 CHAPTER 70--STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                                 SCHOOLS
 
                   SUBCHAPTER XIV--GENERAL PROVISIONS
 
                           Part G--Evaluations
 
Sec. 8941. Evaluations


(a) Evaluations

                           (1) In general

        Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary is authorized 
    to reserve not more than 0.50 percent of the amount appropriated to 
    carry out each program authorized under this chapter--
            (A) to carry out comprehensive evaluations of categorical 
        programs and demonstration projects, and studies of program 
        effectiveness, under this chapter, and the administrative impact 
        of such programs on schools and local educational agencies in 
        accordance with subsection (b) of this section;
            (B) to evaluate the aggregate short- and long-term effects 
        and cost efficiencies across Federal programs under this chapter 
        and related Federal preschool, elementary and secondary programs 
        under other Federal law; and
            (C) to strengthen the usefulness of grant recipient 
        evaluations for continuous program progress through improving 
        the quality, timeliness, efficiency, and utilization of program 
        information on program performance.

                          (2) Special rule

        (A) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any program under 
    subchapter I of this chapter.
        (B) If funds are made available under any program assisted under 
    this chapter (other than a program under subchapter I of this 
    chapter) for evaluation activities, then the Secretary shall reserve 
    no additional funds pursuant to the authority in subsection (a)(1) 
    of this section to evaluate such program, but shall coordinate the 
    evaluation of such program with the national evaluation described in 
    subsection (b) of this section.

(b) National evaluations

                           (1) In general

        The Secretary shall use the funds made available under 
    subsection (a) of this section to carry out--
            (A) independent studies of categorical and demonstration 
        programs under this chapter and the administrative impact of 
        such programs on schools and local educational agencies, that 
        are coordinated with research supported through the Office of 
        Educational Research and Improvement, using rigorous 
        methodological designs and techniques, including longitudinal 
        designs, control groups, and random assignment, as appropriate, 
        to determine--
                (i) the success of such programs in meeting the 
            measurable goals and objectives, through appropriate 
            targeting, quality services, and efficient administration, 
            and in contributing to achieving the National Education 
            Goals, with a priority on assessing program impact on 
            student performance;
                (ii) the short- and long-term effects of program 
            participation on program participants, as appropriate;
                (iii) the cost and efficiency of such programs;
                (iv) to the extent feasible, the cost of serving all 
            students eligible to be served under such programs;
                (v) specific intervention strategies and implementation 
            of such strategies that, based on theory, research and 
            evaluation, offer the promise of improved achievement of 
            program objectives;
                (vi) promising means of identifying and disseminating 
            effective management and educational practices;
                (vii) the effect of such programs on school and local 
            educational agencies' administrative responsibilities and 
            structure, including the use of local and State resources, 
            with particular attention to schools and agencies serving a 
            high concentration of disadvantaged students; and
                (viii) the effect of Federal categorical programs at the 
            elementary and secondary levels on the proliferation of 
            State categorical education aid programs and regulations, 
            including an evaluation of the State regulations that are 
            developed in response to Federal education laws;

            (B) in collaboration with the national assessment conducted 
        pursuant to section 6511 of this title, a comprehensive 
        evaluation of how the Federal Government has assisted the States 
        to reform their educational systems through the various 
        education laws enacted during the 103d Congress, which 
        evaluation shall--
                (i) encompass the changes made in Federal programs 
            pursuant to the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 as 
            well as in any other law enacted during the 103d Congress 
            that amended a Federal program assisting preschool, 
            elementary, or secondary education;
                (ii) encompass new initiatives such as initiatives under 
            the Goals 2000: Educate America Act [20 U.S.C. 5801 et 
            seq.], and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 [20 
            U.S.C. 6101 et seq.], and be coordinated with evaluations of 
            such Acts;
                (iii) include a comprehensive review of the programs 
            developed under the Acts described in clauses (i) and (ii) 
            to determine such programs' overall effect on--
                    (I) the readiness of children for schooling;
                    (II) the improvement in educational attainment of 
                students in elementary and secondary education; and
                    (III) the improvement in skills needed by students 
                to obtain employment or pursue further education upon 
                completion of secondary school or further education;

                (iv) include a comprehensive review of the programs 
            under the Acts described in clauses (i) and (ii) to 
            determine such programs' overall effect--
                    (I) on school reform efforts undertaken by States;
                    (II) on efforts by States to adopt educational 
                standards to improve schooling for all children, to 
                align their curricula, teacher training, and assessments 
                with such standards, and to bring flexibility to the 
                rules governing how education is to be provided; and
                    (III) on student populations that have been the 
                traditional beneficiaries of Federal assistance in order 
                to determine whether such population's educational 
                attainment has been improved as a result of such 
                programs;

                (v) evaluate how the National Assessment Governing 
            Board, the Advisory Council on Education Statistics, and the 
            National Education Goals Panel coordinate, interact, or 
            duplicate efforts to assist the States in reforming the 
            educational systems of States; and
                (vi) include a review of the programs under the Acts 
            described in clauses (i) and (ii) in such detail as the 
            Secretary deems appropriate, and may involve cooperation 
            with other Federal departments and agencies in order to 
            incorporate evaluations and recommendations of such 
            departments and agencies; and

            (C) a study of the waivers granted under section 8881 of 
        this title, which study shall include--
                (i) data on the total number of waiver requests that 
            were granted and the total number of such requests that were 
            denied, disaggregated by the statutory or regulatory 
            requirement for which the waivers were requested; and
                (ii) an analysis of the effect of waivers on categorical 
            program requirements and other flexibility provisions in 
            this chapter, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 
            [20 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.], and the Goals 2000: Educate 
            America Act [20 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.], on improvement in 
            educational achievement of participating students and on 
            school and local educational agency administrative 
            responsibilities, structure, and resources based on an 
            appropriate sample of State educational agencies, local 
            educational agencies, schools, and tribes receiving waivers.

            (D) a study of the waivers provided under section 6314 of 
        this title to support schoolwide programs which shall include--
                (i) the extent to which schoolwide programs are meeting 
            the intent and purposes of any program for which provisions 
            were waived; and
                (ii) the extent to which the needs of all students are 
            being served by such programs particularly students who 
            would be eligible for assistance under any provisions 
            waived.

                        (2) Independent panel

        The Secretary shall appoint an independent panel to review the 
    plan for the evaluation described in paragraph (1), to advise the 
    Secretary on such evaluation's progress, and to comment, if the 
    panel so wishes, on the final report described in paragraph (3).

                             (3) Report

        The Secretary shall submit a final report on the evaluation 
    described in this subsection by January 1, 1998, to the Committee on 
    Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and to the 
    Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate.

(c) Recipient evaluation and quality assurance improvement

    The Secretary is authorized to provide guidance, technical 
assistance, and model programs to recipients of assistance under this 
chapter to strengthen information for quality assurance and performance 
information feedback at State and local levels. Such guidance and 
assistance shall promote the development, measurement and reporting of 
valid, reliable, timely and consistent performance indicators within a 
program in order to promote continuous program improvement. Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to establish a national data system.

(Pub. L. 89-10, title XIV, Sec. 14701, as added Pub. L. 103-382, title 
I, Sec. 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3908; amended Pub. L. 104-134, 
title I, Sec. 101(d) [title VII, Sec. 703(b)(5)], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 
Stat. 1321-211, 1321-255; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104-140, 
Sec. 1(a), May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327.)

                       References in Text

    The Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, referred to in subsec. 
(b)(1)(B)(i), is Pub. L. 103-382, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3518. For 
complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1994 
Amendment note set out under section 6301 of this title and Tables.
    The Goals 2000: Educate America Act, referred to in subsec. 
(b)(1)(B)(ii), (C)(ii), is Pub. L. 103-227, Mar. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 125 
(except titles V and IX), as amended, which is classified principally to 
chapter 68 (Sec. 5801 et seq.) of this title (except subchapters V 
(Sec. 5931 et seq.) and IX (Sec. 6001 et seq.)). For complete 
classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out 
under section 5801 of this title and Tables.
    The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, referred to in subsec. 
(b)(1)(B)(ii), (C)(ii), is Pub. L. 103-239, May 4, 1994, 108 Stat. 568, 
as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 69 (Sec. 6101 et 
seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the 
Code, see Short Title note set out under section 6101 of this title and 
Tables.


                               Amendments

    1996--Subsec. (b)(1)(B)(v). Pub. L. 104-134 substituted ``and the 
National Education Goals Panel'' for ``the National Education Goals 
Panel, and the National Education Statistics and Improvement Council 
(and any other Federal board established to analyze, address, or approve 
education standards and assessments)''.

                         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 sections 1226c, 6434, 6435, 6621, 
6622, 6701, 6847, 7131, 7237, 7263, 7548, 8002, 8036, 8332, 8676 of this 
title.
