[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1424-S1425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. Frist, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Breaux, 
        Ms. Landrieu, and Mr. Bayh):
  S. 339. A bill to provide for improved educational opportunities in 
rural schools and districts, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, if you are one of the millions of rural 
school children who ride buses 2.9 billion miles every year, if you 
attend school in one of the thousands of rural schools that have no 
school library or no classroom computers, if one of the buildings at 
your school is in serious disrepair, or if you are sharing a few 30 
year-old textbooks with the other students in your class, then you 
probably feel like you are going to school in an education sacrifice 
zone.
  Our country spends less than a quarter of our Nation's education 
dollars to educate approximately half of our nation's students. You 
don't have to be a math whiz to know that the numbers just don't add 
up. The students who are short-changed often live in rural areas.
  Thousands of rural and small schools across our nation face the 
daunting mission of educating almost half of America's children. 
Increasingly, these schools are underfunded, overwhelmed, and 
overlooked. While half of the nation's students are educated in rural 
and small public schools, they only receive 23 percent of Federal 
education dollars; 25 percent of State education dollars; and 19 
percent of local education dollars.
  We all grew up thinking that the ``three R's'' were Reading, Writing, 
and Arithmetic. Unfortunately for our rural school children, the 
``three R's'' are too often run-down classrooms, insufficient 
resources, and really over-worked teachers.
  The bill I am introducing with Senators Frist and Sessions, the Rural 
Education Development Initiative, REDI, would provide funding to 5,400 
rural school districts that serve 6.5 million students--a short-term 
infusion of funds that will allow rural schools and their students to 
make substantial strides forward.
  Local education agencies would be eligible for REDI funding if they 
are either ``rural'', school locale code of 6, 7, or 8, and have a 
school-age population, ages 5-17, with 15 percent or more of the kids 
are from families with incomes below the poverty line; or ``small''--
student population of 800 or less and a student population, ages 5-17, 
with 15 percent or more of the kids are from families with incomes 
below the poverty line. In Oregon, among the schools eligible for REDI 
funding would be Jewell High School in Seaside, Burnt River Elementary 
in Unity, Gaston High School in Gaston, and Mari-Lynn Elementary School 
in Lyons, Oregon.
  Like the Education Flexibility Act of 1999, Ed-Flex, I authored with 
Senator Frist last Congress, REDI is voluntary--states and school 
districts could choose to participate in the program. Both Ed-Flex and 
REDI are designed to provide states and districts with flexibility they 
need so they can target their local priorities.
  Rural school districts and schools also find it more difficult to 
attract and retain qualified teachers, especially in Special Education, 
Math, and Science. Consequently, teachers in rural schools are almost 
twice as likely to provide instruction in two or more subjects than 
their urban counterparts. The History teacher may be teaching Math and 
Science without any formal training or experience. Rural teachers also 
tend to be younger, less experienced, and receive less pay than their 
urban and suburban counterparts. Worse yet, rural school teachers are 
less likely to have the high quality professional development 
opportunities that current research strongly suggests all teachers 
desperately need.
  Limited resources also mean fewer course offerings for students in 
rural and small schools. Consequently, courses are designed for the 
kids in the middle. So, students at either end of the academic spectrum 
miss out. Additionally, fewer rural students who dropout ever return to 
complete high school, and fewer rural higher school graduates go on to 
college.
  On another note, recent research on brain development clearly shows 
the critical nature of early childhood education, yet rural schools are 
less likely to offer even kindergarten classes, let alone earlier 
educational opportunities.
  To make matters worse, many of our rural areas are also plagued by 
persistent poverty, and, as we know, high-poverty schools have a much 
tougher time preparing their students to reach high standards of 
performance on state and national assessments. Data from the National 
Assessment of Educational Progress consistently show large gaps between 
the achievement of students in high-poverty schools and students in 
low-poverty schools.
  Our legislation will provide rural students with greater learning 
opportunities by putting more computers in classrooms, expanding 
distance learning opportunities, providing academic help to students 
who have fallen behind, and making sure that every class is taught by a 
highly qualified teacher. I've heard it said that this will be the 
Education Congress, but we have much to do before we earn that title. 
It's time to show that we when it comes to education, we won't leave 
anyone behind, and REDI will give children from rural and small 
communities more of the educational opportunities they deserve.
  I ask unanimous consent that my bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 339

       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 ``Rural Education Development 
     Initiative for the 21st Century Act.''

     SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

       The purpose of this Act is to provide rural school students 
     in the United States with increased learning opportunities.

     SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) While there are rural education initiatives identified 
     at the State and local level, no Federal education policy 
     focuses on the specific needs of rural school districts and 
     schools, especially those that serve poor students.
       (2) The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) 
     reports that while 46 percent of our Nation's public schools 
     serve rural areas, they only receive 22 percent of the 
     nation's education funds annually.
       (3) A critical problem for rural school districts involves 
     the hiring and retention of qualified administrators and 
     certified teachers (especially in Special Education, Science, 
     and Mathematics). Consequently, teachers in rural schools are 
     almost twice as likely to provide instruction in two or more 
     subjects than teachers in urban schools. Rural schools also 
     face other tough challenges, such as shrinking local tax 
     bases, high transportation costs, aging buildings, limited 
     course offerings, and limited resources.
       (4) Data from the National Assessment of Educational 
     Progress (NAEP) consistently shows large gaps between the 
     achievement of students in high-poverty schools and those in 
     other schools. High-poverty schools will face special 
     challenges in preparing their students to reach high 
     standards of performance on State and national assessments.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Elementary school; local educational agency; secondary 
     school; state

[[Page S1425]]

     educational agency.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local 
     educational agency,'' ``secondary school'', and ``State 
     educational agency'' have the meanings given the terms in 
     section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
       (2) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible 
     local educational agency'' means a local educational agency 
     that serves--
       (A) a school age population 15 percent or more of whom are 
     from families with incomes below the poverty line; and
       (B)(i) a school locale code of 6, 7, 8; or
       (ii) a school age population of 800 or fewer students.
       (3) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' includes the area 
     defined by the Department of Education using school local 
     codes 6, 7, and 8.
       (4) Poverty line.--The term ``poverty line'' means the 
     poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and 
     Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 
     673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 
     9902(2))) applicable to a family of the size involved.
       (5) School locale code.--The term ``school locale code'' 
     has the meaning as defined by the Department of Education.
       (6) School age population.--The term ``School age 
     population'' means the number of students aged 5 through 17.
       (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Education.

     SEC. 5. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

       (a) Reservation.--From amounts appropriated under section 9 
     for a fiscal year the Secretary shall reserve 0.5 percent to 
     make awards to elementary or secondary schools operated or 
     supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to carry out the 
     purpose of this Act.
       (b) Grants to States.--
       (1) In general.--From amounts appropriated under section 9 
     that are not reserved under subsection (a) for a fiscal year, 
     the Secretary shall award grants to State educational 
     agencies that have applications approved under section 7 to 
     enable the State educational agencies to award grants to 
     eligible local educational agencies for local authorized 
     activities described in subsection (c).
       (2) Formula.--
       (A) In general.--Each State educational agency shall 
     receive a grant under this section in an amount that bears 
     the same relation to the amount of funds appropriated under 
     section 9 that are not reserved under subsection (a) for a 
     fiscal year as the school age population served by eligible 
     local educational agencies in the State bears to the school 
     age population served by eligible local educational agencies 
     in all States.
       (B) Data.--In determining the school age population under 
     subparagraph (A) the Secretary shall use the most recent date 
     available from the Bureau of the Census.
       (3) Direct awards to local educational agencies.--If a 
     State educational agency elects not to participate in the 
     program under this Act or does not have an application 
     approved under section 7, the Secretary may award, on a 
     competitive basis, the amount the State educational agency is 
     eligible to receive under paragraph (2) directly to eligible 
     local educational agencies in the State.
       (4) Matching requirement.--Each eligible local educational 
     agency that receives a grant under this Act shall contribute 
     resources with respect to the local authorized activities to 
     be assisted, in cash or in kind, from non-Federal sources, in 
     an amount equal to the Federal funds awarded under the grant.
       (c) Local Authorized Activities.--Grant funds awarded to 
     local educational agencies under this Act shall be used for--
       (1) for local educational technology efforts as established 
     under section 6844 of Title 20, United States Code;
       (2) for professional development activities designed to 
     prepare those teachers teaching out of their primary subject 
     area;
       (3) for academic enrichment programs established under 
     section 10204 of Title 20 in United States Code;
       (4) innovative academic enrichment programs related to the 
     educational needs of students at-risk of academic failure, 
     including remedial instruction in one or more of the core 
     subject areas of English, Mathematics, Science, and History; 
     or
       (4) activities to recruit and retain qualified teachers in 
     Special Education, Math, and Science.
       (d) Relation to Other Federal Funding.--Funds received 
     under this Act by a State educational agency or an eligible 
     local educational agency shall not be taken into 
     consideration in determining the eligibility for, or amount 
     of, any other Federal funding awarded to the agency.

     SEC. 6. STATE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.

       (a) Award Basis.--A State educational agency shall award 
     grants to eligible local educational agencies according to a 
     formula or competitive grant program developed by the State 
     educational agency and approved by the Secretary.
       (b) First Year.--For the first year that a State 
     educational agency receives a grant under this Act, the State 
     educational agency--
       (1) shall use not less than 99 percent of the grant funds 
     to award grants to eligible local educational agencies in the 
     State; and
       (2) may use not more than 1 percent for State activities 
     and administrative costs and technical assistance related to 
     the program.
       (c) Succeeding Years.--For the second and each succeeding 
     year that a State educational agency receives a grant under 
     this Act, the State educational agency--
       (1) shall use not less than 99.5 percent of the grant funds 
     to award grants to eligible local educational agencies in the 
     State; and
       (2) may use not more than 0.5 percent of the grant funds 
     for State activities and administrative costs related to the 
     program.

     SEC. 7. APPLICATIONS.

       Each State educational agency, or local educational agency 
     eligible for a grant under section 5(b)(3), that desires a 
     grant under this Act shall submit an application to the 
     Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
     such information as the Secretary may require.

     SEC. 8. REPORTS; ACCOUNTABILITY; STUDY.

       (a) State Reports.--
       (1) Contents.--Each State educational agency that receives 
     a grant under this Act shall provide an annual report to the 
     Secretary. The report shall describe--
       (A) the method the State education agency used to award 
     grants to eligible local educational agencies under this Act;
       (B) how eligible local educational agencies used funds 
     provided under this Act;
       (C) how the State educational agency provided technical 
     assistance for an eligible local educational agency that did 
     not meet the goals and objectives described in subsection 
     (c)(3); and
       (D) how the State educational agency took action against an 
     eligible local educational agency if the local educational 
     agency failed, for 2 consecutive years, to meet the goals and 
     objectives described in subsection (c)(3).
       (2) Availability.--The Secretary shall make the annual 
     State reports received under paragraph (1) available for 
     dissemination to Congress, interested parties (including 
     educators, parents, students, and advocacy and civil rights 
     organizations), and the public.
       (b) Local Educational Agency Reports.--Each eligible local 
     educational agency that receives a grant under section 
     5(b)93) shall provide an annual report to the Secretary. The 
     report shall describe how the local educational agency used 
     funds provided under this Act and how the local educational 
     agency coordinated funds received under this Act with other 
     Federal, State, and local funds.
       (c) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall prepare and 
     submit to Congress an annual report. The report shall 
     describe--
       (1) the methods the State educational agencies used to 
     award grants to eligible local educational agencies under 
     this Act;
       (2) how eligible local educational agencies used funds 
     provided under this Act; and
       (3) the progress made by State educational agencies and 
     eligible local educational agencies receiving assistance 
     under this Act in meeting specific, annual, measurable 
     performance goals and objectives established by such agencies 
     for activities assisted under this Act.
       (d) Accountability.--The Secretary, at the end of the third 
     year that a State educational agency participates in the 
     program assisted under this Act, shall permit only those 
     State educational agencies that met their performance goals 
     and objectives, for two consecutive years, to continue to 
     participate in the program.
       (e) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
     shall conduct a study regarding the impact of assistance 
     provided under this Act on student achievement. The 
     Controller General shall report the results of the study to 
     Congress.

     SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act $300,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 
     2005.

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