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improvement in vocational and technical education, including the impact of Federal allocation requirements (such as within-State allocation formulas) on the delivery of services;

(iii) the preparation and qualifications of teachers of vocational and technical, and academic, curricula in vocational and technical education programs, as well as shortages of such teachers;

(iv) participation of students in vocational and technical education programs;

(v) academic and employment outcomes of vocational and technical education, including analyses of(I) the number of vocational and technical education students and tech-prep students who meet State adjusted levels of performance;

(II) the extent and success of integration of academic, and vocational and technical, education for students participating in vocational and technical education programs; and

(III) the extent to which vocational and technical education programs prepare students for subsequent employment in high-wage, high-skill careers or participation in postsecondary education;

(vi) employer involvement in, and satisfaction with, vocational and technical education programs;

(vii) the use and impact of educational technology and distance learning with respect to vocational and technical education and tech-prep programs; and

(viii) the effect of State adjusted levels of performance and State levels of performance on the delivery of vocational and technical education services. (C) REPORTS.—

(i) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate

(I) an interim report regarding the assessment on or before January 1, 2002; and

(II) a final report, summarizing all studies and analyses that relate to the assessment and that are completed after the assessment, on or before July 1, 2002.

(ii) PROHIBITION.-Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the reports required by this subsection shall not be subject to any review outside the Department of Education before their transmittal to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, and the Secretary, but the President, the Secretary, and the independent advisory panel established under paragraph (2) may make such additional recommendations to Congress with respect to the assessment as the Presi

dent, the Secretary, or the panel determine to be appropriate. (4) COLLECTION OF STATE INFORMATION AND REPORT.—

(A) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary may collect and disseminate information from States regarding State efforts to meet State adjusted levels of performance described in section 113.

(B) REPORT.—The Secretary shall gather any information collected pursuant to subparagraph (A) and submit a report to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate.

(5) RESEARCH.

(A) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary, after consulting with the States, shall award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements on a competitive basis to an institution of higher education, a public or private nonprofit organization or agency, or a consortium of such institutions, organizations, or agencies to establish a national research center

or centers

(i) to carry out research for the purpose of developing, improving, and identifying the most successful methods for successfully addressing the education, employment, and training needs of participants in vocational and technical education programs, including research and evaluation in such activities as

(I) the integration of vocational and technical instruction, and academic, secondary and postsecondary instruction;

(II) education technology and distance learning approaches and strategies that are effective with respect to vocational and technical education;

(III) State adjusted levels of performance and State levels of performance that serve to improve vocational and technical education programs and student achievement; and

(IV) academic knowledge and vocational and technical skills required for employment or participation in postsecondary education;

(ii) to carry out research to increase the effectiveness and improve the implementation of vocational and technical education programs, including conducting research and development, and studies, providing longitudinal information or formative evaluation with respect to vocational and technical education programs and student achievement;

(iii) to carry out research that can be used to improve teacher training and learning in the vocational and technical education classroom, including

(I) effective inservice and preservice teacher education that assists vocational and technical education systems; and

(II) dissemination and training activities related to the applied research and demonstration activities described in this subsection, which may

also include serving as a repository for information on vocational and technical skills, State academic standards, and related materials; and

(iv) to carry out such other research as the Secretary determines appropriate to assist State and local recipients of funds under this Act.

(B) REPORT.-The center or centers conducting the activities described in subparagraph (A) shall annually prepare a report of key research findings of such center or centers and shall submit copies of the report to the Secretary, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, the Library of Congress, and each eligible agency.

(C) DISSEMINATION.-The center or centers shall conduct dissemination and training activities based upon the research described in subparagraph (A).

(6) DEMONSTRATIONS AND DISSEMINATION.—

(A) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.-The Secretary is authorized to carry out demonstration vocational and technical education programs, to replicate model vocational and technical education programs, to disseminate best practices information, and to provide technical assistance upon request of a State, for the purposes of developing, improving, and identifying the most successful methods and techniques for providing vocational and technical education programs assisted under this Act.

(B) DEMONSTRATION PARTNERSHIP.

(i) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary shall carry out a demonstration partnership project involving a 4-year, accredited postsecondary institution, in cooperation with local public education organizations, volunteer groups, and private sector business participants to provide program support, and facilities for education, training, tutoring, counseling, employment preparation, specific skills training in emerging and established professions, and for retraining of military medical personnel, individuals displaced by corporate or military restructuring, migrant workers, as well as other individuals who otherwise do not have access to such services, through multisite, multistate distance learning technologies.

(ii) PROGRAM.-Such program may be carried out directly or through grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or through the national center or centers established under paragraph (5).

(7) DEFINITION.-In this section, the term "institution of higher education" has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

(8) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.

(20 U.S.C. 2324)

SEC. 115. ASSISTANCE FOR THE OUTLYING AREAS.

(a) OUTLYING AREAS.-From funds reserved pursuant to section 111(a)(1)(A), the Secretary shall

(1) make a grant in the amount of $500,000 to Guam; and (2) make a grant in the amount of $190,000 to each of American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

(b) REMAINDER.-Subject to the provisions of subsection (a), the Secretary shall make a grant of the remainder of funds reserved pursuant to section 111(a)(1)(A) to the Pacific Region Educational Laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii, to make grants for vocational and technical education and training in Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau, for the purpose of providing direct vocational and technical educational services, including

(1) teacher and counselor training and retraining;
(2) curriculum development; and

(3) the improvement of vocational and technical education and training programs in secondary schools and institutions of higher education, or improving cooperative education programs involving both secondary schools and institutions of higher education.

(c) LIMITATION.-The Pacific Region Educational Laboratory may use not more than 5 percent of the funds received under subsection (b) for administrative costs.

(d) RESTRICTION.-Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau shall not receive any funds under this title for any fiscal year that begins after September 30, 2001.

(20 U.S.C. 2325)

SEC. 116. NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM.

(a) DEFINITIONS.-In this section:

(1) ALASKA NATIVE.-The term "Alaska Native" means a Native as such term is defined in section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602(b)).

(2) BUREAU FUNDED SCHOOL.-The term "Bureau funded school" has the meaning given the term in section 1146 of the Education Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 2026).

(3) INDIAN, INDIAN TRIBE, AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The terms "Indian", "Indian tribe", and "tribal organization" have the meanings given the terms in section 4 of the Indian SelfDetermination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).

(4) NATIVE HAWAIIAN.-The term "Native Hawaiian" means any individual any of whose ancestors were natives, prior to 1778, of the area which now comprises the State of Hawaii.

(5) NATIVE HAWAIIAN ORGANIZATION.-The term "Native Hawaiian organization" has the meaning given the term in section 7207 of the Native Hawaiian Education Act 1

1 Lack of punctuation so in law. The amendment made by section 702(c) of P.L. 107-110 (115 Stat. 1947) struck "section 9212' and all that follows" and inserted "section 7207 of the Native Hawaiian Education Act". The inserted text did not include a period.

(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—

(1) AUTHORITY.-From funds reserved under section 111(a)(1)(B)(i), the Secretary shall make grants to and enter into contracts with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Alaska Native entities to carry out the authorized programs described in subsection (d)1, except that such grants or contracts shall not be awarded to secondary school programs in Bureau funded schools.

(2) INDIAN TRIBES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS.-The grants or contracts described in this section (other than in subsection (i) 2) that are awarded to any Indian tribe or tribal organization shall be subject to the terms and conditions of section 102 of the Indian Self-Determination Act (25 U.S.C. 450f) and shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Act of April 16, 1934, which are relevant to the programs administered under this subsection.

(3) SPECIAL AUTHORITY RELATING TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS OPERATED OR SUPPORTED BY THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

An Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or an Alaska Native entity, that receives funds through a grant made or contract entered into under paragraph (1) may use the funds to provide assistance to a secondary school operated or supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to enable such school to carry out vocational and technical education programs.

(4) MATCHING.-If sufficient funding is available, the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall expend an amount equal to the amount made available under this subsection, relating to programs for Indians, to pay a part of the costs of programs funded under this subsection. During each fiscal year the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall expend not less than the amount expended during the prior fiscal year on vocational and technical education programs, services, and technical activities administered either directly by, or under contract with, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, except that in no year shall funding for such programs, services, and activities be provided from accounts and programs that support other Indian education programs. The Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs shall prepare jointly a plan for the expenditure of funds made available and for the evaluation of programs assisted under this subsection. Upon the completion of a joint plan for the expenditure of the funds and the evaluation of the programs, the Secretary shall assume responsibility for the administration of the program, with the assistance and consultation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

(5) REGULATIONS.-If the Secretary promulgates any regulations applicable to subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall

(A) confer with, and allow for active participation by, representatives of Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and individual tribal members; and

(B) promulgate the regulations under subchapter III of chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code, commonly known as the "Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990".

1 So in law. Should probably be subsection "(c)”.

2 So in law. There is no subsection (i).

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