§6491. Evaluations

(a) National assessment

(1) In general

The Secretary shall conduct a national assessment of programs assisted under this subchapter, in coordination with the ongoing National Evaluation under subsection (b) of this section that shall be planned, reviewed, and conducted in consultation with an independent panel of researchers, State practitioners, local practitioners, and other appropriate individuals.

(2) Examination

The assessment shall examine how well schools, local educational agencies, and States are-

(A) progressing toward the goal of all children served under this subchapter reaching the State's challenging State content standards and challenging State student performance standards; and

(B) accomplishing the purpose set forth in section 6301(d) of this title to achieve the goal described in paragraph (1), including-

(i) ensuring challenging State content standards and challenging State student performance standards for all children served under this subchapter and aligning the efforts of States, local educational agencies, and schools to help such children reach such standards;

(ii) providing children served under this subchapter an enriched and accelerated educational program through schoolwide programs or through additional services that increase the amount and quality of instructional time that such children receive;

(iii) promoting schoolwide reform and access for all children served under this subchapter to effective instructional strategies and challenging academic content;

(iv) significantly upgrading the quality of the curriculum and instruction by providing staff in participating schools with substantial opportunities for professional development;

(v) coordinating services provided under all parts of this subchapter with each other, with other educational and pupil services, including preschool services, and, to the extent feasible, with health and social service programs funded from other sources;

(vi) affording parents of children served under this subchapter meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at home and at school, such as the provision of family literacy services;

(vii) distributing resources to areas where needs are greatest;

(viii) improving accountability, as well as teaching and learning, by making assessments under this subchapter congruent with State assessment systems; and

(ix) providing greater decisionmaking authority and flexibility to schools in exchange for greater responsibility for student performance.

(3) NAEP information

Where feasible, the Secretary shall use information gathered from a variety of sources, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress, State evaluations, and available research studies, in carrying out this subsection.

(4) Interim and final reports

The Secretary shall submit to the President and the appropriate committees of the Congress an interim report by January 1, 1996, summarizing the preliminary findings of the assessment and a final report of the findings of the assessment by January 1, 1999.

(b) Studies and data collection

(1) In general

The Secretary may collect such data, as necessary, at the State, local, and school levels and conduct studies and evaluations, including national studies and evaluations, to assess on an ongoing basis the effectiveness of programs under this subchapter and to report on such effectiveness on a periodic basis. The Secretary shall report not later than December 31, 1997 to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate on how schoolwide programs are meeting the needs of children from migratory families.

(2) Minimum information

At a minimum, the Secretary shall collect trend information on the effect of programs under this subchapter. Such data shall complement the data collected and reported under subsections (a) and (c) of this section.

(c) National evaluation of part A of this subchapter

(1) In general

The Secretary shall carry out an ongoing evaluation of the program assisted under part A of this subchapter in order to provide the public, the Congress, and educators involved in such program, an accurate description of the short- and long-term effectiveness of such program and to provide information that can be used to improve such program's effectiveness in enabling students to meet challenging State content standards and challenging State student performance standards, graduate from secondary school, and make successful transitions to postsecondary education and work. Such evaluation shall-

(A) have a longitudinal design that tracks cohorts of students within schools of differing poverty concentrations for at least three years which, when the cohorts are taken as a whole, provides a picture of such program's effectiveness over the elementary and secondary grades;

(B) be separate and independent from State and local assessments and evaluations as required under this subchapter;

(C) utilize the highest available content standards that are generally accepted as national in scope;

(D) provide information on all students, students served under part A of this subchapter, and, if funds are sufficient, information on students from low-income families, limited-English-proficient students, and students with disabilities; and

(E) when feasible, collect, cross-tabulate, and report data by sex within race or ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

(2) Use

The Secretary shall use the results of the evaluation described in paragraph (1) as part of the national assessment required by subsection (a) of this section and shall report the data from such evaluation to the Congress and the public at least as frequently as reports are made under subsection (a)(4) of this section.

(d) Developmentally appropriate measures

In conducting the national assessment under subsection (a) of this section and the national ongoing evaluation under subsection (c) of this section, the Secretary shall use developmentally appropriate measures to assess student performance and progress.

(e) Parental involvement, study, report and dissemination

(1) In general

The Secretary, through the Office of Education Research and Improvement, shall conduct a study to identify and describe-

(A) common barriers to effective parental involvement in the education of participating children; and

(B) successful local policies and programs which improve parental involvement and the performance of participating children.

(2) Duties of Secretary

The Secretary shall-

(A) complete such study by December 31, 1996;

(B) report the findings of such study to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate; and

(C) disseminate the findings, relating to the successful local policies and programs which improve parental involvement and the performance of participating children, to local educational agencies.

(Pub. L. 89–10, title I, §1501, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, §101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3601 ; amended Pub. L. 104–134, title I, §101(d) [title VII, §703(b)(3)], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321–211 , 1321-255; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, §1(a), May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327 ; Pub. L. 105–18, title VI, §60002, June 12, 1997, 111 Stat. 214 .)

Amendments

1997-Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 105–18 substituted "January 1, 1999" for "January 1, 1998".

1996-Subsec. (a)(2)(B)(v) to (x). Pub. L. 104–134 redesignated cls. (vi) to (x) as (v) to (ix), respectively, and struck out former cl. (v) which read as follows: "using and evaluating the usefulness of opportunity-to-learn standards or strategies in improving learning in schools receiving assistance under this part;".

Change of Name

Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Education and the Workforce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Jan. 7, 1997.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 6302 of this title.