H. R. 6—179
‘‘(C) girls do not take as many mathematics and science
courses as boys, girls lose confidence in their mathematics
and science ability as girls move through adolescence, and
there are few women role models in the sciences; and
‘‘(D) pregnant and parenting teenagers are at high
risk for dropping out of school and existing dropout preven-
tion programs do not adequately address the needs of such
teenagers;
‘‘(4) efforts to improve the quality of public education also
must include efforts to ensure equal access to quality education
programs for all women and girls;
‘‘(5) Federal support should address not only research and
development of innovative model curricula and teaching and
learning strategies to promote gender equity, but should also
assist schools and local communities implement gender equi-
table practices;
‘‘(6) Federal assistance for gender equity must be tied to
systemic reform, involve collaborative efforts to implement
effective gender practices at the local level, and encourage
parental participation; and
‘‘(7) excellence in education, high educational achievements
and standards, and the full participation of women and girls
in American society, cannot be achieved without educational
equity for women and girls.
‘‘SEC. 5202. STATEMENT OF PURPOSES.
‘‘It is the purpose of this part—
‘‘(1) to promote gender equity in education in the United
States;
‘‘(2) to provide financial assistance to enable educational
agencies and institutions to meet the requirements of title
IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; and
‘‘(3) to promote equity in education for women and girls
who suffer from multiple forms of discrimination based on
sex, race, ethnic origin, limited-English proficiency, disability,
or age.
‘‘SEC. 5203. PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized—
‘‘(1) to promote, coordinate, and evaluate gender equity
policies, programs, activities and initiatives in all Federal edu-
cation programs and offices;
‘‘(2) to develop, maintain, and disseminate materials,
resources, analyses, and research relating to education equity
for women and girls;
‘‘(3) to provide information and technical assistance to
assure the effective implementation of gender equity programs;
‘‘(4) to coordinate gender equity programs and activities
with other Federal agencies with jurisdiction over education
and related programs;
‘‘(5) to assist the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Edu-
cational Research and Improvement in identifying research
priorities related to education equity for women and girls; and
‘‘(6) to perform any other activities consistent with achiev-
ing the purposes of this part.
‘‘(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to make
grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements
H. R. 6—180
with, public agencies, private nonprofit agencies, organizations,
institutions, student groups, community groups, and individ-
uals, for a period not to exceed four years, to—
‘‘(A) provide grants to develop model equity programs;
and
‘‘(B) provide funds for the implementation of equity
programs in schools throughout the Nation.
‘‘(2) SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—To achieve the
purposes of this part, the Secretary is authorized to provide
support and technical assistance—
‘‘(A) to implement effective gender-equity policies and
programs at all educational levels, including—
‘‘(i) assisting educational agencies and institutions
to implement policies and practices to comply with
title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;
‘‘(ii) training for teachers, counselors, administra-
tors, and other school personnel, especially preschool
and elementary school personnel, in gender equitable
teaching and learning practices;
‘‘(iii) leadership training for women and girls to
develop professional and marketable skills to compete
in the global marketplace, improve self-esteem, and
benefit from exposure to positive role models;
‘‘(iv) school-to-work transition programs, guidance
and counseling activities, and other programs to
increase opportunities for women and girls to enter
a technologically demanding workplace and, in particu-
lar, to enter highly skilled, high paying careers in
which women and girls have been underrepresented;
‘‘(v) enhancing educational and career opportuni-
ties for those women and girls who suffer multiple
forms of discrimination, based on sex and on race,
ethnic origin, limited-English proficiency, disability,
socioeconomic status, or age;
‘‘(vi) assisting pregnant students and students
rearing children to remain in or to return to secondary
school, graduate, and prepare their preschool children
to start school;
‘‘(vii) evaluating exemplary model programs to
assess the ability of such programs to advance edu-
cational equity for women and girls;
‘‘(viii) introduction into the classroom of textbooks,
curricula, and other materials designed to achieve
equity for women and girls;
‘‘(ix) programs and policies to address sexual
harassment and violence against women and girls and
to ensure that educational institutions are free from
threats to the safety of students and personnel;
‘‘(x) nondiscriminatory tests of aptitude and
achievement and of alternative assessments that elimi-
nate biased assessment instruments from use;
‘‘(xi) programs to increase educational opportuni-
ties, including higher education, vocational training,
and other educational programs for low-income women,
including underemployed and unemployed women, and
women receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Chil-
dren benefits;
H. R. 6—181
‘‘(xii) programs to improve representation of
women in educational administration at all levels; and
‘‘(xiii) 
planning, 
development 
and 
initial
implementation of—
‘‘(I) comprehensive institution- or districtwide
evaluation to assess the presence or absence of
gender equity in educational settings;
‘‘(II) comprehensive plans for implementation
of equity programs in State and local educational
agencies and institutions of higher education;
including community colleges; and
‘‘(III) innovative approaches to school-commu-
nity partnerships for educational equity.
‘‘(B) for research and development, which shall be
coordinated with each of the research institutes of the
Office of Educational Research and Improvement to avoid
duplication of research efforts, designed to advance gender
equity nationwide and to help make policies and practices
in educational agencies and institutions, and local commu-
nities, gender equitable, including—
‘‘(i) research and development of innovative strate-
gies and model training programs for teachers and
other education personnel;
‘‘(ii) the development of high quality and challeng-
ing assessment instruments that are nondiscrim-
inatory;
‘‘(iii) the development and evaluation of model
curricula, textbooks, software, and other educational
materials to ensure the absence of gender stereotyping
and bias;
‘‘(iv) the development of instruments and proce-
dures that employ new and innovative strategies to
assess whether diverse educational settings are gender
equitable;
‘‘(v) the development of instruments and strategies
for evaluation, dissemination, and replication of
promising or exemplary programs designed to assist
local educational agencies in integrating gender equity
in their educational policies and practices;
‘‘(vi) updating high quality educational materials
previously developed through awards made under this
part;
‘‘(vii) the development of policies and programs
to address and prevent sexual harassment and violence
to ensure that educational institutions are free from
threats to safety of students and personnel;
‘‘(viii) the development and improvement of pro-
grams and activities to increase opportunity for women,
including continuing educational activities, vocational
education, and programs for low-income women, includ-
ing underemployed and unemployed women, and
women receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Chil-
dren; and
‘‘(ix) the development of guidance and counseling
activities, 
including 
career 
education 
programs,
designed to ensure gender equity.
H. R. 6—182
‘‘SEC. 5204. APPLICATIONS.
‘‘An application under this part shall—
‘‘(1) set forth policies and procedures that will ensure a
comprehensive evaluation of the activities assisted under this
part, including an evaluation of the practices, policies, and
materials used by the applicant and an evaluation or estimate
of the continued significance of the work of the project following
completion of the award period;
‘‘(2) where appropriate, demonstrate how funds received
under this part will be used to promote the attainment of
one or more of the National Education Goals;
‘‘(3) demonstrate how the applicant will address perceptions
of gender roles based on cultural differences or stereotypes;
‘‘(4) where appropriate, describe how funds under this part
will be used in a manner that is consistent with programs
under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994;
‘‘(5) for applications for assistance under section 5203(b)(1),
demonstrate how the applicant will foster partnerships and,
where applicable, share resources with State educational agen-
cies, local educational agencies, institutions of higher education,
community-based organizations (including organizations serv-
ing women), parent, teacher, and student groups, businesses
or other recipients of Federal educational funding which may
include State literacy resource centers;
‘‘(6) for applications for assistance under section 5203(b)(1),
demonstrate how parental involvement in the project will be
encouraged; and
‘‘(7) for applications for assistance under section 5203(b)(1),
describe plans for continuation of the activities assisted under
this part with local support following completion of the grant
period and termination of Federal support under this part.
‘‘SEC. 5205. CRITERIA AND PRIORITIES.
‘‘(a) CRITERIA AND PRIORITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish separate
criteria and priorities for awards under paragraphs (1) and
(2) of section 5203(b) to ensure that funds under this part
are used for programs that most effectively will achieve the
purposes of this part.
‘‘(2) CRITERIA.—The criteria described in subsection (a) may
include the extent to which the activities assisted under this
part—
‘‘(A) address the needs of women and girls of color
and women and girls with disabilities;
‘‘(B) meet locally defined and documented educational
equity needs and priorities, including compliance with title
IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;
‘‘(C) are a significant component of a comprehensive
plan for educational equity and compliance with title IX
of the Education Amendments of 1972 in the particular
school district, institution of higher education, vocational-
technical institution, or other educational agency or institu-
tion; and
‘‘(D) implement an institutional change strategy with
long-term impact that will continue as a central activity
of the applicant after the grant under this part has termi-
nated.
H. R. 6—183
‘‘(b) PRIORITIES.—In approving applications under this part,
the Secretary may give special consideration to applications—
‘‘(1) submitted by applicants that have not received assist-
ance under this part or under part C of title IX of this Act
(as such part was in effect on October 1, 1988);
‘‘(2) for projects that will contribute significantly to directly
improving teaching and learning practices in the local commu-
nity; and
‘‘(3) for projects that will—
‘‘(A) provide for a comprehensive approach to enhanc-
ing gender equity in educational institutions and agencies;
‘‘(B) draw on a variety of resources, including the
resources of local educational agencies, community-based
organizations, institutions of higher education, and private
organizations;
‘‘(C) implement a strategy with long-term impact that
will continue as a central activity of the applicant after
the grant under this part has terminated;
‘‘(D) address issues of national significance that can
be duplicated; and
‘‘(E) address the educational needs of women and girls
who suffer multiple or compound discrimination based on
sex and on race, ethnic origin, disability, or age.
‘‘(c) SPECIAL RULE.—To the extent feasible, the Secretary shall
ensure that grants awarded under this part for each fiscal year
address—
‘‘(1) all levels of education, including preschool, elementary
and secondary education, higher education, vocational edu-
cation, and adult education;
‘‘(2) all regions of the United States; and
‘‘(3) urban, rural, and suburban educational institutions.
‘‘(d) COORDINATION.—Research activities supported under this
part—
‘‘(1) shall be carried out in consultation with the Office
of Educational Research and Improvement to ensure that such
activities are coordinated with and enhance the research and
development activities supported by the Office; and
‘‘(2) may include collaborative research activities which
are jointly funded and carried out with the Office of Educational
Research and Improvement.
‘‘(e) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this part shall be construed as
prohibiting men and boys from participating in any programs or
activities assisted with funds under this part.
‘‘SEC. 5206. REPORT.
‘‘The Secretary, not later than January 1, 1999, shall submit
to the President and the Congress a report on the status of edu-
cational equity for girls and women in the Nation.
‘‘SEC. 5207. ADMINISTRATION.
‘‘(a) EVALUATION
AND DISSEMINATION.—The Secretary shall
evaluate in accordance with section 14701, and disseminate, mate-
rials and programs developed under this part and shall report
to the Congress regarding such evaluation materials and programs
not later than January 1, 1998.
‘‘(b) PROGRAM OPERATIONS.—The Secretary shall ensure that
the activities assisted under this part are administered within
H. R. 6—184
the Department by a person who has recognized professional quali-
fications and experience in the field of gender equity education.
‘‘SEC. 5208. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘For the purpose of carrying out this part, there are authorized
to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1995 and such sums
as may be necessary for each of the four succeeding fiscal years,
of which not less than two-thirds of the amount appropriated under
this section for each fiscal year shall be available to carry out
the activities described in section 5203(b)(1).
‘‘PART C—ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS SCHOOL
DROPOUT PROBLEMS
‘‘SEC. 5301. SHORT TITLE.
‘‘This part may be cited as the ‘School Dropout Assistance
Act’.
‘‘SEC. 5302. PURPOSE.
‘‘The purpose of this part is to reduce the number of children
who do not complete their elementary and secondary education
by providing grants to local educational agencies to establish—
‘‘(1) effective programs to identify potential student drop-
outs, including pregnant and parenting teenagers, and prevent
such students from dropping out of school;
‘‘(2) effective programs to identify and encourage children
who have already dropped out to reenter school and complete
their elementary and secondary education;
‘‘(3) effective early intervention programs designed to iden-
tify at-risk students in elementary and secondary schools; and
‘‘(4) model systems for collecting and reporting information
to local school officials on the number, ages, sex, race or eth-
nicity, and grade levels of the children not completing their
elementary and secondary education and the reasons why such
children have dropped out of school.
‘‘SEC. 5303. GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.
‘‘(a) ALLOTMENT TO CATEGORIES OF LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CIES.—From the amount appropriated under section 5308 for any
fiscal year, the Secretary shall first reserve not more than
$2,000,000 for the purposes of evaluating programs carried out
with assistance under this part in accordance with section 14701.
From the remaining amount, the Secretary shall allot the following
percentages to each of the following categories of local educational
agencies:
‘‘(1) Local educational agencies administering schools with
a total enrollment of 100,000 or more elementary and secondary
school students shall be allotted 25 percent of such remaining
amount.
‘‘(2) Local educational agencies administering schools with
a total enrollment of at least 20,000 but less than 100,000
elementary and secondary school students shall be allotted
40 percent of such remaining amount.
‘‘(3) Local educational agencies administering schools with
a total enrollment of less than 20,000 elementary and secondary
school students shall be allotted 30 percent of such remaining
amount. Grants may be made under this paragraph to edu-
H. R. 6—185
cational service agencies and consortia of not more than 5
local educational agencies in any case in which the total enroll-
ment of the largest such local educational agency is less than
20,000 elementary and secondary students. Such agencies and
consortia may also apply for assistance under this part in
conjunction with the State educational agency. Not less than
20 percent of funds available under this paragraph shall be
awarded to local educational agencies administering schools
with a total enrollment of less than 2,000 elementary and
secondary school students.
‘‘(4) Community-based organizations shall be allotted 5 per-
cent of such remaining amount. Grants under this paragraph
shall be made after consultation between the community-based
organization and the local educational agency that is to benefit
from such a grant.
‘‘(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall give special consider-
ation to awarding funds available for each category described
in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a) to local edu-
cational agencies participating in an educational partnership.
‘‘(2) EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.—For the purpose of this
part the term ‘educational partnerships’ means a partnership
between—
‘‘(A) a local educational agency; and
‘‘(B) a business concern or business organization,
community-based organization, nonprofit private organiza-
tion, institution of higher education, State educational
agency, State or local public agency, private industry coun-
cil (established under the Job Training Partnership Act),
museum, library, or educational television or broadcasting
station.
‘‘(c) AWARD OF GRANT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amount allotted for any fiscal
year to a category of local educational agencies under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall award as many grants as practicable
within each such category to local educational agencies and
educational 
partnerships 
whose 
applications 
have 
been
approved by the Secretary for such fiscal year under section
5304 and whose applications propose a program of sufficient
size, scope, and quality to be effective.
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—Any local educational agency or
educational partnership that has received a grant under this
part shall be eligible for additional funds as provided under
subsection (d).
‘‘(3) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Grants under this part shall
be made under such terms and conditions as the Secretary
shall prescribe.
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS WHEN NOT FULLY ALLOTTED TO CATEGORIES
UNDER SUBSECTION (a).—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Whenever the Secretary determines that
the full amount of the sums allotted under any category set
forth under subsection (a) will not be required for applications
of the local educational agencies in the case of categories
described in paragraphs (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a), the
Secretary shall make the amount not so required available
to another category under subsection (a). In carrying out the
provisions of this subsection, the Secretary shall assure that
H. R. 6—186
the transfer of amounts from one category to another is made
to a category in which there is the greatest need for funds.
‘‘(2) PEER REVIEW.—In order to transfer funds under this
subsection, the Secretary shall use a peer review process to
determine that such excess funds are not needed to fund
projects in particular categories and shall prepare a list of
the categories in which funds were not fully expended and
the reasons therefor, and make such list available to local
educational agencies and educational partnerships upon
request. The Secretary may use the peer review process to
determine grant recipients of funds transferred in accordance
with this subsection.
‘‘(e) FEDERAL SHARE.—
‘‘(1) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a grant under
this part may not exceed—
‘‘(A) 90 percent of the total cost of a project for the
first year for which the project receives assistance under
this part; and
‘‘(B) 75 percent of such cost in each such succeeding
fiscal year.
‘‘(2) REMAINING COSTS.—The remaining cost of a project
that receives assistance under this part may be paid from
any source other than funds made available under this part,
except that not more than 10 percent of the remaining cost
in any fiscal year may be provided from Federal sources other
than this part.
‘‘(3) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The share of payments from
sources other than funds made available under this part may
be in cash or in kind fairly evaluated, including plant, equip-
ment or services.
‘‘SEC. 5404. APPLICATION.
‘‘(a) APPLICATION REQUIRED.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant under this part may be made
only to a local educational agency or an educational partnership
which submits an application to the Secretary containing such
information as may be required by the Secretary by regulation.
‘‘(2) DURATION.—Each such application shall be for a three-
year period.
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—Each such application shall—
‘‘(1) provide documentation of—
‘‘(A) the number of children who were enrolled in the
schools to be served by the applicant for the five academic
years prior to the date application is made who have not
completed their elementary or secondary education and
who are classified as school dropouts; and
‘‘(B) the percentage that such number of children is
of the total school-age population in the applicant’s schools;
‘‘(2) include a plan for the development and implementation
of a school dropout information collection and reporting system
for documenting the extent and nature of the dropout problem,
which system shall collect and cross tabulate data, where fea-
sible, by sex according to race or ethnicity and socioeconomic
status;
‘‘(3) include a plan for coordinated activities involving not
less than one secondary school and its feeder junior high or
H. R. 6—187
middle schools and elementary schools for local educational
agencies that have feeder systems;
‘‘(4) when applicable, describe how programs assisted under
this part will be coordinated with, and not duplicate, programs
assisted under title I;
‘‘(5) include a description of how the program assisted
under this part is consistent with the second National Edu-
cation Goal, relating to school completion, and other Federal
programs as appropriate; and
‘‘(6) contain such other information as the Secretary consid-
ers necessary to determine the nature of the local needs, the
quality of the proposed project, and the capability of the
applicant to carry out the project.
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall, in approving applications
under this section, give priority to applications which—
‘‘(1) demonstrate the replication of successful programs con-
ducted in other local educational agencies or the expansion
of successful programs within a local educational agency; and
‘‘(2) reflect very high numbers or very high percentages
of school dropouts in the schools of the applicant in each cat-
egory described in section 5303(a).
‘‘(d) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—The Secretary shall give addi-
tional special consideration to applications that include—
‘‘(1) provisions which emphasize early intervention services
designed to identify at-risk students in elementary or early
secondary schools; and
‘‘(2) provisions for significant parental involvement.
‘‘(e) GRANTS FOR NEW GRANTEES.—In awarding grants under
this part the Secretary shall use only the priorities and special
considerations described in subsections (c) and (d).
‘‘(f) CONTINUATION OF ASSISTANCE.—For the two fiscal years
beginning after the date of enactment of the Improving America’s
Schools Act of 1994, the Secretary shall approve an application
under this section for a local educational agency which received
funding in fiscal year 1994 under the School Dropout Demonstration
Assistance Act of 1988 (20 U.S.C. 3241 et seq.) and which—
‘‘(1) satisfies the requirements of this section;
‘‘(2) qualifies for special consideration or priority under—
‘‘(A) section 5303(b); and
‘‘(B) subsections (c) and (d) of this section; and
‘‘(3) provides evidence that the program for which such
agency is seeking assistance is effective in—
‘‘(A) providing early intervention services to at-risk
students in elementary and secondary schools;
‘‘(B) identifying potential student dropouts; and
‘‘(C) preventing students from dropping out of school.
‘‘SEC. 5305. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.
‘‘Grants under this part shall be used to carry out activities
and services described in applications approved under section 5304.
In addition, grants may be used for educational, occupational, and
basic skills testing services and activities, including—
‘‘(1) the establishment of systemwide or school-level poli-
cies, procedures, and plans for dropout prevention and school
reentry;
‘‘(2) the development and implementation of activities,
including extended day or summer programs, designed to