I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2417
To establish an educational technology extension service at colleges and
universities.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 1, 1999
Mr. BARCIA (for himself and Mr. WU) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to the Committee
on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To establish an educational technology extension service at
colleges and universities.
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 Tech-
nology Utilization Extension Assistance Act’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
It is the purpose of this Act to improve the utilization
of educational technologies in elementary and secondary
education by creating an educational technology extension
(4) Many elementary and secondary school sys-
tems, particularly in rural and traditionally under
served areas, lack general information on the most
effective methods to integrate their existing tech-
nology infrastructure, as well as new educational
technology, into the educational process and cur-
riculum.
(5) Most Federal and State educational tech-
nology programs have focused on acquiring edu-
cational technologies with less emphasis on the utili-
zation of those technologies in the classroom and the
training and infrastructural requirements needed to
efficiently support those types of technologies. As a
result, in many instances, the full potential of edu-
cational technology has not been realized.
(6) Our global economy is increasingly reliant
on a workforce not only comfortable with technology,
but also able to integrate rapid technological
changes into the production process. As such, in
order to remain competitive in a global economy, it
is imperative that we maintain a work-ready labor
force.
(7) According to ‘‘Teacher Quality: A Report on
the Preparation and Qualifications of Public School
Teacher’’, prepared by the Department of Edu-
cation, only 1 in 5 teachers felt they were well pre-
pared to work in a modern classroom.
(8) The most common form of professional de-
velopment for teachers continue to be workshops
that typically last no more than one day and have
little relevance to teachers’ work in the classroom.
(9) A 1998 national survey completed by the
Department of Education found that only 19 per-
cent of teachers had been formally mentored by an-
other teacher, and that 70 percent of these teachers
felt that this collaboration was very helpful to their
teaching.
SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation, in cooperation with the Sec-
retary of Education and the Director of the National Insti-
tute of Standards and Technology, shall provide assistance
for the creation and support of regional centers for the
utilization of educational technologies (hereinafter in this
Act referred to as ‘‘ETU Centers’’).
(b) FUNCTIONS OF CENTERS.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—ETU Centers may be
established at any institution of higher education,
but such centers may include the participation of
non-profit entities, organizations, or groups thereof.
(2) OBJECTIVES OF CENTERS.—The objective
of the ETU Centers is to enhance the utilization of
educational technologies in elementary and sec-
ondary education through—
(A) advising of elementary and secondary
school administrators, school boards, and teach-
ers on the adoption and utilization of new edu-
cational technologies and the utility of local
schools’ existing educational technology assets
and infrastructure;
(B) participation of individuals from the
private sector, universities, State and local gov-
ernments, and other Federal agencies;
(C) active dissemination of technical and
management information about the use of edu-
cational technologies; and
(D) utilization, where appropriate, of the
expertise and capabilities that exists in Federal
laboratories and Federal agencies.
(3) ACTIVITIES OF CENTERS.—The activities of
the ETU Centers shall include the following:
(A) The active transfer and dissemination
of research findings and ETU Center expertise
to local school authorities, including but not
limited to school administrators, school boards,
and teachers.
(B) The training of teachers in the inte-
gration of local schools existing educational
technology infrastructure into their instruc-
tional design.
(C) The training and advising of teachers,
administrators, and school board members in
the acquisition, utilization, and support of edu-
cational technologies.
(D) Support services to teachers, adminis-
trators, and school board members as agreed
upon by ETU Center representatives and local
school authorities.
(E) The advising of teachers, administra-
tors, and school board members on current skill
set standards employed by private industry.
(c) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—
(1) PROPOSED
RULES.—The Director of the
National Science Foundation, after consultation with
the Secretary of Education and the Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
shall publish in the Federal Register, within 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, a pro-
posed rules for the program for establishing ETU
Centers, including—
(A) a description of the program;
(B) the procedure to be followed by appli-
cant;
(C) the criteria for determining qualified
applicants; and
(D) the criteria, including those listed in
the following sections, for choosing recipients of
financial assistance under this section from
among qualified applicants.
(2) FINAL RULES.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall publish final rules
for the program under this Act after the expiration
of a 30-day comment period on such proposed rules.
(d) ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION.—
(1) APPLICATIONS
REQUIRED.—Any under-
graduate institution of higher education, consortia of
such institutions, non-profit organizations, or groups
thereof may submit an application for financial sup-
port under this section in accordance with the proce-
dures established under subsection (c). In order to
receive assistance under this Act, an applicant shall
provide adequate assurances that will contribute 50
percent or more of the proposed Center’s capital and
annual operating and maintenance costs.
(2) SELECTION.—The Director of the National
Science Foundation, in conjunction with the Sec-
retary of Education and the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, shall subject
each application to competitive, merit review. In
making a decision whether to approve such applica-
tion and provide financial support under this section,
the Director of the National Science Foundation
shall consider at a minimum—
(A) the merits of the application, particu-
larly those portions of the application regarding
the adaption of training and educational tech-
nologies to the needs of particular regions;
(B) the quality of service to be provided;
(C) the geographical diversity and extent
of service area, with particular emphasis on
rural and traditionally underdeveloped areas;
and
(D) the percentage of funding and amount
of in-kind commitment from other sources.
(3) EVALUATION.—Each ETU Center which re-
ceives financial assistance under this section shall be
evaluated during its third year of operation by an
evaluation panel appointed by the Director of the
National Science Foundation. Each evaluation panel
shall measure the involved Center’s performance
against the objectives specified in this section. Fund-
ing for an ETU Center shall not be renewed unless
the evaluation is positive.
SEC. 6. DEFINITION.
As used in this Act, the term ‘‘institution of higher
education’’ has the meaning given that term by section
101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001).
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