[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1703 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1703

                To establish America's education goals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 6, 1999

 Mr. Bingaman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                To establish America's education goals.

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

                   TITLE I--AMERICA'S EDUCATION GOALS

SEC. 101. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this title is to establish America's Education 
Goals.

SEC. 102. AMERICA'S NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS.

    Congress declares that America's Education Goals are the following:
            (1) School readiness.--(A) All children in America will 
        start school ready to learn.
            (B) The objectives for this goal are that--
                    (i) all children will have access to high-quality 
                and developmentally appropriate preschool programs that 
                help prepare children for school;
                    (ii) every parent in the United States will be a 
                child's first teacher and devote time each day to 
                helping such parent's preschool child learn, and 
                parents will have access to the training and support 
                parents need; and
                    (iii) children will receive the nutrition, physical 
                activity experiences, and health care needed to arrive 
                at school with healthy minds and bodies, and to 
                maintain the mental alertness necessary to be prepared 
                to learn, and the number of low-birthweight babies will 
                be significantly reduced through enhanced prenatal 
                health systems.
            (2) School completion.--(A) The high school graduation rate 
        will increase to at least 90 percent.
            (B) The objectives for this goal are that--
                    (i) the Nation must dramatically reduce its school 
                dropout rate, and 75 percent of the students who do 
                drop out will successfully complete a high school 
                degree or its equivalent; and
                    (ii) the gap in high school graduation rates 
                between American students from minority backgrounds and 
                their non-minority counterparts will be eliminated.
            (3) Student achievement and citizenship.--(A) All students 
        will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competency 
        over challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, 
        science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, 
        arts, history, and geography, and every school in America will 
        ensure that all students learn to use their minds well, so they 
        may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, 
        and productive employment in our Nation's modern economy.
            (B) The objectives for this goal are that--
                    (i) the academic performance of all students at the 
                elementary and secondary level will increase 
                significantly in every quartile, and the distribution 
                of minority students in each quartile will more closely 
                reflect the student population as a whole;
                    (ii) the percentage of all students who demonstrate 
                the ability to reason, solve problems, apply knowledge, 
                and write and communicate effectively will increase 
                substantially;
                    (iii) all students will be involved in activities 
                that promote and demonstrate good citizenship, good 
                health, community service, and personal responsibility;
                    (iv) all students will have access to physical 
                education and health education to ensure they are 
                healthy and fit;
                    (v) the percentage of all students who are 
                competent in more than one language will substantially 
                increase; and
                    (vi) all students will be knowledgeable about the 
                diverse cultural heritage of this Nation and about the 
                world community.
            (4) Teacher education and professional development.--(A) 
        The Nation's teaching force will have access to programs for 
        the continued improvement of their professional skills and the 
        opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to 
        instruct and prepare all American students for the next 
        century.
            (B) The objectives for this goal are that--
                    (i) all teachers will have access to preservice 
                teacher education and continuing professional 
                development activities that will provide such teachers 
                with the knowledge and skills needed to teach to an 
                increasingly diverse student population with a variety 
                of educational, social, and health needs;
                    (ii) all teachers will have continuing 
                opportunities to acquire additional knowledge and 
                skills needed to teach challenging subject matter and 
                to use emerging new methods, forms of assessment, and 
                technologies;
                    (iii) States and school districts will create 
                integrated strategies to attract, recruit, prepare, 
                retrain, and support the continued professional 
                development of teachers, administrators, and other 
                educators, so that there is a highly talented work 
                force of professional educators to teach challenging 
                subject matter; and
                    (iv) partnerships will be established, whenever 
                possible, among local educational agencies, 
                institutions of higher education, parents, and local 
                labor, business, and professional associations to 
                provide and support programs for the professional 
                development of educators.
            (5) Mathematics and science.--(A) United States students 
        will be first in the world in mathematics and science 
        achievement.
            (B) The objectives for this goal are that--
                    (i) mathematics and science education, including 
                the metric system of measurement, will be strengthened 
                throughout the system, especially in the early grades;
                    (ii) the number of teachers with a substantive 
                background in mathematics and science, including the 
                metric system of measurement, will increase by 50 
                percent; and
                    (iii) the number of United States undergraduate and 
                graduate students, especially women and minorities, who 
                complete degrees in mathematics, science, and 
                engineering will increase significantly.
            (6) Adult literacy and lifelong learning.--(A) Every adult 
        American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and 
        skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise 
        the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
            (B) The objectives for this goal are that--
                    (i) every major American business will be involved 
                in strengthening the connection between education and 
                work;
                    (ii) all workers will have the opportunity to 
                acquire the knowledge and skills, from basic to highly 
                technical, needed to adapt to emerging new 
                technologies, work methods, and markets through public 
                and private educational, vocational, technical, 
                workplace, or other programs;
                    (iii) the number of quality programs, including 
                those at libraries, that are designed to serve more 
                effectively the needs of the growing number of part-
                time and midcareer students will increase 
                substantially;
                    (iv) the proportion of the qualified students, 
                especially minorities, who enter college, who complete 
                at least two years, and who complete their degree 
                programs will increase substantially;
                    (v) the proportion of college graduates who 
                demonstrate an advanced ability to think critically, 
                communicate effectively, and solve problems will 
                increase substantially; and
                    (vi) schools, in implementing comprehensive parent 
                involvement programs, will offer more adult literacy, 
                parent training and life-long learning opportunities to 
                improve the ties between home and school, and enhance 
                parents' work and home lives.
            (7) Safe, disciplined, and alcohol- and drug-free 
        schools.--(A) Every school in the United States will be free of 
        drugs, violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and 
        alcohol and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to 
        learning.
            (B) The objectives for this goal are that--
                    (i) every school will implement a firm and fair 
                policy on use, possession, and distribution of drugs 
                and alcohol;
                    (ii) parents, businesses, governmental and 
                community organizations will work together to ensure 
                the rights of students to study in a safe and secure 
                environment that is free of drugs and crime, and that 
                schools provide a healthy environment and are a safe 
                haven for all children;
                    (iii) every local educational agency will develop 
                and implement a policy to ensure that all schools are 
                free of violence and the unauthorized presence of 
                weapons;
                    (iv) every local educational agency will develop a 
                sequential, comprehensive kindergarten through twelfth 
                grade drug and alcohol prevention education program;
                    (v) drug and alcohol curriculum should be taught as 
                an integral part of sequential, comprehensive health 
                education;
                    (vi) community-based teams should be organized to 
                provide students and teachers with needed support; and
                    (vii) every school should work to eliminate sexual 
                harassment.
            (8) Parental participation.--(A) Every school will promote 
        partnerships that will increase parental involvement and 
        participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic 
        growth of children.
            (B) The objectives for this goal are that--
                    (i) every State will develop policies to assist 
                local schools and local educational agencies to 
                establish programs for increasing partnerships that 
                respond to the varying needs of parents and the home, 
                including parents of children who are disadvantaged or 
                bilingual, or parents of children with disabilities;
                    (ii) every school will actively engage parents and 
                families in a partnership which supports the academic 
                work of children at home and shared educational 
                decisionmaking at school; and
                    (iii) parents and families will help to ensure that 
                schools are adequately supported and will hold schools 
                and teachers to high standards of accountability.

               TITLE II--AMERICA'S EDUCATION GOALS PANEL

SEC. 201. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this title to support a bipartisan mechanism 
for--
            (1) building a national consensus for education 
        improvement;
            (2) reporting on progress toward achieving America's 
        Education Goals; and
            (3) encouraging the development and use of challenging 
        academic content and student performance standards.

SEC. 202. AMERICA'S EDUCATION GOALS PANEL.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the executive branch an 
``America's Education Goals Panel'' (hereafter in this title referred 
to as the ``Goals Panel'') to advise the President, the Secretary of 
Education (hereafter in this title referred to as the ``Secretary''), 
and Congress.
    (b) Composition.--The Goals Panel shall be composed of 18 members 
(hereafter in this title referred to as ``members''), including--
            (1) 2 members appointed by the President;
            (2) 8 members who are Governors, 3 of whom shall be from 
        the same political party as the President and 5 of whom shall 
        be from the opposite political party of the President, 
        appointed by the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the 
        National Governors' Association, with the Chairperson and Vice 
        Chairperson each appointing representatives of such 
        Chairperson's or Vice Chairperson's respective political party, 
        in consultation with each other;
            (3) 4 Members of Congress, of whom--
                    (A) 1 member shall be appointed by the Majority 
                Leader of the Senate from among the Members of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) 1 member shall be appointed by the Minority 
                Leader of the Senate from among the Members of the 
                Senate;
                    (C) 1 member shall be appointed by the Majority 
                Leader of the House of Representatives from among the 
                Members of the House of Representatives; and
                    (D) 1 member shall be appointed by the Minority 
                Leader of the House of Representatives from among the 
                Members of the House of Representatives; and
            (4) 4 members of State legislatures appointed by the 
        President of the National Conference of State Legislatures, of 
        whom 2 shall be of the same political party as the President of 
        the United States.
    (c) Special Appointment Rules.--
            (1) In general.--The members appointed pursuant to 
        subsection (b)(2) shall be appointed as follows:
                    (A) If the Chairperson of the National Governors' 
                Association is from the same political party as the 
                President, the Chairperson shall appoint 3 individuals 
                and the Vice Chairperson of such association shall 
                appoint 5 individuals.
                    (B) If the Chairperson of the National Governors' 
                Association is from the opposite political party as the 
                President, the Chairperson shall appoint 5 individuals 
                and the Vice Chairperson of such association shall 
                appoint 3 individuals.
            (2) Representation.--To the extent feasible, the membership 
        of the Goals Panel shall be geographically representative and 
        reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the United 
        States.
    (d) Terms.--The terms of service of members shall be as follows:
            (1) Presidential appointees.--Members appointed under 
        subsection (b)(1) shall serve at the pleasure of the President.
            (2) Governors.--Members appointed under subsection (b)(2) 
        shall serve for 2-year terms.
            (3) Congressional appointees and state legislators.--
        Members appointed under paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection 
        (b) shall serve for 2-year terms.
    (e) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Goals Panel shall not affect the 
powers of the Goals Panel, but shall be filled in the same manner as 
the original appointment.
    (f) Travel.--Each member may be allowed travel expenses, including 
per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 
5, United States Code, for each day the member is engaged in the 
performance of duties for the Goals Panel away from the home or regular 
place of business of the member.
    (g) Chairperson.--
            (1) In general.--The members shall select a Chairperson 
        from among the members.
            (2) Term and political affiliation.--The Chairperson of the 
        Goals Panel shall serve a 1-year term and shall alternate 
        between political parties.
    (h) Ex Officio Member.--If the President has not appointed the 
Secretary as 1 of the 2 members the President appoints pursuant to 
subsection (b)(1), then the Secretary shall serve as a nonvoting ex 
officio member of the Goals Panel.

SEC. 203. DUTIES.

    (a) In General.--The Goals Panel shall--
            (1) report to the President, the Secretary, and Congress 
        regarding the progress the Nation and the States are making 
        toward achieving America's Education Goals established under 
        title I of this Act, including issuing an annual report;
            (2) encourage the development and use of challenging 
        academic content standards and student performance standards;
            (3) report on promising or effective actions being taken at 
        the national, State, and local levels, and in the public and 
        private sectors, to achieve America's Education Goals; and
            (4) help build a nationwide, bipartisan consensus for the 
        reforms necessary to achieve America's Education Goals.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--The Goals Panel shall annually prepare and 
        submit to the President, the Secretary, the appropriate 
        committees of Congress, and the Governor of each State a report 
        that shall--
                    (A) report on the progress of the United States 
                toward achieving America's Education Goals; and
                    (B) identify actions that should be taken by 
                Federal, State, and local governments to enhance 
                progress toward achieving America's Education Goals and 
                to provide all students with a fair opportunity-to-
                learn.
            (2) Form; data.--Reports shall be presented in a form, and 
        include data, that are understandable to parents and the 
        general public.

SEC. 204. POWERS OF THE GOALS PANEL.

    (a) Hearings.--
            (1) In general.--The Goals Panel shall, for the purpose of 
        carrying out this title, conduct such hearings, sit and act at 
such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence, 
as the Goals Panel considers appropriate.
            (2) Representation.--In carrying out this title, the Goals 
        Panel shall conduct hearings to receive reports, views, and 
        analyses of a broad spectrum of experts and the public on the 
        establishment and use of challenging academic content 
        standards, student performance standards, and State 
        assessments.
    (b) Information.--The Goals Panel may secure directly from any 
department or agency of the United States information necessary to 
enable the Goals Panel to carry out this title. Upon request of the 
Chairperson of the Goals Panel, the head of a department or agency 
shall furnish such information to the Goals Panel to the extent 
permitted by law.
    (c) Postal Services.--The Goals Panel may use the United States 
mail in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
departments and agencies of the United States.
    (d) Use of Facilities.--The Goals Panel may, with consent of any 
agency or instrumentality of the United States, or of any State or 
political subdivision thereof, use the research, equipment, services, 
and facilities of such agency, instrumentality, State, or subdivision, 
respectively.
    (e) Administrative Arrangements and Support.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide to the Goals 
        Panel, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative support 
        services as the Goals Panel may request.
            (2) Contracts and other arrangements.--The Secretary, to 
        the extent appropriate, and on a reimbursable basis, shall make 
        contracts and other arrangements that are requested by the 
        Goals Panel to help the Goals Panel compile and analyze data or 
        carry out other functions necessary to the performance of such 
        responsibilities.
    (f) Gifts.--The Goals Panel may accept, administer, and utilize 
gifts or donations of services, money, or property, whether real or 
personal, tangible or intangible.

SEC. 205. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    (a) Meetings.--The Goals Panel shall meet on a regular basis, as 
necessary, at the call of the Chairperson of the Goals Panel or a 
majority of its members.
    (b) Quorum.--A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum 
for the transaction of business.
    (c) Voting and Final Decision.--
            (1) Voting.--No individual may vote, or exercise any of the 
        powers of a member, by proxy.
            (2) Final decisions.--(A) In making final decisions of the 
        Goals Panel with respect to the exercise of its duties and 
        powers the Goals Panel shall operate on the principle of 
        consensus among the members of the Goals Panel.
            (B) Except as otherwise provided in this title, if a vote 
        of the membership of the Goals Panel is required to reach a 
        final decision with respect to the exercise of its duties and 
        powers, then such final decision shall be made by a three-
        fourths vote of the members of the Goals Panel who are present 
        and voting.
    (d) Public Access.--The Goals Panel shall ensure public access to 
its proceedings (other than proceedings, or portions of proceedings, 
relating to internal personnel and management matters) and make 
available to the public, at reasonable cost, transcripts of such 
proceedings.

SEC. 206. DIRECTOR AND STAFF; EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.

    (a) Director.--The Chairperson of the Goals Panel, without regard 
to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, relating to the 
appointment and compensation of officers or employees of the United 
States, shall appoint a Director of the Goals Panel to be paid at a 
rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay payable for level V of the 
Executive Schedule.
    (b) Appointment and Pay of Employees.--
            (1) In general.--(A) The Director may appoint not more than 
        4 additional employees to serve as staff to the Goals Panel 
        without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States 
        Code, governing appointments in the competitive service.
            (B) The employees appointed under subparagraph (A) may be 
        paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
        subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates, but shall not be 
        paid a rate that exceeds the maximum rate of basic pay payable 
        for GS-15 of the General Schedule.
            (2) Additional employees.--The Director may appoint 
        additional employees to serve as staff to the Goals Panel in 
        accordance with title 5, United States Code.
    (c) Experts and Consultants.--The Goals Panel may procure temporary 
and intermittent services of experts and consultants under section 
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
    (d) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon the request of the Goals 
Panel, the head of any department or agency of the United States may 
detail any of the personnel of such agency to the Goals Panel to assist 
the Goals Panel in its duties under this title.
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