II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1188

To provide grants to State educational agencies and local educational agencies

for the provision of classroom-related technology training for elementary

and secondary school teachers.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 8 (legislative day, JUNE 7), 1999

Mrs. FEINSTEIN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To provide grants to State educational agencies and local

educational agencies for the provision of classroom-related technology training for elementary and secondary

school teachers.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Teacher Technology

5 Training Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress makes the following findings:
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1 (1) Between 1994 and 2005, more than

2 1,000,000 new computer scientists and engineers,

3 system analysts, and computer programmers will be

4 required in the United States.

5 (2) Today’s elementary school and secondary

6 school students need effective computer training in

7 schools so that the students can effectively compete

8 in tomorrow’s job market.

9 (3) More schools are using computers than ever

10 before creating a greater need for teachers to utilize

11 computer equipment effectively in a classroom set12 ting.

13 (4) In just 3 years, the percentage of public

14 schools with Internet access increased from 35 per15 cent in the fall of 1994 to 78 percent in the fall of

16 1997, with 98 percent of all schools owning com17 puters.

18 (5) The need for teachers who have knowledge

19 and mastery of computer skills in the classroom is

20 great.

21 (6) Schools need increased funding to serve the

22 computer and technology needs of their rapidly

23 growing student populations.

24 (7) Only 20 percent of elementary school and

25 secondary school teachers feel qualified in using
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1 computers and related technology, according to the

2 Department of Education.

3 SEC. 3 DEFINITIONS.

4 The terms used in this Act have the meanings given

5 the terms in section 14101 of the Elementary and Sec6 ondary Education Act of 1965.

7 SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to

9 award grants to State educational agencies to enable the

10 State educational agencies to award grants to local edu11 cational agencies for the provision of classroom-related

12 technology training for licensed or certified elementary

13 school or secondary school teachers.

14 (b) NEED BASIS.—Each State educational agency

15 that receives a grant under this Act shall use the grant

16 funds to award grants to local educational agencies in the

17 State on the basis of the local educational agencies’ dem18 onstrated need for strengthening teacher training in the

19 use of technology in instruction.

20 (c) DURATION.—A grant made under this Act shall

21 be awarded for a period not to exceed 5 years.

22 SEC. 5. GRANT AWARD.

23 (a) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a grant

24 under this Act—
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1 (1) a State educational agency shall submit an

2 application to the Secretary at such time and in

3 such form as the Secretary may require; and

4 (2) a local educational agency shall submit an

5 application to the State educational agency at such

6 time and in such form as the State educational

7 agency may require.

8 (b) NUMBER.—The State educational agency shall

9 award not less than one grant under this Act to a local

10 educational agency in the State that meets criteria for the

11 grant award that are established by the Secretary. If the

12 amount appropriated under section 8 for a fiscal year is

13 $50,000,000 or greater, then the Secretary shall award

14 1 grant to each State educational agency serving 1 of the

15 50 States of the United States.

16 SEC. 6. USES OF FUNDS.

17 A local educational agency that receives a grant

18 under this Act may use the grant funds to strengthen in19 struction and learning, provide professional development,

20 and pay the costs of training, related to the use of tech21 nologies in instruction. A local educational agency that re22 ceives a grant under this Act may use the grant funds

23 to provide training by local educational agency personnel

24 on school premises.
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1 SEC. 7. EVALUATION.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the

3 Secretary first awards grants under this Act, the Sec4 retary shall evaluate the technology training programs for

5 teachers developed by local educational agencies under this

6 Act.

7 (b) DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS.—The Secretary

8 shall collect information related to the evaluation and

9 make available to the public upon request the results of

10 the evaluation.

11 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary may

12 use not more than 2 percent of the total amount appro13 priated under section 8 for fiscal year 2000 to conduct

14 the evaluation under subsection (a).

15 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

16 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out

17 this Act $500,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000,

18 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.

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