Shawn Johnson Fitness for Life Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive, renewable four-year grants to ten institutions of higher education (IHEs) for the expansion of their master's degree in physical education programs.
Requires IHEs to use the grant funds to: (1) teach students to incorporate technology and innovative teaching practices into physical education instruction and encourage children to be more physically active outside the classroom, (2) develop program curricula that link practice and theory, (3) partner with local educational agencies (LEAs) that serve schools where their students are to serve as full-time student teachers and most of their instruction is to occur, (4) extend their programs into the communities served by their partner LEAs, (5) actively promote their programs to prospective students, and (6) engage in such other activities the Secretary requires.
Directs the Secretary, in developing the grant program, to consult with an IHE that for the past five years has: (1) offered a master's degree in physical education program that emphasizes the incorporation of technology into physical education instruction, and (2) partnered with an LEA that serves schools in which its master's degree candidates serve as student teachers.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3597 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3597
To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to 10
institutions of higher education for the expansion of master's degree
in physical education programs that emphasize technology and innovative
teaching practices.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 7, 2011
Mr. Braley of Iowa (for himself and Mr. Boswell) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to 10
institutions of higher education for the expansion of master's degree
in physical education programs that emphasize technology and innovative
teaching practices.
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 ``Shawn Johnson Fitness for Life
Act''.
SEC. 2. TECHNOLOGY IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Grant Program Established.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Education is
authorized to make grants on a competitive basis to 10
institutions of higher education for the expansion of master's
degree in physical education programs that emphasize the
incorporation of technology and innovative teaching practices
into the teaching of physical education.
(2) Implementation.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations to carry out this section, the Secretary shall
implement the grant program authorized in this section not
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Eligibility.--The Secretary may only award a grant under this
section to an institution of higher education that--
(1) prior to applying for such grant, has established a
master's degree in physical education program; and
(2) submits an application at such time, in such form, and
accompanied by such information and assurances as the Secretary
may require, including--
(A) a detailed description of the institution of
higher education's master's degree in physical
education program;
(B) a detailed description of at least 1 local
educational agency with which the institution of higher
education will partner as required by subsection
(c)(1)(D) and why the institution of higher education
chose such local educational agency as a partner; and
(C) a plan for using grant funds in accordance with
subsection (c).
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) Required activities.--An institution of higher
education that receives a grant under this section shall use
the grant funds to carry out the following activities:
(A) Instructing its master's degree candidates on
incorporation of technology and innovative teaching
practices into the teaching of physical education and
on ways of encouraging children to be more physically
active outside the classroom.
(B) Developing a curriculum for its master's degree
in physical education program that links practice and
theory.
(C) Offering programs that extend the master's
degree in physical education program into the community
of the local educational agency with which the
institution of higher education is partnering, as
required by subparagraph (D), such as programs that
make available facilities for use by both master's
degree candidates and community members and physical
education classes in which both master's degree
candidates and community members may participate.
(D) Partnering with a local educational agency to
increase the availability and quality of physical
education instruction in schools served by the local
educational agency and to provide master's degree
candidates with opportunities for obtaining student-
teaching experience.
(E) Providing a majority of the instruction
required for graduation from the master's degree in
physical education program at schools served by the
local educational agency with which the institution of
higher education is partnering, as required by
subparagraph (D).
(F) Requiring each master's degree candidate to
serve as a full-time student teacher in schools served
by the local educational agency with which the
institution of higher education is partnering, as
required by subparagraph (D).
(G) Actively promoting the master's degree in
physical education program to prospective students,
including by creating additional incentives to recruit
prospective students into the program, if the
institution of higher education considers such
incentives necessary.
(H) Such additional activities as the Secretary may
require.
(2) Permitted activities.--An institution of higher
education that receives a grant under this section may use any
grant funds remaining after carrying out the activities
required by paragraph (1) for any purpose related to the
incorporation of technology and innovative teaching practices
into its master's degree in physical education program,
including--
(A) purchasing equipment and technology designed to
increase or enhance physical activity participation or
fitness levels, including heart rate monitors, pocket
PCs, and fitness assessment systems;
(B) providing stipends for master's degree
candidates; and
(C) covering the administrative costs incurred by
the institution of higher education in connection with
activities required or permitted by this subsection and
the reporting requirement of subsection (f)(1).
(d) Consultant Institution of Higher Education.--
(1) In general.--Before making grants under this section,
the Secretary shall choose 1 institution of higher education to
serve as a consultant to the Secretary in developing the grant
program, including establishing additional eligibility and
application criteria under subsection (b)(2) and additional
required activities under subsection (c)(1)(H).
(2) Eligibility.--The Secretary may only choose as a
consultant under paragraph (1) an institution of higher
education that, not later than 5 years prior to the beginning
of such relationship and throughout such relationship--
(A) offers a master's degree in physical education
program that emphasizes the incorporation of technology
into the teaching of physical education; and
(B) partners with a local educational agency that
serves schools in which the institution of higher
education's master's degree candidates serve as student
teachers.
(3) Reimbursement of costs.--The Secretary shall reimburse
the institution of higher education the Secretary chooses under
paragraph (1) for the costs it incurs in serving as a
consultant to the Secretary.
(e) Duration and Renewal of Grant.--
(1) Duration.--A grant under this section shall be awarded
over 4 fiscal years.
(2) Renewal.--An institution of higher education is
eligible to apply for renewal of a grant under this section if
it continues to meet the eligibility requirements of subsection
(b).
(f) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) Report from institution of higher education to
secretary.--Not later than 60 days after the conclusion of each
fiscal year in which it receives grant funds under this
section, an institution of higher education shall submit to the
Secretary a report that includes a detailed explanation and
analysis of--
(A) how the institution of higher education has
used grant funds;
(B) the impact of the grant on the ability of the
institution of higher education to train master's
degree candidates to incorporate technology and
innovative teaching practices into the teaching of
physical education; and
(C) the impact that the institution of higher
education's partnership has had on the local
educational agency with which it is partnering, as
required by subsection (c)(1)(D).
(2) Report from secretary to congress.--Not later than 120
days after the conclusion of each fiscal year in which the
Secretary awards grant funds under this section, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that
includes a summary of--
(A) how institutions of higher education receiving
grants under this section have used grant funds in such
fiscal year;
(B) the impact of the grant program on the ability
of institutions of higher education to train master's
degree candidates to incorporate technology and
innovative teaching practices into the teaching of
physical education; and
(C) the impact of the grant program on the local
educational agencies with which institutions of higher
education are partnering, as required by subsection
(c)(1)(D).
(g) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) Fitness assessment system.--The term ``fitness
assessment system'' means a method or device that enables a
physical education teacher to monitor a student's fitness
progress, including a pocket PC and a heart rate monitor.
(2) Innovative teaching practice.--The term ``innovative
teaching practice'' means a teaching practice that gives
teachers an opportunity to explore new ideas and methods for
teaching physical education to students. Such a practice--
(A) shall include the use of technology in the
physical education curriculum; and
(B) may include any other practice that has been
proven to increase students' interest in physical
education or to make students healthier and more
physically fit.
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002), except that such term does not include an
institution described in subsection (a)(1)(C) of such section.
(4) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 9101(26) of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801(26)).
(5) Master's degree candidate.--The term ``master's degree
candidate'' means a student in a master's degree in physical
education program.
(6) Master's degree in physical education program.--The
term ``master's degree in physical education program'' means a
graduate program of study leading to the award of the degree of
master of arts in physical education or master of science in
physical education.
(7) Pocket pc.--The term ``pocket PC'' means a fitness
assessment system, including software and handheld computers,
that enables a physical education teacher to remotely collect
data about each student's fitness as students participate in
class activities and to generate individual fitness report
cards for each student based on such data.
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
<all>
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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line