(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Assessing science in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 
Sec. 4. Definitions. 
Sec. 5. Voluntary American education content standards; American Standards 
Incentive Fund. 
Sec. 6. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Throughout the years, educators and policy-
makers have consistently embraced standards as the 
mechanism to ensure that every student, no matter 
what school the student attends, masters the skills 
and develops the knowledge needed to participate in 
a global economy. 
(2) Recent international comparisons make 
clear that students in the United States have signifi-
cant shortcomings in mathematics and science, yet a 
high level of scientific and mathematics literacy is 
essential to societal innovations and advancements. 
(3) With more than 50 different sets of aca-
demic content standards, 50 State academic assess-
ments, and 50 definitions of proficiency under sec-
tion 1111(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)), there is 
great variability in the measures, standards, and 
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benchmarks for academic achievement in mathe-
matics and science. 
(4) Variation in State standards and the ac-
companying measures of proficiency make it difficult 
for parents and teachers to meaningfully gauge how 
well their children are learning mathematics and 
science in comparison to their peers internationally 
or here at home. 
(5) The disparity in the rigor of standards 
across States yield test results that tell the public 
little about how schools are performing and pro-
gressing, as States with low standards or low pro-
ficiency scores may appear to be doing much better 
than States with more rigorous standards or higher 
requirements for proficiency. 
(6) As a result, the United States’ highly mo-
bile student-aged population moves through the Na-
tion’s schools gaining widely varying levels of knowl-
edge, skills, and preparedness. 
(7) In order for the United States to compete 
in a global economy, the country needs to strengthen 
its educational expectations for all children. 
(8) To compete, the people of the United States 
must compare themselves against international 
benchmarks. 
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(9) Grounded in a real world analysis and inter-
national comparisons of what students need to suc-
ceed in work and college, rigorous and voluntary 
core American education content standards will keep 
the United States economically competitive and en-
sure that the children of the United States are given 
the same opportunity to learn to a high standard no 
matter where they reside. 
(10) Rigorous and voluntary core American 
education content standards in mathematics and 
science will enable students to succeed in academic 
settings across States while ensuring an American 
edge in the global marketplace. 
SEC. 3. ASSESSING SCIENCE IN THE NATIONAL ASSESS-
MENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS. 
(a) NATIONAL
ASSESSMENT
OF
EDUCATIONAL 
PROGRESS AUTHORIZATION ACT.—Section 303 of the Na-
tional Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization 
Act (20 U.S.C. 9622) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘reading and 
mathematics’’ and inserting ‘‘reading, mathematics, 
and science’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) 
in 
paragraph 
(1), 
by 
inserting 
‘‘science,’’ after ‘‘mathematics,’’; 
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(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘reading and mathematics’’ and inserting 
‘‘reading, mathematics, and science’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘reading and mathematics’’ and inserting 
‘‘reading, mathematics, and science’’; 
(iii) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
‘‘science,’’; 
(iv) in subparagraph (E), by striking 
‘‘reading and mathematics’’ and inserting 
‘‘reading, mathematics, and science’’; and 
(v) in subparagraph (F)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘continue to’’ ; 
and 
(II) by striking ‘‘reading and 
mathematics’’ and inserting ‘‘reading, 
mathematics, and science’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘reading and mathematics’’ each place the 
term occurs and inserting ‘‘reading, mathe-
matics, and science’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by strik-
ing ‘‘reading and mathematics’’ and insert-
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ing ‘‘reading, mathematics, and science’’; 
and 
(D) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ‘‘, re-
quire, or influence’’ and inserting ‘‘or require’’; 
(3) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ‘‘reading 
and mathematics’’ each place the term occurs and 
inserting ‘‘reading, mathematics, and science’’; and 
(4) in subsection (f)(1)(B)(v), by striking ‘‘and 
mathematical knowledge’’ and inserting ‘‘, mathe-
matical knowledge, and science knowledge’’. 
(b) ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT 
OF 1965.—Subpart 1 of part A of title I of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) 
in 
section 
1111(c)(2) 
(20 
U.S.C. 
6311(c)(2))— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(and, for science, begin-
ning with the 2008–2009 school year)’’ after 
‘‘2002–2003’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘reading and mathe-
matics’’ and inserting ‘‘reading, mathematics, 
and science’’; and 
(2) in section 1112(b)(1)(F) (20 U.S.C. 
6312(b)(1)(F)), by striking ‘‘reading and mathe-
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matics’’ and inserting ‘‘reading, mathematics, and 
science’’. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 304 of the National Assessment of Edu-
cational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9623) is 
amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘In this title:’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as 
otherwise provided, in this title:’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (3); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary of Education.’’. 
SEC. 5. VOLUNTARY AMERICAN EDUCATION CONTENT 
STANDARDS; AMERICAN STANDARDS INCEN-
TIVE FUND. 
The National Assessment of Educational Progress 
Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9621 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 304 (as amended 
by section 4) and 305 as sections 306 and 307, re-
spectively; and 
(2) by inserting after section 303 the following: 
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U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) and of students who are limited 
English proficient (as defined in section 9101 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7801)). 
‘‘(9) Solicit input from State and local rep-
resentative organizations, mathematics and science 
organizations (including mathematics and science 
teacher organizations), institutions of higher edu-
cation, higher education organizations, business or-
ganizations, and other appropriate organizations. 
‘‘(10) Ensure that the voluntary American edu-
cation content standards reflect what students will 
be required to know and be able to do after sec-
ondary school graduation to be academically quali-
fied to enter an institution of higher education or 
training for the civilian or military workforce. 
‘‘(11) Widely disseminate the voluntary Amer-
ican education content standards for public review 
and comment before final adoption. 
‘‘(12) Provide for continuing review of the vol-
untary American education content standards not 
less often than once every 10 years, which review— 
‘‘(A) shall solicit input from organizations 
and entities, including— 
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‘‘(i) 1 or more professional mathe-
matics or science organizations, including 
mathematics or science educator organiza-
tions; 
‘‘(ii) the State educational agencies 
that have received American Standards In-
centive Fund grants under section 305 
during the period covered by the review; 
and 
‘‘(iii) other organizations and entities, 
as determined appropriate by Assessment 
Board; and 
‘‘(B) shall address issues including— 
‘‘(i) whether the voluntary American 
education content standards continue to 
reflect international standards of excellence 
and the latest developments in the fields of 
mathematics and science; and 
‘‘(ii) whether the voluntary American 
education content standards continue to 
reflect what students are required to know 
and be able to do in science and mathe-
matics after graduation from secondary 
school to be academically qualified to enter 
an institution of higher education or train-
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ing for the civilian or military workforce, 
as of the date of the review. 
‘‘SEC. 305. THE AMERICAN STANDARDS INCENTIVE FUND. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The terms ‘elementary 
school’, ‘local educational agency’, ‘professional de-
velopment’, ‘secondary school’, ‘State’, and ‘State 
educational agency’ have the meanings given the 
terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
‘‘(2) ACADEMIC
CONTENT
STANDARDS.—The 
term ‘academic content standards’ means the chal-
lenging academic content standards described in sec-
tion 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)). 
‘‘(3) LEVELS
OF
ACHIEVEMENT.—The term 
‘levels of achievement’ means the State levels of 
achievement under subclauses (II) and (III) of sec-
tion 1111(b)(1)(D)(ii) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
6311(b)(1)(D)(ii)(II), (III)). 
‘‘(4) STATE
ACADEMIC
ASSESSMENTS.—The 
term ‘State academic assessments’ means the aca-
demic assessments for a State described in section 
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1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)). 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT
OF FUND.—From amounts 
appropriated under section 307(a)(4) for a fiscal year, the 
Secretary shall establish and fund the American Stand-
ards Incentive Fund to carry out the grant program under 
subsection (c). 
‘‘(c) INCENTIVE GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months 
after the Assessment Board adopts the voluntary 
American education content standards under section 
304, the Secretary shall use amounts available from 
the American Standards Incentive Fund to award, 
on a competitive basis, grants to State educational 
agencies to enable each State educational agency to 
adopt the voluntary American education content 
standards in mathematics and science as the core of 
the State’s academic content standards in mathe-
matics and science by carrying out the activities de-
scribed in subsection (f). 
‘‘(2) DURATION AND AMOUNT.—A grant under 
this subsection shall be awarded— 
‘‘(A) for a period of not more than 4 years; 
and 
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‘‘(B) in an amount that is not more than 
$4,000,000 over the period of the grant. 
‘‘(3) SEA 
COLLABORATION
PERMITTED.—A 
State educational agency receiving a grant under 
this subsection may collaborate with another State 
educational agency receiving a grant under this sub-
section in carrying out the activities described in 
subsection (f). 
‘‘(d) CORE STANDARDS.—A State educational agency 
receiving a grant under subsection (c) shall adopt and use 
the voluntary American education content standards in 
mathematics and science as the core of the State academic 
content standards in mathematics and science. The State 
educational agency may add additional standards to the 
voluntary American education content standards as part 
of the State academic content standards in mathematics 
and science. 
‘‘(e) STATE
APPLICATION.—A State educational 
agency desiring to receive a grant under subsection (c) 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require. The application shall include— 
‘‘(1) timelines for carrying out each of the ac-
tivities described in subsection (f)(1); and 
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‘‘(2) a description of the activities that the 
State educational agency will undertake to imple-
ment the voluntary American education content 
standards in mathematics and science adopted under 
section 304, and the achievement levels in mathe-
matics and science developed under section 303(e) 
for the national and State assessments of the Na-
tional Assessment of Educational Progress, at both 
the State educational agency and local educational 
agency levels, including any additional activities de-
scribed in subsection (f)(2). 
‘‘(f) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) MANDATORY
ACTIVITIES.—A State edu-
cational agency receiving a grant under subsection 
(c) shall use grant funds to carry out all of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) Adopt the voluntary American edu-
cation content standards in mathematics and 
science as the core of the State’s academic con-
tent standards in mathematics and science not 
later than 2 years after the receipt of a grant 
under this section. 
‘‘(B) Align the teacher certification or li-
censure, pre-service, and professional develop-
ment requirements of the State to the voluntary 
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