§1070a–18 Reports, Evaluations, and Grants for Project Improvement and Dissemination

Summary

The Secretary must send one yearly report to the authorizing committees that shows how all programs paid for under this part are doing. The report must be sent within 12 months after the programs’ own performance reports come in. It must focus on the outcome measures set out under section 1070a–11(f)(4), combine project data to give national results, and include descriptive, multi-year, or multi-cohort data when useful. The report must also give comparable national results for low-income students, first-generation students, and students with disabilities. With each report, the Secretary must also explain how the secondary review process worked, including how many reviews happened, what types they were, how they were resolved, how they affected award timing, and any other needed details. To improve programs, the Secretary must fund rigorous evaluations by colleges and other public or private groups, using grants or contracts. These evaluations must include those for Upward Bound (section 1070a–13) and the Upward Bound study had to start by June 30, 2010. Evaluations must look at which students benefit most and which program features work best. They must identify practices that help low-income and first-generation students get into, prepare for, and succeed in college. The best practices found must be shared with grantees and the public. Programs cannot be forced to recruit extra students or to deny services to take part. Evaluations should limit burden on people and meet accepted review board standards. The Secretary may also give grants to programs that existed before October 7, 1998, to help them partner with others to copy successful practices and give technical help. Evaluation results and grant-backed work must be shared with similar programs and others working on college access and retention.