I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 455
To provide grants to certain local educational agencies to provide integrated
classroom-related computer training for elementary and secondary school
teachers.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 2, 1999
Mrs. CAPPS (for herself, Mr. DEUTSCH, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. FROST, Mr. SAND-
ERS, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. STARK,
Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. REYES, Mrs. MALONEY of New York,
Mr. BROWN
of California, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. BONIOR, Mr.
MCDERMOTT, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas,
Mr. LANTOS, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mrs. JONES of Ohio,
Mr. FILNER, and Ms. DEGETTE) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To provide grants to certain local educational agencies to
provide integrated classroom-related computer training
for elementary and secondary school teachers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Teacher Technology
Training Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Between 1994 and 2005, more than
1,000,000 new computer scientists and engineers,
system analysts, and computer programmers will be
required in the United States.
(2) Today’s elementary and secondary school
students need effective computer training in schools
so that they can effectively compete in tomorrow’s
job market.
(3) More schools are using computers than ever
before creating a greater need for teachers to utilize
computer equipment effectively in a classroom set-
ting.
(4) In just 3 years, the percentage of public
schools with Internet access increased from 35 per-
cent in the fall of 1994 to 78 percent in the fall of
1997, with 98 percent of all schools owning comput-
ers.
(5) The need for teachers who have knowledge
and mastery of computer skills in the classroom is
great.
(6) States that have the fastest population
growth and lead the Nation in projected student en-
rollment will need increased funding to serve the
computer and technology needs of their rapidly
growing student populations.
SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education,
through the Office of Educational Technology, is author-
ized to award grants to local educational agencies identi-
fied under subsection (b) to provide classroom-related
computer training to credentialed teachers.
(b) GRANT AWARD SELECTION.—The Secretary of
Education may award grants to local educational agencies
located in the States, identified by the Department of
Education in the Baby Boom Echo Report (current at the
time grants are made), which are projected to have an in-
crease in student enrollment of not less than 20,000 in
public elementary and secondary schools during the next
ten years.
(c) DURATION.—A grant made under this Act may
be awarded for a period not to exceed 3 years.
SEC. 4. GRANT AWARD.
(a) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant
award under this Act, a local educational agency located
in one of the States identified in section 3(b) shall submit
an application to the Secretary of Education at such time
and in such form as the Secretary may require. Such ap-
plication shall include a certification that the agency has
developed a progression of computer training for teachers
that begins with basic classroom-related computer training
and progresses through to a superior level of proficiency
throughout the agency.
(b) PRIORITY.—The Secretary of Education shall
provide not less than one grant in each State identified
in section 3(b) to an eligible local educational agency in
such State that meets the qualifications established by the
Secretary of Education. The Secretary may award grants
to additional eligible local educational agencies in such
States based on the quality of the application submitted
and the enrollment levels in public elementary and second-
ary schools located in such agencies.
(c) GRANT AMOUNT.—Each grant award made under
this Act shall be of sufficient size to carry out the goals
of this Act, but shall not exceed $500,000.
SEC. 5. USES OF FUNDS.
A local educational agency that receives a grant
award under this Act may use such funds received to pro-
vide training by local educational agency personnel on
school premises.
SEC. 6. EVALUATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after
grant awards are made, the Secretary of Education shall
evaluate computer training programs for teachers devel-
oped by local educational agencies in accordance with this
Act.
(b) DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS.—The Secretary of
Education shall collect such information and make avail-
able evaluation results to the public upon request.
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary of Edu-
cation may use not more than 2 percent of the total
amount appropriated in the first year to carry out this
Act to conduct evaluations pursuant to subsection (a).
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and such sums
as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2001 and
2002.
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