I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3597 

To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to 10 institutions 

of higher education for the expansion of master’s degree in physical 

education programs that emphasize technology and innovative teaching 

practices. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2011 

Mr. BRALEY of Iowa (for himself and Mr. BOSWELL) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants 

to 10 institutions of higher education for the expansion 

of master’s degree in physical education programs that 

emphasize technology and innovative teaching practices. 

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 ‘‘Shawn Johnson Fit5 ness for Life Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TECHNOLOGY IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION GRANT 

7 PROGRAM. 

8 (a) GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.— 


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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Edu2 cation is authorized to make grants on a competitive 

3 basis to 10 institutions of higher education for the 

4 expansion of master’s degree in physical education 

5 programs that emphasize the incorporation of tech6 nology and innovative teaching practices into the 

7 teaching of physical education. 

8 (2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Subject to the avail9 ability of appropriations to carry out this section, 

10 the Secretary shall implement the grant program au11 thorized in this section not later than 180 days after 

12 the date of enactment of this Act. 

13 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary may only award a 

14 grant under this section to an institution of higher edu15 cation that— 

16 (1) prior to applying for such grant, has estab17 lished a master’s degree in physical education pro18 gram; and 

19 (2) submits an application at such time, in such 

20 form, and accompanied by such information and as21 surances as the Secretary may require, including— 

22 (A) a detailed description of the institution 

23 of higher education’s master’s degree in phys24 ical education program; 


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1 (B) a detailed description of at least 1 

2 local educational agency with which the institu3 tion of higher education will partner as required 

4 by subsection (c)(1)(D) and why the institution 

5 of higher education chose such local educational 

6 agency as a partner; and 

7 (C) a plan for using grant funds in accord8 ance with subsection (c). 

9 (c) USE OF FUNDS.— 

10 (1) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—An institution of 

11 higher education that receives a grant under this 

12 section shall use the grant funds to carry out the 

13 following activities: 

14 (A) Instructing its master’s degree can15 didates on incorporation of technology and in16 novative teaching practices into the teaching of 

17 physical education and on ways of encouraging 

18 children to be more physically active outside the 

19 classroom. 

20 (B) Developing a curriculum for its mas21 ter’s degree in physical education program that 

22 links practice and theory. 

23 (C) Offering programs that extend the 

24 master’s degree in physical education program 

25 into the community of the local educational 


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1 agency with which the institution of higher edu2 cation is partnering, as required by subpara3 graph (D), such as programs that make avail4 able facilities for use by both master’s degree 

5 candidates and community members and phys6 ical education classes in which both master’s 

7 degree candidates and community members 

8 may participate. 

9 (D) Partnering with a local educational 

10 agency to increase the availability and quality 

11 of physical education instruction in schools 

12 served by the local educational agency and to 

13 provide master’s degree candidates with oppor14 tunities for obtaining student-teaching experi15 ence. 

16 (E) Providing a majority of the instruction 

17 required for graduation from the master’s de18 gree in physical education program at schools 

19 served by the local educational agency with 

20 which the institution of higher education is 

21 partnering, as required by subparagraph (D). 

22 (F) Requiring each master’s degree can23 didate to serve as a full-time student teacher in 

24 schools served by the local educational agency 


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1 with which the institution of higher education is 

2 partnering, as required by subparagraph (D). 

3 (G) Actively promoting the master’s degree 

4 in physical education program to prospective 

5 students, including by creating additional incen6 tives to recruit prospective students into the 

7 program, if the institution of higher education 

8 considers such incentives necessary. 

9 (H) Such additional activities as the Sec10 retary may require. 

11 (2) PERMITTED ACTIVITIES.—An institution of 

12 higher education that receives a grant under this 

13 section may use any grant funds remaining after 

14 carrying out the activities required by paragraph (1) 

15 for any purpose related to the incorporation of tech16 nology and innovative teaching practices into its 

17 master’s degree in physical education program, in18 cluding— 

19 (A) purchasing equipment and technology 

20 designed to increase or enhance physical activ21 ity participation or fitness levels, including 

22 heart rate monitors, pocket PCs, and fitness as23 sessment systems; 

24 (B) providing stipends for master’s degree 

25 candidates; and 


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1 (C) covering the administrative costs in2 curred by the institution of higher education in 

3 connection with activities required or permitted 

4 by this subsection and the reporting require5 ment of subsection (f)(1). 

6 (d) CONSULTANT INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDU7 CATION.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Before making grants under 

9 this section, the Secretary shall choose 1 institution 

10 of higher education to serve as a consultant to the 

11 Secretary in developing the grant program, including 

12 establishing additional eligibility and application cri13 teria under subsection (b)(2) and additional required 

14 activities under subsection (c)(1)(H). 

15 (2) ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary may only 

16 choose as a consultant under paragraph (1) an insti17 tution of higher education that, not later than 5 

18 years prior to the beginning of such relationship and 

19 throughout such relationship— 

20 (A) offers a master’s degree in physical 

21 education program that emphasizes the incorpo22 ration of technology into the teaching of phys23 ical education; and 

24 (B) partners with a local educational agen25 cy that serves schools in which the institution 


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1 of higher education’s master’s degree can2 didates serve as student teachers. 

3 (3) REIMBURSEMENT OF COSTS.—The Sec4 retary shall reimburse the institution of higher edu5 cation the Secretary chooses under paragraph (1) 

6 for the costs it incurs in serving as a consultant to 

7 the Secretary. 

8 (e) DURATION AND RENEWAL OF GRANT.— 

9 (1) DURATION.—A grant under this section 

10 shall be awarded over 4 fiscal years. 

11 (2) RENEWAL.—An institution of higher edu12 cation is eligible to apply for renewal of a grant 

13 under this section if it continues to meet the eligi14 bility requirements of subsection (b). 

15 (f) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 

16 (1) REPORT FROM INSTITUTION OF HIGHER

17 EDUCATION TO SECRETARY.—Not later than 60 

18 days after the conclusion of each fiscal year in which 

19 it receives grant funds under this section, an institu20 tion of higher education shall submit to the Sec21 retary a report that includes a detailed explanation 

22 and analysis of— 

23 (A) how the institution of higher education 

24 has used grant funds; 


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1 (B) the impact of the grant on the ability 

2 of the institution of higher education to train 

3 master’s degree candidates to incorporate tech4 nology and innovative teaching practices into 

5 the teaching of physical education; and 

6 (C) the impact that the institution of high7 er education’s partnership has had on the local 

8 educational agency with which it is partnering, 

9 as required by subsection (c)(1)(D). 

10 (2) REPORT FROM SECRETARY TO CONGRESS.— 

11 Not later than 120 days after the conclusion of each 

12 fiscal year in which the Secretary awards grant 

13 funds under this section, the Secretary shall submit 

14 to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

15 of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

16 on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 

17 Senate a report that includes a summary of— 

18 (A) how institutions of higher education 

19 receiving grants under this section have used 

20 grant funds in such fiscal year; 

21 (B) the impact of the grant program on 

22 the ability of institutions of higher education to 

23 train master’s degree candidates to incorporate 

24 technology and innovative teaching practices 

25 into the teaching of physical education; and 


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1 (C) the impact of the grant program on 

2 the local educational agencies with which insti3 tutions of higher education are partnering, as 

4 required by subsection (c)(1)(D). 

5 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi6 nitions apply: 

7 (1) FITNESS ASSESSMENT SYSTEM.—The term 

8 ‘‘fitness assessment system’’ means a method or de9 vice that enables a physical education teacher to 

10 monitor a student’s fitness progress, including a 

11 pocket PC and a heart rate monitor. 

12 (2) INNOVATIVE TEACHING PRACTICE.—The 

13 term ‘‘innovative teaching practice’’ means a teach14 ing practice that gives teachers an opportunity to ex15 plore new ideas and methods for teaching physical 

16 education to students. Such a practice— 

17 (A) shall include the use of technology in 

18 the physical education curriculum; and 

19 (B) may include any other practice that 

20 has been proven to increase students’ interest 

21 in physical education or to make students 

22 healthier and more physically fit. 

23 (3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

24 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

25 meaning given such term in section 102 of the HighVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:05 Dec 14, 2011 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3597.IH H3597

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1 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), except 

2 that such term does not include an institution de3 scribed in subsection (a)(1)(C) of such section. 

4 (4) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 

5 ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 

6 such term in section 9101(26) of the Elementary 

7 and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

8 7801(26)). 

9 (5) MASTER’S DEGREE CANDIDATE.—The term 

10 ‘‘master’s degree candidate’’ means a student in a 

11 master’s degree in physical education program. 

12 (6) MASTER’S DEGREE IN PHYSICAL EDU13 CATION PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘master’s degree in 

14 physical education program’’ means a graduate pro15 gram of study leading to the award of the degree of 

16 master of arts in physical education or master of 

17 science in physical education. 

18 (7) POCKET PC.—The term ‘‘pocket PC’’ means 

19 a fitness assessment system, including software and 

20 handheld computers, that enables a physical edu21 cation teacher to remotely collect data about each 

22 student’s fitness as students participate in class ac23 tivities and to generate individual fitness report 

24 cards for each student based on such data. 


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1 (8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of Education. 

Æ 


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