[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3463 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3463

    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
  establish a partnership between the Department of Education and the 
National Park Service to provide educational opportunities for students 
                             and teachers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 2007

Mr. Holt (for himself, Mr. Baird, Mr. Souder, Mr. Hinchey, Ms. McCollum 
  of Minnesota, Mr. Regula, and Mrs. Capps) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
  establish a partnership between the Department of Education and the 
National Park Service to provide educational opportunities for students 
                             and teachers.

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

SECTION 1. NATIONAL PARK RANGER SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Established.--
            (1) In general.--Part D of title V of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by adding at the end 
        the following:

         ``Subpart 22--National Park Ranger School Partnerships

``SEC. 5621. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the Director 
of the National Park Service, may award grants, on a competitive basis, 
to schools and local educational agencies and education service 
agencies to carry out the authorized activities described in subsection 
(b).
    ``(b) Authorized Activities.--A school or local educational agency 
shall use funds provided under this subpart to enter into a partnership 
with the National Park Service, in cooperation where appropriate with a 
not-for-profit partner of the National Park Service, to carry out both 
of the following activities:
            ``(1) Providing, for students in kindergarten through grade 
        12, educational programs (including programs under which 
        instruction is provided by National Park Service Rangers) that 
        emphasize science, the environment, natural resources, 
        mathematics, civics, and history.
            ``(2) Providing, for educators of students in kindergarten 
        through grade 12, professional development opportunities (such 
        as summer institutes) that emphasize science, the environment, 
        natural resources, mathematics, civics, and history.
    ``(c) Grants.--Each grant under this subpart shall be for a period 
of 3 years, for an aggregate amount of not more than $25,000.
    ``(d) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
subpart, a school or local educational agency must--
            ``(1) either--
                    ``(A) have a partnership or be capable of 
                partnering with a unit of the National Park Service or 
                a Research and Learning Center of the National Park 
                Service; or
                    ``(B) have, or demonstrate that it will develop, a 
                technology-based distance learning link to the National 
                Park Service;
            ``(2) be identified for improvement under title I; and
            ``(3) have a significant percentage of low-income students.
    ``(e) Criteria.--Grants under this subpart shall be awarded on a 
competitive basis using criteria established jointly by the Secretary 
and the Director of the National Park Service.
    ``(f) Reports by Grantees.--Upon completing the period for which 
the grant was made, the school or local educational agency receiving 
the grant shall submit to the Secretary a report that--
            ``(1) identifies the number of students participating in 
        the activities described in subsection (b)(1) that were carried 
        out under the grant and the achievement attained by those 
        students in mathematics, science, and any other academic areas 
        relevant to the activities carried out under the grant as 
        measured against--
                    ``(A) Statewide scores for students on the academic 
                assessments in mathematics or science under section 
                1111(b)(3); and
                    ``(B) other benchmarks established by the 
                Secretary, in coordination with the National Park 
                Service; and
            ``(2) identifies the number of educators participating in 
        the activities described in subsection (b)(2) that were carried 
        out under the grant and the professional development received 
        by those educators in mathematics, science, and any other 
        academic areas relevant to the activities carried out under the 
        grant.
    ``(g) Report by Secretary.--Not later than 3 years after the date 
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in coordination with 
the Director of the National Park Service, shall submit a report to 
Congress on the implementation of this subpart. The report shall 
include recommendations on whether and to what extent the program 
should be continued or expanded.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this subpart $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, 
to be available until expended.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents in section 2 
        of that Act is amended by adding after the items relating to 
        subpart 21 of part D of title V the following:

         ``subpart 22--national park ranger school partnerships

``Sec. 5621. Program authorized.''.
    (b) National Park Service Eligibility for Certain Programs.--
            (1) Math and science partnerships.--Section 2201(b)(1)(B) 
        of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 6661(b)(1)(B)) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) as (iv) 
                and (v), respectively; and
                    (B) by adding after clause (ii) the following:
                            ``(iii) the National Park Service;''.
            (2) Teaching of traditional american history.--Section 
        2351(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6721(b)) is amended by adding at 
        the end the following:
            ``(4) An educational service agency, including a Federal 
        agency that serves as an educational service provider.''.
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