‘‘(1) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts 
appropriated for this subsection, the Secretary shall 
award grants, through allotments in accordance with 
the regulations described in paragraph (2), to States 
whose State environmental literacy plan has been 
approved under section 5622, to enable the States to 
award subgrants under subsection (c). 
‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall pro-
mulgate regulations implementing the grant pro-
gram under paragraph (1), which regulations shall 
include the development of an allotment formula 
that best achieves the purposes of this subpart. 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—A State re-
ceiving a grant under this subsection may use not 
more than 2.5 percent of the grant funds for admin-
istrative expenses. 
‘‘(c) SUBGRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) SUBGRANTS
TO
ELIGIBLE
PARTNER-
SHIPS.—From amounts made available to a State 
educational agency under subsection (b)(1), the 
State educational agency shall award subgrants, on 
a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships serving 
the State, to enable the eligible partnerships to carry 
out the authorized activities described in subsection 
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(e) consistent with the approved State environmental 
literacy plan. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—The State educational agency 
shall award each subgrant under this part for a pe-
riod of not more than 3 years beginning on the date 
of approval of the State’s environmental literacy 
plan under section 5622. 
‘‘(3) SUPPLEMENT, NOT
SUPPLANT.—Funds 
provided to an eligible partnership under this part 
shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, funds 
that would otherwise be used for activities author-
ized under this part. 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible partnership 
desiring a subgrant under this part shall submit an 
application to the State educational agency, at such 
time, in such manner, and accompanied by such in-
formation as the State educational agency may re-
quire. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) the results of a comprehensive assess-
ment of the teacher quality and professional de-
velopment needs, with respect to the teaching 
and learning of environmental content; 
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‘‘(B) an explanation of how the activities 
to be carried out by the eligible partnership are 
expected to improve student academic achieve-
ment and strengthen the quality of environ-
mental instruction; 
‘‘(C) a description of how the activities to 
be carried out by the eligible partnership— 
‘‘(i) will be aligned with challenging 
State academic content standards and stu-
dent academic achievement standards in 
environmental education, to the extent 
such standards exist, and with the State’s 
environmental literacy plan under section 
5622; and 
‘‘(ii) will advance the teaching of 
interdisciplinary courses that integrate the 
study of natural, social, and economic sys-
tems and that include strong field compo-
nents in which students have the oppor-
tunity to directly experience nature; 
‘‘(D) a description of how the activities to 
be carried out by the eligible partnership will 
ensure that teachers are trained in the use of 
field-based or service learning to enable the 
teachers— 
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‘‘(i) to use the local environment and 
community as a resource; and 
‘‘(ii) 
to 
enhance 
student 
under-
standing of the environment and academic 
achievement; 
‘‘(E) a description of— 
‘‘(i) how the eligible partnership will 
carry out the authorized activities de-
scribed in subsection (e); and 
‘‘(ii) the eligible partnership’s evalua-
tion and accountability plan described in 
subsection (f); and 
‘‘(F) a description of how the eligible part-
nership will continue the activities funded under 
this part after the grant period has expired. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—An eligible partner-
ship shall use the subgrant funds provided under this part 
for 1 or more of the following activities related to elemen-
tary schools or secondary schools: 
‘‘(1) Creating opportunities for enhanced and 
ongoing professional development of teachers that 
improves the environmental subject matter knowl-
edge of such teachers. 
‘‘(2) Creating opportunities for enhanced and 
ongoing professional development of teachers that 
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improves teachers’ pedagogical skills in teaching 
about the environment and environmental issues, in-
cluding in the use of— 
‘‘(A) interdisciplinary, research-based, and 
field-based learning; and 
‘‘(B) innovative technology in the class-
room. 
‘‘(3) Establishing and operating environmental 
education summer workshops or institutes, including 
follow-up training, for elementary and secondary 
school teachers to improve their pedagogical skills 
and subject matter knowledge for the teaching of en-
vironmental education. 
‘‘(4) Developing or redesigning more rigorous 
environmental education curricula that— 
‘‘(A) are aligned with challenging State 
academic content standards in environmental 
education, to the extent such standards exist, 
and with the State environmental literacy plan 
under section 5622; and 
‘‘(B) advance the teaching of interdiscipli-
nary courses that integrate the study of nat-
ural, social, and economic systems and that in-
clude strong field components. 
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‘‘(5) Designing programs to prepare teachers at 
a school to provide mentoring and professional devel-
opment to other teachers at such school to improve 
teacher environmental education subject matter and 
pedagogical skills. 
‘‘(6) Establishing and operating programs to 
bring teachers into contact with working profes-
sionals in environmental fields to expand such teach-
ers’ subject matter knowledge of, and research in, 
environmental issues. 
‘‘(7) Creating initiatives that seek to incor-
porate environmental education within teacher train-
ing programs or accreditation standards consistent 
with the State environmental literacy plan under 
section 5622. 
‘‘(8) Promoting outdoor environmental edu-
cation activities as part of the regular school cur-
riculum and schedule in order to further the knowl-
edge and professional development of teachers and 
help students directly experience nature. 
‘‘(f) EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible partnership 
receiving a subgrant under this part shall develop an 
evaluation and accountability plan for activities as-
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sisted under this part that includes rigorous objec-
tives that measure the impact of the activities. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The plan developed under 
paragraph (1) shall include measurable objectives to 
increase the number of teachers who participate in 
environmental education content-based professional 
development activities. 
‘‘(g) REPORT.—Each eligible partnership receiving a 
subgrant under this part shall report annually, for each 
year of the subgrant, to the State educational agency re-
garding the eligible partnership’s progress in meeting the 
objectives described in the accountability plan of the eligi-
ble partnership under subsection (f).’’. 
TITLE 
III—ENVIRONMENTAL 
EDUCATION 
GRANT 
PRO-
GRAM TO HELP BUILD NA-
TIONAL CAPACITY 
SEC. 301. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM 
TO HELP BUILD NATIONAL CAPACITY. 
Part D of title V (20 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) (as amend-
ed by section 101) is further amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
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‘‘Subpart 23—Environmental Education Grant 
Program 
‘‘SEC. 5631. PURPOSES. 
‘‘The purposes of this subpart are— 
‘‘(1) to prepare children to understand and ad-
dress major environmental challenges facing the 
United States; and 
‘‘(2) to strengthen environmental education as 
an integral part of the elementary school and sec-
ondary school curriculum. 
‘‘SEC. 5632. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—In 
this section, the term ‘eligible partnership’ means a part-
nership that— 
‘‘(1) shall include a local educational agency; 
and 
‘‘(2) may include— 
‘‘(A) the teacher training department of an 
institution of higher education; 
‘‘(B) the environmental department of an 
institution of higher education; 
‘‘(C) another local educational agency, a 
public charter school, a public elementary 
school or secondary school, or a consortium of 
such schools; 
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‘‘(D) a Federal, State, regional, or local 
environmental or natural resource management 
agency, or park and recreation department, 
that has demonstrated effectiveness, expertise, 
and experience in the development of the insti-
tutional, financial, intellectual, or policy re-
sources needed to help the field of environ-
mental education become more effective and 
widely practiced; and 
‘‘(E) a nonprofit organization that has 
demonstrated effectiveness, expertise, and expe-
rience in the development of the institutional, 
financial, intellectual, or policy resources needed 
to help the field of environmental education be-
come more effective and widely practiced. 
‘‘(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
partnerships to enable the eligible partnerships to 
pay the Federal share of the costs of activities under 
this subpart. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—Each grant under this sub-
part shall be for a period of not less than 1 year and 
not more than 3 years. 
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‘‘SEC. 5633. APPLICATIONS. 
‘‘Each eligible partnership desiring a grant under this 
subpart shall submit to the Secretary an application that 
contains— 
‘‘(1) a plan to initiate, expand, or improve envi-
ronmental education programs in order to make 
progress toward meeting— 
‘‘(A) challenging State academic content 
standards and student academic achievement 
standards in environmental education, to the 
extent such standards exist; and 
‘‘(B) academic standards that are aligned 
with the State’s environmental literacy plan 
under section 5622; and 
‘‘(2) an evaluation and accountability plan for 
activities assisted under this subpart that includes 
rigorous objectives that measure the impact of ac-
tivities funded under this subpart. 
‘‘SEC. 5634. USE OF FUNDS. 
‘‘Grant funds made available under this subpart shall 
be used for 1 or more of the following: 
‘‘(1) Developing and implementing State cur-
riculum frameworks for environmental education 
that meet— 
‘‘(A) challenging State academic content 
standards and student academic achievement 
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standards for environmental education, to the 
extent such standards exist; and 
‘‘(B) academic standards that are aligned 
with the State’s environmental literacy plan 
under section 5622. 
‘‘(2) Replicating or disseminating information 
about proven and tested model environmental edu-
cation programs that— 
‘‘(A) use the environment as an integrating 
theme or content throughout the curriculum; or 
‘‘(B) provide integrated, interdisciplinary 
instruction about natural, social, and economic 
systems along with field experience that pro-
vides students with opportunities to directly ex-
perience nature in ways designed to improve 
students’ overall academic performance, per-
sonal health (including addressing child obesity 
issues), and understanding of nature. 
‘‘(3) Developing and implementing new policy 
approaches to advancing environmental education at 
the State and national level. 
‘‘(4) Conducting studies of national significance 
that— 
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‘‘(A) provide a comprehensive, systematic, 
and formal assessment of the state of environ-
mental education in the United States; 
‘‘(B) evaluate the effectiveness of teaching 
environmental education as a separate subject, 
and as an integrating concept or theme; or 
‘‘(C) evaluate the effectiveness of using en-
vironmental education-based field-based learn-
ing, service learning or outdoor experiential 
learning in helping improve— 
‘‘(i) student academic achievement in 
mathematics, reading or language arts, 
science, or other core academic subjects; 
‘‘(ii) student behavior; 
‘‘(iii) student attendance; and 
‘‘(iv) secondary school graduation 
rates. 
‘‘(5) Executing projects that advance wide-
spread State and local educational agency adoption 
and use of environmental education content stand-
ards. 
‘‘SEC. 5635. REPORTS. 
‘‘(a) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP REPORT.—In order to 
continue receiving grant funds under this subpart after 
the first year of a multiyear grant under this subpart, the 
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eligible partnership shall submit to the Secretary an an-
nual report that— 
‘‘(1) describes the activities assisted under this 
subpart that were conducted during the preceding 
year; 
‘‘(2) demonstrates that progress has been made 
in helping schools to meet the State academic stand-
ards for environmental education described in sec-
tion 5634(1); and 
‘‘(3) describes the results of the eligible part-
nership’s evaluation and accountability plan. 
‘‘(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of the No Child Left Inside 
Act of 2009 and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit a report to Congress that— 
‘‘(1) describes the programs assisted under this 
subpart; 
‘‘(2) documents the success of such programs in 
improving national and State environmental edu-
cation capacity; and 
‘‘(3) makes such recommendations as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate for the continuation 
and improvement of the programs assisted under 
this subpart. 
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‘‘SEC. 5636. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS. 
‘‘(a) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a 
grant under this subpart shall not exceed— 
‘‘(1) 90 percent of the total costs of the activi-
ties assisted under the grant for the first year for 
which the program receives assistance under this 
subpart; and 
‘‘(2) 75 percent of such costs for each of the 
second and third years. 
‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Not more than 
7.5 percent of the grant funds made available to an eligible 
partnership under this subpart for any fiscal year may be 
used for administrative expenses. 
‘‘(c) AVAILABILITY
OF
FUNDS.—Amounts made 
available to the Secretary to carry out this subpart shall 
remain available until expended. 
‘‘SEC. 5637. SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT. 
‘‘Funds made available under this subpart shall be 
used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, 
State, or local funds available for environmental education 
activities.’’. 
Æ 
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