[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2604 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  2d Session
                                S. 2604

To provide demonstration grants to local educational agencies to enable 
 the agencies to extend time for learning and the length of the school 
                                 year.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

              October 9 (legislative day, October 2), 1998

Mr. Torricelli introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide demonstration grants to local educational agencies to enable 
 the agencies to extend time for learning and the length of the school 
                                 year.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DEMONSTRATION GRANTS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the length of the academic year at most elementary and 
        secondary schools in the United States consists of 
        approximately 175 to 180 academic days, while the length of the 
        academic years at elementary and secondary schools in a 
        majority of the other industrialized countries consists of 
        approximately 190 to 240 academic days;
            (2) eighth-grade students from the United States have 
        scored lower, on average, in mathematics than students in 
        Japan, France, and Canada;
            (3) various studies indicate that extending the length of 
        the academic year at elementary and secondary schools results 
        in a significant increase in actual student learning time, even 
        when much of the time in the extended portion of the academic 
        year is used for increased teacher training and increased 
        parent-teacher interaction;
            (4) in the final 4 years of schooling, students in schools 
        in the United States are required to spend a total of 1,460 
        hours on core academic subjects, which is less than half of the 
        3,528 hours so required in Germany, the 3,280 hours so required 
        in France, and the 3,170 hours so required in Japan;
            (5) American students' lack of formal schooling is not 
        counterbalanced with more homework as only 29 percent of 
        American students report spending at least 2 hours on homework 
        per day compared to half of all European students;
            (6) extending the length of the academic year at elementary 
        and secondary schools will lessen the need for review, at the 
        beginning of an academic year, of course material covered in 
        the previous academic year; and
            (7) in 1994, the Commission on Time and Learning 
        recommended that school districts keep schools open longer to 
        meet the needs of children and communities.
    (b) Demonstration Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Education, from amounts 
        appropriated under subsection (d) for a fiscal year, shall 
        award demonstration grants to local educational agencies to--
                    (A) enable the local educational agencies to extend 
                the length of the school year to 210 days;
                    (B) study the feasibility of an effective methods 
                for extending learning time within or beyond the school 
                day or year, including consultation with other schools 
                or local educational agencies that have designed or 
                implemented extended learning time programs;
                    (C) conduct outreach to and consult with community 
                members, including parents, students, and other 
                stakeholders, such as tribal leaders, to develop a plan 
                to extend learning time within or beyond the school day 
or year; and
                    (D) research, develop, and implement strategies, 
                including changes in curriculum and instruction, for 
                maximizing the quality and percentage of common core 
                learning time in the school day and extending learning 
                time during or beyond the school day or year.
            (2) Definition.--In this section, the term ``common core 
        learning time'' means high-quality, engaging instruction in 
        challenging content in the core academic subjects of English, 
        mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, 
        economics, arts, history, and geography.
    (c) Application.--A local education agency desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary of Education 
at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as 
the Secretary may require. Each application shall describe--
            (1) the activities for which assistance is sought;
            (2) any study or other information-gathering project for 
        which funds will be used;
            (3) the strategies and methods the applicant will use to 
        enrich and extend learning time for all students and to 
        maximize the percentage of common core learning time in the 
        school day, such as block scheduling, team teaching, longer 
        school days or years, and extending learning time through new 
        distance-learning technologies.
            (4) the strategies and methods the applicant will use, 
        including changes in curriculum and instruction, to challenge 
        and engage students and to maximize the productiveness of 
        common core learning time, as well as the total time students 
        spend in school and in school-related enrichment activities;
            (5) the strategies and methods the applicant intends to 
        employ to provide continuing financial support for the 
        implementation of any extended school day or school year;
            (6) with respect top any application seeking assistance for 
        activities described in subsection (b)(1)(A), a description of 
        any feasibility or other studies demonstrating the 
        sustainability of a longer school year;
            (7) the extent of involvement of teachers and other school 
        personnel in investigating, designing, implementing and 
        sustaining the activities assisted under this part;
            (8) the process to be used for involving parents and other 
        stakeholders in the development and implementation of the 
        activities assistance under this section;
            (9) any cooperation or collaboration among public housing 
        authorities, libraries, businesses, museums, community-based 
        organizations, and other community groups and organizations to 
        extend engaging, high-quality, standards-based learning time 
        outside of the school day or year, at the school or at some 
        other site;
            (10) the training and professional development activities 
        that will be offered to teachers and others involved in the 
        activities assisted under this section;
            (11) the goals and objectives of the activities assisted 
        under this section, including a description of how such 
        activities will assist all students to reach State standards;
            (12) the methods by which the applicant will assess 
        progress in meeting such goals and objectives; and
            (13) how the applicant will use funds provided under this 
        section in coordination with funds provided under other Federal 
        laws.
    (d) Duration.--A grant under this section shall be awarded for a 
period of 3 years.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
        1999 through 2003.
            (2) Use of funds.--The Secretary of Education shall use not 
        less than 50 percent of the amount appropriated for each fiscal 
        year under paragraph (1) to award grants to applicants that 
        want to extend the school year to at least 210 days.
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