Sandra Day O'Connor Civic Learning Act of 2011 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Commissioner for Education Statistics, in administering the National Assessment of Educational Progress, should increase the number of students tested to improve disaggregation and analysis of data regarding progress in history and civics.
Amends part C (Innovation for Teacher Quality) of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to repeal We the People, a Civic Education program, and replace it with a program awarding competitive grants to nonprofit educational organizations to develop and implement programs that promote civic learning and engagement through instruction, professional development, and evaluations.
Requires such programs to promote: (1) equity through access to funding and program benefits; (2) innovation through design, settings, and delivery; (3) scalability through broad, cost-effective implementation and institutionalization; and (4) accountability through program assessments and the identification of best practices.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3464 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3464
To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to promote
civic learning and engagement, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 17, 2011
Mr. Honda (for himself and Mr. Cole) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to promote
civic learning and engagement, and for other purposes.
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 ``Sandra Day O'Connor Civic Learning
Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the Commissioner for Education
Statistics, in administering the National Assessment of Educational
Progress, should increase the sample size of students tested to improve
disaggregation and analysis of data regarding progress in history and
civics.
SEC. 3. CIVIC LEARNING GRANTS.
(a) In General.--Subpart 3 of part C of title II of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6711 et seq.) is
amended--
(1) by repealing sections 2341 through 2344 and inserting
the following:
``SEC. 2341. CIVIC LEARNING GRANTS.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary may award competitive grants to
eligible entities for the development and implementation of programs to
promote civic learning and engagement.
``(b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity shall use a grant received
under this section to develop and implement a program to promote civic
learning and engagement through instruction, professional development,
and evaluation activities that promote any of the following:
``(1) Equity through access to funding and program
benefits, including--
``(A) programs that meet the needs of students with
divergent learning styles, students of varying ethnic,
racial, and socio-economic backgrounds, and students
who are English language learners; and
``(B) resources that serve student populations that
have not traditionally received opportunities for high
quality, engaging civic learning, with a special
emphasis on inner-city and rural underserved students.
``(2) Innovation through design, settings, and delivery,
including service learning, interactive on-line programming,
and other approaches to engaging students in active learning
and civic participation.
``(3) Scalability through broad, cost-effective
implementation and institutionalization, including--
``(A) use of the latest technological developments;
``(B) an emphasis on programs designed to address
relevant State and National educational standards; and
``(C) utilization of low per-participant cost
models of expanding the number of active students and
teachers.
``(4) Accountability through assessment and identification
of best practice models, including--
``(A) independent research and evaluation to help
assess the effects of civic education programs on
students' knowledge, skills, and traits of character
essential for the preservation and improvement of
constitutional democracy;
``(B) identifying techniques that succeed with
traditionally underserved student populations; and
``(C) evaluation of teachers' knowledge and the
adequacy of the teaching facility.
``(c) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term
`eligible entity' means a nonprofit educational organization.''; and
(2) by redesignating sections 2345 and 2346 as sections
2342 and 2343, respectively.
(b) Conforming Changes.--
(1) Section 2342 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 6715), as
redesignated by subsection (a)(2), is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) by striking ``organizations described
in section 2343(a)(3)'' each place it appears
and inserting ``organizations experienced in
the development of curricula and programs in
civics and government education and economic
education for students in elementary schools
and secondary schools in countries other than
the United States''; and
(ii) by striking ``use funds made available
under grants or contracts under section 2343
to'';
(B) in subsection (b), by striking ``the Center for
Civic Education, the National Council on Economic
Education, and organizations described in section
2343(a)(3)'' and inserting ``an entity specified in
subsection (a)'';
(C) in subsection (e), by striking ``described in
section 2343'' and inserting ``specified in subsection
(a)''; and
(D) in subsection (f)(2), by striking ``the Center
for Civic Education, the National Council on Economic
Education, or organizations described in section
2343(a)(3)'' and inserting ``an entity specified in
subsection (a)''.
(2) The table of contents of such Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 et
seq.) is amended by striking the items relating to sections
2341 through 2346 and inserting the following:
``2341. Civic learning grants.
``2342. Cooperative civic education and economic education exchange
programs.
``2343. Authorization of appropriations.''.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 2343 of such Act (20
U.S.C. 6716), as redesignated by subsection (a)(2), is amended to read
as follows:
``SEC. 2343. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years
2013 through 2018--
``(1) $28,500,000 for grants under section 2341; and
``(2) $1,500,000 for programs under section 2342.''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
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