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[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4043 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4043

To establish a national leadership initiative to promote and coordinate 
    knowledge utilization in education, thereby increasing student 
achievement consistent with the objectives of the No Child Left Behind 
                  Act of 2001, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 25, 2004

Mr. Holt (for himself, Mrs. Cubin, Mr. George Miller of California, Ms. 
  Woolsey, and Mr. Hinojosa) introduced the following bill; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To establish a national leadership initiative to promote and coordinate 
    knowledge utilization in education, thereby increasing student 
achievement consistent with the objectives of the No Child Left Behind 
                  Act of 2001, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Knowledge Utilization in Education 
Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Knowledge utilization allows information generated by 
        scientifically valid research to be available to, and usable 
        by, educators in the classroom.
            (2) Limited knowledge utilization has impeded the progress 
        of schools in increasing academic achievement of students.
            (3) Research shows that student achievement increases when 
        education practices based on scientifically valid research are 
        used by classroom teachers.
            (4) To facilitate the coordination and use of research-
        based practices by classroom teachers, effective knowledge 
        utilization is essential, including the development and use of 
        products and strategies based on scientifically valid research.
            (5) The active involvement of teachers, principals, 
        district administrators, and chief State school officers in 
        knowledge utilization activities is essential to the effective 
        application of research-based knowledge to policy and practice.
            (6) Although the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (which 
        amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 6301 et seq.)) requires educators to use instructional 
        practices and innovations supported by scientifically valid 
        research, such practices and innovations are in short supply 
        and not widely available and coordinated for use in classrooms.
            (7) Given that a significant percentage of public schools 
        in the United States are not making adequate yearly progress 
        under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, steps must be taken 
        to coordinate the use of knowledge utilization by classroom 
        educators.
            (8) Particular subgroups of students are not making 
        adequate yearly progress, as defined by the No Child Left 
        Behind Act of 2001, including economically disadvantaged 
        students, students from major racial and ethnic groups, 
        students with disabilities, and students with limited English 
        proficiency. Such students require targeted efforts to ensure 
        that they are receiving instruction supported by scientifically 
        valid research.
            (9) More instructional activities and practices supported 
        by scientifically valid research need to be developed to meet 
        the current and expected demands of educators in schools.
            (10) Although existing federal research, development, 
        dissemination, and technical assistance programs have been 
        proven to be effective, these programs need to be brought to 
        national scale and coordinated through a national, knowledge 
        utilization initiative.
            (11) Effective knowledge utilization in education brings 
        together the professional wisdom of practitioners and the best 
        available empirical evidence generated through scientifically 
        valid research.
            (12) Too often exemplary innovations in teaching, 
        curriculum, and assessment are demonstrated to be effective, 
        but have minimal impact because they are not brought to scale.
            (13) Educational practices that are supported by 
        scientifically valid research need to be brought to greater 
        scale in school districts across the country in order to have 
        broad influence on student achievement.
            (14) National leadership is needed to provide targeted 
        initiatives, collaboration, and coordination of knowledge 
        utilization programs to ensure that classroom educators have 
        access to, and utilize practices supported by, scientifically 
        valid research.
            (15) A national leadership office intended to coordinate 
        Department of Education programs and promote knowledge 
        utilization in education will facilitate the effective 
        implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OFFICE FOR KNOWLEDGE UTILIZATION IN 
              EDUCATION.

    (a) Establishment.--There shall be in the Department of Education 
the National Leadership Office for Knowledge Utilization in Education 
(in this section referred to as the ``Office''), to be headed by a 
Director appointed under subsection (c).
    (b) Duties.--The duties of the Office shall be the following:
            (1) Promoting the use of scientifically valid research in 
        education practice and innovation.
            (2) Providing leadership to the Nation in developing and 
        promoting policies, practices, and investments that result in 
        the provision of instruction supported by scientifically valid 
        research to elementary and secondary school students.
            (3) Developing and promoting policies, practices, and 
        investments that result in bringing to scale successful 
        educational practices that are based on scientifically valid 
        research.
            (4) Informing the public about the significance of using 
        scientifically valid research in education.
            (5) Encouraging the use of new technologies in appropriate 
        knowledge utilization efforts.
            (6) Supporting the effective coordination of current 
        federally supported knowledge utilization programs, including 
        regional educational laboratories, research and development 
        centers, technical assistance centers and consortia, national 
        clearinghouses, and other entities involved in research, 
        development, dissemination, technical assistance, and 
        evaluation.
            (7) Administering the partnership established pursuant to 
        subsection (e).
            (8) Producing the biennial report required by subsection 
        (f).
            (9) Using the expertise of existing knowledge utilization 
        programs to assist in the implementation of this section.
    (c) Director; Staff.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Secretary of Education shall appoint 
        the Director of the Office.
            (2) Qualifications.--The Director of the Office shall be 
        selected from among individuals who are experts in--
                    (A) knowledge utilization, including promoting the 
                effective implementation of the results of research in 
                the classroom; and
                    (B) managing large institutions or consortia that 
                conduct a broad array of research applications.
            (3) Duties.--The Director of the Office shall--
                    (A) report directly to the Secretary;
                    (B) be responsible for the duties of the Office 
                described in subsection (b); and
                    (C) perform such additional functions as the 
                Secretary may prescribe.
            (4) Compensation.--Section 5315 of title 5, United States 
        Code, relating to level IV of the Executive Schedule, is 
        amended by adding at the end of the list in such section the 
        following new item:
            ``Director of the National Leadership Office for Knowledge 
        Utilization in Education.''.
            (5) Staff.--The Director of the Office may select, appoint, 
        and employ such officers and employees as may be necessary to 
        carry out the functions of the Office, subject to the 
        provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
        appointments in the competitive service, and the provisions of 
        chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title, 
        relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.
    (d) Interagency Task Force.--
            (1) Establishment.--To promote coordination and cooperation 
        among Federal departments and agencies administering knowledge 
        utilization programs and activities, the Director of the Office 
        shall convene the Interagency Task Force on Knowledge 
        Utilization in Education (in this subsection referred to as the 
        ``Task Force'').
            (2) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
                    (A) identify and review Federal programs, 
                activities, and projects with respect to knowledge 
                utilization in education (including any plans for such 
                programs, activities, and projects); and
                    (B) prepare, for inclusion in the biennial report 
                under subsection (f), recommendations on ways to 
                improve the coordination and collaboration of such 
                programs, activities, and projects.
            (3) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of the 
        following members:
                    (A) The Director of the Institute of Education 
                Sciences.
                    (B) The Director of the National Institute of Child 
                Health and Human Development.
                    (C) The Director of the National Science 
                Foundation.
                    (D) The Director of the Office.
                    (E) Such Assistant Secretaries and other officials 
                from the Department of Education as the Secretary may 
                designate.
                    (F) Such other members as the President, the 
                Secretary, or the Director of the Office may invite.
            (4) Chairperson.--The Director of the Office shall serve as 
        the Chairperson of the Task Force.
            (5) Termination.--The Task Force shall terminate 2 years 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, subject to renewal 
        at the discretion of the Director of the Office.
    (e) Knowledge Utilization Partnership in Education.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Director of the Office shall 
        establish a network of private and public entities throughout 
        the Nation, to be known as the Knowledge Utilization 
        Partnership in Education (in this subsection referred to as the 
        ``Partnership'').
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Partnership is to promote 
        and advance knowledge utilization in education in conjunction 
        with private and public organizations and entities throughout 
        the Nation.
            (3) Duties.--The Partnership shall--
                    (A) encourage private-public venture partnerships 
                for knowledge utilization;
                    (B) identify needs in relation to knowledge 
                utilization programs, activities, and projects 
                supported by the Federal Government;
                    (C) provide general advice to the Office; and
                    (D) provide ambassadors to the elementary and 
                secondary education community to encourage the adoption 
                of education practices supported by scientifically 
                valid research.
            (4) Advisory panel.--
                    (A) Establishment.--The Director of the Office may 
                establish a Partnership Advisory Panel (in this 
                paragraph referred to as the ``Panel'').
                    (B) Membership.--The Director shall select the 
                members of the Panel from among individuals who 
                represent entities participating in the Partnership and 
                have expertise in knowledge utilization.
                    (C) Duties.--The duties of the Panel shall be the 
                following:
                            (i) To provide advice to the Director 
                        regarding the opportunities and challenges of 
                        promoting knowledge utilization activities at 
                        the local, State, and Federal levels through 
                        the Partnership.
                            (ii) To offer suggestions to the Director 
                        for promoting knowledge utilization policies 
                        and strategies in the future through the 
                        Partnership.
    (f) Biennial Report.--
            (1) In general.--The Director of the Office shall--
                    (A) conduct a biennial analysis of the state of 
                knowledge utilization in education practice and 
                innovation; and
                    (B) submit a report on the results of each such 
                analysis to the Committee on Education and the 
                Workforce of the House of Representatives and the 
                Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
                the Senate.
            (2) Contents.--Each report submitted under this subsection 
        shall--
                    (A) include an assessment of efforts to increase 
                the use of education practices supported by 
                scientifically valid research;
                    (B) include the recommendations of the Interagency 
                Task Force on Knowledge Utilization in Education 
                prepared pursuant to subsection (d)(2); and
                    (C) recommend changes in policies to further 
                promote progress in knowledge utilization.
            (3) Initial report.--The Director of the Office shall 
        submit the first report under this subsection not later than 2 
        years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO PROMOTE KNOWLEDGE UTILIZATION IN EDUCATION.

    (a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary of Education shall make 
competitive grants to, and enter into contracts with, eligible entities 
to support projects that promote knowledge utilization in education.
    (b) Use of Funds.--The Secretary may not make a grant to an 
eligible entity under this section unless the entity agrees to use the 
grant for 1 or more of the following:
            (1) Helping educators become more informed consumers of 
        research-based knowledge utilization programs and services 
        through sustained professional development activities, 
        including annual conferences, summer teacher academies, on-line 
        seminars, and school-based workshops.
            (2) Creating incentives for States and districts to expand 
        and coordinate their investments in knowledge utilization 
        initiatives.
            (3) Focusing special knowledge utilization efforts on high-
        need, low-capacity areas such as rural schools.
            (4) Developing a national corps of regionally based 
        research-to-practice coordinators to work in schools on the 
        effective implementation, utilization, and dissemination of 
        education practices supported by scientifically valid research.
            (5) Targeting efforts to classroom educators working with 
        subgroups whose test scores indicate that they need improvement 
        under the adequate yearly progress calculation required by 
        section 1111(b)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)), including economically 
        disadvantaged students, students from major racial and ethnic 
        groups, students with disabilities, and students with limited 
        English proficiency.
            (6) Conducting research on knowledge utilization.
            (7) Coordinating and enhancing existing federally supported 
        knowledge utilization programs, including regional educational 
        laboratories, research and development centers, technical 
        assistance centers and consortia, national clearinghouses, and 
        other entities involved in research, development, 
        dissemination, technical assistance, and evaluation.
            (8) Supporting efforts to identify and disseminate 
        promising practices in the implementation of education 
        innovation that are supported by scientifically valid research.
            (9) Promoting entrepreneurship in developing new solutions, 
        innovations, and choices in education for consumers that are 
        supported by scientifically valid research.
            (10) Establishing fellowship programs to encourage expert 
        capacity in knowledge utilization.
            (11) Using Internet-based technology to enable classroom 
        teachers to access, in all content areas, instructional 
        practice and innovation that are grounded in scientifically 
        valid research.
            (12) Developing means and methods for making the 
        information from the What Works Clearinghouse and other 
        clearinghouses available to, and accessible by, classroom 
        teachers.
            (13) Developing strategies to support the use of 
        scientifically valid research by classroom teachers and school 
        administrators in managing and improving student behavior and 
        school climate.
    (c) Applications.--To seek a grant or a contract under this 
section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may 
reasonably require.
    (d) Eligible Entities.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
entity''--
            (1) means a private or public, for-profit or nonprofit 
        organization, institution, agency, institution of higher 
        education, or partnership of such entities, that has 
        demonstrated expertise in knowledge utilization in education; 
        and
            (2) includes existing federally supported knowledge 
        utilization programs, such as regional educational 
        laboratories, research and development centers, technical 
        assistance centers and consortia, national clearinghouses, and 
        other entities involved in research, development, 
        dissemination, technical assistance, and evaluation.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Applied research.--The term ``applied research'' has 
        the meaning given to that term in section 102 of the Education 
        Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9501).
            (2) Knowledge utilization.--The term ``knowledge 
        utilization''--
                    (A) means the interactive processes involving 
                research, development, dissemination, technical 
                assistance, and evaluation in which research-based 
                knowledge is applied to improving instructional 
                practice; and
                    (B) includes such activities essential to school 
                improvement as--
                            (i) development and evaluation of practical 
                        applications of research, such as procedures, 
                        policies, practices, programs, materials, and 
                        training;
                            (ii) the use of research-based technical 
                        assistance and professional development for 
                        policymakers, practitioners, and other 
                        stakeholders;
                            (iii) collection and dissemination of 
                        information, data, and statistics;
                            (iv) initiatives for building linkages 
                        among research, policy, and practice; and
                            (v) an infrastructure for increasing 
                        capacity for the use of research and its 
                        applications.
            (3) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the National 
        Leadership Office for Knowledge Utilization in Education 
        established by section 3.
            (4) Scientifically valid research.--The term 
        ``scientifically valid research'' has the meaning given to that 
        term in section 102 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 
        2002 (20 U.S.C. 9501).
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 2005 through 
2008.
                                 <all>
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