US Codex
Bill
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Title I — Education Sciences Reform

H.R. 4366 · 113th Congress · May 12, 2014 · Lineage

I Education Sciences Reform

Sec. 101 References

Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this title an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.).

Sec. 102 Definitions

Section 102 (20 U.S.C. 9501) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (5), by striking “Affairs” and inserting “Education”;
(2)
in paragraph (10)—
(A)
by inserting “or other information, in a timely manner and” after “evaluations,”; and
(B)
by inserting “school leaders,” after “teachers,”;
(3)
in paragraph (12), by inserting “, school leaders,” after “teachers”;
(4)
by striking paragraph (13);
(5)
by redesignating paragraphs (14) and (15) as paragraphs (13) and (14), respectively;
(6)
by inserting after paragraph (14), as so redesignated, the following:

“(15) Minority-serving institution—The term minority-serving institution means an institution of higher education described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).”

(7)
by amending paragraph (18) to read as follows:

“(18) Principles of scientific research—The term principles of scientific research means principles of research that—

“(A) apply rigorous, systematic, and objective methodology to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs;

“(B) present findings and make claims that are appropriate to, and supported by, the methods that have been employed; and

“(C) include, appropriate to the research being conducted—

“(i) use of systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment;

“(ii) use of data analyses that are adequate to support the general findings;

“(iii) reliance on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and generalizable findings;

“(iv) strong claims of causal relationships, only with research designs that eliminate plausible competing explanations for observed results, such as, but not limited to, random-assignment experiments;

“(v) presentation of studies and methods in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, to offer the opportunity to build systematically on the findings of the research;

“(vi) acceptance by a peer-reviewed journal or critique by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review; and

“(vii) consistency of findings across multiple studies or sites to support the generality of results and conclusions.”

(8)
in paragraph (20), by striking “scientifically based research standards” and inserting “the principles of scientific research”; and
(9)
by adding at the end the following:

“(24) School leader—The term “school leader” means a principal, assistant principal, or other individual who is—

“(A) an employee or officer of—

“(i) an elementary school or secondary school;

“(ii) a local educational agency serving an elementary school or secondary school; or

“(iii) another entity operating the elementary school or secondary school; and

“(B) responsible for the daily instructional leadership and managerial operations of the elementary school or secondary school.”

A The Institute of Education Sciences

Sec. 111 Establishment

Section 111 (20 U.S.C. 9511) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (b)(2)—
(A)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—
(i)
by striking “and wide dissemination activities” and inserting “and, consistent with section 114(j), wide dissemination and utilization activities”; and
(ii)
by striking “(including in technology areas)”; and
(B)
in subparagraph (B), by inserting “disability,” after “gender,”.

Sec. 112 Functions

Section 112 (20 U.S.C. 9512) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1)—
(A)
by inserting “(including evaluations of impact and implementation)” after “education evaluation”; and
(B)
by inserting before the semicolon the following “and utilization”; and
(2)
in paragraph (2)—
(A)
by inserting “, consistent with section 114(j),” after “disseminate”; and
(B)
by adding before the semicolon the following: “and scientifically valid education evaluations carried out under this title”.

Sec. 113 Delegation

Section 113 (20 U.S.C. 9513) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
by striking paragraph (1);
(B)
by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as paragraphs (1) through (4), respectively; and
(C)
in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by striking “of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act”;
(2)
in subsection (b), by striking “Secretary may assign the Institute responsibility for administering” and inserting “Director may accept requests from the Secretary for the Institute to administer”; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(c) Contract acquisition—With respect to any contract entered into under this title, the Director shall be consulted—

“(1) during the procurement process; and

“(2) in the management of such contract’s performance, which shall be consistent with the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185.”

Sec. 114 Office of the Director

Section 114 (20 U.S.C. 9514) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a), by striking “Except as provided in subsection (b)(2), the” and inserting “The”;
(2)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by inserting before the period the following: “, except that if a successor to the Director has not been appointed as of the date of expiration of the Director’s term, the Director may serve for an additional 1-year period, beginning on the day after the date of expiration of the Director’s term, or until a successor has been appointed under subsection (a), whichever occurs first”;
(B)
by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:

“(2) Reappointment—A Director may be reappointed under subsection (a) for one additional term.”

(C)
in paragraph (3)—
(i)
in the heading, by striking “Subsequent directors” and inserting “Recommendations”; and
(ii)
by striking “, other than a Director appointed under paragraph (2)”;
(3)
in subsection (f)—
(A)
in paragraph (3), by inserting before the period the following: “, and, as appropriate, with such research and activities carried out by public and private entities, to avoid duplicative or overlapping efforts”;
(B)
in paragraph (4), by inserting “, and the use of evidence” after “statistics activities”;
(C)
in paragraph (5)—
(i)
by inserting “and maintain” after “establish”; and
(ii)
by inserting “and subsection (h)” after “section 116(b)(3)”;
(D)
in paragraph (7), by inserting “disability,” after “gender,”;
(E)
in paragraph (8), by striking “historically Black colleges or universities” and inserting “minority-serving institutions”;
(F)
by amending paragraph (9) to read as follows:

“(9) To coordinate with the Secretary to ensure that the results of the Institute’s work are coordinated with, and utilized by, the Department’s technical assistance providers and dissemination networks.”

(G)
by striking paragraphs (10) and (11);
(H)
by redesignating paragraph (12) as paragraph (10);
(4)
by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i);
(5)
by inserting after subsection (g), the following:

“(h) Peer-review system—The Director shall establish and maintain a peer-review system involving highly-qualified individuals, including practitioners, as appropriate, with an in-depth knowledge of the subject to be investigated, for—

“(1) reviewing and evaluating each application for a grant or cooperative agreement under this title that exceeds $100,000; and

“(2) evaluating and assessing all reports and other products that exceed $100,000 to be published and publicly released by the Institute.”

(6)
in subsection (i), as so redesignated—
(A)
by striking “the products and”; and
(B)
by striking “certify that evidence-based claims about those products and” and inserting “determine whether evidence-based claims in those”; and
(7)
by adding at the end the following:

“(j) Relevance, dissemination, and utilization—To ensure all activities authorized under this title are rigorous, relevant, and useful for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and the public, the Director shall—

“(1) ensure such activities address significant challenges faced by practitioners, and increase knowledge in the field of education;

“(2) ensure that the information, products, and publications of the Institute are—

“(A) prepared and widely disseminated—

“(i) in a timely fashion; and

“(ii) in forms that are understandable, easily accessible, and usable, or adaptable for use in, the improvement of educational practice; and

“(B) widely disseminated through electronic transfer, and other means, such as posting to the Institute’s website or other relevant place;

“(3) promote the utilization of the information, products, and publications of the Institute, including through the use of dissemination networks and technical assistance providers, within the Institute and the Department; and

“(4) monitor and manage the performance of all activities authorized under this title in accordance with section 185.”

Sec. 115 Priorities

Section 115 (20 U.S.C. 9515) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(i)
by striking “(taking into consideration long-term research and development on core issues conducted through the national research and development centers)” and inserting “at least once every 6 years”; and
(ii)
by striking “such as” and inserting “including”;
(B)
in paragraph (1)—
(i)
by inserting “ensuring that all children have the ability to obtain a high-quality education, particularly” before “closing”;
(ii)
by striking “especially achievement gaps between”;
(iii)
by striking “nonminority children” and inserting “nonminority children, disabled and nondisabled children,”;
(iv)
by striking “and between disadvantaged” and inserting “and disadvantaged”;
(v)
by striking “and” at the end;
(C)
by striking paragraph (2); and
(D)
by adding at the end the following:

“(2) improving the quality of early childhood education;

“(3) improving education in elementary and secondary schools, particularly among low-performing students and schools; and

“(4) improving access to, opportunities for, and completion of postsecondary education.”

(2)
in subsection (d), by striking “by means of the Internet” and inserting “by electronic means such as posting in an easily accessible manner on the Institute’s website”.

Sec. 116 National Board for Education Sciences

Section 116 (20 U.S.C. 9516) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
in paragraph (2), by striking “to guide the work of the Institute” and inserting “, and to advise, and provide input to, the Director on the activities of the Institute on an ongoing basis”;
(B)
in paragraph (3), by inserting “under section 114(h)” after “procedures”;
(C)
in paragraph (8), by inserting “disability,” after “gender,”
(D)
in paragraph (9)—
(i)
by striking “To solicit” and inserting “To ensure all activities of the Institute are relevant to education policy and practice by soliciting, on an ongoing basis,”; and
(ii)
by striking “consistent with” and inserting “consistent with section 114(j) and”;
(E)
in paragraph (11)—
(i)
by inserting “the Institute’s” after “enhance”; and
(ii)
by striking “among other Federal and State research agencies” and inserting “with public and private entities to improve the work of the Institute”; and
(F)
by adding at the end the following:

“(13) To conduct the evaluations required under subsection (d).”

(2)
in subsection (c)—
(A)
in paragraph (2)—
(i)
by inserting “Board,” before “National Academy”;
(ii)
by striking “and the National Science Advisor” and inserting “the National Science Advisor, and other entities and organizations that have knowledge of individuals who are highly-qualified to appraise education research, statistics, evaluations, or development”;
(B)
in paragraph (4)—
(i)
in subparagraph (A)—
(I)
in clause (i), by striking “, which may include those researchers recommended by the National Academy of Sciences”;
(II)
by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);
(III)
by inserting after clause (i), the following:

“(ii) Not fewer than 2 practitioners who are knowledgeable about the education needs of the United States, who may include school based professional educators, teachers, school leaders, local educational agency superintendents, and members of local boards of education or Bureau-funded school boards.”

(IV)
in clause (iii), as so redesignated—
(aa)
by striking “school-based professional educators,”;
(bb)
by striking “local educational agency superintendents,”;
(cc)
by striking “principals,”;
(dd)
by striking “or local”; and
(ee)
by striking “or Bureau-funded school boards”; and
(ii)
in subparagraph (B)—
(I)
in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting “beginning on the date of appointment of the member,” after “4 years,”;
(II)
by striking clause (i);
(III)
by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (i);
(IV)
in clause (i), as so redesignated, by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
(V)
by adding at the end the following:

“(ii) in a case in which a successor to a member has not been appointed as of the date of expiration of the member’s term, the member may serve for an additional 1-year period, beginning on the day after the date of expiration of the member’s term, or until a successor has been appointed under paragraph (1), whichever occurs first.”

(iii)
by striking subparagraph (C); and
(iv)
by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (C);
(C)
in paragraph (8)—
(i)
by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (E) as subparagraphs (B) through (F), respectively;
(ii)
by inserting before subparagraph (B), as so redesignated, the following:

“(A) In general—In the exercise of its duties under section 116(b) and in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), the Board shall be independent of the Director and the other offices and officers of the Institute.”

(iii)
in subparagraph (B), as so redesignated, by inserting before the period at the end the following: “for a term of not more than 6 years, and who may be reappointed by the Board for 1 additional term of not more than 6 years”; and
(iv)
by adding at the end the following:

“(G) Subcommittees—The Board may establish standing or temporary subcommittees to make recommendations to the Board for carrying out activities authorized under this title.”

(3)
by striking subsection (d);
(4)
by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d);
(5)
in subsection (d), as so redesignated—
(A)
in the subsection heading, by striking “Annual” and inserting “Evaluation”;
(B)
by striking “The Board” and inserting the following:

“(1) In general—The Board”

(C)
by striking “not later than July 1 of each year, a” and inserting “and make widely available to the public (including by electronic means such as posting in an easily accessible manner on the Institute’s website), a triennial”; and
(D)
by adding at the end the following:

“(2) Requirements—An evaluation report described in paragraph (1) shall include—

“(A) subject to paragraph (3), an evaluation of the activities authorized for each of the National Education Centers, which—

“(i) uses the performance management system described in section 185; and

“(ii) is conducted by an independent entity;

“(B) a review of the Institute to ensure its work, consistent with the requirements of section 114(j), is timely, rigorous, and relevant;

“(C) any recommendations regarding actions that may be taken to enhance the ability of the Institute and the National Education Centers to carry out their priorities and missions; and

“(D) a summary of the major research findings of the Institute and the activities carried out under section 113(b) during the 3 preceding fiscal years.

“(3) National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance—With respect to the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, an evaluation report described in paragraph (1) shall contain—

“(A) an evaluation described in paragraph (2)(A) of the activities authorized for such Center, except for the regional educational laboratories established under section 174; and

“(B) a summative or interim evaluation, whichever is most recent, for each such laboratory conducted under section 174(i) on or after the date of enactment of the Strengthening Education through Research Act or, in a case in which such an evaluation is not available for a laboratory, the most recent evaluation for the laboratory conducted prior to the date of enactment of the Strengthening Education through Research Act.”

(6)
by striking subsection (f).

Sec. 117 Commissioners of the National Education Centers

Section 117 (20 U.S.C. 9517) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking “Except as provided in subsection (b), each” and inserting “Each”;
(B)
in paragraph (2)—
(i)
by striking “Except as provided in subsection (b), each” and inserting “Each”; and
(ii)
by inserting “, statistics,” after “research”;
(C)
in paragraph (3), by striking “Except as provided in subsection (b), each” and inserting “Each”;
(2)
by striking subsection (b);
(3)
by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (b) and (c), respectively; and
(4)
in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by striking “, except the Commissioner for Education Statistics,”.

Sec. 118 Transparency

(a)
In general— Section 119 (20 U.S.C. 9519) is amended to read as follows:

“119. Transparency

“Not later than 120 days after awarding a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this title in excess of $100,000, the Director shall make publicly available (including through electronic means such as posting in an easily accessible manner on the Institute’s website) a description of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, including, at a minimum, the amount, duration, recipient, and the purpose of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.”

(b)
Conforming amendment— The table of contents in section 1 of the Act of November 5, 2002 (Public Law 107–279; 116 Stat. 1940) is amended by striking the item relating to section 119 and inserting the following:

Sec. 119 Competitive awards

Section 120 (20 U.S.C. 9520) is amended by striking “when practicable” and inserting “consistent with section 114(h)”.

B National Center for Education Research

Sec. 131 Establishment

Section 131(b) (20 U.S.C. 9531(b)) is amended—
(1)
by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

“(1) to sponsor sustained research that will lead to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of education, consistent with the priorities described in section 115;”

(2)
by striking “and” at the end of paragraph (3);
(3)
in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
(4)
by adding at the end the following:

“(5) consistent with section 114(j), to widely disseminate and promote utilization of the work of the Research Center.”

Sec. 132 Duties

Section 133 (20 U.S.C. 9533) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking “peer-review standards and”;
(B)
by striking paragraph (2);
(C)
by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2);
(D)
by striking paragraph (4);
(E)
by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (9) as paragraphs (3) through (7), respectively;
(F)
in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by inserting “in the implementation of programs carried out by the Department and other agencies” before “within the Federal Government”;
(G)
in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by striking “disseminate, through the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance,” and inserting “widely disseminate, consistent with section 114(j),”;
(H)
in paragraph (6), as so redesignated—
(i)
by striking “Director” and inserting “Board”; and
(ii)
by striking “of a biennial report, as described in section 119” and inserting “and dissemination of each evaluation report under section 116(d)”;
(I)
in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by inserting “and which may include research on social and emotional learning,” after “gap,”;
(J)
by inserting after paragraph (7), as so redesignated, the following:

“(8) to the extent time and resources allow, when findings from previous research under this part provoke relevant follow up questions, carry out research initiatives on such follow up questions;”

(K)
by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as paragraphs (9) and (10), respectively;
(L)
by amending paragraph (9), as so redesignated, to read as follows:

“(9) carry out research initiatives, including rigorous, peer-reviewed, large-scale, long-term, and broadly applicable empirical research, regarding the impact of technology on education, including online education and hybrid learning;”

(M)
in paragraph (10), as so redesignated, by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
(N)
by adding at the end the following:

“(11) to the extent feasible, carry out research on the quality of implementation of practices and strategies determined to be effective through scientifically valid research.”

(2)
by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

“(b) Plan—The Research Commissioner shall propose to the Director and, subject to the approval of the Director, implement a research plan for the activities of the Research Center that—

“(1) is consistent with the priorities and mission of the Institute and the mission of the Research Center described in section 131(b), and includes the activities described in subsection (a);

“(2) is carried out and, as appropriate, updated and modified, including through the use of the results of the Research Center’s most recent evaluation report under section 116(d);

“(3) describes how the Research Center will use the performance management system described in section 185 to assess and improve the activities of the Center;

“(4) meets the procedures for peer review established and maintained by the Director under section 114(f)(5) and the standards of research described in section 134; and

“(5) includes both basic research and applied research, which shall include research conducted through field-initiated research and ongoing research initiatives.”

(3)
by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);
(4)
by inserting after subsection (b), as so amended, the following:

“(c) Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements

“(1) In general—The Research Commissioner may award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements, with eligible applicants to carry out research under subsection (a).

“(2) Eligibility—For purposes of this subsection, the term eligible applicant means an applicant that has the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research.

“(3) Applications

“(A) In general—An eligible applicant that wishes to receive a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement, under this section shall submit an application to the Research Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Research Commissioner may require.

“(B) Content—An application submitted under subparagraph (A) shall describe how the eligible applicant will address and demonstrate progress on the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185, with respect to the activities that will be carried out under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.”

(5)
in subsection (d), as redesignated by paragraph (3)—
(A)
by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

“(1) Support—In carrying out activities under subsection (a)(2), the Research Commissioner shall support national research and development centers that address topics of importance and relevance in the field of education across the country and are consistent with the Institute’s priorities under section 115.”

(B)
by striking paragraphs (2), (3), and (5);
(C)
by redesignating paragraphs (4), (6), and (7) as paragraph (2), (3), and (4), respectively;
(D)
by amending paragraph (2), as so redesignated—
(i)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “5 additional” and inserting “2 additional”;
(ii)
in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
(iii)
by adding at the end the following:

“(C) demonstrates progress on the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185.”

(E)
in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by striking “paragraphs (4) and (5)” and inserting “paragraph (2)”; and
(F)
by amending paragraph (4), as so redesignated, to read as follows:

“(4) Disaggregation—To the extent feasible and when relevant to the research being conducted, research conducted under this subsection shall be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by age, race, gender, disability status, English learner status, and socioeconomic background.”

Sec. 133 Standards for conduct and evaluation of research

Section 134 (20 U.S.C. 9534) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking “based” and inserting “valid”; and
(B)
in paragraph (2), by striking “and wide dissemination activities” and inserting “and, consistent with section 114(j), wide dissemination and utilization activities”;
(2)
by striking subsection (b); and
(3)
by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b).

C National Center for Education Statistics

Sec. 151 Establishment

Section 151(b) (20 U.S.C. 9541(b)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (2), by inserting “and consistent with the privacy protections under section 183” after “manner”; and
(2)
in paragraph (3)—
(A)
in subparagraph (A), by inserting “disability,” after “cultural,”; and
(B)
by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:

“(B) consistent with section 114(j), is relevant, timely, and widely disseminated.”

Sec. 152 Duties

Section 153 (20 U.S.C. 9543) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting “, consistent with the privacy protections under section 183,” after “Center shall”;
(B)
in paragraph (1)—
(i)
by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:

“(D) secondary school graduation and completion rates, including the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (as defined in section 200.19(b)(1)(i)(A) of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, as such section was in effect on November 28, 2008) and the extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (as defined in section 200.19(b)(1)(v)(A) of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, as such section was in effect on November 28, 2008), and school dropout rates, and adult literacy;”

(ii)
in subparagraph (E), by striking “and opportunity for,” and inserting “opportunity for, and completion of”;
(iii)
by amending subparagraph (F) to read as follows:

“(F) teaching, including information on pre-service preparation, professional development, teacher distribution, and teacher and school leader evaluation;”

(iv)
in subparagraph (G), by inserting “and school leaders” before the semicolon;
(v)
in subparagraph (H), by inserting “, climate, and in- and out-of-school suspensions and expulsions” before “, including information regarding”;
(vi)
by amending subparagraph (K) to read as follows:

“(K) the access to, and use of, technology to improve elementary schools and secondary schools;”

(vii)
in subparagraph (L), by striking “and opportunity for,” and inserting “opportunity for, and quality of”;
(viii)
in subparagraph (M), by striking “such programs during school recesses” and inserting “summer school”; and
(ix)
in subparagraph (N), by striking “vocational” and inserting “career”;
(C)
in paragraph (3), by striking “when such disaggregated information will facilitate educational and policy decisionmaking” and inserting “so long as any reported information does not reveal individually identifiable information”;
(D)
in paragraph (4), by inserting before the semicolon the following: “, and the implementation (with the assistance of the Department and other Federal officials who have statutory authority to provide assistance on applicable privacy laws, regulations, and policies) of appropriate privacy protections”;
(E)
in paragraph (5), by striking “promote linkages across States,”;
(F)
in paragraph (6)—
(i)
by striking “Third” and inserting “Trends in”; and
(ii)
by inserting “and the Program for International Student Assessment” after “Science Study”;
(G)
in paragraph (7), by inserting before the semicolon the following: “, ensuring such collections protect student privacy consistent with section 183”;
(H)
by amending paragraph (8) to read as follows:

“(8) assisting the Board in the preparation and dissemination of each evaluation report under section 116(d); and”

(I)
by striking paragraph (9);
(2)
by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
(3)
by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

“(b) Plan—The Statistics Commissioner shall propose to the Director and, subject to the approval of the Director, implement a plan for activities of the Statistics Center that—

“(1) is consistent with the priorities and mission of the Institute and the mission of the Statistics Center described in section 151(b);

“(2) is carried out and, as appropriate, updated and modified, including through the use of the results of the Statistic Center’s most recent evaluation report under section 116(d); and

“(3) describes how the Statistics Center will use the performance management system described in section 185 to assess and improve the activities of the Center.”

Sec. 153 Performance of duties

Section 154 (20 U.S.C. 9544) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
by striking “In carrying” and inserting the following:

“(1) In general—In carrying”

(B)
by adding at the end the following:

“(2) Eligibility—For purposes of this section, the term “eligible applicant” means an applicant that has the ability and capacity to carry out activities under this part.

“(3) Applications

“(A) In general—An eligible applicant that wishes to receive a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement, under this section shall submit an application to the Statistics Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Statistics Commissioner may require.

“(B) Contents—An application submitted under subparagraph (A) shall describe how the eligible applicant will address and demonstrate progress on the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185, with respect to the activities that will be carried out under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.”

(2)
in subsection (b)(2)(A), by striking “vocational and” and inserting “career and technical education programs,”; and
(3)
in subsection (c), by striking “5 years” the second place it appears and inserting “2 years if the recipient demonstrates progress on the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185, with respect to the activities carried out under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement received under this section”.

Sec. 154 Reports

Section 155 (20 U.S.C. 9545) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a), by inserting “(consistent with section 114(h))” after “review”; and
(2)
in subsection (b), by striking “2003” and inserting “2015”.

Sec. 155 Dissemination

Section 156 (20 U.S.C. 9546) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following: “Such projects shall adhere to student privacy requirements under section 183.”; and
(2)
in subsection (e)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following: “Before receiving access to educational data under this paragraph, a Federal agency shall describe to the Statistics Center the specific research intent for use of the data, how access to the data may meet such research intent, and how the Federal agency will protect the confidentiality of the data consistent with the requirements of section 183.”;
(B)
in paragraph (2)—
(i)
by inserting “and consistent with section 183” after “may prescribe”; and
(ii)
by adding at the end the following: “Before receiving access to data under this paragraph, an interested party shall describe to the Statistics Center the specific research intent for use of the data, how access to the data may meet such research intent, and how the party will protect the confidentiality of the data consistent with the requirements of section 183.”; and
(C)
by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Denial authority—The Statistics Center shall have the authority to deny any requests for access to data under paragraph (1) or (2) for any scientific deficiencies in the proposed research design or research intent for use of the data, or if the request would introduce risk of a privacy violation or misuse of data.”

Sec. 156 Cooperative education statistics systems

(a)
In general— Section 157 (20 U.S.C. 9547) is amended—
(1)
in the heading, by striking “systems” and inserting “partnerships”;
(2)
by striking “national cooperative education statistics systems” and inserting “cooperative education statistics partnerships”;
(3)
by striking “producing and maintaining, with the cooperation” and inserting “reviewing and improving, with the voluntary participation”;
(4)
by striking “comparable and uniform” and inserting “data quality standards, which may include establishing voluntary guidelines to standardize”;
(5)
by striking “adult education, and libraries,” and inserting “and adult education”; and
(6)
by adding at the end the following: “No student data shall be collected by the partnerships established under this section, nor shall such partnerships establish a national student data system.”.
(b)
Conforming amendment— The table of contents in section 1 of the Act of November 5, 2002 (Public Law 107–279; 116 Stat. 1940) is amended by striking the item relating to section 157 and inserting the following:

D National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

Sec. 171 Establishment

Section 171 (20 U.S.C. 9561) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
by striking paragraph (1);
(B)
by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively;
(C)
in paragraph (1), as so redesignated, by striking “of such programs” and all that follows through “science)” and inserting “and to evaluate the implementation of such programs”;
(D)
in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by striking “and wide dissemination of results of” and inserting “and, consistent with section 114(j), the wide dissemination and utilization of results of all”; and
(2)
by striking subsection (c).

Sec. 172 Commissioner for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

Section 172 (20 U.S.C. 9562) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:

“(2) widely disseminate, consistent with section 114(j), all information on scientifically valid research and statistics supported by the Institute and all scientifically valid education evaluations supported by the Institute, particularly to State educational agencies and local educational agencies, to institutions of higher education, to the public, the media, voluntary organizations, professional associations, and other constituencies, especially with respect to the priorities described in section 115;”

(B)
in paragraph (3), by inserting “, consistent with section 114(j)” after “timely, and efficient manner”;
(C)
in paragraph (4)—
(i)
by striking “development and dissemination” and inserting “development, dissemination, and utilization”; and
(ii)
by striking “the provision of technical assistance,”;
(D)
in paragraph (5), by inserting “and” after the semicolon;
(E)
in paragraph (6)—
(i)
by striking “Director” and inserting “Board”;
(ii)
by striking “preparation of a biennial report” and inserting “preparation and dissemination of each evaluation report”; and
(iii)
by striking “119; and” and inserting “116(d).”;
(F)
by striking paragraph (7);
(2)
in subsection (b)(1)—
(A)
by inserting “all” before “information disseminated”; and
(B)
by striking “, which may include” and all that follows through “of this Act)”;
(3)
by striking subsection (c) and redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
(4)
by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

“(c) Plan—The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall propose to the Director and, subject to the approval of the Director, implement a plan for the activities of the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance that—

“(1) is consistent with the priorities and mission of the Institute and the mission of the Center described in section 171(b);

“(2) is carried out and, as appropriate, updated and modified, including through the use of the results of the Center’s most recent evaluation report under section 116(d); and

“(3) describes how the Center will use the performance management system described in section 185 to assess and improve the activities of the Center.

“(d) Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements

“(1) In general—In carrying out the duties under this part, the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner may—

“(A) award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible applicants to carry out the activities under this part; and

“(B) provide technical assistance.

“(2) Eligibility—For purposes of this section, the term “eligible applicant” means an applicant that has the ability and capacity to carry out activities under this part.

“(3) Entities to conduct evaluations—In awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under paragraph (1) to carry out activities under section 173, the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall make such awards to eligible applicants with the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid education evaluations.

“(4) Applications

“(A) In general—An eligible applicant that wishes to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under paragraph (1) shall submit an application to the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Commissioner may require.

“(B) Contents—An application submitted under subparagraph (A) shall describe how the eligible applicant will address and demonstrate progress on the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185, with respect to the activities carried out under such grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.

“(5) Duration—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under paragraph (1) may be awarded, on a competitive basis, for a period of not more than 5 years, and may be renewed at the discretion of the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner for an additional period of not more than 2 years if the recipient demonstrates progress on the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185, with respect to the activities carried out under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.”

(5)
in subsection (e), as so redesignated—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking “There is established” and all that follows through “Regional Assistance” and inserting “The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner may establish”;
(B)
in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting “all” before “products”; and
(C)
in paragraph (2)(B)(ii), by striking “2002” and all that follows through the period and inserting “2002.”.

Sec. 173 Evaluations

Section 173 (20 U.S.C. 9563) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in paragraph (1)—
(i)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “may” and inserting “shall”;
(ii)
in subparagraph (A), by striking “evaluations” and inserting “high-quality evaluations, including impact evaluations that use rigorous methodologies that permit the strongest possible causal inferences,”;
(iii)
in subparagraph (B), by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: “, including programs under part A of such title (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.)”;
(iv)
by striking subparagraph (C) and redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (C);
(v)
by striking subparagraphs (E) and (G), and redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (D);
(vi)
in subparagraph (D), as so redesignated, by striking “and” at the end; and
(vii)
by inserting after subparagraph (D), as so redesignated, the following:

“(E) provide evaluation findings in an understandable, easily accessible, and usable format to support program improvement;

“(F) support the evaluation activities described in section 401 of the Strengthening Education through Research Act that are carried about by the Director; and

“(G) to the extent feasible—

“(i) examine evaluations conducted or supported by others to determine the quality and relevance of the evidence of effectiveness generated by those evaluations, with the approval of the Director;

“(ii) review and supplement Federal education program evaluations, particularly such evaluations by the Department, to determine or enhance the quality and relevance of the evidence generated by those evaluations;

“(iii) conduct implementation evaluations that promote continuous improvement and inform policymaking;

“(iv) evaluate the short- and long-term effects and cost efficiencies across programs assisted or authorized under Federal law and administrated by the Department; and

“(v) synthesize the results of evaluation studies for and across Federal education programs, policies, and practices.”

(B)
in paragraph (2)—
(i)
in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii)
in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and inserting “under section 114(h); and”; and
(iii)
by adding at the end the following:

“(C) be widely disseminated, consistent with section 114(j).”

(2)
in subsection (b), by striking “contracts” and inserting “grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements”.

Sec. 174 Regional educational laboratories for research, development, dissemination, and evaluation

(a)
In general— Section 174 (20 U.S.C. 9564) is amended—
(1)
in the section heading by striking “technical assistance” and inserting “evaluation”;
(2)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
by striking “Director” and inserting “Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner”;
(B)
by striking “contracts” and inserting “grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements”; and
(C)
by inserting “not more than” before “10 regional”;
(3)
in subsection (c)—
(A)
by striking “The Director” and inserting the following:

“(1) In general—The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner”

(B)
by striking “contracts under this section with research organizations, institutions, agencies, institutions of higher education,” and inserting “grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section with public or private, nonprofit or for-profit research organizations, other organizations, or institutions of higher education,”;
(C)
by striking “or individuals,”;
(D)
by striking “, including regional entities” and all that follows through “107–110))”; and
(E)
by adding at the end the following:

“(2) Definition—For purposes of this section, the term eligible applicant means an entity described in paragraph (1).”

(4)
by striking subsections (d) through (j) and inserting the following:

“(d) Applications

“(1) Submission

“(A) In general—Each eligible applicant desiring a contract grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner may reasonably require.

“(B) Input—To ensure that applications submitted under this paragraph are reflective of the needs of the regions to be served, each eligible applicant submitting such an application shall seek input from State educational agencies and local educational agencies in the region that the award will serve, and other individuals with knowledge of the region’s needs. Such individuals may include members of the regional advisory committee for the region under section 206(a).

“(2) Plan

“(A) In general—Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall contain a plan for the activities of the regional educational laboratory to be established under this section, which shall be updated, modified, and improved, as appropriate, on an ongoing basis, including by using the results of the laboratory’s interim evaluation under subsection (i)(3).

“(B) Contents—A plan described in subparagraph (A) shall address—

“(i) the priorities for applied research, development, evaluations, and wide dissemination established under section 207;

“(ii) the needs of State educational agencies and local educational agencies, on an ongoing basis, using available State and local data, including the relevant results of the region’s assessment under section 206(e); and

“(iii) if available, demonstrated support from State educational agencies and local educational agencies in the region, such as letters of support or signed memoranda of understanding.

“(3) Non-Federal support—In conducting a competition for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under subsection (a), the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall give priority to eligible applicants that will provide a portion of non-Federal funds to maximize support for activities of the regional educational laboratories to be established under this section.

“(e) Awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements

“(1) Assurances—In awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section, the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall—

“(A) make such an award for not more than a 5-year period;

“(B) ensure that regional educational laboratories established under this section have strong and effective governance, organization, management, and administration, and employ qualified staff; and

“(C) ensure that each such laboratory has the flexibility to respond in a timely fashion to the needs of the laboratory’s region, including—

“(i) through using the results of the laboratory’s interim evaluation under subsection (i)(3) to improve and modify the activities of the laboratory before the end of the award period; and

“(ii) through sharing preliminary results of the laboratory’s research, as appropriate, to increase the relevance and usefulness of the research.

“(2) Coordination—To ensure coordination and prevent unnecessary duplication of activities among the regions, the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall—

“(A) share information about the activities of each regional educational laboratory with each other regional educational laboratory, the Department, the Director, and the National Board for Education Sciences;

“(B) ensure, where appropriate, that the activities of each regional educational laboratory established under this section also serve national interests;

“(C) ensure each such regional educational laboratory establishes strong partnerships among practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and others, so that such partnerships are continued in the absence of Federal support; and

“(D) enable, where appropriate, for such a laboratory to work in a region being served by another laboratory or to carry out a project that extends beyond the region served by the laboratory.

“(3) Collaboration with technical assistance providers—Each regional educational laboratory established under this section shall, on an ongoing basis, coordinate its activities, collaborate, and regularly exchange information with the comprehensive centers (established in section 203) in the region in which the center is located, and with comprehensive centers located outside of its region, as appropriate.

“(4) Outreach

“(A) In general—In conducting competitions for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section, the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall—

“(i) by making information and technical assistance relating to the competition widely available, actively encourage eligible applicants to compete for such an award; and

“(ii) seek input from the chief executive officers of States, chief State school officers, educators, parents, superintendents, and other individuals with knowledge of the needs of the regions to be served by the awards, regarding—

“(I) the needs in the regions for applied research, evaluation, development, and wide-dissemination activities authorized by this title; and

“(II) how such needs may be addressed most effectively.

“(B) Regional advisory committees—The individuals described in subparagraph (A)(ii) may include members of the regional advisory committees established under section 206(a).

“(5) Performance management—Before the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner awards a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, the Director shall establish measurable performance indicators for assessing the ongoing progress and performance of the regional educational laboratories established with such awards that address—

“(A) the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185; and

“(B) the relevant results of the regional assessments under section 206(e).

“(6) Standards—The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall adhere to the Institute’s system for technical and peer review under section 114(h) in reviewing the applied research activities and research-based reports of the regional educational laboratories.

“(7) Required consideration—In determining whether to award a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section to an eligible applicant that previously established a regional educational laboratory under this section, the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall consider the results of such laboratory’s summative evaluation under subsection (i)(2).

“(f) Mission—Each regional educational laboratory established under this section shall—

“(1) conduct applied research, development, and evaluation activities with State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and, as appropriate, schools funded by the Bureau;

“(2) widely disseminate such work, consistent with section 114(j); and

“(3) develop the capacity of State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and, as appropriate, schools funded by the Bureau to carry out the activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2).

“(g) Activities—To carry out the mission described in subsection (f), each regional educational laboratory established under this section shall carry out the following activities:

“(1) Conduct, widely disseminate, and promote utilization of applied research, development activities, evaluations, and other scientifically valid research.

“(2) Develop and improve the plan for the laboratory under subsection (d)(2) for serving the region of the laboratory, and as appropriate, national needs, on an ongoing basis, which shall include seeking input and incorporating feedback from the representatives of State educational agencies and local educational agencies in the region, and other individuals with knowledge of the region’s needs. Such representatives and other individuals may include members of the regional advisory committee for the region established under section 206(a).

“(3) Ensure research and related products are relevant and responsive to the needs of the region, including by using the relevant results of the region’s assessment under section 206(e).

“(h) Governing board

“(1) In general—Each regional educational laboratory established under this section may establish a governing board to improve the management of activities that the laboratory carries out under this section.

“(2) Board duties—A Board established under paragraph (1) shall coordinate and align its work with the work of the regional advisory committee for the region established under section 206.

“(i) Evaluations

“(1) In general—The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall—

“(A) provide for ongoing summative and interim evaluations described in paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively, of each of the regional educational laboratories established under this section in carrying out the full range of duties described in this section; and

“(B) transmit the results of such evaluations, through appropriate means, to the appropriate congressional committees, the Director, and the public.

“(2) Summative evaluations—The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall ensure each regional educational laboratory established under this section is evaluated by an independent entity at the end of the period of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement that established such laboratory, which shall—

“(A) be completed in a timely fashion;

“(B) assess how well the laboratory is meeting the measurable performance indicators established under subsection (e)(5); and

“(C) consider the extent to which the laboratory ensures that the activities of such laboratory are relevant and useful to the work of State and local practitioners and policymakers.

“(3) Interim evaluations—The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall ensure each regional educational laboratory established under this section is evaluated at the midpoint of the period of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement that established such laboratory, which shall—

“(A) assess how well such laboratory is meeting the performance indicators described in subsection (e)(5); and

“(B) be used to improve the effectiveness of such laboratory in carrying out its plan under subsection (d)(2).

“(j) Continuation of awards; Recompetition

“(1) Continuation of awards—The Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall continue awards made to each eligible applicant for the support of regional educational laboratories established under this section prior to the date of enactment of the Strengthening Education through Research Act, as such awards were in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Strengthening Education through Research Act, for the duration of those awards, in accordance with the terms and agreements of such awards.

“(2) Recompetition—Not later than the end of the period of the awards described in paragraph (1), the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall—

“(A) hold a competition to make grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section to eligible applicants, which may include eligible applicants that held awards described in paragraph (1); and

“(B) in determining whether to select an eligible applicant that held an award described in paragraph (1) for an award under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, consider the results of the summative evaluation under subsection (i)(2) of the laboratory established with the eligible applicant’s award described in paragraph (1).”

(5)
by striking subsection (l);
(6)
by redesignating subsections (m), (n), and (o) as subsections (l), (m), and (n), respectively;
(7)
in subsection (l), as so redesignated, by inserting “and local” after “achieve State”;
(8)
by amending subsection (m), as so redesignated, to read as follows:

“(m) Annual report—Each regional educational laboratory established under this section shall submit to the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner an annual report containing such information as the Commissioner may require, but which shall include, at a minimum, the following:

“(1) A summary of the laboratory’s activities and products developed during the previous year.

“(2) A listing of the State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools the laboratory assisted during the previous year.

“(3) Using the measurable performance indicators established under subsection (e)(5), a description of how well the laboratory is meeting educational needs of the region served by the laboratory.

“(4) Any changes to the laboratory’s plan under subsection (d)(2) to improve its activities in the remaining years of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.”

(9)
by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(o) Appropriations reservation—Of the amounts appropriated under section 194(a), the Evaluation and Regional Assistance Commissioner shall reserve 16.13 percent of such funds to carry out this section, of which the Commissioner shall use not less than 25 percent to serve rural areas (including schools funded by the Bureau which are located in rural areas).”

(b)
Conforming amendment— The table of contents in section 1 of the Act of November 5, 2002 (Public Law 107–279; 116 Stat. 1940) is amended by striking the item relating to section 174 and inserting the following:

E National Center for Special Education Research

Sec. 175 Establishment

Section 175(b) (20 U.S.C. 9567(b)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1), by striking “and children” and inserting “children, and youth”;
(2)
in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
(3)
in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
(4)
by adding at the end the following:

“(4) to promote quality and integrity through the use of accepted practices of scientific inquiry to obtain knowledge and understanding of the validity of education theories, practices, or conditions with respect to special education research and evaluation described in paragraphs (1) through (3); and

“(5) to promote scientifically valid research findings in special education that may provide the basis for improving academic instruction and lifelong learning.”

Sec. 176 Commissioner for Special Education Research

Section 176 (20 U.S.C. 9567a) is amended by inserting “and youth” after “children”.

Sec. 177 Duties

Section 177 (20 U.S.C. 9567b) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting “and youth” after “children”;
(B)
in paragraph (2), by striking “scientifically based educational practices” and inserting “educational practices, including the use of technology based on scientifically valid research,”;
(C)
in paragraph (4), by striking “based” and inserting “valid”;
(D)
in paragraph (10), by inserting before the semicolon the following: “, including how secondary school credentials are related to postsecondary and employment outcomes”;
(E)
by redesignating paragraphs (11) through (15) and paragraphs (16) and (17) as paragraphs (12) through (16), respectively, and paragraphs (18) and (19), respectively;
(F)
by inserting after paragraph (10), the following:

“(11) examine the participation and outcomes of students with disabilities in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs;”

(G)
in paragraph (14), as so redesignated, by inserting “and professional development” after “preparation”;
(H)
in paragraph (16), as so redesignated, by striking “help parents” and inserting “examine the methods by which parents may”;
(I)
by inserting after paragraph (16), as so redesignated, the following:

“(17) assist the Board in the preparation and dissemination of each evaluation report under section 116(d);”

(J)
in paragraph (18), as so redesignated, by striking “and” at the end;
(K)
by amending paragraph (19), as so redesignated, to read as follows:

“(19) examine the needs of children with disabilities who are English learners, gifted and talented, or who have other unique learning needs; and”

(L)
by adding at the end the following:

“(20) examine innovations in the field of special education, such as multi-tiered systems of support.”

(2)
in subsection (c)—
(A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(i)
by inserting “for the activities of the Special Education Research Center” after “research plan”; and
(ii)
by inserting “and, subject to the approval of the Director, implement such plan” after “Services”;
(B)
in paragraph (1), by inserting “described in section 175(b)” after “Center”;
(C)
by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:

“(2) is carried out, and, as appropriate, updated and modified, including by using the results of the Special Education Research Center’s most recent evaluation report under section 116(d);”

(D)
by striking paragraph (5);
(E)
by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (6) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (7), respectively;
(F)
by inserting after paragraph (2), as so amended, the following:

“(3) provides for research that addresses significant questions of practice where such research is lacking;”

(G)
in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by striking “and types of children with” and inserting “, student subgroups, and types of”; and
(H)
by inserting after paragraph (5), as so redesignated and amended, the following:

“(6) describes how the Special Education Research Center will use the performance management system described in section 185 to assess and improve the activities of the Center; and”

(3)
in subsection (d)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking “Director” and inserting “Special Education Research Commissioner”;
(B)
by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:

“(3) Applications

“(A) In general—An eligible applicant that wishes to receive a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement, under this section shall submit an application to the Special Education Research Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Special Education Research Commissioner may require.

“(B) Contents—An application submitted under subparagraph (A) shall describe how the eligible applicant will address and demonstrate progress on the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185, with respect to the activities that will be carried out under such grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.”

(C)
by adding at the end the following:

“(4) Duration—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under this section may be awarded, on a competitive basis, for a period of not more than 5 years, and may be renewed at the discretion of the Special Education Research Commissioner for an additional period of not more than 2 years if the recipient demonstrates progress on the requirements of the performance management system described in section 185, with respect to the activities carried out under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement received under this section.”

(4)
by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:

“(e) Dissemination—The Special Education Research Center shall synthesize and, consistent with section 114(j), widely disseminate and promote utilization of the findings and results of special education research conducted or supported by the Special Education Research Center.”

(5)
in subsection (f), by striking “part such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2010.” and inserting

“(1) for fiscal year 2015, $54,000,000;

“(2) for fiscal year 2016, $54,108,000;

“(3) for fiscal year 2017, $55,298,376;

“(4) for fiscal year 2018, $56,625,537;

“(5) for fiscal year 2019, $58,154,426; and

“(6) for fiscal year 2020, $65,645,169.”

F General provisions

Sec. 182 Prohibitions

Section 182 (20 U.S.C. 9572) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
by striking “or control” and inserting “control, or coerce”; and
(B)
by inserting “specific academic standards or assessments,” after “the curriculum,”
(3)
in subsection (c)—
(A)
by inserting “coerce,” after “approve,” and
(B)
by striking “an elementary school or secondary school” and inserting “early education, or in an elementary school, secondary school, or institution of higher education”.

Sec. 183 Confidentiality

Section 183 (20 U.S.C. 9573) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
by striking “their families, and information with respect to individual schools,” and inserting “and their families”; and
(B)
by inserting before the period at the end the following: “, and that any disclosed information with respect to individual schools not reveal such individually identifiable information”;
(2)
in subsection (d)(2), by inserting “, including voluntary and uncompensated services under section 190” after “providing services”; and
(3)
in subsection (e)(1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “and Director” after “Secretary”.

Sec. 184 Availability of data

Section 184 (20 U.S.C. 9574) is amended by striking “use of the Internet” and inserting “electronic means, such as posting to the Institute’s website in an easily accessible manner”.

Sec. 185 Performance management

Section 185 (20 U.S.C. 9575) is amended to read as follows:

“185. Performance management

“The Director shall establish a system for managing the performance of all activities authorized under this title to promote continuous improvement of the activities and to ensure the effective use of Federal funds by—

“(1) developing and using measurable performance indicators, including timelines, to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the activities;

“(2) using the performance indicators described in paragraph (1) to inform funding decisions, including the awarding and continuation of all grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under this title;

“(3) establishing and improving formal feedback mechanisms to—

“(A) anticipate and meet stakeholder needs; and

“(B) incorporate, on an ongoing basis, the feedback of such stakeholders into the activities authorized under this title; and

“(4) promoting the wide dissemination and utilization, consistent with section 114(j), of all information, products, and publications of the Institute.”

Sec. 186 Authority to publish

Section 186(b) (20 U.S.C. 9576) is amended by striking “any information to be published under this section before publication” and inserting “publications under this section before the public release of such publications”.

Sec. 187 Repeals

(a)
Repeals— Sections 187 (20 U.S.C. 9577) and 193 (20 U.S.C. 9583) are repealed.
(b)
Conforming amendments— The table of contents in section 1 of the Act of November 5, 2002 (Public Law 107–279; 116 Stat. 1940) is amended by striking the items relating to sections 187 and 193.

Sec. 188 Fellowships

Section 189 (20 U.S.C. 9579) is amended—
(1)
by inserting “and the mission of each National Education Center authorized under this title” after “related to education”; and
(2)
by striking “historically Black colleges and universities” and inserting “minority-serving institutions”.

Sec. 189 Authorization of appropriations

Section 194 (20 U.S.C. 9584) is amended—
(1)
by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

“(a) In general—There are authorized to be appropriated to administer and carry out this title (except part E)—

“(1) for fiscal year 2015, $337,343,000;

“(2) for fiscal year 2016, $338,017,686;

“(3) for fiscal year 2017, $345,454,075;

“(4) for fiscal year 2018, $353,744,974;

“(5) for fiscal year 2019, $363,296,087; and

“(6) for fiscal year 2020, $368,745,528.”

(2)
by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:

“(b) Reservations—Of the amounts appropriated under subsection (a) for each fiscal year—

“(1) not less than the amount provided to the National Center for Education Statistics (as such Center was in existence on the day before the date of enactment of the Strengthening Education through Research Act) for fiscal year 2014 shall be provided to the National Center for Education Statistics, as authorized under part C; and

“(2) not more than the lesser of 2 percent of such funds or $2,000,000 shall be made available to carry out section 116 (relating to the National Board for Education Sciences).”