[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4864 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4864

To provide grants to local educational agencies to allow such agencies 
               to promote certain education initiatives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 20, 1998

  Mr. Dreier introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide grants to local educational agencies to allow such agencies 
               to promote certain education initiatives.

    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 ``Education Bill of Rights Act''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    The Secretary of Education (referred to in this Act as the 
``Secretary'') is authorized to award grants to local educational 
agencies to allow such agencies to promote the education initiatives 
described in section 3.

SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) Application.--A local educational agency that desires to 
receive a grant under this Act shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time and in such form as the Secretary may reasonably 
require.
    (b) Eligibility Criteria.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this Act, a local educational agency shall demonstrate that such agency 
has developed the following initiatives:
            (1) Charter school.--A charter school program to allow 
        parents greater choice in selecting the appropriate educational 
        setting for their child.
            (2) Parental choice.--A school choice program that allows 
        parents the ability to select a public school located within 
        the local educational agency that best meets the educational 
        needs of their child.
            (3) Vocational and academic opportunities.--A program that 
        allows parents of a secondary school student to choose a 
        vocational or college preparatory program for their child.
            (4) Early reading programs.--An elementary reading program 
        to ensure that all students can read by the third grade.
            (5) Safe and drug-free environment.--A program to provide a 
        safe and drug-free environment at school.
            (6) Standardized testing program.--A locally developed 
        standardized testing program to ensure that students are 
        achieving at a high level.
            (7) Curriculum development panels.--Curriculum development 
        panels composed of teachers and parents to ensure that students 
        learn the skills necessary to succeed.
            (8) Increased teaching standards.--A program to improve or 
        increase the standards for teachers to ensure teachers have the 
        skills necessary to assist students effectively.
            (9) Merit pay system for teachers.--A merit pay system to 
        reward teachers who meet or exceed performance criteria.
            (10) Teaching excellence.--A program to ensure that the 
        most qualified teachers are hired, including teachers with 
        expertise in the workplace.

SEC. 4. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Allocation.--A local educational agency that meets the 
        eligibility criteria described in section 3 shall receive, 
        subject to the availability of appropriations, an amount that 
        equals the total amount spent by the Federal Government for 
        fiscal year 1998 for elementary and secondary education divided 
        by the total number of public schools in the country that 
        receive such education funds for such fiscal year.
            (2) Ratable reduction.--If the sums made available under 
        this Act for any fiscal year are insufficient to pay the full 
        amount that each local educational agency that meets the 
        eligibility criteria described in section 3 is eligible to 
        receive under paragraph (1) for such year, the Secretary shall 
        ratably reduce such amount for such year.
    (b) Administrative Expenses.--A local educational agency that 
receives a grant award under this Act may use not more than 5 percent 
of such award for administrative expenses.

SEC. 5. ACCOUNTABILITY.

    Each local educational agency that receives a grant award under 
this Act shall submit a report annually to the Secretary that evaluates 
the effectiveness of the initiatives described under section 3 and any 
change in parental involvement as a result of such programs.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004 to carry out 
this Act.
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