Next Generation Technology Innovation Awards Act of 2000

Summary: Authorizes the Secretary of Education, through the Office of Educational Technology, to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements on a competitive basis to eligible applicants, which are consortia that include: (1) at least one State educational agency or local educational agency; and (2) at least one institution of higher education, for-profit entity, museum, library, other public or private entity with appropriate expertise. Sets forth requirements for applications, plans, priorities, uses of funds, and evaluation. Authorizes the Secretary to require a non-Federal share of up to 50 percent of the cost of activities assisted pursuant to such an award.
Authorizes appropriations.
Repeals provisions for a program of national challenge grants for technology in education.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Next Generation Technology 
Innovation Awards Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. NEXT-GENERATION TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARDS FOR SCHOOLS.

    (a) In General.--Part B of title III of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6891 et seq.) is amended to 
read as follows:

         ``PART B--NEXT-GENERATION TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARDS

``SEC. 3211. PURPOSE; PROGRAM AUTHORITY.

    ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this part to--
            ``(1) expand the knowledge base about the use of the next 
        generation of advanced computers and telecommunications in 
        delivering new applications for teaching and learning;
            ``(2) address questions of national significance about the 
        next generation of technology and its use to improve teaching 
        and learning; and
            ``(3) develop, for wide-scale adoption by State educational 
        agencies and local educational agencies, models of innovative 
        and effective applications of technology to teaching and 
        learning, such as high quality video, voice recognition 
        devices, modeling and simulation software (particularly web-
        based software and intelligent tutoring), hand-held devices, 
        and virtual reality and wireless technologies, which are 
        aligned with challenging State academic content and student 
        performance standards.
    ``(b) Program Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
        grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements on a competitive 
        basis through the Office of Educational Technology to eligible 
        applicants in order to carry out the purposes of this part.
            ``(2) Period of award.--A grant, contract, or cooperative 
        agreement awarded under this part shall be for a period of not 
        more than 5 years.

``SEC. 3212. ELIGIBILITY.

    ``(a) Eligible Applicants.--In order to receive an award under this 
part, an applicant shall be a consortium which includes--
            ``(1) at least one State educational agency or local 
        educational agency; and
            ``(2) at least one institution of higher education, for-
        profit entity, museum, library, or other public or private 
        entity with a particular expertise that would assist the 
        educational agency in carrying out the purposes of this part.
    ``(b) Application Requirements.--In order to receive an award under 
this part, an eligible applicant shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, and containing such information, as the 
Secretary may require. Such application shall include--
            ``(1) a description of the proposed project and how it 
        would carry out the purposes of this part; and
            ``(2) a detailed plan for the independent evaluation of the 
        project, which shall include benchmarks to monitor progress 
        toward specific project objectives.
    ``(c) Priorities.--In making awards under this part, the Secretary 
may establish one or more priorities consistent with the objectives of 
this part, including the following:
            ``(1) A priority for projects which develop innovative 
        models of effective use of educational technology, including 
        the development of distance learning networks, software, 
        (including software deliverable through the Internet), and 
        online-learning resources.
            ``(2) A priority for projects serving more than one State 
        and involving large-scale innovations in the use of technology 
        in education.
            ``(3) A priority for projects which develop innovative 
        models for serving traditionally underserved populations, 
        including low-income students, students with disabilities, and 
        students with limited English proficiency.
            ``(4) A priority for projects for which applicants provide 
        substantial financial and other resources to achieve the goals 
        of the project.
            ``(5) A priority for projects which develop innovative 
        models for using electronic networks to provide challenging 
        courses, such as Advanced Placement courses.
            ``(6) A priority for projects which establish high-speed, 
        large bandwidth capacity Internet access.

``SEC. 3213. USES OF FUNDS.

    ``A recipient shall use funds awarded under this part to--
            ``(1) develop new applications of educational technologies 
        and telecommunications to support school reform efforts, such 
        as wireless and web-based telecommunications, hand-held 
        devices, web-based learning resources, distributed learning 
        environments (including distance learning networks), and the 
        development of educational software and other applications;
            ``(2) integrate technology across the curriculum of the 
        State educational agency or the local educational agency (as 
        the case may be); and
            ``(3) carry out other activities consistent with the 
        purposes of this part, including the following:
                    ``(A) Developing innovative models for improving 
                teachers' ability to integrate technology effectively 
                into course curriculum through sustained, intensive, 
                and high-quality professional development.
                    ``(B) Developing high-quality, standards-based 
                digital content, including multimedia software, digital 
                video, and web-based resources, including--
                            ``(i) new technological formats to 
                        facilitate better subject matter understanding 
                        in particularly challenging learning 
                        environments in areas such as physics, foreign 
                        languages, or Advanced Placement courses;
                            ``(ii) computer modeling, visualization, 
                        and simulation tools;
                            ``(iii) new methods for assessing student 
                        performance;
                            ``(iv) web-based and other distance 
                        learning curricula and related materials, such 
                        as interoperable software components;
                            ``(v) learning-focused digital libraries, 
                        information retrieval systems, and other 
                        designs for supporting broad re-use of learning 
                        content; and
                            ``(vi) software which supports the 
                        development, modification, and maintenance of 
                        educational materials.
                    ``(C) Using telecommunications and other 
                technologies to make programs accessible to students 
                with special needs (such as low-income students, 
                students with disabilities, students in remote areas, 
                and students with limited English proficiency) through 
                such activities as using technology to support 
                mentoring.
                    ``(D) Providing classroom and extracurricular 
                opportunities for female students to explore the 
                different uses of technology and gain awareness of 
                careers and opportunities in the technology field.
                    ``(E) Promoting school-family partnerships, which 
                may include services for adults and families, 
                particularly parent education programs providing 
                parents with training, information, and support on how 
                to help their children achieve high academic standards.
                    ``(F) Acquiring connectivity linkages, resources, 
                distance learning networks, and services, including 
                hardware and software, as needed to accomplish the 
                goals of the project.
                    ``(G) Collaborating with other technology research 
                and development programs of the Secretary and the 
                Federal government.

``SEC. 3214. EVALUATION

    ``The Secretary is authorized to--
            ``(1) develop tools and provide resources for recipients of 
        funds under this part to evaluate their activities;
            ``(2) provide technical assistance to assist recipients of 
        funds under this part in evaluating their projects;
            ``(3) conduct independent evaluations of the activities 
        assisted under this part; and
            ``(4) disseminate findings and methodologies from 
        evaluations of activities assisted under this part, or other 
        information obtained from such projects which would promote the 
        design, replication, or implementation of effective models for 
        evaluating the impact of educational technology on teaching and 
        learning.

``SEC. 3215. LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

    ``A recipient of funds under this part may not use more than 3 
percent of the funds awarded to the recipient for any fiscal year for 
administrative costs or technical assistance.

``SEC. 3216. NON-FEDERAL SHARE.

    ``(a) In General.--Subject to subsections (b) and (c), the 
Secretary may require any recipient of an award under this part to 
share in the cost of the activities assisted under such award, which 
may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions fairly valued.
    ``(b) Increase.--The Secretary may increase the non-Federal share 
required of a recipient of an award under this part after the first 
year such recipient receives funds under such award.
    ``(c) Maximum.--The non-Federal share required under this section 
may not exceed 50 percent of the cost of the activities assisted 
pursuant to an award under this part.
    ``(d) Notice.--The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register 
the non-Federal share required under this section.

``SEC. 3217. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``For purposes of carrying out this part, there are authorized to 
be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001 and 
for each of the four succeeding fiscal years.''.
    (b) Conforming Repeal of Former Program for National Challenge 
Grants.--
            (1) In general.--Subpart 2 of part A of title III of such 
        Act (20 U.S.C. 6841 et seq.) is amended--
                    (A) by striking section 3136; and
                    (B) by redesignating section 3137 as section 3136.
            (2) Other conforming amendments.--Section 3114 of such Act 
        (20 U.S.C. 6814) is amended--
                    (A) by striking subsection (b);
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) of subsection 
                (a) as subsection (b) and moving such provision 2 ems 
                to the left;
                    (C) by redesignating paragraph (1) of subsection 
                (a) as subsection (a) and moving such provision 2 ems 
                to the left;
                    (D) by striking ``(A)(i)'' and inserting 
                ``(1)(A)'';
                    (E) by striking ``(ii)'' and inserting ``(B)'';
                    (F) by striking ``(B)'' and inserting ``(2)'';
                    (G) by striking ``(C)'' and inserting ``(3)'';
                    (H) in the heading, by striking ``; FUNDING RULE''; 
                and
                    (I) by striking ``(a) Authorization of 
                Appropriations.--''.