National Writing Project Reauthorization Act of 1993

Summary: National Writing Project Reauthorization Act of 1993 - Amends the Education Council Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-62) to extend the authorization of appropriations for the National Writing Project. 
Revises provisions relating to the National Writing Project, including provisions for Federal share, evaluation, and research and development activities.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Writing Project 
Reauthorization Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Section 201 of the Education Council Act of 1991 (hereafter in this 
Act referred to as the ``Act'') is amended--
            (1) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) the writing problem has been magnified by the rapidly 
        changing student populations in the Nation's schools and the 
        growing number of students who are at risk because of limited-
        English proficiency;'';
            (2) in paragraph (6)--
                    (A) by inserting ``writing and reading are both 
                fundamental to learning, yet writing has been 
                historically neglected in the schools and colleges, 
                and'' before ``most''; and
                    (B) by striking the comma before ``have'';
            (3) by amending paragraph (10) to read as follows:
            ``(10) the National Writing Project has become a model for 
        programs to improve teaching in such other fields as 
        mathematics, science, history, literature, performing arts, and 
        foreign languages;'';
            (4) by amending paragraph (15) to read as follows:
            ``(15) each year over 100,000 teachers voluntarily seek 
        training in National Writing Project intensive summer 
        institutes and workshops and school-year in-service programs 
        through one of the 154 regional sites located in 45 States, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and in 4 sites that serve United 
        States teachers teaching in United States dependent and 
        independent schools;'';
            (5) by striking paragraph (17);
            (6) by redesignating paragraph (18) as paragraph (17);
            (7) in paragraph (17) (as redesignated in paragraph (7)), 
        by striking the period at the end thereof and inserting a 
        semicolon; and
            (8) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
            ``(18) independent evaluation studies have found the 
        National Writing Project to be highly cost effective compared 
        to other professional development programs for teachers; and
            ``(19) during 1991, the first year of Federal support for 
        the National Writing Project, the National Writing Project 
        matched the $1,951,975 in Federal support with $9,485,504 in 
        matching funds from State, local, and other sources.''.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL WRITING PROJECT.

    Section 202 of the Act is amended--
            (1) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by striking the subparagraph 
                        designation ``(A)''; and
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (B); and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (4);
            (2) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of 
                paragraph (1), by striking ``to enable'' and inserting 
                ``to pay the Federal share of the cost of enabling''; 
                and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) Federal share.--For the purpose of this subsection 
        the term ``Federal share'' means, with respect to the costs of 
        activities assisted under this subsection, 50 percent of such 
        costs to the elementary or secondary school teacher.'';
            (3) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
    ``(g) Evaluation.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct an 
        independent evaluation of the teacher training programs 
        assisted under this section. Such evaluation shall specify the 
        amount of funds expended by the National Writing Project and 
        each contractor receiving assistance under this section. The 
        results of such evaluation shall be made available to the 
        appropriate committees of the Congress.
            ``(2) Funding limitation.--The Secretary shall reserve not 
        more than $150,000 from the total amount appropriated pursuant 
        to the authority of subsection (i) for fiscal year 1994 and the 
        4 succeeding fiscal years to conduct the evaluation described 
        in paragraph (1).'';
            (4) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:
    ``(h) Research and Development Activities.--
            ``(1) Grants authorized.--From amounts appropriated 
        pursuant to the authority of subsection (i)(2), the National 
        Writing Project shall make grants to individuals and 
        institutions of higher education that either have participated 
        in a National Writing Project institute or are institutions 
        designated as National Writing Project sites, to enable such 
        individuals and institutions to conduct research activities 
        involving the teaching of writing.
            ``(2) Application review.--The National Writing Project 
        shall establish and operate a National Review Board that shall 
        consist of--
                    ``(A) leaders in the field of research in writing; 
                and
                    ``(B) such other individuals as the National 
                Writing Project deems necessary.
            ``(3) Duties.--The National Review Board shall--
                    ``(A) review all applications for assistance under 
                this subsection; and
                    ``(B) recommended applications for assistance under 
                this subsection for funding by the National Writing 
                Project.
            ``(4) Junior researcher priority and funding rule.--(A) In 
        awarding grants pursuant to paragraph (1), the National Writing 
        Project shall give priority to awarding such grants to junior 
        researchers.
            ``(B) The National Writing Project shall award not less 
        than 25 percent of the funds received pursuant to subsection 
        (i)(2) to junior researchers.
            ``(5) Availability of findings.--The National Writing 
        Project shall make available to the Secretary and to the 
        network of National Writing Project sites the findings of the 
        research conducted pursuant to the authority of paragraph 
        (1).''; and
            (5) in subsection (i)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``1991'' and inserting 
                        ``1994''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``fiscal years 1992 and 
                        1993'' and inserting ``each of the 4 succeeding 
                        fiscal years''; and
                    (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) Research and development.--In each fiscal year in 
        which the amount appropriated pursuant to the authority of 
        paragraph (1) equals or exceeds $10,000,000, there are 
        authorized to be appropriated $500,000 to carry out the 
        provisions of subsection (h).''.