Improving Postsecondary Education Data for Students Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to convene an Advisory Committee on Improving Postsecondary Education Data that: (1) is comprised of 15 members who represent economically, racially, and geographically diverse populations; and (2) includes higher education stakeholders, state officials, business representatives, college and career counselors at secondary schools, and experts in higher education policy, consumer choice, privacy, labor markets, and data policy, collection, and use.
Requires the Committee to study:
Requires the Committee, in conducting the study, to: (1) review relevant research concerning the types of information students and parents seek in searching for an IHE; (2) consider the utility of the information currently reported and whether additional information would be beneficial or confusing; and (3) consult with parents, students, and a broad range of parties interested in higher education.
Directs the Committee to submit an interim and final report on the study to Congress and the Secretary. Requires the Committee, after consulting with the Commissioner of Education Statistics, to include in its final report recommendations for legislative, regulatory, and administrative actions to improve the information the federal government collects and reports on IHEs.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1949 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1949
To direct the Secretary of Education to convene the Advisory Committee
on Improving Postsecondary Education Data to conduct a study on
improvements to postsecondary education transparency at the Federal
level.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 13, 2013
Mr. Messer (for himself, Mr. Kline, Mr. Petri, Ms. Foxx, Mr. Roe of
Tennessee, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Bucshon) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to convene the Advisory Committee
on Improving Postsecondary Education Data to conduct a study on
improvements to postsecondary education transparency at the Federal
level.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Postsecondary Education
Data for Students Act''.
SEC. 2. STUDY ON WAYS TO IMPROVE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION TRANSPARENCY
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
(a) Formation of Advisory Committee on Improving Postsecondary
Education Data.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall convene
the Advisory Committee on Improving Postsecondary Education
Data (in this Act referred to as the ``Advisory Committee''),
which shall be comprised of 15 members appointed by the
Secretary in consultation with the Commissioner for Education
Statistics, including--
(A) individuals representing different sectors of
institutions of higher education;
(B) experts in the field of higher education
policy;
(C) State higher education officials, students, and
other stakeholders from the higher education community;
(D) representatives from the business community;
(E) experts in choice in consumer markets, and
(F) privacy experts.
(2) Chairperson.--The Secretary shall appoint the
Chairperson of the Advisory Committee.
(b) Study Required.--The Advisory Committee shall conduct a study
examining--
(1) the types of information, including information related
to costs of postsecondary education, student outcomes, and
postgraduation earnings, the Federal Government should collect
and report on institutions of higher education to assist
students and families in their search for an institution of
higher education;
(2) how such information should be collected and reported,
including how to disaggregate information on student outcomes
by subgroups of students, such as full-time students, part-time
students, nontraditional students, students who are veterans,
and Federal Pell Grant recipients under subpart 1 of part A of
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a);
and
(3) the ways in which the Federal Government may make such
information more readily available to--
(A) students and their families in a format that is
easily accessible and understandable; and
(B) States, individual or groups of institutions of
higher education, and private-sector entities.
(c) Scope of Study.--In conducting the study under this Act, the
Advisory Committee shall, at a minimum, examine--
(1) whether the current Federal transparency initiatives on
postsecondary education--
(A) are reporting consistent information about
individual institutions of higher education across
Federal agencies; and
(B) are similar to transparency initiatives on
postsecondary education carried out by States,
individual or groups of institutions of higher
education, or private-sector entities;
(2) whether--
(A) the collection and reporting of postgraduation
earnings by the Federal Government is feasible, and if
feasible, the options for collecting and reporting such
information;
(B) collecting and reporting such information would
improve the utility of Federal transparency initiatives
for students and their families; and
(C) collecting and reporting such information would
have an impact on student privacy, and if so, how such
impact may be minimized;
(3) whether any other information, including information
relating to student outcomes or identified under the review
required under subsection (d), should be collected and reported
by the Federal Government to improve the utility of such
initiatives for students and their families, and if so, how
such information may be collected and reported, including
whether the information should be disaggregated by subgroups of
students;
(4) whether any information currently collected and
reported by the Federal Government on institutions of higher
education is not useful for students and their families and
should not be so collected and reported;
(5) the manner in which the information from Federal
transparency initiatives is made available to students and
their families, and whether format changes may help the
information become more easily understood and widely utilized
by students and their families;
(6) any activities being carried out by the Federal
Government, States, individual or groups of institutions of
higher education, or private-sector entities to help inform
students and their families of the availability of Federal
transparency initiatives;
(7) the cost to institutions of higher education of
reporting to the Federal Government the information that is
being collected and reported through Federal transparency
initiatives, and how such cost may be minimized; and
(8) the relevant research described in subsection (d).
(d) Review of Relevant Research.--In conducting the study under
this Act, the Advisory Committee shall review and consider--
(1) research and studies, if any, that have been conducted
to determine questions most frequently asked by students and
families to help inform their search for an institution of
higher education;
(2) the types of information students seek before enrolling
in an institution of higher education;
(3) whether the availability to students and their families
of additional information on institutions of higher education
will be beneficial or confusing;
(4) results, if any, that are available from consumer
testing of Federal, State, institution of higher education, and
private-sector transparency initiatives on postsecondary
education that have been made publicly available on or after
the date that is 10 years before the date of enactment of this
Act; and
(5) any gaps in the research, studies, and results
described in paragraphs (1) and (4) relating to the types of
information students seek before enrolling in an institution of
higher education.
(e) Consultation.--
(1) In general.--In conducting the study under this Act,
the Advisory Committee shall--
(A) hold public hearings to consult with parents
and students; and
(B) consult with a broad range of interested
parties in higher education, including appropriate
researchers, representatives of secondary schools and
institutions of higher education, State administrators,
and Federal officials.
(2) Consultation with the authorizing committees.--The
Advisory Committee shall consult on a regular basis with the
authorizing committees in conducting the study under this Act.
(f) Reports to Authorizing Committees.--
(1) Interim report.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Advisory Committee shall prepare
and submit to the authorizing committees and the Secretary an
interim report describing the progress made in conducting the
study under this Act and any preliminary findings on the topics
identified under subsection (c).
(2) Final report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Advisory Committee
shall prepare and submit to the authorizing committees
and the Secretary a final report on the study,
including--
(i) recommendations for legislative,
regulatory, and administrative actions based on
findings related to the topics identified under
subsection (c); and
(ii) a summary of the research described in
subsection (d).
(B) Consultation with NCES.--The Advisory Committee
shall consult with the Commissioner of Education
Statistics prior to making recommendations under
subparagraph (A)(i) with respect to improving the
information being collected and reported by the Federal
Government on institutions of higher education.
(g) Availability of Funds.--The amount necessary to conduct the
study under this Act shall be made available from amounts available to
the Secretary for administrative expenses of the Department of
Education.
(h) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act:
(1) Authorizing committees.--The term ``authorizing
committees'' has the meaning given the term in section 103 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003).
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002), except that such term does not include
institutions described in subsection (a)(1)(C) of such section
102.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given the
term in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1003).
(5) Student.--The term ``student'' includes--
(A) a prospective student;
(B) a student enrolled in an institution of higher
education;
(C) a nontraditional student (as defined in section
803(j)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1161c(j)(2))); and
(D) a veteran (as defined in section 480(c)(1) of
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(c)(1))) who is a student or
prospective student.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 113-83.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 113-83.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 58.
Mr. Messer moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2895-2898)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1949.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H2895-2896)
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On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2895-2896)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.