Educational Technology Utilization Extension Assistance Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Educational Technology Utilization 
Extension Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to improve the utilization of 
educational technologies in elementary and secondary education by 
creating an educational technology extension service based at 
undergraduate institutions of higher education.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Extension services such as the Manufacturing Extension 
        Partnership and the Agricultural Extension Service have proven 
        to be effective public/private partnerships to integrate new 
        technologies and to improve utilization of existing 
        technologies by small to medium sized manufacturers and the 
        United States agricultural community.
            (2) Undergraduate institutions of higher education working 
        with non-profit organizations, State, and Federal agencies can 
        tailor educational technology extension programs to meet 
        specific local and regional requirements.
            (3) Undergraduate institutions of higher education, often 
        with the assistance of the National Science Foundation, have 
        for the past 20 years been integrating educational technologies 
        into their curricula, and as such they can draw upon their own 
        experiences to advise elementary and secondary school educators 
        on ways to integrate a variety of educational technologies into 
        the educational process.
            (4) Many elementary and secondary school systems, 
        particularly in rural and traditionally under served areas, 
        lack general information on the most effective methods to 
        integrate their existing technology infrastructure, as well as 
        new educational technology, into the educational process and 
        curriculum.
            (5) Most Federal and State educational technology programs 
        have focused on acquiring educational technologies with less 
        emphasis on the utilization of those technologies in the 
        classroom and the training and infrastructural requirements 
        needed to efficiently support those types of technologies. As a 
        result, in many instances, the full potential of educational 
        technology has not been realized.
            (6) Our global economy is increasingly reliant on a 
        workforce not only comfortable with technology, but also able 
        to integrate rapid technological changes into the production 
        process. As such, in order to remain competitive in a global 
        economy, it is imperative that we maintain a work-ready labor 
        force.
            (7) According to ``Teacher Quality: A Report on the 
        Preparation and Qualifications of Public School Teacher'', 
        prepared by the Department of Education, only 1 in 5 teachers 
        felt they were well prepared to work in a modern classroom.
            (8) The most common form of professional development for 
        teachers continue to be workshops that typically last no more 
        than one day and have little relevance to teachers' work in the 
        classroom.
            (9) A 1998 national survey completed by the Department of 
        Education found that only 19 percent of teachers had been 
        formally mentored by another teacher, and that 70 percent of 
        these teachers felt that this collaboration was very helpful to 
        their teaching.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) General Authority.--The Director of the National Science 
Foundation, in cooperation with the Secretary of Education and the 
Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall 
provide assistance for the creation and support of regional centers for 
the utilization of educational technologies (hereinafter in this Act 
referred to as ``ETU Centers'').
    (b) Functions of Centers.--
            (1) Establishment.--ETU Centers may be established at any 
        institution of higher education, but such centers may include 
        the participation of non-profit entities, organizations, or 
        groups thereof.
            (2) Objectives of centers.--The objective of the ETU 
        Centers is to enhance the utilization of educational 
        technologies in elementary and secondary education through--
                    (A) advising of elementary and secondary school 
                administrators, school boards, and teachers on the 
                adoption and utilization of new educational 
                technologies and the utility of local schools' existing 
                educational technology assets and infrastructure;
                    (B) participation of individuals from the private 
                sector, universities, State and local governments, and 
                other Federal agencies;
                    (C) active dissemination of technical and 
                management information about the use of educational 
                technologies; and
                    (D) utilization, where appropriate, of the 
                expertise and capabilities that exists in Federal 
                laboratories and Federal agencies.
            (3) Activities of centers.--The activities of the ETU 
        Centers shall include the following:
                    (A) The active transfer and dissemination of 
                research findings and ETU Center expertise to local 
                school authorities, including but not limited to school 
                administrators, school boards, and teachers.
                    (B) The training of teachers in the integration of 
                local schools existing educational technology 
                infrastructure into their instructional design.
                    (C) The training and advising of teachers, 
                administrators, and school board members in the 
                acquisition, utilization, and support of educational 
                technologies.
                    (D) Support services to teachers, administrators, 
                and school board members as agreed upon by ETU Center 
                representatives and local school authorities.
                    (E) The advising of teachers, administrators, and 
                school board members on current skill set standards 
                employed by private industry.
    (c) Program Administration.--
            (1) Proposed rules.--The Director of the National Science 
        Foundation, after consultation with the Secretary of Education 
        and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology, shall publish in the Federal Register, within 90 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act, a proposed 
        rules for the program for establishing ETU Centers, including--
                    (A) a description of the program;
                    (B) the procedure to be followed by applicant;
                    (C) the criteria for determining qualified 
                applicants; and
                    (D) the criteria, including those listed in the 
                following sections, for choosing recipients of 
                financial assistance under this section from among 
                qualified applicants.
            (2) Final rules.--The Director of the National Science 
        Foundation shall publish final rules for the program under this 
        Act after the expiration of a 30-day comment period on such 
        proposed rules.
    (d) Eligibility and Selection.--
            (1) Applications required.--Any undergraduate institution 
        of higher education, consortia of such institutions, non-profit 
        organizations, or groups thereof may submit an application for 
        financial support under this section in accordance with the 
        procedures established under subsection (c). In order to 
        receive assistance under this Act, an applicant shall provide 
        adequate assurances that will contribute 50 percent or more of 
        the proposed Center's capital and annual operating and 
        maintenance costs.
            (2) Selection.--The Director of the National Science 
        Foundation, in conjunction with the Secretary of Education and 
        the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology, shall subject each application to competitive, 
        merit review. In making a decision whether to approve such 
        application and provide financial support under this section, 
        the Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider 
        at a minimum--
                    (A) the merits of the application, particularly 
                those portions of the application regarding the 
                adaption of training and educational technologies to 
                the needs of particular regions;
                    (B) the quality of service to be provided;
                    (C) the geographical diversity and extent of 
                service area, with particular emphasis on rural and 
                traditionally underdeveloped areas; and
                    (D) the percentage of funding and amount of in-kind 
                commitment from other sources.
            (3) Evaluation.--Each ETU Center which receives financial 
        assistance under this section shall be evaluated during its 
        third year of operation by an evaluation panel appointed by the 
        Director of the National Science Foundation. Each evaluation 
        panel shall measure the involved Center's performance against 
        the objectives specified in this section. Funding for an ETU 
        Center shall not be renewed unless the evaluation is positive.

SEC. 6. DEFINITION.

    As used in this Act, the term ``institution of higher education'' 
has the meaning given that term by section 101 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

Summary: Educational Technology Utilization Extension Assistance Act - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), in cooperation with the Secretary of Education and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to provide assistance for the creation and support of regional centers for the utilization of educational technologies . Allows ETU Centers to be established at any institution of higher education, and to include the participation of non-profit entities and organizations. Requires ETU Centers to enhance the use of educational technologies in elementary and secondary education through: (1) advising school administrators, school boards, and teachers on adopting and using new educational technologies and the usefulness of local schools' existing educational technology assets and infrastructure. (2) participation of individuals from the private sector, universities, State and local governments, and other Federal agencies. (3) active dissemination of technical and management information about the use of educational technologies. And (4) appropriate use of the expertise and capabilities that exist in Federal laboratories and Federal agencies. Requires ETU Centers' activities to include: (1) active transfer and dissemination of research findings and ETU Center expertise to local school authorities. (2) training teachers in integrating schools' existing educational technology infrastructure into their instructional design. (3) training and advising teachers, administrators, and school board members in acquiring, using, and supporting educational technologies, (4) support services to teachers, administrators, and school board members. And (5) advising teachers, administrators, and school board members on current skill set standards employed by private industry. Sets forth requirements for program administration and application and selection procedures. Allows any undergraduate institution of higher education, consortia of such institutions and non-profit organizations to apply for financial support in accordance with the procedures. Requires each applicant to provide adequate assurances that it will contribute 50 percent or more of the proposed ETU Center's capital and annual operating and maintenance costs. Requires the NSF Director, in conjunction with the Secretary of Education and the NIST Director, to subject each application to competitive merit review, including specified considerations. Requires each ETU Center to be evaluated during its third year of operation. Requires a positive evaluation for renewal of funding.