The Corporation shall provide for inclusion in the evaluations required under subsection (a), where appropriate, comparisons of participants in such programs with individuals who have not participated in such programs.
Evaluations of programs under subsection (a) shall be conducted by individuals who are not directly involved in the administration of such program.
The Corporation shall develop and publish general standards for the evaluation of program effectiveness in achieving the objectives of the national service laws.
In evaluating a program receiving assistance under the national service laws, the Corporation shall consider the opinions of participants and members of the communities where services are delivered concerning the strengths and weaknesses of such program.
The Corporation shall evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different program models in meeting the program objectives described in subsection (g) including full- and part-time programs, programs involving different types of national service, programs using different recruitment methods, programs offering alternative voucher or post-service benefit options, and programs utilizing individual placements and teams.
In conducting the evaluations required under this section, the Corporation may require each program participant and State or local applicant to provide such information as may be necessary to carry out the requirements of this section.
The Corporation shall maintain the confidentiality of information acquired under this subsection regarding individual participants.
The content of any information described in subparagraph (A) may be disclosed with the prior written consent of the individual participant with respect to whom the information is maintained.
The Corporation may disclose information about the aggregate characteristics of such participants.
The Corporation shall, on an annual basis, arrange for an independent evaluation of the programs assisted under division C.
The entity conducting such evaluation shall determine the demographic characteristics of the participants in such programs.
The entity shall determine, for the year covered by the evaluation, the total number of participants in the programs, and the number of participants within the programs in each State, by sex, age, economic background, education level, ethnic group, disability classification, and geographic region.
The Corporation shall determine appropriate categories for analysis of each of the characteristics referred to in clause (ii) for purposes of such an evaluation.
In conducting the evaluation, the entity shall determine the amount of assistance provided under section 12571 of this title during the year that has been expended for projects conducted under the programs in areas described in section 12585(c)(6) of this title.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in addition to amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the Corporation may reserve not more than 1 percent of the total funds appropriated for a fiscal year under section 12681 of this title and sections 501 and 502 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 [42 U.S.C. 5081, 5082] to support program accountability activities under this section.
A recipient of assistance under the national service laws that fails, as determined by the Corporation, to meet or exceed the performance levels agreed upon under subsection (k) for a national service program, shall reach an agreement with the Corporation on a corrective action plan to meet such performance levels.