Excellence in Education Act of 1999

Summary: Excellence in Education Act of 1999 - Authorizes appropriations for a program of grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for the construction of new public elementary school and secondary school facilities. 
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award such grants if the applicant LEAs:  (1) reduce class and school sizes for their public elementary and secondary schools to specified limits for various grade levels; (2) terminate the practice of social promotion in their public schools; (3) require that students be subject to State achievement standards in the core curriculum at key transition points, to be determined by the State, for all kindergarten through grade 12 students; (4) use tests and other indicators, such as grades and teacher evaluations, to assess student performance in meeting State achievement standards; (5) provide remedial education for students who fail to meet State achievement standards, including tutoring, mentoring, summer programs, before-school programs, and after-school programs; and (6) provide equal matching funds from non-Federal sources.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Excellence in Education Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS

    In this Act:
            (1) Core curriculum.--The term ``core curriculum'' means 
        curriculum in subjects such as reading and writing, language 
        arts, mathematics, social sciences (including history), and 
        science.
            (2) Elementary school; local educational agency; secondary 
        school; secretary.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local 
        educational agency'', ``secondary school'' and ``Secretary'' 
        have the meanings given the terms in section 14101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        8801).
            (3) Practice of social promotion.--The term ``practice of 
        social promotion'' means a formal or informal practice of 
        promoting a student from the grade for which the determination 
        is made to the next grade when the student fails to meet State 
        achievement standards in the core academic curriculum, unless 
        the practice is consistent with the student's individualized 
        education program under section 614(d) of the Individuals with 
        Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1414(d)).
            (4) Construction.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                term ``construction'' means--
                            (i) preparation of drawings and 
                        specifications for school facilities;
                            (ii) building new school facilities, or 
                        acquiring, remodeling, demolishing, renovating, 
                        improving, or repairing facilities to establish 
                        new school facilities; and
                            (iii) inspection and supervision of the 
                        construction of new school facilities.
                    (B) Rule.--An activity described in subparagraph 
                (A) shall be considered to be construction only if the 
                labor standards described in section 439 of the General 
                Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232b) are applied 
                with respect to such activity.
            (5) School facility.--The term ``school facility'' means a 
        public structure suitable for use as a classroom, laboratory, 
        library, media center, or related facility the primary purpose 
        of which is the instruction of public elementary school or 
        secondary school students. The term does not include an 
        athletic stadium or any other structure or facility intended 
        primarily for athletic exhibitions, contests, or games for 
        which admission is charged to the general public.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$5,000,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    The Secretary is authorized to award grants to local educational 
agencies to enable the local educational agencies to carry out the 
construction of new public elementary school and secondary school 
facilities.

SEC. 5. CONDITIONS FOR RECEIVING FUNDS.

    In order to receive funds under this Act a local educational agency 
shall meet the following requirements:
            (1) Reduce class and school sizes for public schools served 
        by the local educational agency as follows:
                    (A) Limit class size to an average student-to-
                teacher ratio of 20 to 1, in classes serving 
                kindergarten through grade 6 students, in the schools 
                served by the agency.
                    (B) Limit class size to an average student-to-
                teacher ratio of 28 to 1, in classes serving grade 7 
                through grade 12 students, in the schools served by the 
                agency.
                    (C) Limit the size of public elementary schools and 
                secondary schools served by the agency to--
                            (i) not more than 500 students in the case 
                        of a school serving kindergarten through grade 
                        5 students;
                            (ii) not more than 750 students in the case 
                        of a school serving grade 6 through grade 8 
                        students; and
                            (iii) not more than 1,500 students in the 
                        case of a school serving grade 9 through grade 
                        12 students.
            (2) Terminate the practice of social promotion in the 
        public schools served by the agency.
            (3) Require that students be subject to State achievement 
        standards in the core curriculum at key transition points, to 
        be determined by the State, for all kindergarten through grade 
        12 students.
            (4) Use tests and other indicators, such as grades and 
        teacher evaluations, to assess student performance in meeting 
        the State achievement standards, which tests shall be valid for 
        the purpose of such assessment.
            (5) Provide remedial education for students who fail to 
        meet the State achievement standards, including tutoring, 
        mentoring, summer programs, before-school programs, and after-
        school programs.
            (6) Provide matching funds, with respect to the cost to be 
        incurred in carrying out the activities for which the grant is 
        awarded, from non-Federal sources in an amount equal to the 
        Federal funds provided under the grant.

SEC. 6. APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Each local educational agency desiring to receive 
a grant under this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.
    (b) Contents.--Each application shall contain--
            (1) an assurance that the grant funds will be used in 
        accordance with this Act;
            (2) a brief description of the construction to be 
        conducted;
            (3) a cost estimate of the activities to be conducted; and
            (4) a description of available non-Federal matching funds.