A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a partnership between the Department of Education and the National Park Service to provide educational opportunities for students and teachers, and for other purposes.

Summary: Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish the National Park Ranger School Partnerships program authorizing the Secretary of Education to award competitive, three-year grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to enter into partnerships that include the National Park Service (NPS), and may include nonprofit NPS partners, to provide kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) students with educational programs and K-12 teachers with professional development emphasizing science, the environment, natural resources, mathematics, civics, and history.

Deems LEAs to be eligible for such a grant only if they: (1) have, are capable of, or will develop certain connections to the NPS; (2) have been identified as needing improvement under title I of the ESEA; and (3) are a high-need LEA.

Permits: (1) the NPS to participate in the Mathematics and Science Partnerships program that provides training to teachers of such subjects under title II of the ESEA; and (2) educational service agencies, including federal agencies that serve as educational service providers, to partner with LEAs under such title's Teaching American History Grant Program.

SECTION 1. NATIONAL PARK RANGER SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--Part D of title V of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7241 et seq.) is 
        amended by adding at the end the following:

         ``Subpart 22--National Park Ranger School Partnerships

``SEC. 5621. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the Director 
of the National Park Service, may award grants, on a competitive basis, 
to local educational agencies to enable the local educational agencies 
to carry out the authorized activities described in subsection (c).
    ``(b) Required Partnership.--A local educational agency that 
receives a grant under this subpart shall carry out the activities 
described in subsection (c) through a partnership that includes the 
National Park Service and may include a not-for-profit partner of the 
National Park Service.
    ``(c) Authorized Activities.--A local educational agency shall use 
funds provided under this subpart to carry out, through the 
partnership, both of the following activities:
            ``(1) Providing, for students in kindergarten through grade 
        12, educational programs (including programs under which 
        instruction is provided by National Park Service Rangers) that 
        emphasize science, the environment, natural resources, 
        mathematics, history, and civics.
            ``(2) Providing, for educators of students in kindergarten 
        through grade 12, professional development opportunities (such 
        as summer institutes) that emphasize science, the environment, 
        natural resources, mathematics, history, and civics.
    ``(d) Duration and Amounts.--Each grant under this subpart shall be 
for a period of 3 years, for an aggregate amount of not more than 
$25,000.
    ``(e) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
subpart, a local educational agency shall--
            ``(1)(A) be adjacent to a facility of the National Park 
        Service;
            ``(B) be close to a Research and Learning Center of the 
        National Park Service;
            ``(C) have a partnership with or be capable of partnering 
        with a unit of the National Park System; or
            ``(D) have, or agree to develop, a technology-based 
        distance learning link to the National Park Service;
            ``(2) be identified for improvement under subsection (c) of 
        section 1116; and
            ``(3) be a high need local educational agency.
    ``(f) Criteria.--Grants under this subpart shall be awarded on a 
competitive basis using criteria established by the Secretary, in 
collaboration with the Director of the National Park Service.
    ``(g) Reports by Grantees.--Upon completing the grant period for a 
grant under this section, the local educational agency receiving the 
grant shall submit to the Secretary a report that identifies--
            ``(1) the number of students participating in the 
        activities described in subsection (c)(1) that were carried out 
        under the grant;
            ``(2) the achievement attained by those students in 
        mathematics, science, and any other academic areas relevant to 
        the activities carried out under the grant, as measured against 
        benchmarks established by the Secretary, in coordination with 
        the National Park Service;
            ``(3) the number of educators participating in the 
        activities described in subsection (c)(2) that were carried out 
        under the grant; and
            ``(4) the professional development received by those 
        educators in mathematics, science, civics, and any other 
        academic areas relevant to the activities carried out under the 
        grant.
    ``(h) Report by Secretary.--Not later than 3 years after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Secretary, in coordination with the 
Director of the National Park Service, shall submit a report to 
Congress on the implementation of this subpart. The report shall 
include recommendations on whether and to what extent the program 
should be continued or expanded.''.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--Section 5401 of that 
        Act (20 U.S.C. 7241) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``There are'' and inserting the 
                following:
    ``(a) In General.--There are''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) National Park Ranger School Partnerships.--There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out subpart 22, such sums as may 
be necessary for fiscal year 2008 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal 
years.''.
            (3) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents in section 2 
        of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 note) is amended by adding after 
        the items relating to subpart 21 of part D of title V the 
        following:

         ``subpart 22--national park ranger school partnerships

``Sec. 5621. Program authorized.''.
    (b) National Park Service Eligibility for Certain Programs.--
            (1) Mathematics and science partnerships.--Section 
        2201(b)(1)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 6661(b)(1)(B)) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) as (iv) 
                and (v), respectively; and
                    (B) by adding after clause (ii) the following:
                            ``(iii) the National Park Service;''.
            (2) Teaching of traditional american history.--Section 
        2351(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6721(b)) is amended by adding at 
        the end the following:
            ``(4) An educational service agency.
            ``(5) A Federal agency that serves as an educational 
        service provider.''.