Schools of the Future Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive three- to five-year grants to eligible partnerships to implement and evaluate the results of technology-based learning practices, strategies, tools, or courses at rural schools.
Defines "eligible partnerships" as those composed of a school partner, a digital learning partner, and an evaluation partner.
Describes a "school partner" as a: (1) local educational agency, (2) charter school network that does not include virtual schools, (3) consortium of public elementary or secondary schools, (4) regional educational service provider, or (5) consortium of such entities.
Describes a "digital learning partner" as an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization, or an organization with school development or turnaround experience.
Includes among the grant-funded technology-based learning practices, strategies, tools, or courses, those that: (1) personalize the learning experience, (2) aid and inform instruction, (3) meet the needs of students with specific educational needs, (4) help students develop 21st century skills, and (5) give students access to courses that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
Requires each partnership's evaluation partner, after the third year of the grant, to evaluate the effect of the technology-based learning practices, strategies, tools, or courses on student achievement and its school partner's costs and savings.
Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, to: (1) evaluate the implementation and impact of the activities supported by this Act's grants, (2) identify best practices, and (3) disseminate research on best practices in school leadership.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3692 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3692
To authorize a competitive grant program to implement and evaluate
digital learning in rural locales.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2013
Mr. Loebsack introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize a competitive grant program to implement and evaluate
digital learning in rural locales.
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 ``Schools of the Future Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Digital learning technology holds the promise of
transforming rural education by removing barriers of distance
and increasing school capacity.
(2) While many large urban local educational agencies are
at the forefront of implementing new digital learning
innovations, it is often harder for smaller and more rural
local educational agencies to access these tools. Smaller local
educational agencies with less capacity may also find it more
difficult to provide the training needed to effectively
implement new digital learning technologies.
(3) Despite the potential of digital learning in rural
areas, these advancements risk bypassing rural areas without
support for their implementation. Rather than having schools
and local educational agencies apply digital learning
innovations designed for urban environments to rural areas, it
is important that digital learning technologies be developed
and implemented in ways that reflect the unique needs of rural
areas.
(4) Digital learning is rapidly expanding, and new tools
for improving teaching and learning are being developed every
day. A growing demand for digital learning tools and products
has made rigorous evaluation of their effectiveness
increasingly important, as this information would allow school
and local educational agency leaders to make informed choices
about how best to use these tools to improve student
achievement and educational outcomes.
(5) High-quality digital learning increases student access
to courses that may not have been available to students in
rural communities, increasing their college and career
readiness.
SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) Grants to Eligible Partnerships.--From the amounts appropriated
to carry out this Act, the Secretary of Education is authorized to
award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to carry
out the activities described in section 6.
(b) Duration of Grant.--A grant under subsection (a) shall be
awarded for not less than a 3-year and not longer than a 5-year period.
(c) Fiscal Agent.--If an eligible partnership receives a grant
under this Act, a school partner in the partnership shall serve as the
fiscal agent for the partnership.
SEC. 4. APPLICATION.
An eligible partnership desiring a grant under this Act shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and containing such information as the Secretary may require, which
shall include the following:
(1) A description of the eligible partnership, including
the name of each of the partners and their respective roles and
responsibilities.
(2) A description of the technology-based learning
practice, tool, strategy, or course that the eligible
partnership proposes to develop or implement using the grant
funds.
(3) An assurance that all teachers of record hold the
relevant license and are otherwise qualified to implement any
technology-based practice, tool, strategy, or course using the
grant funds.
(4) An assurance that all students in a class or school
implementing a practice, tool, strategy or course using the
grant funds will have access to any equipment necessary to
participate on a full and equitable basis.
(5) An assurance that the proposed uses of smartphones,
laptops, tablets, or other devices susceptible to inappropriate
use have the informed consent of parents or guardians and are
not inconsistent with any policies of the local educational
agency on the use of such devices.
(6) Information relevant to the selection criteria under
section 5(c).
(7) A description of the evaluation to be undertaken by the
eligible partnership, including--
(A) how the school partner and the evaluation
partner will work together to implement the practice,
tool, strategy, or course in such a way that permits
the use of a rigorous, independent evaluation design
that meets the standards of the What Works
Clearinghouse of the Institute of Education Sciences;
and
(B) a description of the evaluation design that
meets such standards, which will be used to measure any
significant effects on the outcomes described in
paragraphs (1) through (3) of section 7(a).
(8) An estimate of the number of students to be reached
through the grant and evidence of its capacity to reach the
proposed number of students during the course of the grant.
(9) An assurance that the school partner in the eligible
partnership will ensure that each school to be served by the
grant under this Act is designated with a school locale code of
Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural, as determined by
the Secretary.
(10) Any other information the Secretary may require.
SEC. 5. APPLICATION REVIEW AND AWARD BASIS.
(a) Peer Review.--The Secretary shall use a peer review process to
review applications for grants under this Act. The Secretary shall
appoint individuals to the peer review process who have relevant
expertise in digital learning, research and evaluation, standards
quality and alignment, and rural education.
(b) Award Basis.--In awarding grants under this Act, the Secretary
shall ensure, to the extent practicable, diversity in the type of
activities funded under the grants.
(c) Selection Criteria.--In evaluating an eligible partnership's
application for a grant under this Act, the Secretary shall consider--
(1) the need for the proposed technology-based learning
practice, tool, strategy, or course;
(2) the quality of the design of the proposed practice,
tool, strategy, or course;
(3) the strength of the existing research evidence with
respect to such practice, tool, strategy, or course;
(4) the experience of the eligible partnership; and
(5) the quality of the evaluation proposed by the eligible
partnership.
SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) Required Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--An eligible partnership receiving a grant
under this Act shall use such funds to implement and evaluate
the results of technology-based learning practices, strategies,
tools, or courses, including the practices, strategies, tools,
or courses identified under paragraphs (2) through (6).
(2) Tools and courses designed to personalize the learning
experience.--Technology-based tools and courses identified
under this paragraph include the following types of tools and
courses designed to personalize the learning experience:
(A) Technology-based personalized instructional
systems.
(B) Adaptive software, games, or tools, that can be
used to personalize learning.
(C) Computer-based tutoring courses to help
struggling students.
(D) Games, digital tools, and smartphone or tablet
applications to improve students' engagement, focus,
and time on task.
(E) Other tools and courses designed to personalize
the learning experience.
(3) Practices and strategies designed to aid and inform
instruction.--Technology-based practices and strategies
identified under this paragraph include the following types of
practices and strategies designed to aid and inform
instruction:
(A) Adaptive software, games, or tools that can be
used for the purpose of formative assessment.
(B) Web resources that provide teachers and their
students access to instructional and curricular
materials that are--
(i) aligned with high-quality standards;
and
(ii) designed to prepare students for
college and a career, such as a repository of
primary historical sources for use in history
and civics courses or examples of
developmentally appropriate science
experiments.
(C) Online professional development opportunities,
teacher mentoring opportunities, and professional
learning communities.
(D) Tools or web resources designed to address
specific instructional problems.
(E) Other practices and strategies designed to
personalize the learning experience.
(4) Tools, courses, and strategies designed to improve the
achievement of students with specific educational needs.--
Technology-based tools, courses, and strategies identified
under this paragraph include the following types of tools,
courses, and strategies designed to meet the needs of students
with specific educational needs:
(A) Digital tools specifically designed to meet the
needs of students with a particular disability.
(B) Online courses that give students who are not
on track to graduate or have already dropped out of
school the opportunity for accelerated credit recovery.
(C) Language instruction courses, games, or
software designed to meet the needs of English language
learners.
(D) Other tools, courses, and strategies designed
to personalize the learning experience.
(5) Tools, courses, and strategies designed to help
students develop 21st century skills.--Technology-based tools,
courses, and strategies identified under this paragraph include
peer-to-peer virtual learning opportunities to be used for the
purposes of project-based learning, deeper learning, and
collaborative learning, and other tools, courses, and
strategies designed to help students develop 21st century
skills, such as the ability to think critically and solve
problems, be effective communicators, collaborate with others,
and learn to create and innovate.
(6) Technology-based or online courses that allow students
to take courses that they would not otherwise have access to.--
Technology-based or online courses identified under this
paragraph include courses or collections of courses that
provide students access to courses that they would not
otherwise have access to, such as the following:
(A) An online repository of elective courses.
(B) Online or software-based courses in foreign
languages, especially in languages identified as
critical or in schools where a teacher is not available
to teach the language or course level a student
requires.
(C) Online advanced or college-level courses that
can be taken for credit.
(b) Authorized Use of Funds.--An eligible partnership receiving a
grant under this Act may use grant funds to--
(1) develop the technology for technology-based learning
strategies, practices, courses, or tools to be carried out
under the grant;
(2) purchase hardware or software needed to carry out such
strategies, practices, courses, or tools under the grant,
except that such purchases may not exceed 50 percent of total
grant funds;
(3) address the particular needs of student subgroups,
including students with disabilities and English-language
learners;
(4) provide technology-based professional development or
professional development on how to maximize the utility of
technology; and
(5) address issues of cost and capacity in rural areas and
shortage subjects.
SEC. 7. DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION.
(a) In General.--Each eligible partnership receiving a grant under
this Act shall require its evaluation partner to complete an
independent, comprehensive, well-designed, and well-implemented
evaluation that meets the standards of the What Works Clearinghouse
after the third year of implementation of the grant to measure the
effect of the practice, tool, strategy, or course on--
(1) student achievement, as measured by high quality
assessments that provide objective, valid, reliable measures of
student academic growth and information on whether a student is
on-track to graduate ready for college and career;
(2) costs and savings to the school partner; and
(3) at least one of the following:
(A) Student achievement gaps.
(B) Graduation and dropout rates.
(C) College enrollment.
(D) College persistence.
(E) College completion.
(F) Placement in a living-wage job.
(G) Enhanced teacher or principal effectiveness as
measured by valid, reliable, and multiple measures of
student achievement and other appropriate measures.
(b) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall--
(1) acting through the Director of the Institute of
Education Sciences--
(A) evaluate the implementation and impact of the
activities supported under the grant program authorized
under this section; and
(B) identify best practices; and
(2) disseminate, in consultation with the regional
educational laboratories established under part D of the
Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 and comprehensive centers
established under the Educational Technical Assistance Act of
2002, research on best practices in school leadership.
(c) Implementation Evaluation.--An evaluation partner may use funds
under this Act to carry out an implementation evaluation designed to
provide information that may be useful for schools, local educational
agencies, States, consortia of schools, and charter school networks
seeking to implement similar practices, tools, strategies, or courses
in the future.
(d) Publication of Results.--Upon completion of an evaluation
described in subsection (a), (b), or (c) the evaluation partner shall--
(1) submit a report of the results of the evaluation to the
Secretary; and
(2) make publicly available such results.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible
partnership'' means a partnership that includes a school
partner and not less than 1--
(A) digital learning partner, except that in a case
in which a school partner or evaluation partner
demonstrates expertise in digital learning to the
Secretary; and
(B) evaluation partner.
(2) School partner.--The term ``school partner'' means a--
(A) local educational agency;
(B) a charter school network that does not include
virtual schools;
(C) a consortium of public elementary schools or
secondary schools;
(D) a regional educational service agency or
similar regional educational service provider; or
(E) a consortium of the entities described in
subparagraphs (A) through (D).
(3) Digital learning partner.--The term ``digital learning
partner'' means an organization with expertise in the
technology required to develop or implement the digital
learning practices, tools, strategies, or courses proposed by
the school partner with which the digital learning partner will
partner or has partnered under this Act, such as--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) a nonprofit organization; or
(C) an organization with school development or
turnaround experience.
(4) Evaluation partner.--The term ``evaluation partner''
means a partner that has the expertise and ability to carry out
the evaluation of a grant received under this Act, such as--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) a nonprofit organization with expertise in
evaluation; or
(C) an evaluation firm.
(5) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002).
(6) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
(7) 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.
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