Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 1.djvu/169

 PUBLIC LAW 103-227—MAR. 31, 1994 108 STAT. 143 (2) CRITERIA.—(A) The Council, which mty consult with outside experts, shall— (i) identify and develop criteria to be used for certifying the voluntary national content standards and voluntary national student performance standards; and (ii) before applying such criteria, forward such criteria to the Groals Panel for review, except that the Groals Panel shall have the option of disapproving such criteria by a two-thirds majority vote of the full membership of the Groals Panel not later than 90 days after receipt of such criteria. (B) The criteria developed by the Council shall address— (i) the extent to which the proposed standards are internationaly competitive and comparable to the best in the world; (ii) the extent to which the proposed volimtary national content standards and voluntary national student performance standards reflect the best available knowledge about how all students learn and about how the content area can be most effectively taught; (iii) the extent to which the proposed voluntary national content standards and voluntary national student performance standards have been developed through an open and public process that provides for input and involvement of all relevant parties, including teachers, related services personnel, and other professional educators, employers and postsecondary education institutions, curriculum and subject matter specialists, parents, advocacy groups, secondary school students, and the public; and (iv) other factors that the Council deems appropriate. (C) In developing the criteria, the Council shall work with entities that are developing, or have already developed, content and student performance standards, and any other entities that the Council deems appropriate, to identify appropriate certification criteria. (b) STATE CONTENT STANDARDS; STATE STUDENT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.— The Council may certify State content standards and State student performance standards presented on a voluntary basis by a State or group of States, using the criteria developed under subsection (a)(2)(A)(i), if such standards are comparable or higher in rigor and quality to the voluntary national content standards and voliuitary national student performance standards certified by the Council. (c) VOLUNTARY NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY-TO-LEARN STAND- ARDS.— (1) IN GENERAL.— The Council, which may consult with outside experts, shall certify exemplary, voluntary national opportunity-to-leam standards that will establish a basis for providing all students a fair opportunity to achieve the knowledge and skills set out in the voliintary national content standards certified by the Council. In carrying out the preceding sentence the Council is authorized to consider proposals for voluntary national opportunity-to-leam standards from groups other than groups that receive grants under section 219.

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