counselors. Such system shall be developed and implemented before the end of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990 and shall apply to all programs assisted under this Act. Eligible recipients may make local modifications to such system based on economic, geographic, or demographic factors, or the characteristics of the population to be served. Such modifications shall conform to the assessment criteria contained in the State plan. The State board shall convene the Committee on a regular basis to review, comment on, and propose revisions to a draft State proposal, which the State board shall develop, for a system of core standards and measures of performance for vocational programs. “(b) Requirements.— Each system developed under subsection (a) shall include— “(1) measures of learning and competency gains, including student progress in the achievement of basic and more advanced academic skills; “(2) 1 or more measures of performance, which shall include only— “(A) competency attainment; “(B) job or work skill attainment or enhancement including student progress in achieving occupational skills necessary to obtain employment in the field for which the student has been prepared, including occupational skills in the industry the student is preparing to enter; “(C) retention in school or completion of secondary school or its equivalent; and “(D) placement into additional training or education, military service, or employment; “(3) incentives or adjustments that are— “(A) designed to encourage service to targeted groups or special populations; and 104 STAT. 771 “(B) for each student, consistent with the student’s individualized education program developed under section 614(a)(5) of the Education of the Handicapped Act, where appropriate; and “(4) procedures for using existing resources and methods developed in other programs receiving Federal assistance. “(c) Consistency With Other Programs.— In developing the standards and measures included in a system developed under subsection (a), the State board shall take into consideration— “(1) standards and measures developed under job opportunities and basic skills training programs established and operated under a plan approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that meets the requirements of section 402(a)(19) of the Social Security Act; and “(2) standards prescribed by the Secretary of Labor under section 106 of the Job Training Partnership Act. “(d) Information Provided by State Board.— (1) The Committee shall make recommendations to the State board with respect to modifying standards and measures to be used under this section, based on the information provided under paragraph (2). “(2) To assist the Committee in formulating recommendations under paragraph (1), the State board shall provide to the Committee information concerning differing types of standards and measurement, including— “(A) the advantages and disadvantages of each type of standard or measurement; “(B) instances in which such standards and measures have been effective; and “(C) instances in which such standards and measures have not been effective. “(3) In the event that the State board does not accept the Commit-tee’s recommendations made as required by paragraph (1), the State board shall set forth in the State plan its reasons for not accepting such recommendations. “(e) Technical Assistance.— The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to the States with respect to the development of systems under subsection (a). In providing such assistance, the Secretary shall utilize existing resources in other Federal agencies. “(f) Report.— The Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of the Congress not later than the expiration of the 4-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990. Such report shall include— “(1) a detailed description of the status of each State’s system of standards and measures developed as required by this section; “(2) an assessment of the validity, predictiveness, and reliability of such standards and measures, unbiased to special populations, in the areas of academic achievement, vocational skill competencies, employment outcomes, and postsecondary continuation and attainment; and “(3) an evaluation of the comparability of State-developed performance standards across States to establish a core of common indicators.”.