,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cacf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #ai1      
#bjac,mr4 ,salmon 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,polis1 ,mrs4 ,brooks of ,indiana1 and  
,mr4 ,andrews7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,education and the        
,workforce  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish a  
demonstration program for               
competency-based education4  #a4 ,short 
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,advancing ,competency-,based ,education
 ,demonstration ,project ,act of #bjac4 
#b4 ,distance education demonstration   
programs ,part ,g of title ,,iv of the  
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajhh et seq47 is amended by  
inserting after section #dhf;,a the     
following3  #dhf;,b4 ,competency-based  
education demonstration programs  7a7   
,purpose ,it is the purpose of this     
section-- 7#a7 to allow demonstration   
programs that are monitored by the      
,secretary to explore ways of delivering

 education and disbursing student       
financial aid that are based on learning
 rather than time2  7#b7 to potentially 
lower cost and reduce the time to degree
 in the attainment of higher education  
degrees through competency-based        
programs2 and  7#c7 to help determine-- 
7,a7 the specific statutory and         
regulatory requirements which should be 
altered to provide greater access to    
competency-based education1 which may be
 independent of or combined with        
traditional credit hour or clock hour   
programs2  7,b7 the most effective means
 of delivering competency-based         
education via degree programs2 and  7,c7
 the appropriate level and distribution 
methodology of ,federal assistance for  
students enrolled in competency-based   
education4  7#d7 ,definition ,for the   
purpose of this section1 the term       
competency-based education means an     
educational process that-- 7,a7 is      
characterized by the measurement of     
learning as opposed to the measurement  

of instructional and learning time2     
7,b7 uses direct assessment of student  
learning1 or recognizes the direct      
assessment by others of student         
learning1 in place of or in addition to 
using credit hours or clock hours2 and  
7,c7 includes direct measures of        
learning1 including projects1 papers1   
examinations1 presentations1            
performances1 and portfolios4  7b7      
,demonstration programs authorized  7#a7
 ,in general ,in accordance with the    
provisions of subsection 7d71 the       
,secretary is directed to select        
institutions of higher education1       
systems of such institutions1 or        
consortia of such institutions for      
voluntary participation in a            
,competency-,based ,education           
,demonstration ,program that provides   
participating institutions with the     
ability to offer competency-based       
education that do not meet all or a     
portion of the requirements of the      
sections or regulations described in    

paragraph 7#b74  7#b7 ,waivers ,the     
,secretary is authorized to waive for   
any institution of higher education1    
system1 or consortium participating in a
 ,competency-,based ,education          
,demonstration ,program1 the            
requirements of sections #dha7;a7 and   
#dha7;b7 as such sections relate to     
requirements for a minimum number of    
weeks of instruction1 sections          
#ajb7;a77#c77;,a71 #ajb7;a77#c77;,b71   
and #dhd7l77#a71 section                
#ffh4cb7;a77#a77;iii7 of title #cd1     
,code of ,federal ,regulations1 as it   
relates to courses leading to teacher   
certification1 or one or more of the    
regulations prescribed under this part  
or part ,f which inhibit the operation  
of competency-based education4 ,in      
addition to the waivers described above1
 for institutions that propose a        
rational and defensible plan for        
competency-based education and for the  
waivers being sought1 the ,secretary may
 waive any of the requirements under    

sections 7and corresponding regulations7
 in title ,i1 part ,f of this title1 and
 this part1 that inhibit the operation  
of competency-based education1 including
 requirements that relate to-- 7,a7     
documenting attendance2  7,b7 weekly    
academic activity2  7,c7 minimum weeks  
of instructional time2  7,d7            
requirements for credit hour_/clock hour
 equivalencies2  7,e7 requirements for  
substantive interaction with faculty2   
and  7,f7 definitions of the terms      
academic year1 full-time student1 term  
7including standard term1 non-term1 and 
non-standard term71 satisfactory        
academic progress 7,,sap71 educational  
activity1 program of study1 and payment 
period4  7#c7 ,eligible applicants  7,a7
 ,eligible institutions ,except as      
provided in subparagraph 7,b71 to be    
eligible to participate in the          
demonstration program authorized under  
this section an institution shall be--  
7i7 an institution of higher education  
that is eligible to participate in      

programs under this title2 or  7ii7 an  
institution that has been approved to   
offer direct assessment programs under  
section #dha7;b77#d74  7,b7 ,prohibition
 ,an institution of higher education    
described in section #ajb7;a77#a77;,c7  
shall not be eligible to participate in 
the demonstration program authorized    
under this section4  7c7 ,application   
7#a7 ,in general ,each institution1     
system of institutions1 or consortium of
 institutions desiring to participate in
 a demonstration program under this     
section shall submit an application to  
the ,secretary4  7#b7 ,contents ,each   
application shall include-- 7,a7 a      
description of the competency-based     
education to be offered2  7,b7 a brief  
description of the proposed academic    
delivery1 business1 and financial       
models1 including brief explanations of 
how this approach would result in the   
achievement of competencies and how it  
would differ from standard credit hour  
approaches2  7,c7 a description of the  

statutory and regulatory requirements   
described in subsection 7b77#b7 for     
which a waiver is sought and the reasons
 for which each such waiver is sought2  
7,d7 a description of the proposal for  
determining a student's ,federal student
 aid eligibility1 the award and         
distribution of aid1 and safeguards to  
ensure that students are making         
satisfactory progress that warrants     
disbursement of such aid2  7,e7 a       
description of the students to whom     
competency-based education will be      
offered1 including an assurance that the
 institution1 system1 or consortium will
 include a minimum of #ajj and a maximum
 of #c1jjj eligible students as part of 
the program2  7,f7 a description of the 
goals the institution1 system1 or       
consortium hopes to achieve through the 
use of competency-based education2  7,g7
 a description of how the institution1  
system1 or consortium plans to maintain 
program integrity2  7,h7 an assurance   
that the institution1 system1 or        

consortium will offer full cooperation  
with the ongoing evaluations of the     
demonstration program provided for in   
this section and will not require the   
expenditure of additional ,federal      
funding to implement the project2 and   
7,i7 such other information as the      
,secretary may require4  7d7 ,selection 
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #f     
months after the date of enactment of   
this section1 the ,secretary shall      
select for participation in the         
,competency-,based ,education           
,demonstration ,program not more than   
#bj institutions1 systems of            
institutions1 or consortia of           
institutions4  7#b7 ,considerations ,in 
selecting institutions1 systems1 or     
consortia to participate in the         
demonstration program1 the ,secretary   
shall-- 7,a7 consider the number and    
quality of applications received2  7,b7 
consider an institution's1 system's1 or 
consortium's-- 7i7 demonstrated ability 
to successfully execute the program as  

described2  7ii7 commitment and ability 
to effectively finance a demonstration  
site as proposed2 and  7iii7            
demonstrated administrative capability  
and the expertise to evaluate learning  
based on measures other than credit     
hours or clock hours2 and  7,c7 ensure  
the participation of a diverse group of 
institutions 7including institutions    
within systems and consortia of         
institutions7 with respect to size1     
mission1 and geographic distribution of 
the institutions4  7e7 ,notification    
,not later than #f months after the date
 of enactment of this section1 the      
,secretary shall make available to the  
authorizing committees and the public a 
list of institutions1 systems1 and      
consortia selected to participate in the
 demonstration program authorized by    
this section4 ,such list shall include1 
for each such institution1 system1 or   
consortium1 the specific statutory and  
regulatory requirements being waived and
 a description of the competency-based  

education courses to be offered4  7f7   
,evaluations and reports  7#a7          
,evaluation ,the ,secretary shall       
annually evaluate each of the           
demonstration programs authorized under 
this section4 ,such evaluations shall   
review-- 7,a7 the extent to which the   
institution1 system1 or consortium has  
met the goals set forth in its          
application to the ,secretary1 including
 the measures of program quality        
assurance2  7,b7 the number and types of
 students participating in the programs 
offered1 including the progress of      
participating students toward recognized
 degrees and the extent to which        
participation and retention in such     
programs increased2  7,c7 obstacles     
related to student financial assistance 
for competency-based education2 and     
7,d7 the extent to which statutory or   
regulatory requirements not waived under
 the demonstration program present      
difficulties for students or            
institutions4  7#b7 ,annual report ,the 

,secretary shall annually provide to the
 authorizing committees a report on--   
7,a7 the evaluations of the             
demonstration programs required under   
paragraph 7#a72  7,b7 the number and    
types of students receiving assistance  
under this title for competency-based   
education programs2  7,c7 the retention 
and completion rates of students        
participating in such programs2 and     
7,d7 any proposed statutory changes     
designed to support and enhance the     
expansion of competency-based education4
  7g7 ,oversight ,in conducting the     
demonstration program authorized under  
this section1 the ,secretary shall1 on a
 continuing basis-- 7#a7 assure         
compliance of institutions1 systems1 and
 consortia with the requirements of this
 title 7other than the sections and     
regulations that are waived under       
subsection 7b77#b772  7#b7 provide      
technical assistance2  7#c7 monitor     
fluctuations in the student population  
enrolled in the participating           

institutions1 systems1 and consortia2   
and  7#d7 consult with appropriate      
accrediting agencies or associations and
 appropriate ,state regulatory          
authorities4  7h7 ,additional funds not 
authorized ,no additional funds are     
authorized to be appropriated for any   
fiscal year to carry out this section4  
4