[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6563 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6563

To establish a national leadership initiative to promote and coordinate 
  knowledge utilization in education to increase student achievement 
    consistent with the objectives of the Elementary and Secondary 
             Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 21, 2010

   Mr. Holt introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a national leadership initiative to promote and coordinate 
  knowledge utilization in education to increase student achievement 
    consistent with the objectives of the Elementary and Secondary 
             Education Act of 1965, 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 ``Knowledge and Innovation for the 
Next Generation of Learning Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Historically, the United States has under-invested in 
        education research and development despite evidence that 
        scientifically validated innovations in teaching and learning 
        can result in significant improvements in student achievement 
        and success.
            (2) When understood as systematic innovation, research and 
        development can spur education improvement in scalable and 
        sustainable ways.
            (3) Education research and development should be part of a 
        strategy for innovation and ongoing improvement within 
        individual classrooms, schools, and other learning 
        environments, as well as within specialized research and 
        development units.
            (4) The active involvement of teachers, principals, local 
        educational agency administrators, and State school officers in 
        knowledge and innovation activities is essential to the 
        effective application of research-based knowledge to policy and 
        practice.
            (5) More instructional activities and practices supported 
        by scientifically valid research need to be developed to meet 
        the current and expected demands of educators in schools.
            (6) National leadership is needed to provide targeted 
        initiatives, collaboration, and coordination of innovative best 
        practices in teaching and learning to ensure that classroom 
        educators have access to, and effectively use practices 
        supported by, scientifically valid research.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are to promote and coordinate the use of 
research-based knowledge to assess, accelerate, expand, and sustain 
innovation to increase student achievement. To assist the Federal 
Government in achieving this purpose, this Act does the following:
            (1) Establishes the National Center for Knowledge Use 
        within the Institute of Education Sciences to administer 
        knowledge use and innovation programs that develop and bring to 
        scale successful educational practices that are based on 
        scientifically valid research.
            (2) Creates a Developing What Works Venture Fund for the 
        fast development of scientifically valid research innovations 
        to solve persistent problems of instructional practice in 
        schools.
            (3) Establishes and supports a National Knowledge Officer 
        Program of Chief Knowledge Officers to help schools collect, 
        translate, and apply the best available empirical evidence for 
        solving problems of instructional practice to increase student 
        achievement.
            (4) Creates the National Leadership Office for Research to 
        Innovation to strengthen coordination across the Department of 
        Education and other Federal departments and agencies to ensure 
        that educational practices, policies, and investments based on 
        scientifically valid research are brought to scale.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL CENTER FOR KNOWLEDGE USE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Education shall establish a 
National Center for Knowledge Use within the Institute of Education 
Sciences.
    (b) Commissioner.--The National Center for Knowledge Use shall be 
headed by a Commissioner who shall have a high level of expertise in 
the use of knowledge to foster innovation, including promoting the 
effective implementation of the results of research in the classroom 
and managing large institutions or consortia that conduct a broad array 
of research applications. The Commissioner shall be appointed by, and 
report to, the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences. The 
Commissioner is authorized--
            (1) to select, appoint, and employ such officers and 
        employees as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the 
        National Center for Knowledge Use; and
            (2) to disseminate widely information on scientifically 
        valid research, statistics, and evaluation on education to 
        State educational agencies, local educational agencies, 
        institutions of higher education, the public, the media, 
        voluntary organizations, professional associations, and other 
        constituencies, especially with respect to information relating 
        to--
                    (A) reading, mathematics, science, and foreign 
                languages;
                    (B) closing the achievement gap between high-
                performing students and low-performing students;
                    (C) educational practices that improve academic 
                achievement and promote learning; and
                    (D) education technology, including software.
    (c) Overall Mission.--The Commissioner of the National Center for 
Knowledge Use shall foster and support the use and application of 
scientifically valid research to develop and disseminate innovative 
practices and policies--
            (1) to promote quality and integrity through the use of 
        accepted practices of scientific inquiry to obtain knowledge 
        and understanding of the validity of education theories, 
        practices, or conditions;
            (2) to promote scientifically valid research findings that 
        can be applied to improve academic instruction and lifelong 
        learning; and
            (3) to provide to educational institutions technical 
        assistance related to paragraphs (1) and (2).
    (d) Specific Duties.--The Commissioner of the National Center for 
Knowledge Use--
            (1) shall carry out sections 5 and 6;
            (2) shall administer the regional educational laboratories;
            (3) shall administer the National Library of Education 
        (established in section 172(d) of the Education Sciences Reform 
        Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9562(d)); and
            (4) shall administer the Educational Resources Information 
        Center Clearinghouses (established under section 941(f) of the 
        Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and 
        Improvement Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 6041(f)).
    (e) Grants, Contracts, and Cooperative Agreements.--The 
Commissioner of the National Center for Knowledge Use, directly or 
through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements--
            (1) shall promote the use of scientifically valid research 
        to develop innovative solutions to persistent problems of 
        instructional practice;
            (2) shall support and promote the effective coordination of 
        current federally supported educational research-based 
        programs, including active participation in inter-agency or 
        intra-agency research projects; and
            (3) shall promote the use and application of research and 
        development to improve instructional practice in the classroom.

SEC. 5. DEVELOPING WHAT WORKS VENTURE FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--The Commissioner of the National Center for 
Knowledge Use shall establish a program to be known as the ``Developing 
What Works Venture Fund'' under which the Commissioner shall make 
competitive grants to eligible entities that develop scientifically 
valid research to foster school improvement. The purpose of such grants 
shall be to develop, bring to scale, and disseminate the use of 
scientifically valid research innovations in education.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
entity''--
            (1) means an organization, institution, agency, or 
        institution of higher education (or partnership of such 
        institutions) that has demonstrated expertise in the use of 
        research-based knowledge to foster innovation in education; and
            (2) includes existing federally supported knowledge and 
        innovation programs, such as regional educational laboratories, 
        national research and development centers, comprehensive 
        centers and consortia, national clearinghouses, and other 
        entities involved in research, development, dissemination, 
        technical assistance, and evaluation.
    (c) Use of Funds.--The Commissioner of the National Center for 
Knowledge Use may not make a grant to an eligible entity under this 
section unless the entity agrees to use the grant for one or more of 
the following:
            (1) Developing innovative curricular and instructional 
        tools using scientifically valid research for addressing 
        persistent problems of practice in schools.
            (2) Targeting efforts to classroom educators working with 
        subgroups whose test scores indicate that those subgroups need 
        improvement under the adequate yearly progress calculation 
        required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
        including economically disadvantaged students, students from 
        major racial and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and 
        students with limited English proficiency.
            (3) Supporting efforts to identify, develop, and 
        disseminate promising practices in the implementation of 
        education innovation that are supported by scientifically valid 
        research, including those practices developed by the regional 
        educational laboratories, national research and development 
        centers, comprehensive centers and consortia, national 
        clearinghouses, and other entities involved in research, 
        development, dissemination, technical assistance, and 
        evaluation related to instructional practice.
            (4) Promoting entrepreneurship to develop for consumers new 
        solutions, innovations, and choices in education for consumers 
        that are supported by scientifically valid research.
            (5) Developing networked communities of knowledge for 
        sharing and disseminating promising practices and innovations.
    (d) Applications.--To seek a grant under this section, an eligible 
entity shall submit to the Commissioner of the National Center for 
Knowledge Use an application at such time and in such manner as the 
Commissioner may require.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $200,000,000 for fiscal year 
2011 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding 
fiscal years.

SEC. 6. CHIEF KNOWLEDGE OFFICER PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Commissioner of the National Center for 
Knowledge Use shall establish a program of multi-year grants to State 
educational agencies to establish a Chief Knowledge Officer Program. 
Award amounts under the program shall be determined based on the 
percentage of funds received by a State under part A of title I of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et 
seq.).
    (b) Mission.--The mission of the Chief Knowledge Officer Program 
shall be to enable local educational agencies and schools to work in 
collaboration with entities knowledgeable about education research to 
address problems of instructional practice in chronically low-
performing schools. The program shall involve a corps of Chief 
Knowledge Officers, each of whom shall be employed by a State 
educational agency and whose duty it shall be to connect educators and 
administrators with high-quality, evidence-based, relevant solutions 
for the most critical problems of practice in local educational 
agencies and chronically low-performing schools. The number of Chief 
Knowledge Officers per State may vary depending on the number of 
chronically low-performing schools served by the State educational 
agency.
    (c) Duties.--A Chief Knowledge Officer shall--
            (1) conduct analyses to better inform teachers and school 
        administrators about the empirical evidence available to solve 
        problems of educational practice to increase student 
        achievement;
            (2) research the problems of practice that prevent students 
        from passing State examinations and making academic progress 
        that have been identified in the local educational agency at 
        issue, using scientifically validated research;
            (3) contribute as State education agency leadership 
        develops programs, policies, or strategies for using research 
        on successful educational practices;
            (4) participate in a national network of Chief Knowledge 
        Officers;
            (5) develop effective induction and ongoing professional 
        development experiences for teachers;
            (6) support innovations in curricula;
            (7) foster the effective use of technology-based 
        applications in classrooms;
            (8) contribute to professional performance assessment 
        systems that focus on the most important competencies for 
        student success and provide useful feedback to facilitate 
        instructional improvements; and
            (9) communicate complex research findings to an audience of 
        non-specialists.
    (d) Applications.--A State education agency desiring to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
Commissioner at such a time, in such a manner, and containing such 
information as the Commissioner may require. Such an application shall 
include--
            (1) a list of the low-performing schools that will be 
        targeted for support by means of services of Chief Knowledge 
        Officers;
            (2) how Chief Knowledge Officers will be recruited, 
        selected, and trained;
            (3) a description of the nature of services to be provided 
        in the designated schools, such as combining resources into 
        school support teams, and providing on-line ``ask the expert'' 
        advice;
            (4) how the Chief Knowledge Officers will collaborate with 
        local educational agencies and entities knowledgeable about 
        education research;
            (5) how the State education agency shall issue progress 
        reports to the Department; and
            (6) how the State education agency shall evaluate the 
        effectiveness of the services provided.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2011 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
years.

SEC. 7. THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OFFICE FOR RESEARCH TO INNOVATION.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish in the Department 
of Education a National Leadership Office for Research to Innovation.
    (b) Director.--
            (1) In general.--The National Leadership Office for 
        Research to Innovation shall be headed by a Director appointed 
        by the Secretary.
            (2) Expertise.--The Director shall be an expert in the 
        effective use of scientifically valid research, including--
                    (A) promoting the effective implementation of the 
                results of research in the classroom; and
                    (B) managing large institutions or consortia that 
                conduct a broad array of research applications.
            (3) Officers and employees.--The Director is authorized to 
        select, appoint, and employ such officers and employees as may 
        be necessary to carry out the functions of the National 
        Leadership Office for Research to Innovation.
    (c) Functions.--The Director of the National Leadership Office for 
Research to Innovation--
            (1) shall ensure that educational practices, policies, and 
        investments based on scientifically valid research are brought 
        to scale and fully coordinated across the Department and other 
        Federal department and agencies;
            (2) shall encourage the use of new technologies in 
        appropriate research-based efforts in education;
            (3) shall support the effective coordination of current 
        federally supported education research programs including the 
        regional educational laboratories, the university-based 
        research and development centers, comprehensive assistance 
        centers, national clearinghouses, and other entities involved 
        in education-related research, information dissemination, and 
        technical assistance;
            (4) shall submit to the Congress and the Secretary a 
        biennial report containing--
                    (A) an analysis of the state of knowledge and 
                innovation in education practice;
                    (B) an assessment of the efforts to increase the 
                use of education practices supported by scientifically 
                valid research; and
                    (C) recommendations for changes in policies to 
                further promote progress in knowledge and innovation in 
                education; and
            (5) shall promote coordination among Federal departments 
        and agencies administering research-based education programs 
        and services by means of an inter-agency task force comprised 
        of the following members:
                    (A) Relevant assistant secretaries in the 
                Department of Education.
                    (B) The Director of the Institute of Education 
                Sciences.
                    (C) The Commissioner of the National Center for 
                Knowledge Use.
                    (D) The Director of the National Science 
                Foundation.
                    (E) The Director of the National Institute for 
                Child Health and Human Development.
                    (F) Other members designated by the Secretary.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Chief knowledge officer.--The term ``Chief Knowledge 
        Officer'' means a professional who--
                    (A) has--
                            (i) previous teaching or research 
                        experience and an advanced degree with a 
                        concentration in research analysis or research 
                        design;
                            (ii) prior experience in a State 
                        educational agency, local educational agency, 
                        school network, or state agency setting; or
                            (iii) prior for-profit, non-profit, or 
                        public sector consulting experience; and
                    (B) has--
                            (i) a strong background in quantitative 
                        analysis;
                            (ii) extensive experience in managing 
                        projects;
                            (iii) excellent interpersonal skills; and
                            (iv) the ability to communicate complex 
                        research findings to an audience of non-
                        specialists.
            (2) Comprehensive center.--The term ``comprehensive 
        center'' means an entity established under section 203 of the 
        Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602).
            (3) Entities knowledgeable about education research.--The 
        term ``entities knowledgeable about education research'' means 
        the following:
                    (A) The Institute of Education Sciences.
                    (B) National research and development centers.
                    (C) Regional educational laboratories.
                    (D) Comprehensive centers.
                    (E) Other designated Federal, State, and local 
                sources and providers of educational innovation and 
                improvement.
            (4) Knowledge use.--The term ``knowledge use''--
                    (A) means the interactive processes involving 
                research, development, dissemination, technical 
                assistance, and evaluation in which research-based 
                knowledge is applied to improving instructional 
                practice; and
                    (B) includes activities essential to school 
                improvement, such as--
                            (i) development and evaluation of practical 
                        applications of research, such as procedures, 
                        policies, practices, programs, materials, and 
                        training;
                            (ii) the use of research-based technical 
                        assistance and professional development for 
                        policymakers, practitioners, and other 
                        stakeholders;
                            (iii) collection and dissemination of 
                        information, data, and statistics related to 
                        education and methods of instruction;
                            (iv) initiatives for building linkages 
                        among research, policy, and practice in 
                        education; and
                            (v) an infrastructure for increasing 
                        capacity for the use of instructional research 
                        and its applications.
            (5) National research and development center.--The term 
        ``national research and development center'' means a research 
        and development center supported under section 133(c) of the 
        Educational Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9533(c)).
            (6) Regional educational laboratory.--The term ``regional 
        educational laboratory'' means an entity established under 
        section 174 of the Educational Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 
        U.S.C. 9564).
            (7) Scientifically valid research.--The term 
        ``scientifically valid research'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1021).
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
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