[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 860 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 860

To amend the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization 
  Act to require State academic assessments of student achievement in 
       United States history and civics, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 20, 2005

 Mr. Alexander (for himself and Mr. Kennedy) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization 
  Act to require State academic assessments of student achievement in 
       United States history and civics, 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 ``American History Achievement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress 
        assessment in United States history had the largest percentage 
        of students scoring below basic of any subject that was tested, 
        including mathematics, science, and reading;
            (2) in the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress 
        assessment in United States history--
                    (A) 33 percent of students in grade 4 scored below 
                basic, 36 percent of students in grade 8 scored below 
                basic, and 57 percent of students in grade 12 scored 
                below basic;
                    (B) 92 percent of students in grade 12 could not 
                explain the most important cause of the Great 
                Depression after reading a paragraph delineating 4 
                significant reasons;
                    (C) 91 percent of students in grade 8 could not 
                ``list two issues that were important in causing the 
                Civil War'' and ``list the Northern and Southern 
                positions on each of these issues'';
                    (D) 95 percent of students in grade 4 could not 
                list ``two reasons why the people we call `pioneers' 
                moved west across the United States'';
                    (E) 73 percent of students in grade 4 could not 
                identify the Constitution from among 4 choices as ``the 
                document that contains the basic rules used to run the 
                United States government'';
                    (F) 75 percent of students in grade 4 could not 
                identify ``the three parts of the federal (national) 
                government of the United States'' out of 4 possible 
                choices;
                    (G) 94 percent of students in grade 8 could not 
                ``give two reasons why it can be useful for a country 
                to have a constitution''; and
                    (H) 91 percent of students in grade 12 were unable 
                to ``explain two ways that democratic society benefits 
                from citizens actively participating in the political 
                process'';
            (3) America's past encompasses great leaders and great 
        ideas that contribute to our shared heritage and to the 
        principles of freedom, equality, justice, and opportunity for 
        all;
            (4) an appreciation for the defining events in our Nation's 
        history can be a catalyst for civic involvement; and
            (5) the strength of American democracy and our standing in 
        the world depend on ensuring that our children have a strong 
        understanding of our Nation's past.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS 
              AUTHORIZATION ACT.

    Section 303(b) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress 
Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(D), by inserting ``(with a priority in 
        conducting assessments in history not less frequently than once 
        every 4 years)'' after ``subject matter''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3)(A)--
                    (A) in clause (iii)--
                            (i) by inserting ``except as provided in 
                        clause (iv),'' before ``may conduct''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``and'' after the 
                        semicolon;
                    (B) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and
                    (C) by inserting after clause (iii) the following:
                            ``(iv) shall conduct trial State academic 
                        assessments of student achievement in United 
                        States history in grades 8 and 12 in not less 
                        than 10 States representing geographically 
                        diverse regions of the United States and in 
                        civics in grades 8 and 12 in not less than 10 
                        States representing geographically diverse 
                        regions of the United States (with a priority 
                        given to conducting assessments in United 
                        States history); and''.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT GOVERNING BOARD.

    Section 302(e)(1) of the National Assessment of Educational 
Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9621(e)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as subparagraph (K);
            (3) in the flush matter at the end, by striking 
        ``subparagraph (J)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (K)''; and
            (4) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the following:
                    ``(J) in consultation with the Commissioner for 
                Education Statistics, identify and select the States 
                that will participate in the trial State academic 
                assessments described in section 303(b)(3)(A)(iv); 
                and''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 305 of the National Assessment of Educational Progress 
Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9624) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) History and Civics Assessments.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated--
            ``(1) $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 and 2007 to 
        carry out sections 303(b)(3)(A)(iv) and 302(e)(1), of which not 
        more than $500,000 for each fiscal year shall be available to 
        carry out section 302(e)(1); and
            ``(2) such sums as may be necessary to carry out such 
        sections for each succeeding fiscal year.''.

SEC. 6. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    Section 113(a)(1) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 
U.S.C. 9513(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``section 302(e)(1)(J)'' and 
inserting ``section 302(e)(1)(K)''.
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