I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2724

To provide assistance to States to enable such States to raise the quality

of instruction in mathematics and science by providing equipment and

materials necessary for hands-on instruction.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 23, 1993

Mr. SAWYER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Education and Labor

A BILL

To provide assistance to States to enable such States to

raise the quality of instruction in mathematics and

science by providing equipment and materials necessary

for hands-on instruction.

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 ‘‘Elementary Science

5 Facilities Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

7 It is the purpose of this Act to raise the quality of

8 instruction in mathematics and science in the Nation’s ele-
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1 mentary schools by providing equipment and materials

2 necessary for hands-on instruction through assistance to

3 State and local educational agencies.

4 SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

5 (a) GRANTS.—The Secretary is authorized to make

6 allotments to State educational agencies under section 4

7 to enable such agencies to award grants to local edu8 cational agencies for the purpose of providing equipment

9 and materials to elementary schools to improve mathe10 matics and science education in such schools.

11 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

12 are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each

13 of fiscal years 1994, 1995, and 1996 to carry out this

14 Act.

15 SEC. 4. ALLOTMENTS OF FUNDS.

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—From the amount appropriated

17 under section 3(b) for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall

18 reserve—

19 (1) not more than one-half of 1 percent for al20 lotment among Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin

21 Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic

22 of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Mi23 cronesia, and the Republic of Palau according to

24 their respective needs for assistance under this Act;

25 and
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1 (2) one-half of 1 percent for programs for In2 dian students served by schools funded by the Sec3 retary of the Interior which are consistent with the

4 purposes of this part.

5 (b) ALLOTMENT.—From the amount not reserved

6 pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall allot among

7 State educational agencies as follows:

8 (1) One-half of such remainder shall be distrib9 uted among the State educational agencies by allot10 ting to each State educational agency an amount

11 which bears the same ratio to such one-half of such

12 remainder as the number of children aged 5 to 11,

13 inclusive, in the State bears to the number of such

14 children in all States.

15 (2) One-half of such remainder shall be distrib16 uted among the State educational agencies according

17 to each State’s share of allocations under chapter 1

18 of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Edu19 cation Act of 1965.

20 (c) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this Act—

21 (1) the term ‘‘elementary school’’ has the same

22 meaning given such term in section 1471(8) of the

23 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965;

24 (2) the term ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the

25 same meaning given such term in section 1471(12)
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1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of

2 1965;

3 (3) the term ‘‘Secretary’’, unless otherwise

4 specified, means the Secretary of Education;

5 (4) the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the 50

6 States, the District of Columbia, and the Common7 wealth of Puerto Rico; and

8 (5) the term ‘‘State educational agency’’ has

9 the same meaning given to such term by section

10 1471(23) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu11 cation Act of 1965.

12 (d) DATA.—The number of children aged 5 to 11,

13 inclusive, in the State and in all States shall be determined

14 by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfac15 tory data available to the Secretary.

16 SEC. 5. STATE GRANTS.

17 (a) APPLICATION.—Each State educational agency

18 desiring to receive an allotment under this Act shall file

19 an application with the Secretary which covers a period

20 of 3 fiscal years. Such application shall be filed at such

21 time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by

22 such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.

23 (b) CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—Each application

24 described in subsection (a) shall—

25 (1) provide assurances that—
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1 (A) the State educational agency shall use

2 the allotment provided under this Act to award

3 grants to local educational agencies within the

4 State to enable such local educational agencies

5 to carry out the purpose of this Act;

6 (B) the State educational agency will pro7 vide such fiscal control and funds accounting as

8 the Secretary may require;

9 (C) every elementary school in the State is

10 eligible to receive a grant under this Act once

11 over the 3-year duration of the program as12 sisted under this Act;

13 (D) funds provided under this Act will sup14 plement, not supplant, State and local funds

15 made available for activities authorized under

16 this Act;

17 (E) during the 3-year period described in

18 the application, the State educational agency

19 will evaluate its standards and programs for

20 teacher preparation and inservice professional

21 development for elementary teachers of mathe22 matics and science;

23 (F) the State educational agency will take

24 into account the needs for greater access to and

25 participation in mathematics and science by
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1 students and teachers from historically

2 underrepresented groups, including females, mi3 norities, individuals with limited-English pro4 ficiency, the economically disadvantaged, and

5 individuals with disabilities; and

6 (G) that the needs of teachers and stu7 dents in areas with high concentrations of low8 income students and sparsely populated areas

9 will be considered in awarding grants under this

10 Act;

11 (2) provide a description of how funds paid

12 under this Act will be used with State and local

13 funds and other Federal resources, particularly with

14 respect to programs for the professional development

15 and inservice training of elementary school teachers

16 in science and mathematics; and

17 (3) describe procedures—

18 (A) for submitting applications for pro19 grams described in sections 6 and 7 for dis20 tribution of payments under this Act within the

21 State; and

22 (B) for approval of applications by the

23 State educational agency, including appropriate

24 procedures to assure that such agency will not
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1 disapprove an application without notice and

2 opportunity for a hearing.

3 SEC. 6. LOCAL GRANTS.

4 (a) APPLICATION.—A local educational agency that

5 desires to receive a grant under this part shall submit an

6 application to the State educational agency. Each such ap7 plication shall contain assurances that each school served

8 by the local educational agency shall be eligible for only

9 one grant under this Act.

10 (b) CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—Each application

11 described in subsection (a) shall—

12 (1) describe how the local educational agency

13 plans to set priorities on the use and distribution

14 among schools of grant funds received under this

15 Act to meet the purpose of this Act;

16 (2) include assurances that the local edu17 cational agency shall match on a dollar-for-dollar

18 basis the funds received under this Act;

19 (3) describe, if applicable, how funds under this

20 Act will be coordinated with State, local, and other

21 Federal resources, especially with respect to pro22 grams for the professional development and inservice

23 training of elementary school teachers in science and

24 mathematics; and
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1 (4) describe the process which will be used to

2 determine different levels of grant amounts to be

3 awarded to schools with different needs.

4 (c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants, the State edu5 cational agency shall give priority to applications that—

6 (1) assign highest priority to schools which are

7 most seriously under-equipped;

8 (2) are attentive to the needs of

9 underrepresented groups in science and mathe10 matics;

11 (3) demonstrate how science and mathematics

12 equipment will be part of a comprehensive plan of

13 curriculum planning or implementation and teacher

14 training supporting hands-on laboratory activities;

15 and

16 (4) include plans for dissemination of lessons

17 and activities using grant equipment and materials

18 to teachers in schools not receiving grants.

19 SEC. 7. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

20 (a) COORDINATION.—Each State educational agency

21 receiving a grant under this Act shall—

22 (1) disseminate information to school districts

23 and schools, including private schools, regarding the

24 grant program;
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1 (2) evaluate applications of local educational

2 agencies;

3 (3) award grants to local educational agencies

4 based on the priorities described in section 6(c); and

5 (4) evaluate local educational agencies’ end-of6 year summaries and submit such evaluation to the

7 Secretary.

8 (b) LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS.—

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Grant funds and matching

10 funds under this Act only shall be used to purchase

11 science equipment, science materials, or mathemati12 cal manipulative materials and shall not be used for

13 computers, computer peripherals, software, text14 books, or staff development costs.

15 (2) CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.—Grant funds

16 under this Act may not be used for capital improve17 ments. No more than 50 percent of matching funds

18 provided by the local educational agency may be

19 used for capital improvements of classroom science

20 facilities to support the hands-on instruction that

21 this Act is intended to support, such as the installa22 tion of electrical outlets, plumbing, lab tables or

23 counters, or ventilation mechanisms.
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1 SEC. 8. FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION.

2 The Secretary shall provide technical assistance and,

3 in consultation with State and local representatives of the

4 program assisted under this Act, shall develop procedures

5 for State and local evaluations of the programs that re6 ceive funds under this Act.

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