I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 856
To improve education in the United States by promoting excellence in
research, development, and the dissemination of information.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 4, 1993
Mr. OWENS (for himself and Mr. FORD of Michigan) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
A BILL
To improve education in the United States by promoting
excellence in research, development, and the dissemina-
tion of information.
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 ‘‘Educational Research,
Development, and Dissemination Excellence Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows with respect to improv-
ing education in the United States:
(1) A majority of public schools in the United
States are failing to adequately prepare their stu-
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dents. School restructuring alone will not allow the
United States to achieve the national education
goals set forth by the President and the governors
of the States. An overwhelming campaign for edu-
cational improvement must be mounted in order to
set in motion many strategies and models simulta-
neously. The Federal Government must support an
extensive program of educational research, develop-
ment, dissemination, replication and assistance to
identify and support the best responses for the chal-
lenges ahead. A significant investment in attaining
a deeper understanding of the processes of learning
and schooling and developing new ideas holds the
best hope of making a substantial difference to the
lives of every school and student in the United
States. The Office of Educational Research and Im-
provement of the Department of Education should
be at the center of this campaign in order to coordi-
nate such efforts.
(2) The Federal role in educational research
has been closely identified with youths who are
socioeconomically disadvantaged, belong to a lan-
guage minority, or are disabled. However, in 1988,
the Federal commitment to education was sufficient
to serve not more than—
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(A) 1 out of every 5 low-income children in
need of preschool education;
(B) 2 out of every 5 children in need of re-
mediation;
(C) 1 out of every 4 children in need of bi-
lingual education; and
(D) 1 out of every 20 youths in need of job
training.
(3) The failure of the Federal Government to
adequately invest in educational research and devel-
opment has denied the Nation a sound foundation
on which to design school improvements, leading to
a history of faddism and failed experimentation re-
sulting in a dearth of research in the area of educa-
tionally at-risk students. This situation is of particu-
lar concern because at least half of the public school
students in 25 of the largest cities of the United
States are minority children, and demographers
project that, by 2005, almost all urban public school
students will be minority children or other children
in poverty.
(4) The investment goal of the Federal re-
search, development, and dissemination function
should be at least 1 percent of the total amount of
funds spent on education nationally.
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(5) Nationwide model programs and reliable
interventions should be demonstrated and replicated,
and for such purposes, programs should be estab-
lished to conduct research and evaluations, and to
disseminate information.
(6) The Office of Educational Research and Im-
provement must develop a national dissemination
policy that will advance the goal of placing a na-
tional treasure chest of research results, models, and
materials at the disposal of the Nation’s education
decisionmakers.
(7) A National Educational Research Policy
and Priorities Board should be established to ensure
that an educational research and dissemination
agenda is developed and implemented without par-
tisan political interference.
(8) Existing research and development entities
should adopt expanded, proactive roles and new in-
stitutions must be created to promote knowledge de-
velopment necessary to accelerate the application of
research knowledge to high priority areas.
(9) Greater use should be made of existing
technologies in efforts to improve the Nation’s edu-
cational system, including efforts to disseminate re-
search findings.
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(10) Minority educational researchers are inad-
equately represented throughout the Department of
Education, but particularly in the Office of Edu-
cational Research and Improvement. The Office
therefore must assume a leadership position in the
recruitment, retention, and promotion of qualified
minority educational researchers.
(11) The coordination of the mission of the Of-
fice of Educational Research and Improvement with
that of other components of the Department of Edu-
cation is critical. It must improve the coordination
of the educational research, development, and dis-
semination function with those of other Federal
agencies.
SEC. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Table of contents.
TITLE I—GENERAL PROVISIONS REGARDING OFFICE OF
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
Sec. 101. General provisions.
Sec. 102. Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
Sec. 103. Savings provision.February 4, 1993
TITLE II—NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH POLICY AND
PRIORITIES BOARD
Sec. 201. Establishment within Office of Educational Research and Improve-
ment.
TITLE III—NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES
Sec. 301. Establishment within Office of Educational Research and Improve-
ment.
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TITLE IV—NATIONAL EDUCATION DISSEMINATION SYSTEM
Sec. 401. Establishment within Office of Educational Research and Improve-
ment.
TITLE V—NATIONAL LIBRARY OF EDUCATION
Sec. 501. Establishment within Office of Educational Research and Improve-
ment.
TITLE VI—LEADERSHIP FOR EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Sec. 601. Leadership for educational technology.
TITLE I—GENERAL PROVISIONS
REGARDING OFFICE OF EDU-
CATIONAL 
RESEARCH 
AND
IMPROVEMENT
SEC. 101. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
Section 405 of the General Education Provisions Act
(20 U.S.C. 1221e) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND
IMPROVEMENT
‘‘SEC. 405. (a) DECLARATION OF POLICY REGARD-
ING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Congress declares it to
be the policy of the United States to provide to every
individual an equal opportunity to receive an edu-
cation of high quality regardless of race, color, reli-
gion, sex, age, disability, national origin, or social
class. Although the American educational system has
pursued this objective, it has not attained the objec-
tive. Inequalities of opportunity to receive high qual-
ity education remain pronounced. To achieve the
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goal of quality education requires the continued pur-
suit of knowledge about education through research,
development, improvement activities, data collection,
and information dissemination. While the direction
of American education remains primarily the respon-
sibility of State and local governments, the Federal
Government has a clear responsibility to provide
leadership in the conduct and support of scientific
inquiry into the educational process.
‘‘(2) MISSION OF OFFICE.—
‘‘(A) The mission of the Office of Edu-
cational Research and Improvement shall be to
provide national leadership in—
‘‘(i) expanding fundamental knowl-
edge and understanding of education;
‘‘(ii) promoting excellence and equity
in education; and
‘‘(iii) monitoring the state of edu-
cation.
‘‘(B) The mission of the Office shall be ac-
complished in collaboration with researchers,
teachers, school administrators, parents, stu-
dents, employers, and policymakers.
‘‘(b) PURPOSE AND STRUCTURE OF OFFICE.—
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‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting
through the Office of Educational Research and Im-
provement, shall carry out the policies set forth in
subsection (a). In carrying out such policies, the
Secretary shall be guided by the priorities estab-
lished by the National Educational Research Policy
and Priorities Board established in section 405A.
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
STRUCTURE.—The Of-
fice shall be administered by the Assistant Secretary
and shall include—
‘‘(A) the National Educational Research
Policy and Priorities Board established by sec-
tion 405A;
‘‘(B) the national research institutes estab-
lished by section 405B;
‘‘(C) the national education dissemination
system established by section 405C;
‘‘(D) the National Education Research Li-
brary established by section 405D;
‘‘(E) the National Center for Education
Statistics established by section 406; and
‘‘(F) such other units as the Secretary
deems appropriate to carry out the purposes of
the Office.
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‘‘(3) PRIORITIES IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT.—The Office shall, in accordance with the
provisions of this section, seek to improve education
in the United States through concentrating the re-
sources of the Office on the following priority re-
search and development needs:
‘‘(A) The education of at-risk students.
‘‘(B) The education and development of
young children.
‘‘(C) Student achievement in core subject
areas through elementary and secondary school.
‘‘(D) Postsecondary education, libraries,
and lifelong learning for adults.
‘‘(E) The improvement of schools through
the restructuring and reform of school govern-
ance, policymaking, finance and management at
the State, local, school building, and classroom
level.
‘‘(c) APPOINTMENT OF EMPLOYEES.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may ap-
point, for terms not to exceed three years (without
regard to the provisions of title 5 of the United
States Code governing appointment in the competi-
tive service) and may compensate (without regard to
the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of
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chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and
General Schedule pay rates) such scientific or tech-
nical employees of the Office as the Secretary con-
siders necessary to accomplish its functions, pro-
vided that—
‘‘(A) at least 60 days prior to the appoint-
ment of any such employee, public notice is
given of the availability of such position and an
opportunity is provided for qualified individuals
to apply and compete for such position;
‘‘(B) the rate of basic pay for such employ-
ees does not exceed the maximum rate of basic
pay payable for positions above GS–15, as de-
termined in accordance with section 5376 of
title 5, United States Code;
‘‘(C) the appointment of such employee is
necessary to provide the Office with scientific or
technical expertise which could not otherwise be
obtained by the Office through the competitive
service; and
‘‘(D) the total number of such employees
does not exceed one-fifth of the number of full-
time, regular scientific or professional employ-
ees of the Office.
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‘‘(2) REAPPOINTMENT
OF
EMPLOYEES.—The
Secretary may reappoint employees described in
paragraph (1) upon presentation of a clear and con-
vincing justification of need, for one additional term
not to exceed 3 years. All such employees shall work
on activities of the Office and shall not be reassigned
to other duties outside the Office during their term.
‘‘(d) AUTHORITY TO PUBLISH.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary is
authorized to prepare and publish such information,
reports, and documents as may be of value in carry-
ing out the purposes of sections 405 through 405D
without further clearance or approval by the Sec-
retary or any other office of the Department.
‘‘(2) QUALITY
ASSURANCE.—In carrying out
such authority, the Assistant Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) establish such procedures as may be
necessary to assure that all reports and publica-
tions issued by the Office are of the highest
quality; and
‘‘(B) provide other offices of the Depart-
ment with an opportunity to comment upon any
report or publication prior to its publication
when its contents relate to matters for which
such office has responsibility.
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‘‘(e) ANNUAL REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF OFFICE.—
The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary,
shall transmit to the President and the Congress by not
later than December 30 of each year an annual report
which shall consist of—
‘‘(1) a description prepared by the Director of
each research institute of the activities carried out
by and through such institute during the fiscal year
for which such report is prepared and any rec-
ommendations and comments regarding such activi-
ties as the Director considers appropriate;
‘‘(2) a description of the activities carried out
by and through the national education dissemination
system established by section 405C during the fiscal
year for which such report is prepared and any rec-
ommendations and comments regarding such activi-
ties as the Secretary considers appropriate;
‘‘(3) such written comments and recommenda-
tions as may be submitted by the Board concerning
the activities carried out by and through each of the
institutes and the national education dissemination
system during the fiscal year for which such report
is prepared and how such activities relate to the Re-
search Policies and Priorities Plan developed by the
Board;
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‘‘(4) a report on the personnel of the Office
which shall set forth the number of employees of the
Office, provide information concerning the gender,
race, and civil service classification of such employ-
ees, and describe any personnel vacancies or pro-
jected future personnel needs of the Office;
‘‘(5) a description of any technical or other as-
sistance the Office has provided to the New Amer-
ican Schools Development Corporation (a nonprofit
private organization incorporated under the law of
the State of Virginia) during the fiscal year for
which such report is prepared and an estimate of the
aggregate cost (in cash or in kind) to the Federal
Government of such assistance; and
‘‘(6) such additional comments, recommenda-
tions, and materials that the Secretary considers ap-
propriate.
‘‘(f) COORDINATION.—With the advice and assistance
of the Board, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary, shall establish and maintain an ongoing pro-
gram of activities designed to improve the coordination of
education research, development, and dissemination and
activities within the Department and within the Federal
Government, particularly within the priority research and
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development needs identified in section 405(b)(3), in order
to—
‘‘(1) minimize duplication in education re-
search, development, and dissemination carried out
by the Federal Government;
‘‘(2) maximize the value of the total Federal in-
vestment in education research, development, and
dissemination; and
‘‘(3) enable all entities engaged in education re-
search, development, and dissemination within the
Federal Government to interact effectively as part-
ners and take full advantage of the diverse resources
and proficiencies which each entity has available.
‘‘(g) ACTIVITIES REQUIRED WITH RESPECT TO CO-
ORDINATION.—In carrying out such program of coordina-
tion, the Secretary shall—
‘‘(1) not later than 12 months following the
date of the enactment of the Educational Research,
Development, and Dissemination Excellence Act,
make a report to the President and the appropriate
committees of Congress which shall identify adminis-
trative and legislative changes necessary to improve
the coordination of education research, development,
and dissemination activities within the Department
of Education, particularly within the priority re-
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search and development needs identified in section
405(b)(3), and to enable greater interaction among
all entities engaged in such activities, including (but
not limited to)—
‘‘(A) State facilitators and other entities
supported by the National Diffusion Network;
‘‘(B) evaluation assistance centers and
multifunctional source centers established by
the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority
Language Affairs;
‘‘(C) research and development entities ad-
ministered by the Office of Special Education
programs;
‘‘(D) the National Center for Research in
Vocational Education;
‘‘(E) regional centers established under
section 5135 of the Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act of 1986;
‘‘(F) chapter 1 technical assistance cen-
ters;
‘‘(G) the research institutes established by
section 405B;
‘‘(H) national education research centers;
‘‘(I) the Women’s Educational Equity Act
Publishing Center;
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‘‘(J) the Desegregation Assistance Centers;
‘‘(K) the Office for Civil Rights dissemina-
tion activities; and
‘‘(L) the national education dissemination
system established by section 405C; and
‘‘(2) not later than two years following the date
of the enactment of the Educational Research, De-
velopment, and Dissemination Act—
‘‘(A) compile (and thereafter regularly
maintain) and make available a comprehensive
inventory of all education research, develop-
ment, dissemination activities, and expenditures
being carried out by the Federal Government
within the priority research and development
needs identified in section 405(b)(3); and
‘‘(B) make a report to the President and
the appropriate committees of the Congress
which shall identify administrative and legisla-
tive changes necessary to improve the coordina-
tion of all education research, development, and
dissemination activities carried out within the
Federal Government, particularly within the
priority research and development needs identi-
fied in section 405(b)(3), and to enable greater
interaction and exchange of information among
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all entities engaged in such activities, includ-
ing—
‘‘(i) the Department of Defense;
‘‘(ii) the Department of Health and
Human Services;
‘‘(iii) the Department of Agriculture;
‘‘(iv) the Department of Energy;
‘‘(v) the Department of Housing and
Urban Development;
‘‘(vi) the Department of the Interior;
‘‘(vii) the Department of Justice;
‘‘(viii) the Department of Labor;
‘‘(ix) the Department of Transpor-
tation;
‘‘(x) the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs;
‘‘(xi) the Environmental Protection
Agency;
‘‘(xii) the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration;
‘‘(xiii) the Smithsonian Institution;
‘‘(xiv) the White House Office of
Science and Technology Policy; and
‘‘(xv) the National Science Founda-
tion.
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‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section and
sections 405A through 405D:
‘‘(1) The term ‘Assistant Secretary’ means the
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and
Improvement established by section 202 of the De-
partment of Education Organization Act.
‘‘(2) The term ‘at-risk student’ means a student
who, because of limited English proficiency, poverty,
geographic location, or educational or economic dis-
advantage, faces a greater risk of low educational
achievement and has greater potential for dropping
out of school.
‘‘(3) The term ‘Board’ means the National
Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board
established by section 405A.
‘‘(4) The term ‘educational research’ includes
basic and applied research, development, planning,
surveys, assessments, evaluations, investigations, ex-
periments, and demonstrations in the field of edu-
cation and other fields relating to education.
‘‘(5) The term ‘development’—
‘‘(A) means the systematic use, adaptation,
and transformation of knowledge and under-
standing gained from research to create alter-
natives, policies, products, methods, practices,
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‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—
‘‘(1) NATIONAL INSTITUTES.—
‘‘(A)(i) For the purpose of carrying out
section 405B, there is authorized to be appro-
priated $37,000,000 for fiscal year 1994.
‘‘(ii) For the purpose of carrying out sec-
tion 405B (other than the provisions of such
section relating to the National Institute for the
Education of At-Risk Students), there is au-
thorized to be appropriated $36,000,000 for fis-
cal year 1995.
‘‘(iii) For the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 405B relating to the Na-
tional Institute for the Education of At-Risk
Students, there are authorized to be appro-
priated $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and
such sums as are necessary for each of the fis-
cal years 1996 and 1997.
‘‘(B) For the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 405B relating to the Na-
tional Institute for Innovation in Educational
Governance and Management, there are author-
ized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for fiscal
year 1996, and such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal year 1997.
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‘‘(C) For the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 405B relating to the Na-
tional Institute for Early Childhood Education,
there 
are 
authorized 
to 
be 
appropriated
$20,000,000 for fiscal year 1996 and such
sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1997.
‘‘(D) For the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 405B relating to the Na-
tional Institute for Student Achievement, there
are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000
for fiscal year 1996 and such sums as may be
made necessary for fiscal year 1997.
‘‘(E) For the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 405B relating to the Na-
tional Institute for Postsecondary Education,
Libraries, and Lifelong Learning, there are au-
thorized to be appropriated such sums as may
be necessary for each of fiscal years 1996 and
1997.
‘‘(2) NATIONAL
EDUCATION
DISSEMINATION
SYSTEM.—
‘‘(A)(i) For the purpose of carrying out
subsections (b)(2) through (g) of section 405C,
there 
are 
authorized 
to 
be 
appropriated
$17,000,000 for fiscal year 1994, and such
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sums as are necessary for each of the fiscal
years 1995 through 1997.
‘‘(ii) Of the amount appropriated under
clause (i) for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall
make available not less than $7,175,000 to
carry out subsection (f) of section 405C (relat-
ing to clearinghouses).
‘‘(B) For the purposes of carrying out sub-
section (h) of section 405C (relating to
SMARTLINE), there are authorized to be ap-
propriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1994, and
such sums as are necessary for each of the fis-
cal years 1995 through 1997.
‘‘(C) For the purposes of carrying out sub-
section (i) of section 405C (relating to elec-
tronic networking), there are authorized to be
appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1994,
and such sums as are necessary for each of the
fiscal years 1995 through 1997.
‘‘(D) For the purpose of carrying out sub-
section (j) of section 405C (relating to regional
educational laboratories), there are authorized
to be appropriated $36,000,000 for fiscal year
1994, and such sums as are necessary for each
of the fiscal years 1995 through 1997. Of the
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amounts appropriated under the preceding sen-
tence for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall obli-
gate not less than 25 percent to carry out such
purpose with respect to rural areas.
‘‘(E) For the purpose of carrying out sub-
section (l) of section 405C (relating to the re-
gional partnerships) there are authorized to be
appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1994,
and such sums as are necessary for each of the
fiscal years 1995 through 1997.
‘‘(F) For the purpose of carrying out sub-
section (i) of section 405C (relating to the
America 2000 Communities Special Assistance
program), there are authorized to be appro-
priated $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1994,
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and such
sums as are necessary for each of the fiscal
years 1996 and 1997.
‘‘(3) NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH POL-
ICY AND PRIORITIES BOARD.—Of the amounts ap-
propriated under paragraphs (1) and (2) for any fis-
cal year, the Secretary shall make available 2 per-
cent of such amounts, or $1,000,000, whichever is
less, to the Board for the purpose of carrying out
section 405A.
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‘‘(4) ALLOCATIONS FOR GRANTS, COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS, AND
CONTRACTS.—Of the amounts
appropriated under paragraph (1) or (2) for any fis-
cal year, not less than 95 percent shall be expended
to carry out the purposes described in such para-
graphs through grants, cooperative agreements, or
contracts.
‘‘(5) LIMITATIONS
ON
APPROPRIATIONS.—No
amounts are authorized to be appropriated under
paragraph (1) or (2) for any fiscal year unless the
Board has been appointed in accordance with section
405A not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of the Educational Research, Develop-
ment, and Dissemination Excellence Act.
‘‘(6) RESTRICTIONS ON APPROPRIATIONS.—No
funds appropriated under paragraphs (1) and (2) for
any fiscal year may be used to support—
‘‘(A) research and development activities in
the area of student assessment except those ac-
tivities which are carried out in accordance with
subsection (i) of section 405B;
‘‘(B) the development of content or student
performance standards unless specifically au-
thorized by law; or
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‘‘(C) the development of curricular frame-
works by State education agencies or other enti-
ties except through the provision of support and
technical assistance by the regional laboratories
in accordance with subsection (h) of section
405C.
‘‘(7) GRANT
REQUIRED.—From the amounts
appropriated under paragraph (1) for fiscal year
1994, the Secretary shall, in accordance with the
provisions of this paragraph, award a grant of
$5,000,000 to a public or private institution, agency
or organization for a period not to exceed five years
for the purpose of conducting a State-by-State poll
to determine the perceptions of recent graduates of
secondary schools, their instructors in institutions of
higher education, parents of recent such graduates,
and employers of recent such graduates on how well
schools have prepared students for further education
or employment. The grant shall be awarded on a
competitive basis and shall be matched on a two-to-
one basis, with the Federal Government contributing
one-third of the total costs of the poll.’’.
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SEC. 102. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL RE-
SEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT.
Subsection (b) of section 202 of the Department of
Education Organization Act is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by striking subparagraph (E); and
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (F)
and (G) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respec-
tively; and
(2) by adding at the end the following para-
graph:
‘‘(3) There shall be in the Department an Assistant
Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement who
shall be—
‘‘(A) appointed by the President, by and with
the consent of the Senate; and
‘‘(B) selected in consultation with the National
Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board
from among individuals who—
‘‘(i) are distinguished educational research-
ers;
‘‘(ii) have proven management ability; and
‘‘(iii) have substantial knowledge of edu-
cation within the United States.’’.
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SEC. 103. SAVINGS PROVISION.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, contracts
for the regional educational laboratories, education re-
sources information clearinghouses and research and de-
velopment centers assisted under section 405 of the Gen-
eral Education Provisions Act on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act shall remain in effect until the termi-
nation date of such contracts.
TITLE 
II—NATIONAL 
EDU-
CATIONAL RESEARCH POLICY
AND PRIORITIES BOARD
SEC. 
201. 
ESTABLISHMENT 
WITHIN 
OFFICE 
OF 
EDU-
CATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT.
Part A of the General Education Provisions Act (20
U.S.C. 1221e et seq.) is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 405 the following new section:
‘‘NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH POLICY AND
PRIORITIES BOARD
‘‘SEC. 405A. (a) IN GENERAL.—There is established
within the Office a National Educational Policy and Prior-
ities Board (hereafter in this section referred to as the
‘Board’).
‘‘(b) FUNCTIONS.—It shall be the responsibility of
the Board, acting through the Assistant Secretary—
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‘‘(1) to determine priorities that should guide
the work of the Office and provide guidance to the
Congress in its oversight of the Office;
‘‘(2) to establish standards for the conduct and
evaluation of all research, development, and dissemi-
nation carried out under the auspices of the Office
pursuant to sections 405 through 405C; and
‘‘(3) to regularly review and evaluate the imple-
mentation of its recommended priorities and policies
by the Department and the Congress.
‘‘(c) RESEARCH
PRIORITIES
PLAN.—The Board
shall—
‘‘(1) survey and assess the state of knowledge
in education research, development and dissemina-
tion to identify disciplines and areas of inquiry with-
in the priority research, development and dissemina-
tion needs identified in section 405(b)(3) in which
the state of knowledge is insufficient and which war-
rant further investigation, taking into account the
views of both education researchers and practicing
educators;
‘‘(2) consult with the National Education Goals
Panel and other authorities on education to identify
national priorities for the improvement of education;
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‘‘(3) actively solicit recommendations from edu-
cation researchers, teachers, school administrators,
parents, and others throughout the Nation by con-
vening periodic regional forums and through other
means;
‘‘(4) provide recommendations for the develop-
ment, maintenance, and assurance of a strong infra-
structure for education, research, and development
in the United States; and
‘‘(5) on the basis of such recommendations, de-
velop a research priorities program which shall rec-
ommend priorities for the investment of the re-
sources of the Office over the next 5-, 10-, and 15-
year periods, including as priorities those areas of
inquiry in which further research, development and
dissemination—
‘‘(A) is necessary to attain the goals for
the improvement of education identified in
paragraph (2);
‘‘(B) promises to yield the greatest prac-
tical benefits to teachers and other educators in
terms of improving education; and
‘‘(C) will not be undertaken in sufficient
scope or intensity by the other Federal and
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non-Federal entities engaged in education re-
search and development.
‘‘(d) CONTENTS OF PLAN—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The research and priorities
plan described in subsection (c) shall, at a mini-
mum—
‘‘(A) include goals for expenditures by the
Office within the recommended priority areas;
‘‘(B) set forth specific objectives which can
be expected to be achieved as a result of such
expenditure;
‘‘(C) within each priority area, include rec-
ommendations as to the relative distribution of
resources among and within the research insti-
tutes, national education dissemination system,
and other entities engaged in education re-
search and development;
‘‘(D) include recommendations with respect
to research and development on cross-cutting is-
sues which should be carried out jointly by 2 or
more of the research institutes; and
‘‘(E) include an evaluative summary of the
educational research and development activities
undertaken by the Federal Government during
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the preceding 2 fiscal years which shall de-
scribe—
‘‘(i) what has been learned as a result
of such activities;
‘‘(ii) how such new knowledge or un-
derstanding extends or otherwise relates to
what had been previously known or under-
stood;
‘‘(iii) the implications of such new
knowledge or understanding for edu-
cational practice and school reform; and
‘‘(iv) any development, reform, and
other assistance activities which have uti-
lized such knowledge or understanding and
the effects of such efforts.
‘‘(2) REPORT.—
‘‘(A) Not later than October 1 of fiscal
year 1994 and of every second fiscal year there-
after, the Secretary shall publish a report speci-
fying the proposed research priorities of the
Board and allow a 60-day period beginning on
the date of the publication of the report for
public comment and suggestions.
‘‘(B) Not later than 90 days after the expi-
ration of the 60-day period referred to in sub-
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paragraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to
the President and the Congress a report speci-
fying the research priorities of the Board and
any public comment and suggestions obtained
under such subparagraph.
‘‘(e) STANDARDS FOR CONDUCT AND EVALUATION
OF RESEARCH.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Board shall develop
such standards as it deems necessary to govern the
conduct and evaluation of all research, development,
and dissemination activities carried out by the Office
to assure that such activities meet the highest stand-
ards of professional excellence. In developing such
standards, the Board shall review the procedures
utilized by the National Institutes of Health, the
National Science Foundation, and other Federal
agencies engaged in research and development and
shall also actively solicit recommendations from the
Secretary, the National Academy of Sciences, the
American Educational Research Association and
members of the general public.
‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF STANDARDS.—Such stand-
ards shall at a minimum—
‘‘(A) require that a system of peer review
be utilized by the Office—
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‘‘(i) in reviewing and evaluating all
applications for grants and cooperative
agreements and bids for contracts;
‘‘(ii) in evaluating and assessing the
performance of all recipients of grants
from and cooperative agreements and con-
tracts with the Office; and
‘‘(iii) in reviewing and designating ex-
emplary and promising programs in ac-
cordance with section 405C(d);
‘‘(B)(i) specify the composition of peer re-
view panels, the criteria for the selection of
members of such panels, and describe the
means by which potential members shall be
identified so as to assure that such panels are
broadly representative of individuals with exper-
tise in matters relevant to the purposes of each
such panel;
‘‘(ii) prohibit the consideration of partisan
affiliation in the selection of any member of a
peer review panel;
‘‘(iii) describe the general procedures which
shall be used by each peer review panel in its
operations;
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‘‘(iv) prohibit the participation by a mem-
ber of a peer review panel in the review of any
application in which such member has any fi-
nancial interest; and
‘‘(v) require that transcripts, minutes, and
other documents made available to or prepared
for or by a peer review panel will be available
for public inspection to the extent consistent
with the Freedom of Information Act, the Fed-
eral Advisory Committee Act, the Privacy Act,
and other laws;
‘‘(C)(i) describe the procedures which shall
be utilized in evaluating applications for grants,
proposed cooperative agreements, and contract
bids;
‘‘(ii) specify the criteria and factors which
shall be considered in making such evaluations;
and
‘‘(iii) provide that any decision to fund a
grant, contract, or cooperative agreement out of
its order of ranking by a peer review panel shall
be first fully justified in writing and that copies
of such justification shall be transmitted to the
Board, unless such action is required by some
other provision of law;
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‘‘(D)(i) describe the procedures which shall
be utilized in reviewing educational programs
which have been identified by or submitted to
the Secretary for evaluation in accordance with
section 405C(d); and
‘‘(ii) specify the criteria which shall be
used in recommending programs as exemplary
and promising; and
‘‘(E)(i) require that the performance of all
recipients of grants from and contracts and co-
operative agreements with the Office shall be
periodically evaluated, both during and at the
conclusion of their receipt of assistance;
‘‘(ii) describe the procedures and means by
which such evaluations shall be undertaken, in-
cluding—
‘‘(I) the frequency of such evaluations;
‘‘(II) the criteria, outcome measures,
and other factors which shall be taken into
account; and
‘‘(III) measures to assure that on-site
evaluations of performance shall be utilized
to the extent appropriate and whenever
practicable; and
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‘‘(iii) provide that the results of such eval-
uations shall be taken into account prior to any
decision to continue, renew, or provide new
funding to the entity being reviewed.
‘‘(3) PUBLICATION
AND
PROMULGATION
OF
STANDARDS.—
‘‘(A) The Board shall publish proposed
standards—
‘‘(i) which meet the requirements of
subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of para-
graph (2) not later than 1 year following
the convening of the first meeting of the
Board;
‘‘(ii) which meet the requirements of
paragraph (2)(D) not later than 2 years
following the convening of the first meeting
of the Board; and
‘‘(iii) which meet the requirements of
subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) not
later than 3 years following the convening
of the first meeting of the Board; and
‘‘(B) Following the publication of such
proposed standards, the Board shall solicit com-
ments from the Secretary and interested mem-
bers of the public with respect to such proposed
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standards for a period of not more than 120
days. After giving due consideration to any
comments it may have received, the Board shall
approve and transmit to the Secretary final
standards which meet the requirements of the
particular subparagraphs of paragraph (2) for
which they were developed.
‘‘(f) 
ADDITIONAL
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF
THE
BOARD.—It shall also be the responsibility of the Board
to—
‘‘(1) provide advice and assistance to the Sec-
retary in carrying out the coordination activities de-
scribed in section 405;
‘‘(2) make nominations to the Secretary of per-
sons qualified to fulfill the responsibilities of the Di-
rector for each research institute established by sec-
tion 405B after making special efforts to identify
qualified women and minorities and soliciting and
giving due consideration to recommendations from
professional associations and interested members of
the public; and
‘‘(3) advise and make recommendations to the
President with respect to individuals who are quali-
fied to fulfill the responsibilities of the Assistant
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Secretary for the Office of Educational Research
and Improvement.
‘‘(g) STANDING SUBCOMMITTEES.—
‘‘(1) 
ESTABLISHMENT; 
FUNCTIONS.—The
Board shall establish a standing subcommittee for
each of the Institutes established by subsection (a)
of section 405B and for the Office of Dissemination
and School Improvement established by subsection
(b) of section 405C which shall advise, assist, con-
sult with and make recommendations to the Assist-
ant Secretary, the Board, the Director of such entity
and the Congress on matters related to the activities
carried out by and through such entities.
‘‘(2) COMPOSITION.—
‘‘(A) Each standing subcommittee shall
consist of 3 members of the Board and 6 addi-
tional individuals appointed by the Board who
have significant experience in and knowledge of
the disciplines relevant to the purposes of the
entity for which the subcommittee is estab-
lished.
‘‘(B) The Board shall assure that the
membership of each subcommittee includes both
educational researchers and persons who are
knowledgeable about the research, development
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and dissemination needs of practitioners, in-
cluding classroom teachers, school administra-
tors, and members of State or local boards of
education.
‘‘(h) POWERS OF THE BOARD.—In carrying out its
functions, powers, and responsibilities, the Board—
‘‘(1) shall, without regard to the provisions of
title 5, United States Code, relating to the appoint-
ment and compensation of officers or employees of
the United States, appoint a director to be paid at
a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay payable
for level V of the Executive Schedule who shall as-
sist in carrying out and managing the activities of
the Board and perform such other functions the
Board determines to be necessary and appropriate;
‘‘(2) shall hire its own staff through routine
government procedures;
‘‘(3) may arrange for the detail of staff person-
nel and utilize the services and facilities of any agen-
cy of the Federal Government;
‘‘(4) may enter into contracts, or make other
arrangements as may be necessary to carry out its
functions;
‘‘(5) may review any grant, contract, or cooper-
ative agreement made or entered into by the Office;
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‘‘(6) may, to the extent otherwise permitted by
law, obtain directly from any department or agency
of the United States such information as it deems
necessary to carry out its responsibilities;
‘‘(7) may convene workshops and conferences,
collect data, and establish subcommittees which may
be composed of members of the Board and
nonmember consultants (including employees of the
Department) with expertise in the particular area
addressed by such subcommittees; and
‘‘(8) shall establish such rules and procedures
to govern its operations as it considers appropriate,
to the extent otherwise permitted by law.
‘‘(i) MEMBERSHIP IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(1) QUALIFICATIONS.—The members of the
Board shall be eminent persons who, by virtue of
their training, experience, and background, are ex-
ceptionally qualified to appraise the educational re-
search and development effort of the Nation and to
establish policies and priorities to govern future Fed-
eral investment in educational research, develop-
ment, and dissemination.
‘‘(2) BROAD REPRESENTATION.—Due consider-
ation shall be given to the gender, race, and eth-
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nicity of appointees to assure that the Board is
broadly representative of the diversity of the Nation.
‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—A voting member of the
Board may not serve on any other governing or advi-
sory board within the Department of Education.
‘‘(4) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—A voting mem-
ber of the Board shall be considered a special Gov-
ernment employee for the purposes of the Ethics in
Government Act of 1978.
‘‘(j) SECRETARIAL
APPOINTMENTS.—The Board
shall consist of 20 members appointed by the Secretary.
Of the members of the Board—
‘‘(1) seven shall be appointed from among re-
searchers in the field of education who have been
nominated by the National Academy of Sciences
(giving due consideration to recommendations made
by the American Educational Research Association),
including persons who are among the leading au-
thorities on early childhood education and the edu-
cation of at-risk students;
‘‘(2) four shall be classroom teachers, no fewer
than 2 of whom continue to work regularly in the
classroom, appointed from among outstanding teach-
ers nominated by the American Federation of
Teachers, the National Education Association, the
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National Association for the Education of Young
Children, and the National Head Start Association;
‘‘(3) one shall be a Chief State School Officer,
appointed from among those nominated by the
Council of Chief State School Officers;
‘‘(4) one shall be a local education agency
school superintendent or principal, appointed from
among those nominated by the American Association
of School Administrators, the National Association
of Elementary School Principals, and the National
Association of Secondary School Principals;
‘‘(5) one shall be a member of a State or local
board of education, appointed from among those
nominated by the National School Boards Associa-
tion and the National Association of State Boards of
Education;
‘‘(6) one shall be a professional librarian, school
library media specialist, library administrator, or li-
brary science educator, appointed from among those
nominated by the American Library Association and
the Association of Research Libraries;
‘‘(7) one shall be a parent with extensive experi-
ence in promoting parental involvement in education,
appointed from among those nominated by the Na-
tional Parent-Teachers Association, the National
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‘‘(A) may not nominate any individual who
is an elected officer or employee of such organi-
zation; and
‘‘(B) shall nominate not less than 3 indi-
viduals for each of the positions on the Board
for which such organization has responsibility
for making nominations.
‘‘(2) REQUEST
FOR
ADDITIONAL
NOMINA-
TIONS.—In the event that the Secretary determines
that none of the individuals nominated by an organi-
zation meet the qualifications for membership on the
Board specified in subsection (i), the Secretary may
request that such organization make additional
nominations.
‘‘(l) EX
OFFICIO
MEMBERS.—The ex officio,
nonvoting members of the Board shall be as follows:
‘‘(1) The Secretary.
‘‘(2) The Assistant Secretary.
‘‘(3) The Director of Research for the Depart-
ment of Defense.
‘‘(4) The Director of Research for the Depart-
ment of Labor.
‘‘(5) The Director of the National Science
Foundation.
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‘‘(6) The Director of the National Institutes of
Health.
‘‘(7) The Director of the National Endowment
for the Arts.
‘‘(8) The Director of the National Endowment
for the Humanities.
‘‘(9) The Librarian of Congress.
‘‘(m) CHAIR.—The Board shall select a Chair from
among its appointed members who shall serve for a renew-
able term of 2 years.
‘‘(n) TERMS OF OFFICE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graphs (2) and (3), the term of office of each voting
member of the Board shall be 4 years.
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—
‘‘(A) Any individual appointed to fill a va-
cancy occurring on the Board prior to the expi-
ration of the term for which the predecessor of
the individual was appointed shall be appointed
for the remainder of the term. A vacancy shall
be filled in the same manner in which the origi-
nal appointment was made.
‘‘(B) The terms of office of the members
of the Board who first take office after the date
of enactment of the Educational Research, De-
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velopment, and Dissemination Excellence Act
shall, as designated by a random selection proc-
ess at the time of appointment, be as follows:
‘‘(i) 2 years for each of 6 members of
the Board.
‘‘(ii) 3 years for each of 6 members of
the Board.
‘‘(iii) 4 years for each of 8 members
of the Board.
‘‘(3) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN CONSECUTIVE
TERMS.—An individual who has been a member of
the Board for 8 consecutive years shall thereafter be
ineligible for appointment during the 2-year period
beginning on the date of the expiration of the 8th
year.
‘‘(o) MEETINGS OF BOARD.—
‘‘(1) INITIAL
MEETING.—The Secretary shall
ensure that the first meeting of the Board is held
not later than the expiration of the 180-day period
beginning on the date of the enactment of the Edu-
cational Research, Development, and Dissemination
Excellence Act.
‘‘(2) SUBSEQUENT
MEETINGS.—The Board
shall meet quarterly, at the call of the Chair, and
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when at least one-third of the members of the Board
make a written request to meet.
‘‘(3) QUORUM.—A majority of the Board shall
constitute a quorum.
‘‘(4) OPEN MEETINGS.—The Government in the
Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b) shall apply to meet-
ings of the Board.’’.
TITLE III—NATIONAL RESEARCH
INSTITUTES
SEC. 
301. 
ESTABLISHMENT 
WITHIN 
OFFICE 
OF 
EDU-
CATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT.
Part A of the General Education Provisions Act, as
amended by section 201 of this Act, is amended by insert-
ing after section 405A the following new section:
‘‘NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES
‘‘SEC. 405B. (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF INSTITUTES.—
In order to fulfill the research and development purposes
of the Office, and to carry out, in accordance with the
standards established by the Board, a program of high-
quality and rigorously evaluated research and development
that is capable of improving Federal, State, and local edu-
cation policies and practices, there are established within
the Office the following institutes:
‘‘(1) The National Institute for the Education
of At-Risk Students.
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‘‘(2) The National Institute for Innovation in
Educational Governance, Finance, and Management.
‘‘(3) The National Institute for Early Childhood
Development and Education.
‘‘(4) 
The 
National 
Institute 
on 
Student
Achievement.
‘‘(5) The National Institute on Postsecondary
Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Education.
‘‘(b) DIRECTORS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each Institute established
by subsection (a) shall be headed by a Director who
shall be appointed by the Secretary from among per-
sons who have significant experience and expertise in
the disciplines relevant to the purposes of such Insti-
tute. Prior to making such appointment, the Sec-
retary shall solicit and give due consideration to rec-
ommendations made by the Board of persons
qualfied to fulfill the position.
‘‘(2) TERM OF OFFICE.—The Director of each
Institute shall serve for a term of 4 years. With re-
spect to the annual rate of basic pay payable for the
position of Director of any of such Institutes, such
position shall be a position to which level IV of the
Executive Schedule applies for purposes of section
5315 of title 5, United States Code.
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‘‘(c) AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting
through the Director of each Institute, is authorized
to conduct research, development, demonstration,
and evaluation activities to carry out the purposes
for which such Institute was established—
‘‘(A) directly;
‘‘(B) through grants, contracts, and coop-
erative agreements with institutions of higher
education, regional educational laboratories,
public and private organizations, institutions,
agencies, and individuals, including—
‘‘(i) research and development centers
which are—
‘‘(I) awarded competitively for a
period of not less than 6 and not
more than 10 years;
‘‘(II) funded at not less than
$2,000,000 annually in order to sup-
port a full range of basic research, ap-
plied research and dissemination ac-
tivities; and
‘‘(III) established by institutions
of higher education, by institutions of
higher education in consort with pub-
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lic agencies or private nonprofit orga-
nizations, or by interstate agencies es-
tablished by compact which operate
subsidiary bodies established to con-
duct postsecondary educational re-
search and development;
‘‘(ii) public-private research partner-
ships established by a State or local edu-
cation agency in consort with a private or-
ganization and a team of educational re-
searchers, for which the Federal share
shall be limited to not more than 50 per-
cent of the total costs of the project;
‘‘(iii) meritorious unsolicited proposals
for educational research and related activi-
ties;
‘‘(iv) proposals that are specifically in-
vited or requested by the Director, on a
competitive basis; and
‘‘(v) dissertation grants, awarded for
a period of not more than 2 years and in
a total amount not to exceed $20,000 to
graduate students in the sciences, human-
ities, and the arts to support research by
such scholars in the field of education;
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‘‘(C) through the provision of technical as-
sistance; and
‘‘(D) through the award of fellowships to
support graduate study in educational research
by qualified African-American, Hispanic, and
other individuals from groups which have been
traditionally underrepresented in the field of
educational research which shall—
‘‘(i) be awarded on the basis of merit
for a period of 3 years; and
‘‘(ii) provide stipends to each fellow in
an amount which shall be set at a level of
support comparable to that provided by the
National Science Foundation Graduate
Fellowships, except that such amounts
shall be adjusted as necessary so as not to
exceed each fellow’s demonstrated level of
need.
‘‘(2) SCOPE
AND
FOCUS
OF
ACTIVITIES.—In
carrying out the purposes for which each Institute is
established, the Secretary, acting through the Direc-
tor of each Institute, shall—
‘‘(A) maintain an appropriate balance be-
tween applied and basic research;
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‘‘(B) significantly expand the role of field-
initiated research in meeting the Nation’s edu-
cation research and development needs by re-
serving not less than 15 percent of the amounts
available to each Institute in any fiscal year to
support field-initiated research described in
clauses (iii) through (v) of paragraph (1); and
‘‘(C) provide for and maintain a stable
foundation of long-term research and develop-
ment on core issues and concerns conducted
through university-based research and develop-
ment centers by reserving not less than 30 per-
cent of the amounts available to each Institute
in any fiscal year to support such research and
development centers.
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS
REGARDING
FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE.—No grant, contract, or cooperative
agreement may be made under this section unless—
‘‘(A) sufficient notice of the availability of,
and opportunity to compete for, assistance has
first been provided to potential applicants
through notice published in the Federal Reg-
ister and other means;
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‘‘(B) it has been recommended after peer
review in accordance with the standards issued
by the Board;
‘‘(C) it will be evaluated in accordance with
the standards issued by the Board; and
‘‘(D) in the case of a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement which exceeds $500,000
for a single fiscal year or $1,000,000 for more
than one fiscal year, the Secretary has complied
with the requirements of paragraph (4).
‘‘(4) BOARD
REVIEW
OF
CERTAIN
PROPOSED
GRANT AND CONTRACT ACTIONS.—
‘‘(A) The Secretary may not solicit any
contract bid or issue a request for proposals or
applications for any grant or cooperative agree-
ment the amount of which exceeds $500,000 in
any single fiscal year or which exceeds an ag-
gregate amount of $1,000,000 for more than
one fiscal year unless—
‘‘(i) at least 30 days prior to the next
scheduled meeting of the Board, a descrip-
tion of the proposed grant, contract, or co-
operative agreement action has been trans-
mitted to the Board, including an expla-
nation of how the proposed action relates
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to the Research Priorities Plan developed
by the Board under section 405A(c); and
‘‘(ii) the Board has reviewed the pro-
posed action and made a written deter-
mination that—
‘‘(I) the purposes and scope of
the proposed action are consistent
with the Research Priorities Plan; and
‘‘(II) the methodology and ap-
proach of the proposed action are
sound and adequate to achieve its
stated objectives.
‘‘(B) The Board shall review and act upon
each proposed action which has been transmit-
ted by the Secretary in accordance with clause
(i) of subparagraph (A) at the next meeting of
the Board which follows the transmittal by the
Secretary. In the event that the Board fails to
review and act upon any proposed action at
such meeting, the requirements of clause (ii) of
such subparagraph shall not apply with respect
to such proposed action.
‘‘(5) 
HISTORICALLY
UNDERUTILIZED
RE-
SEARCHERS
AND
INSTITUTIONS.—The Secretary,
acting through the Director of each Institute, shall
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establish and maintain initiatives and programs to
increase the participation in the activities of each In-
stitute of groups of researchers and institutions who
have been historically underutilized in Federal edu-
cational research activities, including—
‘‘(A) researchers who are women, African-
American, Hispanic, or other ethnic minorities;
‘‘(B) promising young or new researchers
in the field, such as postdoctoral students and
recently appointed assistant or associate profes-
sors;
‘‘(C) historically black colleges and univer-
sities and other institutions of higher education
with large numbers of minority students;
‘‘(D) institutions of higher education lo-
cated in rural areas; and
‘‘(E) institutions and researchers located
in States and regions of the Nation which have
historically received the least Federal support
for educational research and development.
‘‘(6) ADDITIONAL
AUTHORITIES.—The Sec-
retary, acting through the Director of each Insti-
tute—
‘‘(A) may obtain (in accordance with sec-
tion 3109 of title 5 but without regard to the
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limitation in such section on the period of serv-
ice) the services of experts or consultants with
scientific or professional qualifications in the
disciplines relevant to the purposes of such In-
stitute;
‘‘(B) may not, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, appoint, and employ any per-
son in a position excepted from the competitive
service under Schedule C;
‘‘(C) may use, with their consent, the serv-
ices, equipment, personnel, information, and fa-
cilities of other Federal, State, or local public
agencies, with or without reimbursement there-
for;
‘‘(D) may accept voluntary and uncompen-
sated services; and
‘‘(E) may accept unconditional gifts made
to the institute to support its activities.
‘‘(d) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE EDUCATION OF
AT-RISK STUDENTS.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as fol-
lows:
‘‘(A) The rate of decline in our urban
schools is escalating at a rapid pace. Student
performance in most inner city schools grows
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worse each year. At least half of all students
entering ninth grade fail to graduate 4 years
later and many more students from high-pov-
erty backgrounds leave school with skills that
are inadequate for today’s workplace. In 1988
the average National Assessment of Edu-
cational Progress (NAEP) reading score of
white 17 year-olds was approximately 20 points
higher than that of African-American 17 year-
olds and 25 points higher than that of Hispanic
17 year-olds. None of the existing Federal edu-
cational research and development programs
are adequately addressing this obvious emer-
gency.
‘‘(B) Rural schools enroll a disproportion-
ately large share of the Nation’s poor and at-
risk students and yet often lack the means to
address effectively the needs of these children.
Intensive efforts must be made to overcome the
problems of geographic isolation, declining pop-
ulation, inadequate financial resources and
other impediments to the educational success of
children residing in rural areas.
‘‘(C) By the year 2000, an estimated 3.4
million school age children with limited English
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language proficiency will be entering the school
system. The Federal Government must develop
effective policies and programs to address the
educational needs of this growing population of
children who are at increased risk for edu-
cational failure.
‘‘(D) An educational emergency exists in
those urban and rural areas where there are
large concentrations of children who live in pov-
erty. The numbers of educationally disadvan-
taged children will substantially increase by the
year 2020, when the number of impoverished
children alone will be 16.5 million, a 33 percent
increase over the 12.4 million children in pov-
erty in 1987.
‘‘(E) Minority scholars as well as institu-
tions and groups that have been historically
committed to the improvement of the education
of at-risk students need to be more fully mobi-
lized in the effort to develop a new generation
of programs, models, practices, and schools ca-
pable of responding to the urgent needs of stu-
dents who are educationally at-risk.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—It shall be the purpose of the
Institute for the Education of At-Risk Students to
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carry out a coordinated and comprehensive program
of research and development to provide nonpartisan,
research-based leadership to the Nation as it seeks
to improve educational opportunities for students
who are at-risk for educational failure, particularly
children who reside in inner city and rural areas and
children of limited English proficiency. Such pro-
gram shall undertake research necessary to provide
a sound basis from which to—
‘‘(A) identify, develop, evaluate, and assist
others to replicate and adapt interventions, pro-
grams, and models which promote greater
achievement and educational success by at-risk
students, including (but not limited to)—
‘‘(i) methods of instruction and edu-
cational practices (including community
services) which improve the achievement
and retention of at-risk students;
‘‘(ii) means by which parents and
community resources and institutions can
be utilized to support and improve the
achievement of at-risk students;
‘‘(iii) the training of teachers and
other educational professionals and para-
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professionals to work more effectively with
at-risk students;
‘‘(iv) the most effective uses of tech-
nology in the education of at-risk students;
and
‘‘(v) programs designed to promote
gender equity in schools that serve at-risk
students; and
‘‘(vi) 
methods 
of 
assessing 
the
achievement of students which are sensitive
to cultural differences, provide multiple
methods of assessing student learning,
support student acquisition of higher order
capabilities, and enable identification of
the effects of inequalities in the resources
available to support the learning of chil-
dren throughout the Nation; and
‘‘(B) maximize the participation of those
schools and institutions of higher education
that serve the greatest number of at-risk stu-
dents in inner city and rural areas, including
model collaborative programs between schools
and schools systems, institutions of higher edu-
cation, and community organizations.
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‘‘(e) NATIONAL INSTITUTE
FOR INNOVATION
IN
EDUCATIONAL GOVERNANCE, FINANCE
AND MANAGE-
MENT.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as fol-
lows:
‘‘(A) Many elementary and secondary
schools in the United States—
‘‘(i) are structured according to mod-
els that are ineffective and rely on notions
of management and governance that may
be outdated or insufficient for the chal-
lenges of the next century; and
‘‘(ii) are unsuccessful in equipping all
students with the knowledge and skills
needed to succeed as citizens and in the
working world.
‘‘(B) New approaches are needed in the
governance and management of elementary and
secondary education with the United States at
the State, local, school building and classroom
level.
‘‘(C) Not enough is known about the ef-
fects of various systems of school governance
and management on student achievement to
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provide sound guidance to policymakers as they
pursue school restructuring and reform.
‘‘(D) A concentrated Federal effort is
needed to support research, development, dem-
onstration, and evaluation of approaches to
school governance, finance and management
which promise to improve education equity and
excellence throughout the Nation.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—It shall be the purpose of the
Institute on Innovation in Educational Governance,
Finance, and Management to carry out a coordi-
nated and comprehensive program of research and
development to provide nonpartisan, research-based
leadership to the Nation as it seeks to improve stu-
dent achievement through school restructuring and
reform. Such program shall—
‘‘(A) undertake research necessary to pro-
vide a sound basis from which to identify, de-
velop and evaluate approaches in governance
and management at the State, local, school
building and classroom level which promise to
improve educational equity and excellence, such
as—
‘‘(i) open enrollment programs, mag-
net schools and other systems through
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which parents may select the public schools
and educational programs in which their
children are enrolled;
‘‘(ii) the provision of financial and
other rewards and incentives based on per-
formance to improve student achievement;
‘‘(iii) the use of regulatory flexibility
on the State or district level to promote in-
novation and school restructuring;
‘‘(iv) school-based management;
‘‘(v) the restructuring of school fi-
nance systems at the State and local level
to promote greater equity in the distribu-
tion of resources for education;
‘‘(vi) expanding the role of teachers in
policymaking and administration at the
school and district-wide level;
‘‘(vii) programs designed to increase
the involvement of parents and families in
the management and governance of schools
and the education of their children;
‘‘(viii) effective approaches to increas-
ing the representation of women and mi-
norities among leadership and management
positions in education;
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‘‘(ix) approaches to systemic reforms
involving the coordination of multiple poli-
cies of each level of government to promote
higher levels of student achievement;
‘‘(x) approaches to coordinated serv-
ices for children; and
‘‘(xi) policies related to school to work
transitions and preparing noncollege-bound
students; and
‘‘(B) undertake research and development
activities necessary to provide information on
the skills required for successful educational
leadership at the State and local level and to
enhance the ability of school leaders and admin-
istrators to improve the educational environ-
ment for all students.
‘‘(f) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as fol-
lows:
‘‘(A) The Nation has set as a goal that all
children should arrive at school ready to learn.
‘‘(B) Despite efforts to expand and im-
prove preschool programs, many children still
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reach school age unprepared to benefit from
formal education programs.
‘‘(C) Early intervention for disadvantaged
children from conception to age five has been
shown to be a highly cost-effective strategy for
reducing later expenditures on a wide variety of
health, developmental, and educational prob-
lems that often interfere with learning. Long-
term studies of the benefits of preschool edu-
cation have a demonstrated return on invest-
ment ranging from three to six dollars for every
one dollar spent.
‘‘(D) The Federal Government should play
a central role in providing research-based infor-
mation on early childhood education models
which enhance children’s development and ulti-
mately their success in school.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the National
Institute for Early Childhood Development and Edu-
cation is to support basic and applied research, com-
pile existing research, develop effective models, offer
in-depth technical assistance, and to otherwise assist
States and communities in developing sound early
childhood education policies and practices that in-
clude—
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‘‘(A) social and educational development of
all infants, toddlers, and preschool children;
‘‘(B) the role of parents and the commu-
nity in promoting the successful social and edu-
cational development of children from birth to
age five;
‘‘(C) training and preparation of teachers
and other professional and paraprofessional
preschool and child care workers;
‘‘(D) the structure and environment of
early childhood education and child care set-
tings which lead to improved social and edu-
cational development; and
‘‘(E) practices and approaches which sus-
tain the benefits of effective preschool and child
care programs.
‘‘(3) CERTAIN
REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying
out its mission, the Institute shall—
‘‘(A) place special emphasis on the special
early childhood education needs of at-risk chil-
dren, children with disabilities, and girls; and
‘‘(B) ensure that its research and develop-
ment program provides information that can be
utilized in improving the major Federal early
childhood education programs, including Head
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Start, Even Start, chapter 1 preschool pro-
grams, and part H of the Individuals with Dis-
abilities Education Act.
‘‘(g) NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON STUDENT ACHIEVE-
MENT.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as fol-
lows:
‘‘(A) The current achievement levels of
students in the Nation are far below those that
might indicate competency in challenging sub-
ject matter in English, mathematics, science,
history, and geography and other areas, or
across the subject areas.
‘‘(B) Very few students demonstrate that
they can use their minds well. In recent assess-
ments, more students are gaining basic skills,
yet fewer are demonstrating a grasp of higher-
level applications of those skills.
‘‘(C) During the past 20 years, relatively
little has changed in how students are taught.
Despite much research suggesting better alter-
natives, classrooms are still dominated by text-
books, teacher lectures, and short-answer activ-
ity sheets and unequal patterns of student at-
tention.
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‘‘(D) Despite progress in narrowing the
gaps, the differences in performance between
white students and their minority counterparts
remain unacceptably large. While progress has
been made in reducing the gender gap in math-
ematics, it still remains at higher levels of prob-
lem solving. Too little progress has been made
in reducing gender performance gaps favoring
males in science and females in writing.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the National
Institute on Student Achievement is to carry out a
coordinated and comprehensive program of research
and development to provide research-based leader-
ship to the Nation as it seeks to improve student
achievement in English, mathematics, science, his-
tory, geography, and other subject areas and across
the boundaries of the subject areas. Such program
shall—
‘‘(A) identify, develop, and evaluate inno-
vative and exemplary methods of instruction
and classroom management in a variety of sub-
ject areas, including (but not limited to)—
‘‘(i) research and development on stu-
dent learning and assessment in various
subject matters;
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‘‘(ii) research and development on the
effects of organizational patterns on the
delivery of instruction, including issues of
grouping and tracking, ungraded class-
rooms, and on the effects of various peda-
gogies, including the issues of technology
in education; and
‘‘(iii) research and development on the
best methods of teacher preparation;
‘‘(B) conduct basic and applied research in
the areas of human learning, cognition, and
performance, including research and develop-
ment on the education contexts which promote
excellence in learning and instruction, and moti-
vational issues which provide a key to learning;
and
‘‘(C) identify, develop, and evaluate pro-
grams designed to enhance academic achieve-
ment and narrow racial and gender perform-
ance gaps in a variety of subject areas, includ-
ing research and development on methods of in-
volving parents in their children’s education and
ways to involve business, industry and other
community partners in promoting excellence in
schools.
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‘‘(h) NATIONAL INSTITUTE
FOR POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATION, LIBRARIES, AND LIFELONG LEARNING.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as fol-
lows:
‘‘(A) The American system of postsecond-
ary education is foremost in the world in its
achievement of both academic excellence and
equity in access, but maintaining that pre-
eminence requires renewed efforts to strengthen
the quality of postsecondary education. Dis-
appointing student performance on achievement
tests and licensure examinations, declining rates
of persistence and completion among minorities,
and other troubling trends in the quality of
postsecondary education must be addressed by
the Nation as part of its overall drive to im-
prove American education.
‘‘(B) The need to improve our Nation’s
economic productivity to meet the competitive
challenges of a new, international economy, cou-
pled with high levels of mobility in the United
States labor market and demographic changes
in the workforce, now demands more and higher
quality programs of learning and training in the
American workplace.
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‘‘(C) The more than 1,000,000 men and
women incarcerated in the Nation’s prisons and
jails are among the most severely educationally
disadvantaged in the United States, with high
rates of functional illiteracy and extremely low
levels of educational attainment. Since an esti-
mated 90 percent of these individuals are ex-
pected to be released by the end of the decade,
the Nation must act to assure that our correc-
tional system has the means to equip these
Americans with the knowledge and skills they
will need to participate productively in our
society.
‘‘(D) The development of a ‘Nation of Stu-
dents’ capable of and committed to the pursuit
of formal and informal lifelong learning is es-
sential to sustain both national and individual
economic success and to provide a nurturing en-
vironment in which all children and youth can
learn and achieve. Historically the most effec-
tive community resource for lifelong learning,
the Nation’s public library system must expand
and restructure its delivery of services to take
full advantage of the potential of new informa-
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tion technologies to meet the needs of learning
communities.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the National
Institute for Postsecondary Education, Libraries,
and Lifelong Learning is to promote greater coordi-
nation of Federal research and development on is-
sues related to adult learning and to carry out a
program of research and development in adult learn-
ing to provide nonpartisan, research-based leader-
ship to the Nation as it seeks to improve libraries,
postsecondary education, and lifelong learning
throughout the United States. Such program—
‘‘(A) shall promote greater coordination,
cooperation, and interaction among entities
within the Federal Government which support
research and development related to postsecond-
ary education, libraries, and lifelong learning;
‘‘(B) shall enable greater collaboration
among entities within the Federal Government
which support research and development related
to postsecondary education, libraries, and life-
long learning by supporting research and devel-
opment projects which are carried out jointly by
such entities;
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‘‘(C) shall support research and develop-
ment in those areas of postsecondary education,
libraries, and lifelong learning which are not
being addressed sufficiently by other entities
within the Federal Government; and
‘‘(D) may include basic and applied re-
search, development, replication, and evaluation
activities in such areas as—
‘‘(i) methods of assessing and evaluat-
ing individual, program, and institutional
performance;
‘‘(ii) the uses and applications of new
technologies to improve program effective-
ness and enhance student learning;
‘‘(iii) practices, policies, and programs
which address the unique needs of adult
learners, including—
‘‘(I) institutional and classroom
policies and practices at the post-
secondary level necessary to improve
matriculation, 
persistence, 
achieve-
ment and graduation by students who
are economically disadvantaged, ethnic
and racial minorities, women, older,
working, and who have children;
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‘‘(II) instructional practices and
programs which are effective in cor-
rectional settings;
‘‘(III) new models of service de-
livery for public library systems which
expand 
opportunities 
for 
lifelong
learning;
‘‘(IV) effective programs and ap-
proaches which promote greater ac-
cess to and success by minorities in
postsecondary programs which pre-
pare them for scientific, technical,
teaching, and health career fields; and
‘‘(V) 
effective 
approaches 
to
work-based learning;
‘‘(iv) the effectiveness of Historically
Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally-
Controlled Indian Community Colleges,
women’s colleges, and other special mission
institutions in fulfilling their mission of
providing access and equal opportunity in
higher education; and
‘‘(v) the quality of higher education at
all levels and the roles and responsibilities
of regional and national accrediting agen-
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cies in assuring the quality and relevance
of academic goals and objectives estab-
lished by institutions of higher education;
‘‘(vi) financial barriers to postsecond-
ary educational opportunity, including—
‘‘(I) the role of Federal programs
authorized under title IV of the High-
er Education Act and State grant and
work programs in mitigating such
barriers;
‘‘(II) the impact of the rising
total cost of postsecondary education
on access to higher education; and
‘‘(III) the extent and impact of
student reliance on loans to meet the
costs of higher education.
‘‘(3) INVOLVEMENT OF CERTAIN AGENCIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS.—In promoting coordination and
collaboration on research and development on issues
related to postsecondary education, libraries, and
lifelong learning, the Institute shall, as appropriate,
seek the involvement of—
‘‘(A) within the Department of Edu-
cation—
‘‘(i) the Office of Library Programs;
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‘‘(ii) the Office of Correctional Edu-
cation;
‘‘(iii) the Office of Vocational and
Adult Education;
‘‘(iv) the National Institute on Dis-
ability and Rehabilitation Research; and
‘‘(v) the Office of Postsecondary Edu-
cation;
‘‘(B) the National Institute for Literacy;
‘‘(C) the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards;
‘‘(D) the Employment and Training Ad-
ministration of the Department of Labor;
‘‘(E) the Administration for Children and
Families within the Department of Health and
Human Services;
‘‘(F) the National Institutes of Health;
‘‘(G) the National Endowment for Human-
ities;
‘‘(H) the Bureau of Prisons of the Depart-
ment of Justice;
‘‘(I) the Department of Commerce; and
‘‘(J) the Department of Defense.
‘‘(4) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.—In addi-
tion to the responsibilities described in paragraph
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(2), the Institute shall be responsible for managing
the existing contract for the National Center on Lit-
eracy and assuring that the activities of such center
are fully coordinated with those of the National In-
stitute for Literacy.
‘‘(i) RESEARCH ON ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary,
acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall undertake a
comprehensive, coordinated program of research and de-
velopment in the area of assessment in accordance with
the requirements of this subsection. Such program shall
comply with the following:
‘‘(1)(A) The program shall be carried out by—
‘‘(i) each of the Institutes established by
this section; and
‘‘(ii) a research and development center
which shall be jointly funded by all of the Insti-
tutes.
‘‘(B) Such center shall—
‘‘(i) conduct basic and applied research
and engage in development, analysis, and eval-
uation in the area of assessment of student
achievement;
‘‘(ii) coordinate the research and develop-
ment activities in the area of assessment under-
taken by each of the Institutes; and
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‘‘(iii) working cooperatively with the re-
gional educational laboratories, provide tech-
nical assistance to State and local education
agencies in the design, development, and imple-
mentation of new forms of assessment.
‘‘(2) The program shall include research and
development in the following areas:
‘‘(A) The validity, reliability, generaliz-
ability, fairness, costs, relative merits, and most
appropriate uses of various approaches and
methods of assessing student learning and
achievement.
‘‘(B) Methods and approaches to assessing
student opportunities to learn (including the
quality of instruction and the availability of re-
sources necessary to support learning) and eval-
uating the quality of school environments.
‘‘(C) The design, development, evaluation,
and validation of model performance-based and
other alternative or innovative formats or uses
of assessments.
‘‘(D) The impact of high-stakes uses of as-
sessment on student performance and motiva-
tion, narrowing of curriculum, teaching prac-
tices, and test integrity.
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‘‘(E) The fairness and impact of various
methods of assessment on children of different
races, ethnicities, gender, socioeconomic status,
English language proficiencies, and children
with other special needs.
‘‘(F) Standards of performance, quality,
and validity for various methods of assessment
and the means by which such standards should
be developed.
‘‘(G) Current and emerging testing prac-
tices of State and local education agencies with-
in the United States, as well as other nations.
‘‘(H) The diverse effects, both intended
and unintended, of assessments as actually used
in the schools, including effects on curriculum
and instruction, effects on equity in the alloca-
tion of resources and opportunities, effects on
equity of outcomes, effects on other procedures
and standards for judging students and practi-
tioners and possible inflation of test scores.
‘‘(I) Identifying and evaluating how stu-
dents with limited English language proficiency
and students with disabilities are included and
accommodated in the various assessment pro-
grams of State and local education agencies.
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‘‘(J) The feasibility and validity of compar-
ing or equating the results of different assess-
ments.
‘‘(3) The program shall—
‘‘(A) reflect recommendations made by the
National Education Goals Panel (provided such
panel has been authorized by law);
‘‘(B) comply with the ‘Standards for Edu-
cational and Psychological Tests’ developed by
the American Psychological Association, the
National Council on Measurement in Edu-
cation, and the American Educational Research
Association;
‘‘(C) be consistent with the ‘Criteria for
Evaluation of Student Assessment Systems’ de-
veloped by the National Forum on Assessment;
and
‘‘(D) comply with the ‘Code of Fair Test-
ing Practices in Education’ developed by the
Joint Committee on Testing Practices.
For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘development’
means the development of prototypes for the purposes of
research and evaluation.
‘‘(j) COORDINATION OF RESEARCH ON CROSS-CUT-
TING ISSUES.—The Secretary, acting through the Assist-
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ant Secretary, shall promote the coordination of research
and development activities among the Institutes estab-
lished by subsection (a) to investigate those cross-cutting
disciplines and areas of inquiry, such as assessment, the
use of technology and the training of teachers and school
administrators, which are relevant to the missions of more
than one of the Institutes. Such activities shall—
‘‘(1) address cross-cutting disciplines and areas
of inquiry which have been proposed by the Assist-
ant Secretary and are consistent with the research
priorities identified by the Board;
‘‘(2) be carried out jointly (1) by any one of the
Institutes and—
‘‘(A) one (or more) of the Institutes;
‘‘(B) the National Center for Education
Statistics; or
‘‘(C) any research and development entity
administered by other offices of the Department
of Education or by any other Federal agency or
Department; and
‘‘(3) meet all the standards set by the Board
for other research and development conducted by the
Office.
‘‘(k) PROGRAM ON TEACHING AND TEACHER EDU-
CATION.—
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‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting
through the Assistant Secretary, in accordance with
the requirements of this subsection, shall undertake
a comprehensive, coordinated program of research in
the area of teaching and teacher education to be car-
ried out by each of the Institutes established by this
section, including through research centers and field-
initiated grants.
‘‘(2) CERTAIN
PURPOSES
OF
PROGRAM.—In
carrying out the program established under para-
graph (1), the Secretary shall conduct, directly or
through grants and contracts, basic and applied re-
search and analytical activities to further knowledge
about, make recommendations, and improve—
‘‘(A) the ability of classroom teachers and
schools to assist new and diverse populations of
students in successfully assimilating into the
classroom environment;
‘‘(B) the working conditions of teachers
and other educational practitioners, including
but not limited to the topics of—
‘‘(i) teacher isolation;
‘‘(ii) professional resources available
to teachers;
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‘‘(iii) continuing educational and pro-
fessional opportunities available to teach-
ers;
‘‘(iv) physical facilities and equipment,
such as office space, telephone, computer
access, and fax machines and television
cable access available to teachers in the
work environment;
‘‘(v) opportunities for teachers to
share information and resources with other
teachers and education professionals;
‘‘(vi) opportunities for advanced learn-
ing experience; and
‘‘(vii) the reduction of stress in the
teaching profession;
‘‘(C) institutional program renewal and in-
struction; and
‘‘(D) restructuring of State certification of
teachers and teacher education standards.
‘‘(3) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the
program established under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall—
‘‘(A) work with institutions of higher edu-
cation engaged in the preparation of teachers
and professional organizations of teacher edu-
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cators and practitioners to encourage institu-
tional program renewal and restructuring;
‘‘(B) conduct, directly or through grants
and contracts research on—
‘‘(i) effective and reflective teaching
for the preparation and continuing edu-
cation of teachers;
‘‘(ii) the use of computing and multi-
made technology to advance the under-
standing and abilities of teacher educators
and classroom teachers;
‘‘(iii) the development and appraisal
of curriculum and curriculum materials for
the initial and continuing education of
teachers and teacher educators; and
‘‘(iv) strengthening the evaluation and
dissemination of information on programs
for continuing professional education and
renewal of those who educate teachers for
initial or advanced licensure or certifi-
cation; and
‘‘(C) work with the national regional edu-
cation laboratories, the ERIC clearinghouses,
national education research library, and the na-
tional center for education statistics to maxi-
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mize information available, to prevent unneces-
sary duplication of efforts and resources, and to
ensure the results of the centers work are wide-
ly available.
‘‘(l) RESEARCH ON EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY.—
The Assistant Secretary shall undertake a comprehensive,
coordinated program of research and development in the
area of the uses and applications of technology in edu-
cation in accordance with the requirements of this sub-
section. Such program shall meet the following require-
ments:
‘‘(1) The program shall be carried out by each
of the Institutes established by this section and a re-
search and development center which shall be jointly
funded by all of the Institutes. Such center shall—
‘‘(A) conduct basic and applied research
and engage in development, analysis, evaluation
in the area of the uses and applications of tech-
nology to education; and
‘‘(B) coordinate the research and develop-
ment activities in the area of the uses and ap-
plications of technology to education under-
taken by each of the Institutes;
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‘‘(2) The program shall include basic and ap-
plied research, development, policy analysis, and
evaluation in the following areas:
‘‘(A) The capabilities of current and
emerging technologies and their possible uses in
education.
‘‘(B) The uses and applications of tech-
nology—
‘‘(i) to improve instruction within all
content areas in the school curriculum;
‘‘(ii) to educate more effectively at-
risk students and other students with spe-
cial needs;
‘‘(iii) to improve education in rural
communities and other remote areas;
‘‘(iv) to improve the assessment of
student learning and achievement; and
‘‘(v) to deliver preservice and inservice
training for teachers, librarians, and school
administrators.
‘‘(C) The cost and educational effective-
ness of technologies used in education.
‘‘(D) Effective models and approaches for
providing the preservice and inservice training
and technical assistance necessary to enable
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teachers, librarians, and school administrators
and others to use technology effectively in edu-
cation.
‘‘(E) The identification of barriers to
greater use of technologies in education and po-
tential approaches to eradicating or mitigating
such barriers.
‘‘(F) Methods and approaches which can
be utilized by teachers, school administrators,
and education policymakers to evaluate the
quality and most appropriate uses of software
and other technologies designed for use in edu-
cation.
‘‘(G) Approaches to organizing and manag-
ing schools and classrooms to make the most
effective use of technology in education.
‘‘(3) The program shall be coordinated with re-
lated research and development activities undertaken
by the Office of Special Education Programs, the
National Science Foundation, the Department of
Defense, and other Federal agencies.
‘‘(m) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.—
‘‘(1) TEMPORARY
REORGANIZATIONS.—Upon
the enactment of the Educational Research, Devel-
opment and Dissemination Excellence Act, the Sec-
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retary shall reorganize the research and development
functions and activities of the Office into adminis-
trative units the purposes of which shall be the same
as those for each of the national research institutes
established in subsection (a). Such administrative
units shall be responsible for planning and providing
for the establishment of such institutes and shall
cease to exist on the dates upon which each of the
relevant institutes is established. The provisions of
subsection (c) (relating to authorities and duties)
shall apply to all activities undertaken by each such
administrative unit.
‘‘(2) DATES
FOR
ESTABLISHMENT
OF
INSTI-
TUTES.—
‘‘(A) The National Institute for the Edu-
cation of At-Risk Students shall be established
effective October 1, 1994.
‘‘(B) The National Institute for Early
Childhood Development and Education, the Na-
tional Institute for Innovation in Educational
Governance and Management, the National In-
stitute for Student Achievement, and the Na-
tional Institute on Postsecondary Education,
Libraries, and Lifelong Learning shall each be
established effective October 1, 1995.’’.
HR 856 IH
TITLE 
IV—NATIONAL 
EDU-
CATION DISSEMINATION SYS-
TEM
SEC. 
401. 
ESTABLISHMENT 
WITHIN 
OFFICE 
OF 
EDU-
CATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT.
Part A of the General Education Provisions Act, as
amended by section 301 of this Act, is amended by insert-
ing after section 405B the following new section:
‘‘NATIONAL EDUCATION DISSEMINATION SYSTEM
‘‘SEC. 405C. (a) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as fol-
lows:
‘‘(A) In order to improve the American
educational system for all students, achieve the
national education goals, and provide for great-
er educational equity, policymakers, administra-
tors, teachers, and parents must have ready ac-
cess to the best information and methods avail-
able as a result of educational research and de-
velopment.
‘‘(B) The Office of Educational Research
and Improvement should have as one of its pri-
mary purposes the dissemination of such infor-
mation and methods in order to assist the na-
tional education reform effort.
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‘‘(C) All current resources within the Of-
fice, the Department, and other agencies that
can help accomplish this goal should be coordi-
nated by the Assistant Secretary so as to form
a systematic process to accomplish these objec-
tives.
‘‘(D) Education research has the capacity
to improve teaching and learning in our Na-
tion’s schools, however, teachers need training
in the developmental skills necessary to trans-
late research into practice and to allow them to
become a cadre of knowledgeable practitioners
and leaders in educational improvement.
‘‘(E) Adequate linkages between research
and development providers and practitioners are
essential to ensuring that research on effective
practice is useful, disseminated and supported
with technical assistance to all educators, and
that all educators are partners in the research
and development process.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is
to—
‘‘(A) create a national system of dissemi-
nation, development, and school improvement in
order to create, adapt, identify, validate, and
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disseminate to educators, parents, and policy-
makers those educational programs that have
potential or have been shown to improve edu-
cational opportunities for all students; and
‘‘(B) empower and increase the capacity of
teachers to participate in the research and de-
velopment process.
‘‘(3) 
DEFINITION
OF
EDUCATIONAL
PRO-
GRAM.—For the purposes of this section, the term
‘educational program’ includes educational policies,
research findings, practices, and products.
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established within
the Office an Office of Reform Assistance and Dis-
semination (in this section referred to as the ‘Dis-
semination Office’) through which the Secretary
shall carry out all functions and activities described
in this section.
‘‘(2) CERTAIN DUTIES.—The Dissemination Of-
fice shall—
‘‘(A) identify educational programs that
may merit being designated as exemplary or
promising educational programs;
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‘‘(B) based solely on the educational merits
and promise of such programs, select those to
be designated as exemplary or promising;
‘‘(C) provide technical and financial assist-
ance to individuals and organizations in the
process of developing promising educational
programs in the priority areas identified in sec-
tion 405(b)(3), but who might not, without
such assistance, be able to complete necessary
development and assessment activities;
‘‘(D) nationally disseminate information
regarding the exemplary and promising pro-
grams to educators, parents, and policymakers
through a variety of means, including existing
Department activities, education associations
and networks, and communication technologies;
‘‘(E) provide training and technical assist-
ance regarding the implementation and adop-
tion of such exemplary and promising programs
by interested entities; and
‘‘(F) carry out a program of research on
models for successful knowledge dissemination
and utilization and strategies for reaching edu-
cation policymakers, practitioners, and others
interested in education.
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‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL DUTIES.—The Dissemination
Office shall carry out and contain the following func-
tions and activities:
‘‘(A) A process for the identification of
educational programs that work.
‘‘(B) The educational resources informa-
tion clearinghouses.
‘‘(C) Dissemination through new tech-
nologies.
‘‘(D) Smartline.
‘‘(E) The Electronic Networking and Re-
source-Sharing for School Improvement pro-
gram.
‘‘(F) The regional educational laboratories.
‘‘(G) Regional Partnerships for Teacher
Change Agents.
‘‘(H) The America 2000 Communities Spe-
cial Assistance Program.
‘‘(I) The existing National Diffusion Net-
work and its Developer-Demonstrator and State
Facilitator projects.
‘‘(J) Such other programs or entities the
Secretary determines are consistent with the
purposes for which the Dissemination Office is
established.
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‘‘(c) IDENTIFICATION OF PROGRAMS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a process through which successful educational
programs are actively sought out for possible dis-
semination through the national educational dissemi-
nation system. Such process shall, at a minimum,
have the capability to—
‘‘(A) work closely with the research insti-
tutes, centers, regional educational laboratories,
the National Diffusion Network and its Devel-
oper-Demonstrator 
and 
State 
Facilitator
projects, learning grant institutions established
under the America 2000 Communities Special
Assistance program, technical assistance centers
established under chapter 1 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act, the Women’s
Educational Equity Act Publishing Center, and
other entities to identify successful educational
programs at the regional, State, local, or class-
room level;
‘‘(B) review successful educational pro-
grams supported by the Department through all
of its programs, including Chapter 1, Even
Start, Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act
of 1986, the Individuals With Disabilities Edu-
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cation Act, Bilingual Education, the Women’s
Educational Equity Act, and Adult and Voca-
tional Education;
‘‘(C) through cooperative agreements, re-
view for possible inclusion in the system edu-
cational programs administered by the Depart-
ments of Health and Human Services (particu-
larly the Head Start program), Labor and De-
fense, the National Science Foundation, and
any other appropriate Federal agency; and
‘‘(D) provide for an active outreach effort
to identify successful educational programs
through cooperative arrangements with State
and local education agencies, teachers and
teacher organizations, curriculum associations,
foundations, private schools, institutions of
higher education, and other entities that could
enhance the ability of the Secretary to identify
programs for possible inclusion in the dissemi-
nation system.
‘‘(2) PRIORITY
PROGRAMS.—In carrying out
this subsection, the Secretary shall place a priority
on identifying programs, products, and practices re-
lated to the priority research and development needs
identified in section 405(b)(3).
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‘‘(d) DESIGNATION OF EXEMPLARY AND PROMISING
PROGRAMS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Board, shall establish 1 or more panels
of appropriately qualified experts and practitioners
to—
‘‘(A) evaluate educational programs that
have been identified by the Secretary under
subsection (c) or that have been submitted to
the Secretary for such evaluation by some other
individual or organization; and
‘‘(B) recommend to the Secretary pro-
grams that should be designated as exemplary
or promising educational programs.
‘‘(2) 
CONSIDERATIONS
IN
MAKING
REC-
OMMENDATIONS.—In determining whether an edu-
cational program should receive a recommendation
under paragraph (1), a panel established under such
paragraph shall consider—
‘‘(A) whether, based on empirical data,
which may include but shall not be limited to
test results, the program is effective and should
thus be designated as exemplary and dissemi-
nated through the national dissemination sys-
tem; or
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‘‘(B) whether there is sufficient evidence to
lead a panel of experts and practitioners to be-
lieve that the program shows promise for im-
proving student achievement and should thus be
designated as promising and disseminated
through the national dissemination system while
it continues to be evaluated.
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENT REGARDING APPROVAL OF
PROGRAMS.—In seeking out programs for approval
under paragraph (2), the Dissemination Office shall
seek programs that may be implemented at the
State, local, and classroom level.
‘‘(4) REQUIREMENTS REGARDING PANELS.—
‘‘(A) A panel shall not eliminate a program
from consideration under this subsection based
solely on the fact that it does not have one spe-
cific type of supporting data, such as test
scores.
‘‘(B) The Secretary may not designate a
program as exemplary or promising unless a
panel established under paragraph (1) has rec-
ommended that the program be so designated.
‘‘(C) The Secretary shall establish such
panels under paragraph (1) as may be nec-
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essary to ensure that each program identified
or submitted for evaluation is evaluated.
‘‘(D) Not less than 2⁄3 of the membership
of a panel established under paragraph shall
consist of individuals who are not officers or
employees of the United States. Members of
panels under paragraph (1) who are not em-
ployees of the United States shall receive com-
pensation for each day engaged in carrying out
the duties of the panel as well as compensation
for their expenses.
‘‘(e) DISSEMINATION OF EXEMPLARY AND PROMIS-
ING PROGRAMS.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—In order to ensure that
programs identified as exemplary or promising are
available for adoption by the greatest number of
teachers, schools, and local and State education
agencies, the Secretary shall utilize the capabilities
of—
‘‘(A) the education resources information
clearinghouses;
‘‘(B) Smartline;
‘‘(C) the regional educational laboratories;
‘‘(D) the National Diffusion Network;
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‘‘(E) entities established under the Amer-
ica 2000 Communities Special Assistance Pro-
gram;
‘‘(F) technical assistance centers estab-
lished under Chapter 1 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act;
‘‘(G) the National Library of Education;
and
‘‘(H) other public and private nonprofit en-
tities, including existing education associations
and networks, that have the capability to assist
educators in adopting exemplary and promising
programs.
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS FOR SECRETARY.—In car-
rying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure
that all such entities are—
‘‘(A) kept apprised of the availability of
specific programs for dissemination;
‘‘(B) provided technical assistance, if nec-
essary, to carry out this dissemination function;
and
‘‘(C) involved in the national education dis-
semination system as specified by law.
‘‘(f) EDUCATION RESOURCES INFORMATION CLEAR-
INGHOUSES.—
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a system of 16 education resource information
clearinghouses having, at a minimum, the same
functions and scope of work as the clearinghouses
had on the date of the enactment of the Educational
Research, Development, and Dissemination Excel-
lence Act.
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS.—In addition to
those functions already being carried out by the
clearinghouses, such clearinghouses shall—
‘‘(A) periodically produce interpretive sum-
maries, digests, and syntheses of the results
and findings of education-related research and
development; and
‘‘(B) contain and make available to users
information concerning those programs des-
ignated as exemplary and promising under sub-
section (c).
‘‘(3) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Sec-
retary shall assure that the functions and activities
of such clearinghouses are coordinated with the ac-
tivities of the research institutes, the regional edu-
cational laboratories, learning grant institutions,
other clearinghouses supported by the Department,
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the National Diffusion Network, and other appro-
priate entities within the Office and the Department.
‘‘(4) SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SEC-
RETARY.—To assure that the information provided
through such clearinghouses is fully comprehensive,
the Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) require that all reports, studies, and
other resources produced directly or by grant or
contract with the Department of Education are
made available to clearinghouses; and
‘‘(B) establish cooperative agreements with
the Departments of Defense, Health and
Human Services, and other Federal agencies to
assure that all education-related reports, stud-
ies, and other resources produced directly or by
grant or contract with the Federal Government
are made available to such clearinghouses.
‘‘(5) COPYRIGHT
PROHIBITED.—No clearing-
house or other entity receiving assistance under this
subsection may copyright or otherwise charge a roy-
alty or other fee for the use or redissemination of
any database, index, abstract, report, or other infor-
mation produced with assistance under this sub-
section.
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‘‘(g) 
DISSEMINATION
THROUGH
NEW
TECH-
NOLOGIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary is
authorized to award grants in accordance with this
subsection to support the development of materials,
programs, and resources which utilize new tech-
nologies and techniques to synthesize and dissemi-
nate research and development findings and other
information which can be used to support school and
classroom improvement. Such grants shall be limited
to not more than 50 percent of the total cost of de-
veloping such materials.
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out this
subsection, the Assistant Secretary shall assure
that—
‘‘(A) grants are awarded to support a di-
verse range of technologies, including, but not
limited to, CD–ROM, interactive video discs,
personal computer software, and public broad-
casting, cable, fiber, and satellite programming;
‘‘(B) both formative and summative eval-
uations are undertaken as part of each develop-
ment project;
‘‘(C) the information and other resources
disseminated as part of each development
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project have been evaluated and validated as
part of the identification process described in
subsections (c) and (d) of this section; and
‘‘(D) priority in awarding grants is given
to—
‘‘(i) development projects which pro-
vide information and other resources relat-
ed to effective approaches to educating at-
risk students;
‘‘(ii) development projects which pro-
vide information and other resources that
parents, in particular, will find useful in a
manner and format which is readily acces-
sible and easy to understand; and
‘‘(iii) a national multimedia, tele-
vision-based project directed to homes,
schools, libraries, and after-school pro-
grams which demonstrates and dissemi-
nates effective ways to motivate and im-
prove reading comprehension and writing
coherence of elementary age students in
high poverty areas.
‘‘(h) SOURCES
OF
MATERIALS
AND
RESEARCH
ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR IMPROVING NA-
TIONWIDE EDUCATION (SMARTLINE).—
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‘‘(1) ELECTRONIC
NETWORK.—The Assistant
Secretary, acting through the Office of Reform As-
sistance and Dissemination, shall establish and
maintain an electronic network which shall, at a
minimum, link—
‘‘(A) each office of the Department of
Education;
‘‘(B) the research institutes established by
section 405B;
‘‘(C) the National Center for Education
Statistics;
‘‘(D) the National Library of Education;
and
‘‘(E) entities engaged in research, develop-
ment, dissemination, and technical assistance
under grant, contract, or cooperative agreement
with the Department of Education, including—
‘‘(i) the ERIC Clearinghouses;
‘‘(ii) national research and develop-
ment centers;
‘‘(iii) the regional educational labora-
tories;
‘‘(iv) 
National 
Diffusion 
Network
State Facilitators;
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‘‘(v) Chapter 1 Technical Assistance
Centers;
‘‘(vi) research and development enti-
ties supported by the Office of Special
Education programs;
‘‘(vii) evaluation assistance centers
and multifunctional resource centers ad-
ministered by the Office of Bilingual Edu-
cation and Minority Language Affairs;
‘‘(viii) the National Center for Re-
search in Vocational Education;
‘‘(ix) the Desegregation Assistance
Centers; and
‘‘(x) 
regional 
centers 
established
under section 5135 of the Drug-Free
Schools and Communities Act of 1986.
‘‘(2) 
CERTAIN
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
NET-
WORK.—The network described in paragraph (1)
shall—
‘‘(A) to the extent feasible, build upon ex-
isting national, regional, and State electronic
networks;
‘‘(B) at a minimum, have the capability to
support electronic mail and file transfer serv-
ices;
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‘‘(C) be linked to and accessible to other
users, including State and local education agen-
cies, institutions of higher education, museums,
libraries, and others through the Internet and
the National Research and Education Network;
and
‘‘(D) be provided at no cost (excluding the
costs of necessary hardware) to the contractors
and grantees described in subparagraph (E) of
paragraph (1) and to educational institutions
accessing such network through the Internet
and the National Research and Education Net-
work;
‘‘(3) INFORMATION
RESOURCES.—The Assist-
ant Secretary, acting through the Office of Reform
Assistance and Dissemination, shall make available
through the network described in paragraph (1) the
following—
‘‘(A) information about grant and contract
assistance available through the department;
‘‘(B) an annotated directory of current re-
search and development activities and projects
being undertaken with the assistance of the De-
partment;
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‘‘(C) information about publications pub-
lished by the Department and, to the extent
feasible, the full text of such publications;
‘‘(D) statistics and data published by the
National Center for Education Statistics;
‘‘(E) syntheses of research and develop-
ment findings;
‘‘(F) a directory of other education-related
electronic networks and databases, including in-
formation about the means by which they may
be accessed;
‘‘(G) a descriptive listing of materials and
courses of instruction provided by telecommuni-
cations partnerships assisted under the Star
Schools program;
‘‘(H) resources developed by the ERIC
Clearinghouses;
‘‘(I) education-related software which is in
the public domain; and
‘‘(J) such other information and resources
the Assistant Secretary considers useful and ap-
propriate.
‘‘(4) EVALUATIONS REGARDING OTHER FUNC-
TIONS OF NETWORK.—The Assistant Secretary shall
also undertake projects to test and evaluate the fea-
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sibility of using the network described in paragraph
(1) for—
‘‘(A) the submission of applications for as-
sistance to the Department; and
‘‘(B) the collection of data and other sta-
tistics through the National Center for Edu-
cation Statistics.
‘‘(5) SOFTWARE
INTERFACES; 
INTELLIGENT
GATEWAYS.—
‘‘(A) Upon the completion of the study re-
quired by subparagraph (B), the Assistant Sec-
retary is authorized to support the development
of 1 or more software interfaces or intelligent
gateways which can be used to access and
search multiple education-related databases si-
multaneously in order to improve access to cur-
rent information about teaching and learning by
education researchers, teachers, librarians, ad-
ministrators, parents, community members, and
policymakers.
‘‘(B) The Assistant Secretary shall provide
for the conduct of an independent study of the
feasibility and costs associated with developing
and maintaining the software interfaces de-
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scribed in subparagraph (A). Such study
shall—
‘‘(i) identify a variety of options and
strategies for the development and oper-
ation of such interfaces;
‘‘(ii) identify the extent to which such
interfaces are needed by various segments
of the educational community, including
education researchers, teachers, librarians,
policymakers, school administrators, par-
ents, and others;
‘‘(iii) estimate the costs associated
with developing and maintaining such
interfaces;
‘‘(iv) identify possible roles for the
private sector in the development of such
interfaces; and
‘‘(v) determine whether such inter-
faces would be developed in the absence of
Federal assistance.
The Assistant Secretary shall submit copies of
the study required by this subparagraph to the
appropriate authorizing and appropriations
committees of the Congress.
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‘‘(6) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—
The Assistant Secretary, acting through the Office
of Reform Assistance and Dissemination, shall—
‘‘(A) provide such training and technical
assistance as may be necessary to enable the
contractors and grantees described in subpara-
graph (E) of paragraph (1) to participate in the
electronic network described in paragraph (1);
‘‘(B) provide, through the regional labora-
tories and other means, technical assistance to
State education agencies in the development of
the electronic networking plans described in
subsection (h); and
‘‘(C) work with the National Science Foun-
dation to provide, upon request, assistance to
State and local education agencies, State library
agencies, libraries, museums, and other edu-
cational institutions in obtaining access to the
Internet and the National Research and Edu-
cation Network.
‘‘(i) ELECTRONIC NETWORKING
AND RESOURCE-
SHARING FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.—
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY FOR GRANTS.—The Assistant
Secretary is authorized, in accordance with the pro-
visions of this subsection, to make grants to State
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educational agencies for the purposes of expanding
and improving the use of electronic networking and
resource-sharing among educational institutions,
educators, 
school 
administrators, 
and 
parents
throughout the Nation. Such grants shall be used
to—
‘‘(A) develop comprehensive plans to en-
able participation in electronic networking and
resource-sharing, as well as access to the
Smartline resources described in subsection (h),
by all educational institutions within the State
by the year 2000; and
‘‘(B) carry out the provisions of such
plans, giving first priority to those activities
which are necessary to enable access and use of
electronic networking and resource-sharing by
local education agencies within the state which
have the greatest number or percentage of
chapter 1 eligible students.
‘‘(2) CERTAIN
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
PLANS.—
Each such plan shall—
‘‘(A) provide for the development of an
electronic network to enable greater information
and resource-sharing among educational institu-
tions within the State which shall—
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‘‘(i) to the extent feasible, build upon
existing electronic networks;
‘‘(ii) be linked to and accessible to
other users through the Internet and the
National Research and Education Net-
work;
‘‘(iii) enable networking among public
and school libraries and be consistent with
State plan for interlibrary cooperation and
resource-sharing under title III of the Li-
brary Services and Construction Act;
‘‘(iv) be available to all educational in-
stitutions within the State by the year
2000; and
‘‘(v) enable access to the network es-
tablished by the Assistant Secretary under
paragraph (1) of subsection (h) and the in-
formation 
resources 
made 
available
through such network;
‘‘(B) be developed through a broadly
participatory process which shall include con-
sultation with technical experts, State and local
educational policymakers, teachers, librarians,
school administrators, parents, the business
community, representatives of institutions of
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higher education, and community-based organi-
zations;
‘‘(C) identify potential uses for the net-
work and the information resources available
through such network by educational institu-
tions within the State, including how such re-
sources may be used to support learning in the
classroom;
‘‘(D) establish standards and a governance
structure for such network;
‘‘(E) identify professional development and
technical support activities necessary to ensure
that the personnel of educational institutions
within the State have the skills necessary to
participate fully and effectively in the electronic
network;
‘‘(F) identify strategies and activities nec-
essary to promote use of and participating in
such network by parents;
‘‘(G) set out a schedule for the implemen-
tation of the plan; and
‘‘(H) estimate the costs of implementing
the plan and identify resources, including as-
sistance available through other Federal pro-
grams, to meet such costs.
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formation as the Assistant Secretary may reasonably
require.
‘‘(6) DURATION OF GRANT.—Grants awarded
under this subsection shall be for a period of 1 year,
which may be renewable for an additional 2 years.
‘‘(7) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this
subsection, the term ‘educational institution’ in-
cludes State and local education agencies, institu-
tions of higher education, libraries, museums, and
education-related private foundations, community-
based organizations which provide or support edu-
cational services, and education-related professional
associations.
‘‘(j) REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORIES.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as fol-
lows:
‘‘(A) Rural America contains more than
56,000,000 residents, making up 23 percent of
the Nation’s population. Increasingly, life in
many parts of rural America has become a
struggle for survival. The stark realities of pov-
erty, lack of jobs, isolation and scarce commu-
nity resources are challenging idyllic rural
myths. Rural schools, in many rural commu-
nities the center of rural community life and
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well-being, are facing neglect, constant budget
cutting, and community upheavals.
‘‘(B) Rural America suffers from the high-
est unemployment rates in the United States,
and a rate of poverty that is growing twice as
fast as that found in metropolitan areas.
‘‘(C) One in 4 rural children lives in pov-
erty compared to 1 in 5 children nationwide.
‘‘(D) More than 6,600,000 students attend
22,412 rural schools, of which 75 percent have
fewer than 400 students.
‘‘(E) Approximately 24 percent of Ameri-
ca’s public school teachers are employed in
rural schools. Teachers in these schools tend to
be mostly white, young, less experienced, and
less likely to have completed an advanced de-
gree compared to their counterparts in nonrural
areas.
‘‘(F) Educators in rural settings often feel
isolated, constrained by small budgets, and
frustrated by high staff turnover. Geographi-
cally cut off from other educators and edu-
cational institutions, rural educators often miss
the professional interactions and development
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opportunities that help motivate and renew
their urban and suburban counterparts.
‘‘(2) 
REGIONAL
EDUCATIONAL
LABORA-
TORIES.—The Secretary shall enter into contracts
with public or private nonprofit entities to establish
a networked system of 10 regional educational lab-
oratories which serve the needs of each region of the
Nation in accordance with the provisions of this sub-
section. For the purposes of this subsection, the
term ‘region’ means 1 of the 10 geographic regions
set forth in section 2(a) of part 707 of title 34, Code
of Federal Regulations (34 CFR 707.2(a)), as pub-
lished in number 157 of volume 53 of the Federal
Register on August 15, 1988.
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—Each regional educational lab-
oratory receiving assistance under this subsection
shall assist State education agencies, intermediate
education agencies, and local school districts in im-
plementing broad-based, systemic school improve-
ment strategies through the use of applied research
and development activities. The regional educational
laboratories shall support such system-wide reform
efforts through—
‘‘(A) the dissemination of information
about programs designated as exemplary and
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promising under subsection (C) and other ap-
propriate programs and practices;
‘‘(B) the provision of support and technical
assistance in—
‘‘(i) replicating and adapting such ex-
emplary and promising practices;
‘‘(ii) the development of high-quality,
challenging curriculum frameworks;
‘‘(iii) the development of valid, reli-
able, fair systems of assessment which are
based upon State or local curriculum
frameworks and reflect recent advances in
the field of educational assessment
‘‘(iv) the improvement of professional
development strategies to assure that all
teachers are prepared to teach a challeng-
ing curriculum;
‘‘(v) expanding and improving the use
of technology in education;
‘‘(vi) the development of alternatives
for restructuring school finance systems to
promote greater equity in the distribution
of resources; and
‘‘(vii) the development of alternative
administrative structures which are more
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conducive to planning, implementing, and
sustaining school reform and improved
educational outcomes;
‘‘(C) the development of educational pro-
grams and practices that address State or re-
gional needs in relating to their school reform
efforts; and
‘‘(D) the provision of support and technical
assistance (upon their request) to State
facilitators funded through the National Diffu-
sion Network.
‘‘(4) NETWORKING.—In order to improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of the regional labora-
tories, the governing boards of the ten regional lab-
oratories shall establish and maintain a network
to—
‘‘(A) share information about the activities
each is carrying out;
‘‘(B) plan joint activities that would meet
the needs of multiple regions;
‘‘(C) create a strategic plan for the devel-
opment of activities undertaken by the labora-
tories to reduce redundancy and increase col-
laboration and resource-sharing in such activi-
ties; and
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‘‘(D) otherwise devise means by which the
work of the individual laboratories could serve
national, as well as regional, needs.
‘‘(5) ADDITIONAL DUTIES.—Each regional edu-
cation laboratory receiving assistance under this sub-
section shall carry out the following activities:
‘‘(A) Contribute to a fuller understanding
of rural education and schools in the economic
and cultural life of rural communities.
‘‘(B) Develop strategies to utilize schools
as critical components in reforming education
and revitalizing rural communities in the Unit-
ed States.
‘‘(C) Report and disseminate information
on overcoming the obstacles faced by rural edu-
cators and rural schools.
‘‘(D) Identify successful educational pro-
grams that have either been developed by such
laboratory in carrying out its functions or that
have been developed or used by others within
the region served by the laboratory and make
such information available to the Secretary and
the network of regional laboratories so that
they may be considered for inclusion in the na-
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tional education development and dissemination
system.
‘‘(6) CERTAIN
REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying
out its responsibilities, each regional educational lab-
oratory shall—
‘‘(A) establish a governing board that—
‘‘(i) is the sole entity that—
‘‘(I) guides and directs the lab-
oratory in carrying out the provisions
of this subsection and satisfying the
terms and conditions of the contract
award; and
‘‘(II) determines the regional
agenda of the laboratory, consistent
with the priority research and devel-
opment needs identified in section
405(b)(3); and
‘‘(ii) reflects a balanced representation
of the States in the region, as well as the
interests and concerns of regional constitu-
encies;
‘‘(B) comply with the standards established
by the Board under section 405A;
‘‘(C) coordinate its activities, collaborate,
and regularly exchange information with the in-
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stitutes established under section 405C, the Na-
tional Diffusion Network, and its Developer
Demonstrator and State Facilitator projects,
learning grant institutions and district edu-
cation agents assisted under subsection (i), the
ERIC Clearinghouses, and other entities en-
gages in technical assistance and dissemination
activities which are supported by other Offices
of the Department of Education; and
‘‘(D) allocate its resources to and within
each State in a manner which reflects the need
for assistance, taking into account such factors
as the proportion of economically disadvantaged
students, the increased cost burden of service
delivery in areas of sparse populations, and any
special initiatives being undertaken by State,
intermediate, or local education agencies which
may require special assistance from the labora-
tory.
‘‘(7) EVALUATIONS.—The Secretary shall pro-
vide for periodic, independent evaluations of each of
the laboratories in carrying out the duties described
in paragraph (2) in accordance with the standards
developed by the Board and transmit the results of
such evaluations to the relevant committees of the
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Congress, the Board, and the appropriate regional
educational laboratory board.
‘‘(8) INVITATION
REGARDING
COMPETITION
FOR AWARDS OF ASSISTANCE.—Prior to awarding a
grant or entering into a contract under this section,
the Secretary shall invite applicants, including the
existing regional educational laboratories, to compete
for such award through notice in the Federal Reg-
ister.
‘‘(9) APPLICATION FOR ASSISTANCE.—Each ap-
plication for assistance under this subsection shall—
‘‘(A) cover a 5-year period;
‘‘(B) describe how the applicant would
carry out the activities required by this sub-
section; and
‘‘(C) contain such additional information
as the Secretary may reasonably require.
‘‘(10) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—No regional
educational laboratory receiving assistance under
this subsection shall, by reason of the receipt of that
assistance, be ineligible to receive any other assist-
ance from the Department as authorized by law.
‘‘(k) AMERICA 2000 COMMUNITIES SPECIAL ASSIST-
ANCE PROGRAM.—
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‘‘(1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the American
2000 communities special assistance program is to
provide targeted field-based, technical assistance to
the Nation’s most impoverished urban and rural
communities to enable them to achieve the national
education goals and other objectives for educational
improvement through the continuous, intensified ap-
plication and utilization of the results of educational
research.
‘‘(2) GRANTS FOR LEARNING GRANT INSTITU-
TIONS
AND
DISTRICT
EDUCATION
AGENTS.—The
Secretary is authorized to make grants in accord-
ance with this subsection to eligible entities for the
establishment of Learning Grant Institutions and
District Education Agents within eligible commu-
nities to administer the America 2000 communities
special assistance program.
‘‘(3) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY AND EL-
IGIBLE COMMUNITY.—For the purposes of this sub-
section:
‘‘(A) The term ‘eligible entity’ includes any
institution of higher education, regional edu-
cation laboratory, National Diffusion Network
project, national research and development cen-
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ter, public or private nonprofit corporation, or
any consortium thereof that—
‘‘(i) has demonstrated experience, ex-
pertise and commitment in serving the
educational needs of at-risk students; and
‘‘(ii) is, by virtue of its previous activi-
ties, knowledgeable about the unique needs
and characteristics of the community to be
served.
‘‘(B) The term ‘eligible community’ means
a unit of general purpose local government
(such as a city, township, or village), a
nonmetropolitan county, tribal village, or a geo-
graphically distinct area (such as a school dis-
trict, school attendance area, ward, precinct or
neighborhood), or any group of such entities
that—
‘‘(i) has a population of not less than
200,000 and not more than 300,000; and
‘‘(ii) is located within one of the 50
congressional districts with the lowest me-
dian family income as determined by pov-
erty indices established by 1990 United
States Census.
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‘‘(4) COMPREHENSIVE AMERICA 2000 PLAN.—
Each Learning Grant Institution receiving assist-
ance under this subsection shall assist in the devel-
opment of a comprehensive America 2000 plan for
assuring educational success for all students in the
community. Each such plan shall—
‘‘(A) adopt the 6 national educational
goals;
‘‘(B) identify additional needs and goals
for educational improvement within the commu-
nity;
‘‘(C) establish a comprehensive community-
wide plan for achieving such goals; and
‘‘(D) develop a means for measuring the
progress of the community in meeting such
goals for improvement.
‘‘(5) IMPLEMENTATION
OF
COMMUNITY-WIDE
PLAN.—Each learning grant institution receiving as-
sistance under this subsection shall, utilizing the
District Education Agent, provide assistance in im-
plementing the community-wide plan for educational
improvement by—
‘‘(A) disseminating information throughout
the community about exemplary and promising
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educational programs, practices, products, and
policies;
‘‘(B) assisting teachers, school administra-
tors, other educational personnel, parents and
others in—
‘‘(i) tracking educational programs
within the community which receive Fed-
eral financial assistance and identifying
changes in such programs which are likely
to improve student achievement;
‘‘(ii) identifying, selecting and rep-
licating exemplary and promising edu-
cational programs, practices, products, and
policies in both in and out-of-school set-
tings; and
‘‘(iii) applying educational research to
solve specific problems in the classroom,
home and community which impede learn-
ing and student achievement;
‘‘(C) promoting the development of an in-
tegrated system of service delivery to children
from birth through age 18 and their families by
facilitating linkages and cooperation among—
‘‘(i) local education agencies;
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‘‘(ii) health and social services agen-
cies and providers;
‘‘(iii) juvenile justice and criminal jus-
tice agencies;
‘‘(iv) providers of employment train-
ing; and
‘‘(v) child care, Head Start, and other
early childhood agencies; and
‘‘(D) mobilizing the resources of the com-
munity in support of student learning and high
achievement by facilitating effective partner-
ships and collaboration among—
‘‘(i) local education agencies;
‘‘(ii) postsecondary educational insti-
tutions;
‘‘(iii) public libraries;
‘‘(iv) parents;
‘‘(v) community-based organizations,
neighborhood associations, and other civic
and community organizations;
‘‘(vi) child care, Head Start, and
other early childhood agencies;
‘‘(vii) churches, synagogues and other
religious institutions;
‘‘(viii) labor organizations; and
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‘‘(ix) business and industry.
‘‘(6) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LEARN-
ING GRANT INSTITUTIONS.—In carrying out its re-
sponsibilities under this subsection, each learning
grant institution receiving assistance under this sub-
section shall—
‘‘(A) convene and regularly consult with an
advisory board that is broadly representative of
the community, including public and private ele-
mentary and secondary school teachers and ad-
ministrators, parents, librarians, college and
university faculty and administrators, Head
Start and child care agencies, labor, business,
local elected officials, and community leaders;
‘‘(B) cooperate with the local education
agency and, to the extent appropriate, the State
education agency;
‘‘(C) appoint a District Education Agent
who shall be responsible, on a full-time basis,
for directing the implementation of the commu-
nity-wide plan. Such individual shall have sig-
nificant experience and expertise in the field of
education in—
‘‘(i) addressing the needs of at-risk
students; and
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‘‘(ii) conducting educational research
and promoting the application of the re-
sults of such research to educational prac-
tice;
‘‘(D) provide for such other professional
and support personnel as may be necessary to
implement the community-wide plan under the
direction of the District Education Agent; and
‘‘(E) coordinate its activities and work co-
operatively with the National Diffusion Network
State facilitators, regional laboratories, and
other components of the Office to utilize most
effectively Federal research, development, and
dissemination resources in implementing the
community-wide plan.
‘‘(7) APPLICATION FOR GRANTS.—Any eligible
entity desiring a grant under this subsection shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time,
in such manner, and accompanied by such informa-
tion as the Secretary may reasonably require. Each
such application shall—
‘‘(A) include a comprehensive plan for
meeting the objectives and requirements of this
subsection; and
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‘‘(B) provide evidence of support for the
application from local elected officials, the State
education agency, the local education agency,
parents, local community leaders, businesses,
and other appropriate organizations.
‘‘(8) PRIORITY IN MAKING GRANTS; DURATION
AND AMOUNT OF GRANT.—Each grant made under
this subsection shall be—
‘‘(A) awarded on a competitive basis, with
first priority given to those applications from
communities within congressional districts with
the lowest median family income;
‘‘(B) made for a 5-year period, with fund-
ing for the second and each successive year in
this period conditioned upon a determination by
the Secretary that the grant recipient has com-
plied with the conditions of the grants during
the previous year; and
‘‘(C) an amount equal to not less than
$1,000,000 per year.
‘‘(9) REQUIREMENT REGARDING CERTAIN CON-
GRESSIONAL
DISTRICTS.—Not more and not less
than one grant shall be awarded within each of the
50 congressional districts with the lowest median
family income.
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‘‘(10) CONTINGENT AUTHORITY REGARDING AP-
PLICATIONS
FROM
CHIEF
STATE
SCHOOL
OFFI-
CER.—In the event that no eligible entity submits an
application to provide services under this subsection
to an eligible community within one year after ap-
propriations become available to fund such applica-
tion, the Secretary shall permit and encourage the
chief State school officer of the State in which the
eligible community is located to submit an applica-
tion under this subsection to provide services to such
community. Such application shall provide for the
carrying out of the program described in paragraphs
(4) through (6) by the State education agency in
conjunction with an eligible entity and shall other-
wise meet all the requirements of this subsection.
‘‘(11) 
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE; 
EVALUA-
TIONS.—In administering the program authorized
under this subsection, the Secretary shall, either di-
rectly or through grant or contract with an eligible
nonprofit agency—
‘‘(A) upon request, provide technical assist-
ance to eligible entities to assist in the develop-
ment of a comprehensive plan to meet the re-
quirements of this subsection and in the prepa-
ration of applications for assistance;
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‘‘(l) REGIONAL
PARTNERSHIPS
FOR
TEACHER
CHANGE AGENTS.—
‘‘(1) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—
‘‘(A) The Assistant Secretary shall enter
into contracts with regional educational labora-
tories, in partnership with 1 or more institu-
tions of higher education in each State of its re-
gion, the National Diffusion Network, and
other entities with demonstrated experience, ex-
pertise, and commitment in the areas of teacher
research or teacher professional development,
such as the national research and development
centers, professional teacher organizations, and
other qualified organizations and associations,
in the region to carry out activities described in
paragraph (2).
‘‘(B) The Assistant Secretary shall enter
into contracts under this subsection in an equi-
table manner and shall provide assistance on
the basis of the number of schools in each re-
gional educational laboratory region with atten-
tion given to populations with special needs and
the increased cost burden of service delivery in
regions of sparse population.
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‘‘(C) Contracts under this subsection shall
be awarded for a period of not less than 3
years.
‘‘(2) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(A) Each regional partnership described
in paragraph (1)(A) entering into a contract
under this subsection shall carry out programs
of providing training to teachers relevant to the
needs and problems of the schools and school
districts where teachers, who participate in the
programs, serve. The purpose of such programs
shall be to—
‘‘(i) educate teachers on how to ac-
quire information about education research
findings and best practices;
‘‘(ii) provide teachers with current
education research and development the-
ory, skills, and practice as shall enable
them to modify, design, develop, and adapt
such findings and practices to effect local
district and classroom outcomes that im-
prove education;
‘‘(iii) enable teachers to become ac-
tively involved in the applied research and
development process;
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‘‘(iv) provide teachers the ability to
become leaders in the utilization of applied
research and to become active participants
in the Federal research and development
partnership; and
‘‘(v) facilitate collaboration between
the teacher change agent and the National
Diffusion Network State facilitator.
‘‘(B) Teachers that participate in training
assisted under this subsection shall be known as
‘‘teacher change agents’’.
‘‘(C) The program described in subpara-
graph (A) shall provide teacher change agents
with training during the summer and at such
other times as agreed to by the district, which
shall—
‘‘(i) give teacher change agents knowl-
edge and guidance in using the existing
educational improvement services and re-
sources funded by the United States De-
partment of Education and other major re-
search organizations, including the prod-
ucts and work of the regional educational
laboratories, professional teacher organiza-
tions, the National Diffusion Network, in-
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stitutions of higher education, the Edu-
cational Research Information Centers,
National Research Centers, National Re-
search Institutes, State Departments of
Education, local education agencies, and
other nonprofit organizations participating
in the improvement of education;
‘‘(ii) provide teacher change agents
with indepth knowledge about a number of
products, programs, and processes devel-
oped by entities described in clause (i) that
the teacher change agents judge most rel-
evant to the needs of the district or dis-
tricts they will serve;
‘‘(iii) inform teacher change agents
about government programs, including, but
not limited, to programs in government
agencies other than the Department of
Education, which offer research opportuni-
ties and funding; and
‘‘(iv) provide teacher change agents
with instruction in technical assistance
skills in order to increase their capacity to
aid district and school site teacher teams
responsible for leading school improvement
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activities at the district and school site
level.
‘‘(D) The school year activities described
in subparagraph (A) shall provide teacher
change agents participating in such program
during the school year with—
‘‘(i) opportunities to meet with other
teacher change agents to exchange experi-
ences;
‘‘(ii) additional training or assistance
as needed or requested;
‘‘(iii) updates in education research,
application, and findings; and
‘‘(iv) opportunities to provide feedback
into the educational research infrastruc-
ture regarding needed research and ways
to improve the development and dissemina-
tion of information.
‘‘(E) The regional partnership program
may support educational improvement and re-
form activities such as—
‘‘(i) training in applied research meth-
odologies;
‘‘(ii) assistance in conducting applied
research;
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‘‘(iii) teacher research sabbaticals;
‘‘(iv) video conferencing for additional
training in order to reduce travel time and
expenses;
‘‘(v) training in developing and imple-
menting effective teacher in-service train-
ing;
‘‘(vi) training in change management,
including 
strategies 
for 
restructuring
schools, building local capacity, and gen-
erally strengthening the culture of schools
so that schools are conducive and support-
ive of change, including training in inter-
personal and leadership skills; and
‘‘(vii) training in the appropriate use
of technology to assist classroom teachers.
‘‘(F) 
TEACHER
RESPONSIBILITIES.—
Teacher change agents shall, during the school
year—
‘‘(i) meet with other teachers and dis-
trict or school site teacher teams to provide
other teachers with knowledge about how
to acquire information regarding education
research findings and best practices, in-
cluding what resources are available from