[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 413 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 413
To amend part F of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 to improve and refocus civic education, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 28, 2001
Mr. Cochran (for himself and Mr. Dodd) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend part F of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 to improve and refocus civic education, and for other
purposes.
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 for Democracy Act''.
SEC. 2. CIVIC EDUCATION.
Part F of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 8141 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:
``PART F--CIVIC EDUCATION
``SEC. 10601. SHORT TITLE.
``This part may be cited as the `Education for Democracy Act'.
``SEC. 10602. FINDINGS.
``The Congress finds that--
``(1) college freshmen surveyed in 1999 by the Higher
Education Research Institute at the University of California at
Los Angeles demonstrated higher levels of disengagement, both
academically and politically, than any previous entering class
of students;
``(2) college freshmen in 1999 demonstrated the lowest
levels of political interest in the 20-year history of surveys
conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the
University of California at Los Angeles;
``(3) United States secondary school students expressed
relatively low levels of interest in politics and economics in
a 1999 Harris survey;
``(4) the 32nd Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of 2000
indicated that preparing students to become responsible
citizens was one of the most important purposes of public
schools;
``(5) Americans surveyed by the Organization of Economic
Cooperation and Development indicated that only 59 percent had
confidence that schools have a major effect on the development
of good citizenship;
``(6) teachers too often do not have sufficient expertise
in the subjects that they teach, and half of all secondary
school history students in America are being taught by teachers
with neither a major nor a minor in history;
``(7) secondary school students correctly answered less
than half of the questions on a national test of economic
knowledge in a 1999 Harris survey;
``(8) the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress
indicated that students have only superficial knowledge of, and
lacked a depth of understanding regarding, civics;
``(9) civic and economic education are important not only
to developing citizenship competencies in the United States but
also are critical to supporting political stability and
economic health in other democracies, particularly emerging
democratic market economies;
``(10) international education exchange programs in civic
and economic education have been shown to enhance both
educational reform efforts in other democracies and educational
quality in United States classrooms;
``(11) more than three quarters of Americans surveyed by
the National Constitution Center in 1997 admitted that they
knew only some or very little about the Constitution of the
United States; and
``(12) the Constitution of the United States is too often
viewed within the context of history and not as a living
document that shapes current events.
``SEC. 10603. PURPOSE.
``It is the purpose of this part--
``(1) to improve the quality of civics and government
education by educating students about the history and
principles of the Constitution of the United States, including
the Bill of Rights;
``(2) to foster civic competence and responsibility; and
``(3) to improve the quality of civic education and
economic education through cooperative civic education and
economic education exchange programs with other democratic
nations.
``SEC. 10604. GENERAL AUTHORITY.
``(a) Grants and Contracts.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award
grants to or enter into contracts with--
``(A) the Center for Civic Education to carry out
civic education activities under sections 10605 and
10606; and
``(B) the National Council on Economic Education to
carry out economic education activities under section
10606.
``(2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall award the grants
and contracts under section 10606 in consultation with the
Secretary of State.
``(b) Distribution.--The Secretary shall use not more than 50
percent of the amount appropriated under section 10607(b) for each
fiscal year to carry out economic education activities under section
10606.
``SEC. 10605. WE THE PEOPLE PROGRAM.
``(a) The Citizen and the Constitution.--
``(1) In general.--The Center for Civic Education shall use
funds awarded under section 10604(a)(1)(A) to carry out The
Citizen and the Constitution program in accordance with this
subsection.
``(2) Educational activities.--The Citizen and the
Constitution program--
``(A) shall continue and expand the educational
activities of the `We the People . . . The Citizen and
the Constitution' program administered by the Center for Civic
Education;
``(B) shall enhance student attainment of
challenging content standards in civics and government;
and
``(C) shall provide--
``(i) a course of instruction on the basic
principles of our Nation's constitutional
democracy and the history of the Constitution
of the United States and the Bill of Rights;
``(ii) at the request of a participating
school, school and community simulated
congressional hearings following the course of
study;
``(iii) an annual national competition of
simulated congressional hearings for secondary
school students who wish to participate in such
a program;
``(iv) advanced training of teachers about
the Constitution of the United States and the
political system the United States created;
``(v) materials and methods of instruction,
including teacher training, that utilize the
latest advancements in educational technology;
and
``(vi) civic education materials and
services to address specific problems such as
the prevention of school violence and the abuse
of drugs and alcohol.
``(3) Availability of program.--The education program
authorized under this subsection shall be made available to
public and private elementary schools and secondary schools,
including Bureau funded schools, in the 435 congressional
districts, and in the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
``(b) Project Citizen.--
``(1) In general.--The Center for Civic Education shall use
funds awarded under section 10604(a)(1)(A) to carry out The
Project Citizen program in accordance with this subsection.
``(2) Educational activities.--The Project Citizen
program--
``(A) shall continue and expand the educational
activities of the `We the People . . . Project Citizen'
program administered by the Center for Civic Education;
``(B) shall enhance student attainment of
challenging content standards in civics and government;
and
``(C) shall provide--
``(i) a course of instruction at the middle
school level on the roles of State and local
governments in the Federal system established
by the Constitution of the United States;
``(ii) optional school and community
simulated State legislative hearings;
``(iii) an annual national showcase or
competition;
``(iv) advanced training of teachers on the
roles of State and local governments in the
Federal system established by the Constitution
of the United States;
``(v) materials and methods of instruction,
including teacher training, that utilize the
latest advancements in educational technology;
and
``(vi) civic education materials and
services to address specific problems such as
the prevention of school violence and the abuse
of drugs and alcohol.
``(3) Availability of program.--The education program
authorized under this subsection shall be made available to
public and private middle schools, including Bureau funded
schools, in the 50 States of the United States, the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands.
``(c) Definition of Bureau Funded School.--In this section the term
`Bureau funded school' has the meaning given the term in section 1146
of the Education Amendments of 1978.
``SEC. 10606. COOPERATIVE CIVIC EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC EDUCATION
EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.
``(a) Cooperative Education Exchange Programs.--The Center for
Civic Education and the National Council on Economic Education shall
use funds awarded under section 10604(a)(1) to carry out Cooperative
Education Exchange programs in accordance with this section.
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Cooperative Education Exchange
programs provided under this section shall be to--
``(1) make available to educators from eligible countries
exemplary curriculum and teacher training programs in civics
and government education, and economics education, developed in
the United States;
``(2) assist eligible countries in the adaptation,
implementation, and institutionalization of such programs;
``(3) create and implement civics and government education,
and economic education, programs for students that draw upon
the experiences of the participating eligible countries;
``(4) provide a means for the exchange of ideas and
experiences in civics and government education, and economic
education, among political, educational, governmental, and
private sector leaders of participating eligible countries; and
``(5) provide support for--
``(A) research and evaluation to determine the
effects of educational programs on students'
development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of
character essential for the preservation and
improvement of constitutional democracy; and
``(B) effective participation in and the
preservation and improvement of an efficient market
economy.
``(c) Avoidance of Duplication.--The Secretary shall consult with
the Secretary of State to ensure that--
``(1) activities under this section are not duplicative of
other efforts in the eligible countries; and
``(2) partner institutions in the eligible countries are
creditable.
``(d) Activities.--The Cooperative Education Exchange programs
shall--
``(1) provide eligible countries with--
``(A) seminars on the basic principles of United
States constitutional democracy and economics,
including seminars on the major governmental and
economic institutions and systems in the United States,
and visits to such institutions;
``(B) visits to school systems, institutions of
higher education, and nonprofit organizations
conducting exemplary programs in civics and government
education, and economic education, in the United
States;
``(C) translations and adaptations regarding United
States civic and government education, and economic
education, curricular programs for students and
teachers, and in the case of training programs for
teachers translations and adaptations into forms useful
in schools in eligible countries, and joint research
projects in such areas;
``(D) research and evaluation assistance to
determine--
``(i) the effects of the Cooperative
Education Exchange programs on students'
development of the knowledge, skills, and
traits of character essential for the
preservation and improvement of constitutional
democracy; and
``(ii) effective participation in and the
preservation and improvement of an efficient
market economy;
``(2) provide United States participants with--
``(A) seminars on the histories, economies, and
systems of government of eligible countries;
``(B) visits to school systems, institutions of
higher education, and organizations conducting
exemplary programs in civics and government education,
and economic education, located in eligible countries;
``(C) assistance from educators and scholars in
eligible countries in the development of curricular
materials on the history, government, and economy of
such countries that are useful in United States
classrooms;
``(D) opportunities to provide onsite
demonstrations of United States curricula and pedagogy
for educational leaders in eligible countries; and
``(E) research and evaluation assistance to
determine--
``(i) the effects of the Cooperative
Education Exchange programs on students'
development of the knowledge, skills, and
traits of character essential for the
preservation and improvement of constitutional
democracy; and
``(ii) effective participation in and
improvement of an efficient market economy; and
``(3) assist participants from eligible countries and the
United States to participate in conferences on civics and
government education, and economic education, for educational
leaders, teacher trainers, scholars in related disciplines, and
educational policymakers.
``(e) Participants.--The primary participants in the Cooperative
Education Exchange programs assisted under this section shall be
educational leaders in the areas of civics and government education,
and economic education, including teachers, curriculum and teacher
training specialists, scholars in relevant disciplines, and educational
policymakers, and government and private sector leaders from the United
States and eligible countries.
``(f) Definition.--For the purpose of this section, the term
`eligible country' means a Central European country, an Eastern
European country, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the independent states of
the former Soviet Union as defined in section 3 of the FREEDOM Support
Act (22 U.S.C. 5801), and may include the Republic of Ireland, the
province of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, and any developing
country as defined in section 209(d) of the Education for the Deaf Act.
``SEC. 10607. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``(a) Section 10605.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out section 10605, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums
as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2006.
``(b) Section 10606.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out section 10606, $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums
as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2006.''.
SEC. 3. REPEAL.
Title VI of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act (20 U.S.C. 5951 et
seq.) is repealed.
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