[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1004 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1004

 To reauthorize the Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2015

Ms. Roybal-Allard introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
              the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To reauthorize the Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001.

    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 ``Achievement Through Technology and 
Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.

    Part D of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6751 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:

        ``PART D--ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

``SEC. 2401. SHORT TITLE.

    ``This part may be cited as the `Achievement Through Technology and 
Innovation Act of 2015' or the `ATTAIN Act'.

``SEC. 2402. PURPOSES AND GOALS.

    ``The purposes and goals of this part are--
            ``(1) to ensure that States have high-quality technology 
        plans to promote effective and innovative uses of technology 
        and to ensure that every student has access to personalized, 
        rigorous, and relevant learning to meet the goals of this Act 
        to raise student achievement, close the achievement gap, and 
        ensure highly effective teaching, and to prepare all students 
        to be technology literate and college and career ready for the 
        21st century digital economy;
            ``(2) to evaluate, build upon, and increase the use of 
        evidence-based and innovative systemic school redesigns that 
        center on the use of technology that leads to school 
        improvement, improved productivity, and increased student 
        achievement;
            ``(3) to ensure that all educators are connected in an 
        ongoing manner to technology-based and online resources and 
        supports, including through enhanced ongoing, meaningful 
        professional development to ensure that--
                    ``(A) all educators are technology literate and 
                effectively use technology to improve instruction and 
                student outcomes; and
                    ``(B) education administrators possess the capacity 
                to--
                            ``(i) provide leadership in the use of 
                        technology for systemic redesign of curriculum, 
                        instruction, and the education enterprise; and
                            ``(ii) improve educational productivity;
            ``(4) to improve student performance, engagement, 
        opportunity, attendance, graduation rates, and technology 
        access through enhanced or redesigned curriculum or 
        instruction;
            ``(5) to more effectively collect and use student 
        performance and other data in a timely manner to inform 
        instruction, address individualized student needs, support 
        school decisionmaking, and support school improvement and 
        increased student achievement, including through delivery of 
        computer-based and online assessments;
            ``(6) to enhance the use of technology, online and blended 
        learning for systemic education transformation, including 
        curricula redesign and new instructional strategies to 
        personalize learning; and
            ``(7) to increase education productivity and reduce costs 
        through the use of technology, blended and online learning, 
        including for the delivery of online assessments.

``SEC. 2403. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Local educational agency.--The term `local 
        educational agency' includes a consortium of local educational 
        agencies.
            ``(2) Student technology literacy.--The term `student 
        technology literacy' means student knowledge and skills in 
        using contemporary information, communication, and learning 
        technologies in a manner necessary for successful employment, 
        life-long learning, and citizenship in the knowledge-based, 
        digital, and global 21st century, as further defined by the 
        State educational agency, which includes, at a minimum, the 
        ability--
                    ``(A) to effectively communicate and collaborate;
                    ``(B) to analyze and solve problems;
                    ``(C) to access, evaluate, manage, and create 
                information and otherwise gain information literacy;
                    ``(D) to demonstrate creative thinking, construct 
                knowledge, and develop innovative products and 
                processes; and
                    ``(E) to do so in a safe and ethical manner.
            ``(3) High-quality technology plan.--The term `high-quality 
        technology plan' means a plan that supports student learning 
        powered by technology, and includes goals in a minimum of five 
        areas: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and 
        communication. Such a plan shall also include specific metrics 
        for evaluating outcomes.

``SEC. 2404. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this part, $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, and such sums as 
may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.
    ``(b) National Technology Activities.--Of the funds made available 
under subsection (a), the Secretary may reserve up to 2 percent to 
support national evaluation, technical assistance, and dissemination of 
effective practice to support States in adopting evidence-based best 
practices for using technology to transform learning.
    ``(c) Allocation of Funds Between State and Local Initiatives.--The 
remaining funds made available under subsection (a) shall be available 
to carry out this part, as described in subsection (d).
    ``(d) Limitation.--
            ``(1) Local administrative costs.--Of the funds made 
        available to a local educational agency under this part for a 
        fiscal year, not more than 3 percent may be used by the local 
        educational agency for administrative costs.
            ``(2) State administrative costs.--Of the funds made 
        available to a State educational agency under section 
        2406(a)(1)(A), not more than 30 percent may be used by the 
        State educational agency for administrative costs.

``SEC. 2405. ALLOTMENT AND REALLOTMENT.

    ``(a) Reservations and Allotment.--From the amount made available 
to carry out this part under section 2404(a) for a fiscal year--
            ``(1) the Secretary shall reserve--
                    ``(A) \3/4\ of 1 percent for the Secretary of the 
                Interior for programs under this part for schools 
                operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and
                    ``(B) \1/2\ of 1 percent to provide assistance 
                under this part to the outlying areas; and
            ``(2) subject to subsection (b), the Secretary shall use 
        the remainder to award grants by allotting to each State 
        educational agency an amount that bears the same relationship 
        to such remainder for such year as the amount received under 
        part A of title I for such year by such State educational 
        agency bears to the amount received under such part for such 
        year by all State educational agencies.
    ``(b) Minimum Allotment.--The amount of any State educational 
agency's allotment under subsection (a)(2) for any fiscal year shall 
not be less than \1/2\ of 1 percent of the amount made available for 
allotments to State educational agencies under this part for such year.
    ``(c) Reallotment of Unused Funds.--If any State does not apply for 
an allotment under this subsection for any fiscal year, the Secretary 
shall reallot the amount of the allotment to the remaining States in 
accordance with this subsection.

``SEC. 2406. USE OF ALLOTMENT BY STATE.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) In general.--Of the amount provided to a State 
        educational agency under section 2405(a)(2) for a fiscal year--
                    ``(A) the State educational agency may use not more 
                than 5 percent of such amount or $200,000, whichever 
                amount is greater, to carry out activities under 
                section 2408; and
                    ``(B) the State educational agency shall distribute 
                the remainder in accordance with paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Distribution of remainder.--The State educational 
        agency shall use the remainder to award subgrants, through a 
        State-determined competitive process, to local educational 
        agencies having applications approved under section 2409 for 
        the activities described in section 2410.
    ``(b) Sufficient Amounts.--In awarding subgrants under subsection 
(a)(2) the State educational agency shall--
            ``(1) ensure the subgrants are of sufficient size and scope 
        to be effective, consistent with the purposes of this part; and
            ``(2) ensure subgrants are of sufficient duration to be 
        effective, consistent with the purposes of this part, including 
        by awarding subgrants for a period of not less than 2 years 
        that may be renewed for not more than an additional 1 year, 
        based on performance;
                    ``(A) give preference in the awarding of subgrants, 
                and the providing of all technical assistance, to local 
                educational agencies that serve schools in need of 
                improvement, as identified under section 1116, 
                including those schools with high populations of--
                            ``(i) students who are English Language 
                        Learners;
                            ``(ii) students with disabilities; or
                            ``(iii) other subgroups of students who 
                        have not met the State's student academic 
                        achievement standards; and
                    ``(B) ensure an equitable distribution among urban 
                and rural areas of the State, according to the 
                demonstrated need for assistance under this part of the 
                local educational agencies serving the areas, with a 
                priority for those areas with technology infrastructure 
                in place that employ educational practices supported by 
                rigorous evidence.

``SEC. 2407. STATE APPLICATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
part, a State educational agency shall submit to the Secretary, at such 
time and in such manner as the Secretary may specify, an application 
containing the contents described in subsection (b) and such other 
information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
    ``(b) Contents.--Each State educational agency application 
submitted under subsection (a) shall include each of the following:
            ``(1) A description of the State's high-quality technology 
        plan, as defined under section 2403(3), details on how the 
        State educational agency will support local educational 
        agencies that receive subgrants under this part in meeting the 
        purposes and goals of this part and the requirements of this 
        part, including through technical assistance in using 
        technology to redesign curriculum and instruction, improve 
        educational productivity, and deliver computer-based and online 
        assessment.
            ``(2) A description of the State educational agency's long-
        term goals and strategies for improving student academic 
        achievement, including student technology literacy, through the 
        effective use of technology.
            ``(3) A description of the priority area upon which the 
        State educational agency will focus its assistance under this 
        part, which shall be identified from among the core academic 
        subjects, grade levels, and student subgroup populations that 
        may be causing the most number of local educational agencies in 
        the State to not make adequate yearly progress, as defined in 
        section 1111(b)(2)(C).
            ``(4) A description of how the State educational agency 
        will support local educational agencies to implement 
        professional development programs pursuant to section 
        2410(2)(A).
            ``(5) A description of how the State educational agency 
        will ensure that teachers, paraprofessionals, school 
        librarians, and administrators in the State possess the 
        knowledge and skills to use technology--
                    ``(A) for curriculum redesign to change teaching 
                and learning and improve student achievement;
                    ``(B) for assessment, data analysis, and to 
                personalize learning;
                    ``(C) to improve student technology literacy; and
                    ``(D) for their own ongoing professional 
                development and for access to teaching resources and 
                tools.
            ``(6) A description of the process, activities, and 
        performance measures that the State educational agency will use 
        to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of activities 
        described in section 2408.
            ``(7) Identification of the State challenging academic 
        content standards and challenging student academic achievement 
        standards that the State educational agency will use to ensure 
        that each student is technology literate consistent with the 
        definition of student technology literacy, and a description of 
        how the State educational agency will assess student 
        performance in gaining technology literacy, including through 
        embedding such assessment items in other State tests or 
        performance-based assessments portfolios, or through other 
        valid and reliable means. Nothing in this part shall be 
        construed to require States to develop a separate test to 
        assess student technology literacy.
            ``(8) An assurance that financial assistance provided under 
        this part will supplement, and not supplant, State and local 
        funds.
            ``(9) A description of how the State educational agency 
        will, in providing technical and other assistance to local 
        educational agencies, give priority to those identified by the 
        State as being in the highest need of assistance, including 
        those with the highest percentage or number of students from 
        families with incomes below the poverty line, students not 
        achieving at the State proficiency level with student 
        populations identified under section 2406(b)(2)(A), or schools 
        identified as in need of improvement under section 1116.
            ``(10) A description of how the State educational agency 
        consulted with local educational agencies in the development of 
        the State application.

``SEC. 2408. STATE ACTIVITIES.

    ``(a) Mandatory Activities.--From funds made available under 
section 2406(a)(1)(A), a State educational agency shall carry out each 
of the following activities:
            ``(1) Identify the State challenging academic content 
        standards and challenging student academic achievement 
        standards that the State educational agency will use to ensure 
        that each student is technology literate consistent with the 
        definition of student technology literacy.
            ``(2) Assess student performance in gaining technology 
        literacy consistent with paragraph (1), including through 
        embedding such assessment items in other State tests, 
        performance-based assessments, or portfolios, or through other 
        means, except that such assessments shall be used only to track 
        student technology literacy and shall not be used to determine 
        adequate yearly progress, and widely disseminate such results.
            ``(3) Provide guidance, technical assistance, and other 
        assistance, including in the priority area identified by the 
        State pursuant to section 2407(b)(3), in using technology to 
        improve teaching and redesign curriculum and instruction, 
        improve educational productivity, and deliver computer-based 
        and online assessment, and in submitting applications for 
        funding under this part to high-need local educational 
        agencies--
                    ``(A) with the highest percentage or number of--
                            ``(i) students not achieving at the State 
                        proficiency level; and
                            ``(ii) student populations described in 
                        section 2406(b)(2)(A); and
                    ``(B) serving schools identified as in need of 
                improvement under section 1116.
    ``(b) Permissive Activities.--From funds made available under 
section 2406(a)(1)(A), a State educational agency may carry out 1 or 
more of the following activities that assist local educational 
agencies:
            ``(1) State leadership activities and technical assistance 
        that support achieving the purposes and goals of this part.
            ``(2) Developing and evaluating or utilizing research-based 
        or innovative strategies for the delivery of specialized or 
        rigorous academic courses and curricula through the use of 
        technology, including distance learning technologies.
            ``(3) Providing, or supporting local educational agencies 
        in providing sustained and intensive, high-quality professional 
        development pursuant to section 2410(2)(A).
            ``(4) Assessing student performance in gaining technology 
        literacy consistent with subsection (a)(2), including through 
        embedding such assessment items in other State tests, 
        performance-based assessments, or portfolios, or through other 
        means.

``SEC. 2409. LOCAL APPLICATIONS.

    ``Each local educational agency desiring a subgrant under this part 
shall submit to the State educational agency an application containing 
a new or updated local long-range strategic educational technology 
plan, and such other information as the State educational agency may 
reasonably require that shall include each of the following:
            ``(1) A description of how the local educational agency 
        will align and coordinate the local educational agency's use of 
        funds under this part with--
                    ``(A) the school district technology plan;
                    ``(B) the school district plans and activities for 
                improving student achievement, including plans and 
                activities under sections 1111, 1112, 1116, and 2123, 
                as applicable; and
                    ``(C) funds available from other Federal, State, 
                and local sources.
            ``(2) An assurance that financial assistance provided under 
        this part will supplement, and not supplant, other funds 
        available to carry out activities assisted under this part.
            ``(3) A description of the process used to assess and, as 
        needed, update technologies throughout the local educational 
        agency.
            ``(4) Such other information as the State educational 
        agency may reasonably require.
            ``(5) A description of how the local educational agency 
        will use the subgrant funds to implement systemic school 
        redesign, which is a comprehensive set of programs, practices, 
        and technologies that--
                    ``(A) collectively lead to school or school 
                district change and improvement, improve educational 
                productivity, and improve student achievement and 
                technology literacy; and
                    ``(B) incorporate all of the following elements:
                            ``(i) Reform or redesign of curriculum, 
                        instruction, assessment, use of data, or other 
                        practices through the use of technology in 
                        order to increase student learning opportunity, 
                        and engagement in learning.
                            ``(ii) Improvement of educator quality, 
                        knowledge and skills, and effectiveness through 
                        ongoing, sustainable, timely, and contextual 
                        professional development described in section 
                        2410(2)(A)(i).
                            ``(iii) Ongoing use of formative and other 
                        assessments and other timely data sources and 
                        data systems to more effectively identify 
                        individual student learning needs and 
                        personalize learning.
                            ``(iv) Engagement of school district 
                        leaders, school leaders, and classroom 
                        educators.
                            ``(v) Programs, practices, and technologies 
                        that are based on a review of the best 
                        available research evidence or on development 
                        and use of new and innovative designs, 
                        programs, practices, and technologies.
            ``(6) An assurance that the local educational agency will 
        use not less than 40 percent of the subgrant funds to implement 
        a program of professional development described in section 
        2410(2)(A).
            ``(7) A description of how the local educational agency 
        will evaluate the impact of 1 or more programs or activities 
        carried out under this part.
            ``(8) A description of the use of technology tools, 
        applications, and other resources to improve student learning 
        and achievement in the area of priority identified under 
        paragraph (5).
            ``(9) A description of the priority area subgrant funds 
        will target, identified from among the core academic subjects, 
        grade levels, and student subgroup populations in which the 
        most number of students served by the local educational agency 
        are not proficient.
            ``(10) A description of how funds will be used to integrate 
        technology to redesign curriculum or instruction, implement 
        computer-based and online assessments, improve use of data to 
        personalize learning, or improve education productivity.

``SEC. 2410. LOCAL ACTIVITIES.

    ``A local educational agency that receives funds through a subgrant 
under section 2406(a)(2), shall carry out activities to improve student 
learning, technology literacy, and achievement, as follows:
            ``(1) Use not less than 5 percent of such funds to evaluate 
        the impact of 1 or more programs or activities carried out 
        under the subgrant as identified in the local educational 
        agency's application and approved by the State educational 
        agency.
            ``(2) Use funds remaining after carrying out paragraph (1) 
        to implement a plan for systemic school redesign in 1 or more 
        schools, in accordance with section 2409(b)(1), including each 
        of the following:
                    ``(A) Using not less than 40 percent of subgrant 
                funds to ensure educators, including teachers and 
                administrators, are technology literate, prepared to 
                use technology to improve curriculum and instruction, 
                and are connected online to supports and resources, 
                including through the following:
                            ``(i) Professional development activities 
                        supported under section 2123 to improve 
                        educator quality and skills through support for 
                        the following:
                                    ``(I) training that is ongoing, 
                                sustainable, timely, and directly 
                                related to up-to-date teaching content 
                                areas;
                                    ``(II) training in strategies and 
                                pedagogy in the core academic subjects 
                                that involve use of technology and 
                                curriculum redesign as key components 
                                of changing teaching and learning and 
                                improving student achievement and 
                                technology literacy;
                                    ``(III) training in the use of 
                                computer-based and online assessments, 
                                and in the use of student performance 
                                and other data to individualize and 
                                personalize instruction; and
                                    ``(IV) training that includes 
                                ongoing communication and follow-up 
                                with instructors, facilitators, and 
                                peers; and
                            ``(ii) may include--
                                    ``(I) the use of, and training of, 
                                instructional technology specialists, 
                                mentors, master teachers, or coaches to 
                                serve as experts and train other 
                                teachers in the effective use of 
                                technology; and
                                    ``(II) the use of technology, such 
                                as distance learning and online virtual 
                                educator-to-educator peer communities, 
                                as a means for delivering professional 
                                development.
                    ``(B) Acquiring and effectively implementing 
                technology tools, applications, and other resources in 
                conjunction with enhancing or redesigning the 
                curriculum or instruction in order to--
                            ``(i) increase student learning opportunity 
                        or access, student engagement in learning, or 
                        student attendance or graduation rates;
                            ``(ii) improve student achievement in 1 or 
                        more of the core academic subjects; and
                            ``(iii) improve student technology 
                        literacy.
                    ``(C) Acquiring and effectively implementing 
                technology tools, applications, and other resources 
                to--
                            ``(i) conduct ongoing formative and other 
                        assessments and rapid cycle evaluation 
                        techniques and use other timely data sources 
                        and data systems to more effectively identify 
                        and address individual student learning needs;
                            ``(ii) support personalized student 
                        learning, including through instructional 
                        software and digital content, and encouraging 
                        the use of open-licensed digital content to the 
                        extent possible, that supports the learning 
                        needs of each student, or through providing 
                        access to high-quality courses and instructors 
                        otherwise not available except through 
                        technology and online learning; and
                            ``(iii) conduct other activities consistent 
                        with research-based or innovative systemic 
                        school redesign, including activities that 
                        increase parental involvement and enhance 
                        accountability, instruction, and data-driven 
                        decisionmaking through data systems that allow 
                        for management, analysis, and disaggregating of 
                        student, teacher, and school data.''.
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