12 2 STA T .3 112 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 31 5— AU G .1 4, 200 8‘ ‘ SEC.136 .S TA TE HIG HE R E DU CATI ON IN F OR M ATION S Y STEM P I L OT PROGRAM. ‘ ‘ (a)PURPOSE.—Itis t hepur p o seo f this se c tio n to carr y out api l ot pro g ra m to assist not more than fi v e S tates to d evelop State - level postsecondary student data systems to— ‘‘( 1 ) improve the capacity of States and institutions of higher education to generate more comprehensive and com- para b le data , in order to develop better-informed educational policy at the State level and to evaluate the effectiveness of institutional performance w hile protecting the confidentiality of students ’ personally identifiable information
and ‘‘( 2 ) identify how to best minimi z e the data-reporting bur- den placed on institutions of higher education, particularly smaller institutions, and to ma x imize and improve the informa- tion institutions receive from the data systems, in order to assist institutions in improving educational practice and post- secondary outcomes. ‘‘(b) D E FIN I T ION OF EL I G I B LE ENTIT Y .—In this section, the term ‘eligible entity’ means— ‘‘(1) a State higher education system; or ‘‘(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. ‘‘(c) C O M PETITI V E G R A NTS.— ‘‘(1) GRANTS AUT H ORI Z E D .— T he Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to not more than five eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to— ‘‘( A ) design, test, and implement systems of postsec- ondary student data that provide the maximum benefits to States, institutions of higher education, and State policy- ma k ers; and ‘‘( B ) examine the costs and burdens involved in imple- menting a State-level postsecondary student data system. ‘‘(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than three years. ‘‘(d) APPLI C ATION R E Q UIREMENTS.—An eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Sec- retary at such time, in such manner, and containing such informa- tion as the Secretary may reasonably re q uire, including a descrip- tion of— ‘‘(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 section 4 44 of the General Education Provisions Act ( F amily Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1 97 4) (2 0U .S.C. 12 3 2g); and ‘‘(2) how the activities funded by the grant will be supported after the three-year grant period. ‘‘(e) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded under this section shall be used to— ‘‘(1) design, develop, and implement the components of a comprehensive postsecondary student data system with the capacity to transmit student information within a State; ‘‘(2) improve the capacity of institutions of higher education to analyze and use student data; 20USC1 01 5e.
�
