[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 3 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Pages 127-128]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13190--President's Commission on Educational Resource 
Equity

January 15, 2001

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), it is hereby ordered as 
follows:
    Section 1. Policy. A quality education is essential to the success 
of every child in the 21st century and to the continued strength and 
prosperity of our Nation. Our Nation has embraced the goal of promoting 
high educational standards for all children and increasing 
accountability in education. Although we know it is crucial that all 
children have access to the educational resources and opportunity 
necessary to achieve high standards, long-standing gaps in access to 
educational resources exist, including disparities based on race and 
ethnicity. These gaps limit the ability of individuals, as well as our 
Nation, to reach their full potential. Therefore, it is the policy of 
this Administration that our Nation undertake appropriate steps to 
understand fully the current status of resource equity in education and 
to identify and implement strategies at the local, State, and national 
levels that will ensure that all students have a full and equal 
opportunity to succeed.
    Sec. 2. Establishment. To carry out this policy, there is 
established the ``President's Commission on Educational Resource 
Equity'' (Commission). The Commission shall be composed of not more than 
13 members appointed by the President from the public and private 
sectors. The members may include current and former Federal, State, and 
local government officials, corporate and foundation leaders, recognized 
education and civil rights experts, educational practitioners, and 
others with experience and expertise in educational resource equity. The 
President shall designate from among the Commission members such 
official or officials to be chairperson or chairpersons, as he shall 
deem appropriate.
    Sec. 3. Duties and Commission Report. (a) The Commission shall 
collect and review information about the current status of gaps in the 
availability of educational resources, including the underlying causes 
and effects of such resource gaps. The Commission shall, as appropriate, 
invite experts and communities to provide information and guidance in 
furtherance of their duties.
    (b) Not later than August 31, 2001, the Commission shall prepare and 
submit a report for the President and the Congress on the issue of 
resource equity in education. The report shall include, but not be 
limited to:
    (i) An analysis of the status of resource equity in education with 
regard to such factors as finances, staff, facilities, instructional 
programs, and support services, taking into account, as appropriate, 
differences in costs and needs for different students and communities;
    (ii) An analysis of how resource gaps in education affect the 
success of individuals and our Nation;
    (iii) An examination of the effectiveness of targeted Federal 
resources toward disadvantaged students and low-income schools as 
compared with the provision of State and local resources toward 
disadvantaged students and low-income schools;
    (iv) A summary of best practices with regard to overcoming gaps in 
the availability of educational resources; and
    (v) Short- and long-term recommendations for educational policy 
makers, including local, State, and Federal officials, to achieve 
resource equity in education.
    Sec. 4. Administration, Compensation, and Termination. (a) The 
Department of Education shall, to the extent permitted by

[[Page 128]]

law, provide administrative support and funding for the Commission.
    (b) Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but 
while engaged in the work of the Commission, members appointed from 
among private citizens of the United States shall be allowed travel 
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by 
law for persons serving intermittently in the Government service (5 
U.S.C. 5701-5707) to the extent funds are available for such purposes.
    (c) The functions of the President under the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, as amended, except that of reporting to the Congress, 
that are applicable to the Commission, shall be performed by the 
Department of Education in accordance with the guidelines that have been 
issued by the Administrator of General Services.
    (d) The chairperson (or chairpersons) may from time to time 
prescribe such rules, procedures, and policies relating to the 
activities of the Commission as are not inconsistent with law or with 
the provisions of this order.
    (e) The Commission shall terminate 30 days after submitting its 
final report, unless extended by the President.
                                            William J. Clinton
 The White House,
 January 15, 2001.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., January 18, 
2001]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on 
January 19.