An amendment numbered 27 printed in House Report 110-523 to authorize a competitive grant program through the Department of Education that would allow institutions of higher education or consortia to create longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data. The amendment authorizes programs in no more than five states for a period of three years.

1. Adds SEC. 112. STATE HIGHER EDUCATION INFORMATION SYSTEM PILOT PROGRAM after section 111

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. 112. STATE HIGHER EDUCATION INFORMATION SYSTEM PILOT PROGRAM.

   Inserted: Part C of title I (20 U.S.C. 1015) is further amended by adding after section 135 (as added by section 111 of this Act) the following new section:

   Inserted: "SEC. 136. STATE HIGHER EDUCATION INFORMATION SYSTEM PILOT PROGRAM.

   Inserted: "(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to carry out a pilot program to assist not more than 5 States to develop State-level postsecondary student data systems to--

   Inserted: "(1) improve the capacity of States and institutions of higher education to generate more comprehensive and comparable data, in order to develop better-informed educational policy at the State level and to evaluate the effectiveness of institutional performance while protecting the confidentiality of students' personally identifiable information; and

   Inserted: "(2) identify how to best minimize the data-reporting burden placed on institutions of higher education, particularly smaller institutions, and to maximize and improve the information institutions receive from the data systems, in order to assist institutions in improving educational practice and postsecondary outcomes.

   Inserted: "(b) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term 'eligible entity' means--

   Inserted: "(1) a State higher education system; or

   Inserted: "(2) a consortium of State higher education systems, or a consortium of individual institutions of higher education, that is broadly representative of institutions in different sectors and geographic locations.

   Inserted: "(c) Competitive Grants.--

   Inserted: "(1) Grants authorized.--The Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to not more than 5 eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to--

   Inserted: "(A) design, test, and implement postsecondary student data systems that provide the maximum benefits to States, institutions of higher education, and State policymakers; and

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   Inserted: "(B) examine the costs and burdens involved in implementing a State-level postsecondary student data system.

   Inserted: "(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than 3 years.

   Inserted: "(d) Application Requirements.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary determines is necessary, including a description of--

   Inserted: "(1) how the eligible entity will ensure that student privacy is protected and that individually identifiable information about students, the students' achievements, and the students' families remains confidential in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g); and

   Inserted: "(2) how the activities funded by the grant will be supported after the 3-year grant period.

   Inserted: "(e) Use of Funds.--A grant awarded under this section shall be used to--

   Inserted: "(1) design, develop, and implement the components of a comprehensive postsecondary student data system with the capacity to transmit student information within States;

   Inserted: "(2) improve the capacity of institutions of higher education to analyze and use student data;

   Inserted: "(3) select and define common data elements, data quality, and other elements that will enable the data system to--

   Inserted: "(A) serve the needs of institutions of higher education for institutional research and improvement;

   Inserted: "(B) provide students and the students' families with useful information for decision-making about postsecondary education;

   Inserted: "(C) provide State policymakers with improved information to monitor and guide efforts to improve student outcomes and success in higher education;

   Inserted: "(4) estimate costs and burdens at the institutional level for reporting to the postsecondary student data system; and

   Inserted: "(5) test the feasibility of protocols and standards for maintaining data privacy and data access.

   Inserted: "(f) Evaluation; Reports.--Not later than 6 months after the end of the projects funded by grants awarded under this section, the Secretary shall--

   Inserted: "(1) conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot program authorized by this section; and

   Inserted: "(2) report the Secretary's findings, as well as recommendations regarding the implementation of State-level postsecondary student data systems to the authorizing committees.

   Inserted: "(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.".

   Original wording

   After section 111 of the bill, insert the following new section (and redesignate the succeeding sections accordingly):

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed