II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 491

To enable America’s schools to use their computer hardware to increase

student achievement and prepare students for the 21st century workplace.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 2, 1999

Mr. LAUTENBERG introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

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

A BILL

To enable America’s schools to use their computer hardware

to increase student achievement and prepare students

for the 21st century workplace.

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 ‘‘Education for the 21st

5 Century (e–21) Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

7 It is the purpose of this Act to enable America’s

8 schools to use their computer hardware to increase student

9 achievement and prepare students for the 21st century

10 workplace.
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1 SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

2 Congress makes the following findings:

3 (1) Establishing computer literacy for middle

4 school graduates will help ensure that students are

5 receiving the skills needed for advanced education

6 and for securing employment in the 21st century.

7 (2) Computer literacy skills, such as informa8 tion gathering, critical analysis and communication

9 with the latest technology, build upon the necessary

10 basics of reading, writing, mathematics, and other

11 core subject areas.

12 (3) According to a study conducted by the Edu13 cational Testing Service (ETS), eighth grade mathe14 matics students whose teachers used computers for

15 simulations and applications outperformed students

16 whose teachers did not use such educational tech17 nology.

18 (4) Although an ever increasing amount of

19 schools are obtaining the latest computer hardware,

20 schools will not be able to take advantage of the ben21 efits of computer-based learning unless teachers are

22 effectively trained in the latest educational software

23 applications.

24 (5) The Educational Testing Service (ETS)

25 study showed that students whose teachers received

26 training in computers performed better than other
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1 students. The study also found that schools that

2 provide teachers with professional development in

3 computers enjoyed higher staff morale and lower ab4 senteeism rates.

5 (6) Some of the most exciting applications in

6 educational technology are being developed not only

7 by commercial software companies, but also by uni8 versity faculty and secondary school and college stu9 dents. The fruit of this academic talent should be

10 channeled more effectively to benefit our Nation’s el11 ementary and secondary schools.

12 SEC. 4. MIDDLE SCHOOL COMPUTER LITERACY CHAL13 LENGE.

14 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Edu15 cation is authorized to award grants to States that inte16 grate into the State curriculum the goal of making all mid17 dle school graduates in the State technology literate.

18 (b) USES.—Grants awarded under this section shall

19 be used for teacher training in technology, with an empha20 sis on programs that prepare 1 or more teachers in each

21 middle school in the State to become technology leaders

22 who then serve as experts and train other teachers.

23 (c) MATCHING FUNDS.—Each State shall encourage

24 schools that receive assistance under this section to pro25 vide matching funds, with respect to the cost of teacher
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1 training in technology to be assisted under this section,

2 in order to enhance the impact of the teacher training and

3 to help ensure that all middle school graduates in the

4 State are computer literate.

5 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

6 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section

7 $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through

8 2004.

9 SEC. 5. HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE FOR ALL

10 SCHOOLS.

11 (a) COMPETITION AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of

12 Education is authorized to award grants, on a competitive

13 basis, to secondary school and college students working

14 with university faculty, software developers, and experts

15 in educational technology for the development of high16 quality educational software and Internet web sites by

17 such students, faculty, developers, and experts.

18 (b) RECOGNITION.—

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education

20 shall recognize outstanding educational software and

21 Internet web sites developed with assistance provided

22 under this section.

23 (2) CERTIFICATES.—The President is requested

24 to, and the Secretary shall, issue an official certifi25 cate signed by the President and Secretary, to each
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1 student and faculty member who develops outstand2 ing educational software or Internet web sites recog3 nized under this section.

4 (c) FOCUS.—The educational software or Internet

5 web sites that are recognized under this section shall focus

6 on core curriculum areas.

7 (d) PRIORITY.—

8 (1) FIRST YEAR.—For the first year that the

9 Secretary awards grants under this section, the Sec10 retary shall give priority to awarding grants for the

11 development of educational software or Internet web

12 sites in the areas of mathematics, science, and read13 ing.

14 (2) SECOND AND THIRD YEARS.—For the sec15 ond and third years that the Secretary awards

16 grants under this section, the Secretary shall give

17 priority to awarding grants for the development of

18 educational software or Internet web sites in the

19 areas described in paragraph (1) and in social stud20 ies, the humanities, and the arts.

21 (e) JUDGES.—The Secretary shall designate official

22 judges to recognize outstanding educational software or

23 Internet web sites assisted under this section.

24 (f) DOWNLOADING.—Educational software recog25 nized under this section shall be made available to local
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1 educational agencies for free downloading from the De2 partment of Education’s Internet web site. Internet web

3 sites recognized under this section shall be accessible to

4 any user of the World Wide Web.

5 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

6 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section

7 $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through

8 2004.

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