IB
Union Calendar No. 120
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 856
[Report No. 103–209]
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
AUGUST 2, 1993
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 4, 1993]
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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Educational Research, Development, and Dissemination
Excellence Act’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
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.
Sec. 104. Existing grants and contracts.
TITLE II—NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH POLICY AND
PRIORITIES BOARD
Sec. 201. Establishment within Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
TITLE III—NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES
Sec. 301. Establishment within Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
TITLE IV—NATIONAL EDUCATION DISSEMINATION SYSTEM
Sec. 401. Establishment within Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
TITLE V—NATIONAL LIBRARY OF EDUCATION
Sec. 501. Establishment within Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
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-
dents. To achieve the national education goals set
forth by the President and the governors of the States,
an overwhelming campaign for educational improve-
ment must be mounted in order to set in motion
many strategies and models designed to encourage
and support school restructuring. The Federal Gov-
ernment must support an extensive program of edu-
cational research, development, dissemination, rep-
lication and assistance to identify and support the
best responses for the challenges 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 Improvement of the Department of Education
should be at the center of this campaign in order to
coordinate such efforts.
(2) The Federal role in educational research has
been 
closely 
identified 
with 
youths 
who 
are
socioeconomically disadvantaged, belong to a language
minority, or are disabled. However, in 1988, the Fed-
eral commitment to education was sufficient to serve
not more than—
(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 result-
ing in a dearth of research in the area of education-
ally at-risk students. This situation is of particular
concern because at least half of the public school stu-
dents 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 research,
development, and dissemination function should be at
least 1 percent of the total amount of funds spent on
education nationally.
(5) Nationwide model programs and reliable
interventions should be demonstrated and replicated,
and for such purposes, programs should be established
to conduct research and evaluations, and to dissemi-
nate 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 partisan political
interference.
(8) Existing research and development entities
should adopt expanded, proactive roles and new insti-
tutions must be created to promote knowledge develop-
ment necessary to accelerate the application of re-
search knowledge to high priority areas.
(9) Greater use should be made of existing tech-
nologies in efforts to improve the Nation’s educational
system, including efforts to disseminate research find-
ings.
(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 there-
fore must assume a leadership position in the recruit-
ment, retention, and promotion of qualified minority
educational researchers.
(11) The coordination of the mission of the Office
of Educational Research and Improvement with that
of other components of the Department of Education
is critical. It must improve the coordination of the
educational research, development, and dissemination
function with those of other Federal agencies.
TITLE I—GENERAL PROVISIONS
REGARDING OFFICE OF EDU-
CATIONAL RESEARCH AND IM-
PROVEMENT
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 REGARDING
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 goal
of quality education requires the continued pursuit of
knowledge about education through research, develop-
ment, improvement activities, data collection, syn-
thesis, technical assistance, and information dissemi-
nation. While the direction of American education re-
mains primarily the responsibility of State and local
governments, the Federal Government has a clear re-
sponsibility 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 knowledge
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.—
‘‘(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 Sec-
retary shall be guided by the priorities established by
the Board of Governors established in section 405A.
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE.—The Office
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 Library of Education es-
tablished 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.
‘‘(3) PRIORITIES IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT.—The Office shall, in accordance with the pro-
visions of this section, seek to improve education in
the United States through concentrating the resources
of the Office on the following priority research and
development needs:
‘‘(A) The education of at-risk students.
‘‘(B) The education and development of
young children.
‘‘(C) Student achievement in 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 Assistant Secretary may
appoint, for terms not to exceed three years (without
regard to the provisions of title 5 of the United States
Code governing appointment in the competitive serv-
ice) and may compensate (without regard to the pro-
visions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53
of such title relating to classification and General
Schedule pay rates) such scientific or technical em-
ployees of the Office as the Assistant Secretary consid-
ers necessary to accomplish its functions, provided
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 at GS–15, as deter-
mined 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 employees
of the Office.
‘‘(2) REAPPOINTMENT OF EMPLOYEES.—The As-
sistant Secretary may reappoint employees described
in paragraph (1) upon presentation of a clear and
convincing 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 reas-
signed 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 qual-
ity; and
‘‘(B) provide other offices of the Department
with an opportunity to comment upon any re-
port or publication prior to its publication when
its contents relate to matters for which such of-
fice has responsibility.
‘‘(e) BIENNIAL REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF OFFICE.—
The Assistant Secretary shall transmit to the President and
the Congress by not later than December 30 of every other
year a biennial report which shall consist of—
‘‘(1) a description of the activities carried out by
and through each research institute during the fiscal
years for which such report is prepared and any rec-
ommendations and comments regarding such activi-
ties as the Assistant Secretary 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
years for which such report is prepared and any rec-
ommendations and comments regarding such activi-
ties as the Assistant 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 years for which such report
is prepared and how such activities relate to the Re-
search Policies and Priorities Plan developed by the
Board;
‘‘(2) maximize the value of the total Federal in-
vestment in education research, development, and dis-
semination; and
‘‘(3) enable all entities engaged in education re-
search, development, and dissemination within the
Federal Government to interact effectively as partners
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 Assistant Secretary shall compile (and thereafter
regularly maintain) and make available a comprehensive
inventory of all education research, development, dissemi-
nation activities, and expenditures being carried out by the
Federal Government within the priority research and devel-
opment needs identified in section 405(b)(3).
‘‘(h) STANDARDS FOR CONDUCT AND EVALUATION OF
RESEARCH.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—In consultation with the
Board, the Assistant Secretary shall develop such
standards as may be necessary to govern the conduct
and evaluation of all research, development, and dis-
semination activities carried out by the Office to as-
sure that such activities meet the highest standards of
professional excellence. In developing such standards,
the Assistant Secretary shall review the procedures
utilized by the National Institutes of Health, the Na-
tional Science Foundation, and other Federal agen-
cies engaged in research and development and shall
also actively solicit recommendations from the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences, the American Edu-
cational 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—
‘‘(i) in reviewing and evaluating all
applications for grants and cooperative
agreements and bids for those contracts
which exceed $100,000;
‘‘(ii) in evaluating and assessing the
performance of all recipients of grants from
and cooperative agreements and contracts
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 mem-
bers of such panels, and describe the means by
which potential members shall be identified so as
to assure that such panels are broadly represent-
ative of individuals with expertise 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 op-
erations;
‘‘(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 Federal Ad-
visory 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;
‘‘(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 sec-
tion 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 pe-
riodically evaluated, both during and at the con-
clusion 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
‘‘(iii) provide that the results of such eval-
uations shall be taken into account prior to any
decision to continue, renew, or provide new fund-
ing to the entity being reviewed.
‘‘(3) PUBLICATION
AND
PROMULGATION
OF
STANDARDS.—
‘‘(A) The Assistant Secretary shall publish
proposed standards—
‘‘(i) which meet the requirements of
subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of para-
graph (2) not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of the Educational
Research, Development, and Dissemination
Excellence Act;
‘‘(ii) which meet the requirements of
paragraph (2)(D) not later than 2 years
after such date; and
‘‘(iii) which meet the requirements of
subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) not
later than 3 years after such date;
‘‘(B) Following the publication of such pro-
posed standards, the Assistant Secretary shall so-
licit comments from interested members of the
public with respect to such proposed standards
for a period of not more than 120 days. After
giving due consideration to any comments which
may have been received, the Assistant Secretary
shall transmit such standards to the Board for
its review and approval.
‘‘(C) Upon the approval of the Board, the
Assistant Secretary shall transmit final stand-
ards to the Secretary which meet the require-
ments of the particular subparagraphs of para-
graph (2) for which they were developed. Such
standards shall be binding upon all activities
carried out with funds appropriated under sec-
tion 405.
‘‘(i) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSIST-
ANT SECRETARY.—In carrying out the activities and pro-
grams of the Office, the Assistant Secretary shall—
‘‘(1) be guided by the Research Priorities Plan
developed by the Board;
‘‘(2) ensure that there is broad and regular pub-
lic and professional involvement from the educational
field in the planning and carrying out of the Office’s
activities, including establishing teacher advisory
boards for any program office, program or project of
the Office as the Assistant Secretary deems necessary;
‘‘(3) ensure that the selection of research topics
and the administration of the program are free from
undue partisan political influence; and
‘‘(4) ensure that all statistics and other data col-
lected and reported by the Office shall be collected,
cross-tabulated, analyzed, and reported by sex within
race or ethnicity and socioeconomic status whenever
feasible (and when such data collection or analysis is
not feasible, ensure that the relevant report or docu-
ment includes an explanation as to why such data
collection or analysis is not feasible).
‘‘(j) 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 Depart-
ment 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 Edu-
cational Research Policy and Priorities Board.
‘‘(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, or
materials which can contribute to the improve-
ment of educational practice; and
‘‘(B) includes the design and development of
prototypes and the testing of such prototypes for
the purposes of establishing their feasibility, reli-
ability, and cost-effectiveness.
‘‘(6) The term ‘technical assistance’ means the
provision of external assistance to facilitate the adop-
tion or application of the knowledge gained from edu-
cational research and development and includes—
‘‘(A) problem analysis and diagnosis;
‘‘(B) assistance in finding, selecting, or de-
signing suitable solutions and approaches to
problems;
‘‘(C) training in the installation and imple-
mentation of products, programs, policies, prac-
tices, or technologies; and
‘‘(D) such other assistance as may be nec-
essary to encourage the adoption or application
of such knowledge.
‘‘(7) The term ‘dissemination’ means the transfer
of knowledge and products gained through research
and includes—
‘‘(A) the use of communication techniques to
increase awareness of such knowledge and prod-
ucts;
‘‘(B) the provision of comparative and eval-
uative information necessary to enable educators,
school administrators, and others to assess and
make informed judgments about the relevance
and usefulness of such knowledge and products
in specific settings; and
‘‘(C) the provision of technical assistance
needed to adapt, apply, and utilize such knowl-
edge and products in specific educational set-
tings.
‘‘(8) The term ‘national education dissemination
system’ means the activities carried out by the Office
of Reform Assistance and Dissemination established
by section 405C.
‘‘(9) The term ‘Office’ means the Office of Edu-
cational Research and Improvement established in
section 209 of the Department of Education Organi-
zation Act.
‘‘(10) The term ‘national research institute’
means an institute established in section 405B.
‘‘(11) The terms ‘United States’ and ‘State’ in-
clude the District of Columbia and the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico.
‘‘(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—
‘‘(1) NATIONAL INSTITUTES.—
‘‘(A) For the purpose of carrying out section
405B, there is authorized to be appropriated
$37,000,000 for fiscal year 1994.
‘‘(B) 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 1995, and such sums as are nec-
essary for each of fiscal years 1996 and 1997.
‘‘(C) 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 appropriated
$20,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and such sums
as are necessary for each of fiscal years 1996 and
1997.
‘‘(D) For the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 405B relating to the Na-
tional Institute for Innovation in Educational
Governance, Finance, Policy-Making, and Man-
agement, there are authorized to be appropriated
$20,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and such sums
as are necessary for each of fiscal years 1996 and
1997.
‘‘(E) For the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 405B relating to the Na-
tional Institute for Early Childhood Develop-
ment and Education, there are authorized to be
appropriated $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1995,
and such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal
years 1996 and 1997.
‘‘(F) For the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of section 405B relating to the Na-
tional Institute of Postsecondary Education, Li-
braries, and Lifelong Learning, there are author-
ized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for fiscal
year 1995, and such sums as are necessary for
each of fiscal years 1996 and 1997.
‘‘(2) NATIONAL EDUCATION DISSEMINATION SYS-
TEM.—
‘‘(A)(i) For the purpose of carrying out sub-
sections (b)(2) through (g) of section 405C, there
are authorized to be appropriated $22,000,000
for fiscal year 1994, and such sums as are nec-
essary 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
1995, and such sums as are necessary for each
of the fiscal years 1996 and 1997.
‘‘(3) NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH POLICY
AND
PRIORITIES
BOARD.—Of the amounts appro-
priated under paragraphs (1) and (2) for any fiscal
year, the Secretary shall make available 2 percent of
such amounts, or $1,000,000, whichever is less, to the
Board for the purpose of carrying out section 405A.
‘‘(4) ALLOCATIONS FOR GRANTS, COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS, AND CONTRACTS.—Of the amounts ap-
propriated under paragraph (1) or (2) for any fiscal
year, not less than 95 percent shall be expended to
carry out the purposes described in such paragraphs
through grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts.
‘‘(5) LIMITATIONS
ON
APPROPRIATIONS.—No
amounts are authorized to be appropriated under
paragraph (1) or (2) for fiscal year 1995 or any fis-
cal year thereafter unless the Board has been ap-
pointed in accordance with section 405A.
‘‘(6) GRANT AUTHORIZED.—From the amounts
appropriated under paragraph (1) for fiscal year
1995, the Secretary is authorized, in accordance with
the provisions of this paragraph, to award a grant of
not more than $5,000,000 to a public or private insti-
tution, agency or organization for a period not to ex-
ceed 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 grad-
uates 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.’’.
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 new 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.’’.
SEC. 103. SAVINGS PROVISION.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, contracts
for the regional educational laboratories, education re-
sources information clearinghouses and research and devel-
opment centers assisted under section 405 of the General
Education Provisions Act on the date of the enactment of
this Act shall remain in effect until the termination date
of such contracts.
SEC. 104. EXISTING GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, grants
and contracts for the research and development centers as-
sisted under section 405 of the General Education Provi-
sions Act on the date of enactment of this Act shall remain
in effect until the termination date of such grants or con-
tracts, as the case may be, except that such grants and con-
tracts may be extended to implement the provisions of this
Act.
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 section
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 Research Policy
and Priorities 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—
‘‘(1) to determine priorities that should guide the
work of the Office and provide guidance to the Con-
gress in its oversight of the Office;
‘‘(2) to review and approve standards for the
conduct and evaluation of all research, development,
and dissemination carried out under the auspices of
the Office pursuant to sections 405 through 405C; and
‘‘(3) to regularly review, evaluate, and publicly
comment upon, the implementation of its rec-
ommended priorities and policies by the Department
and the Congress.
‘‘(c) RESEARCH PRIORITIES PLAN.—In cooperation
with the Assistant Secretary, the Board shall—
‘‘(1) survey and assess the state of knowledge in
education research, development and dissemination to
identify disciplines and areas of inquiry within the
priority research, development and dissemination
needs identified in section 405(b)(3) in which the
state of knowledge is insufficient and which warrant
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;
‘‘(3) actively solicit recommendations from edu-
cation researchers, teachers, school administrators,
cultural leaders, parents, and others throughout the
Nation through such means as periodic regional fo-
rums;
‘‘(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 resources
of the Office over the next 5-, 10-, and 15-year peri-
ods, including as priorities those areas of inquiry in
which further research, development and dissemina-
tion—
‘‘(A) is necessary to attain the goals for the
improvement of education identified in para-
graph (2);
‘‘(B) promises to yield the greatest practical
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 non-
Federal entities engaged in education research
and development.
‘‘(d) CONTENTS OF PLAN—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The research and priorities
plan described in subsection (c) shall, at a mini-
mum—
‘‘(A) set forth specific objectives which can
be expected to be achieved as a result of a Fed-
eral investment in the priorities set forth in the
plan;
‘‘(B) 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
‘‘(C) include an evaluative summary of the
educational research and development activities
undertaken by the Federal Government during
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 educational
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 6 months after the first
meeting of the Board and October 1 of every sec-
ond year thereafter, the Assistant Secretary shall
publish a report specifying the proposed research
priorities of the Office 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-
paragraph (A), the Assistant Secretary shall sub-
mit to the President and the Congress a report
specifying the research priorities of the Office
and any public comment and suggestions ob-
tained under such subparagraph.
‘‘(e) 
ADDITIONAL
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF
THE
BOARD.—It shall also be the responsibility of the Board
to—
‘‘(1) provide advice and assistance to the Assist-
ant Secretary in carrying out the coordination activi-
ties described in section 405;
‘‘(2) make recommendations to the Assistant Sec-
retary of persons qualified to fulfill the responsibil-
ities of the Director for each research institute estab-
lished by section 405B after making special efforts to
identify qualified women and minorities and solicit-
ing and giving due consideration to recommendations
from professional associations and interested members
of the public;
‘‘(3) advise and make recommendations to the
President with respect to individuals who are quali-
fied to fulfill the responsibilities of the Assistant Sec-
retary for the Office of Educational Research and Im-
provement; and
‘‘(4) review and approve standards for the con-
duct and evaluation of research developed by the As-
sistant Secretary pursuant to subsection (h) of section
405.
‘‘(f) 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 Reform Assistance and
Dissemination established by subsection (b) of section
405C which shall advise, assist, consult with and
make recommendations to the Assistant 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 con-
sist of 3 members of the Board and 6 additional
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 established.
‘‘(B) The Board shall assure that the mem-
bership of each subcommittee includes both edu-
cational researchers and persons who are knowl-
edgeable about the research, development and dis-
semination needs of practitioners, including
classroom teachers, school administrators, and
members of State or local boards of education.
‘‘(g) 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 assist in carry-
ing 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 gov-
ernment procedures;
‘‘(3) may arrange for the detail of staff personnel
and utilize the services and facilities of any agency
of the Federal Government;
‘‘(4) may enter into contracts, or make other ar-
rangements as may be necessary to carry out its func-
tions;
‘‘(5) may review any grant, contract, or coopera-
tive agreement made or entered into by the Office;
‘‘(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.
‘‘(h) MEMBERSHIP IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(1) QUALIFICATIONS.—The members of the
Board shall be eminent persons who, by virtue of
their training, experience, and background, are excep-
tionally qualified to appraise the educational research
and development effort of the Nation and to establish
policies and priorities to govern future Federal invest-
ment in educational research, development, and dis-
semination.
‘‘(2) BROAD
REPRESENTATION.—Due consider-
ation shall be given to the gender, race, and ethnicity
of appointees to assure that the Board is broadly rep-
resentative 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 member
of the Board shall be considered a special Government
employee for the purposes of the Ethics in Govern-
ment Act of 1978.
‘‘(i) SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS.—The Board shall
consist of 18 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 nom-
inated by the National Academy of Sciences and the
National Academy of Education (giving due consider-
ation to recommendations made by the American
Educational Research Association), including persons
who are among the leading authorities on early child-
hood education and the education of at-risk students;
‘‘(2) five shall be outstanding field-based profes-
sional educators;
‘‘(3) one shall be a Chief State School Officer;
‘‘(4) one shall be a local education agency school
superintendent or principal;
‘‘(5) one shall be a member of a State or local
board of education or Bureau of Indian Affairs-fund-
ed school board;
‘‘(6) one shall be a professional librarian, school
library media specialist, library administrator, or li-
brary science educator;
‘‘(7) one shall be a parent with extensive experi-
ence in promoting parental involvement in education;
and
‘‘(8) one shall be an individual from business
and industry with significant experience in promot-
ing private sector involvement in education.
‘‘(j) REQUIREMENTS FOR NOMINATIONS BY THE NA-
TIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND THE NATIONAL ACAD-
EMY OF EDUCATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In making nominations for
the members of the Board described in subsection
(i)(1), the National Academy of Sciences and the Na-
tional Academy of Education—
‘‘(A) may not nominate any individual who
is an elected officer or employee of such organi-
zations; and
‘‘(B) shall each nominate not less than 5 in-
dividuals for each of the positions on the Board
for which such organization has responsibility
for making nominations.
‘‘(2) REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS.—
In the event that the Secretary determines that none
of the individuals nominated by the National Acad-
emy of Sciences or the National Academy of Edu-
cation meets the qualifications for membership on the
Board specified in subsection (i), the Secretary may
request that such organization make additional nomi-
nations.
‘‘(k) NOMINATIONS FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP.—Prior
to appointing any member of the Board, the Secretary shall
actively solicit and give due consideration to recommenda-
tions of persons qualified for membership on the board from
the National Education Association, the American Federa-
tion of Teachers, the National Parent-Teachers Association,
the American Library Association, the American Associa-
tion of School Administrators, the National Association of
State Boards of Education, the National Indian School
Board Association, the Association of Community Tribal
Schools, the National Indian Education Association, and
other education-related organizations and interested mem-
bers of the public.
‘‘(l) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The ex officio, nonvoting
members of the Board shall include the Assistant Secretary
and may also include—
‘‘(1) the Director of Research for the Department
of Defense;
‘‘(2) the Director of Research for the Department
of Labor;
‘‘(3) the Director of the National Science Foun-
dation;
‘‘(4) the Director of the National Institutes of
Health;
‘‘(5) the chair of the National Endowment for the
Arts;
‘‘(6) the chair of the National Endowment for the
Humanities;
‘‘(7) the Librarian of Congress; and
‘‘(8) the Director of the Office of Indian Edu-
cation Programs of the Department of the Interior.
‘‘(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 5 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
the enactment of the Educational Research, De-
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) 5 years for each of 6 members of
the Board.
‘‘(3) PROHIBITION
ON
CERTAIN
CONSECUTIVE
TERMS.—An individual who has been a member of
the Board for 10 consecutive years shall thereafter be
ineligible for appointment during the 5-year period
beginning on the date of the expiration of the 10th
year.
‘‘(o) MEETINGS OF BOARD.—
‘‘(1) INITIAL MEETING.—The Secretary shall en-
sure that the first meeting of the Board is held not
later than May 15, 1994.
‘‘(2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—The Board shall
meet quarterly, at the call of the Chair, and 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 meetings
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 inserting
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-qual-
ity and rigorously evaluated research and development that
is capable of improving Federal, State, Indian tribal, and
local education policies and practices, there are established
within the Office the following institutes:
‘‘(1) The National Institute for the Education of
At-Risk Students.
‘‘(2) The National Institute for Innovation in
Educational Governance, Finance, Policy-Making,
and Management.
‘‘(3) The National Institute for Early Childhood
Development and Education.
‘‘(4) The National Institute on Student Achieve-
ment.
‘‘(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 Assistant Secretary from among
persons who have significant experience and expertise
in the disciplines relevant to the purposes of such In-
stitute. Prior to making such appointment, the Assist-
ant Secretary shall solicit and give due consideration
to recommendations made by the Board of persons
qualfied to fulfill the position.
‘‘(2) TERM OF OFFICE.—The Director of each In-
stitute shall serve for a renewable term of 3 years.
‘‘(3) REPORTING.—Each Director shall report
directly to the Assistant Secretary regarding the ac-
tivities of the Institute and shall work with the other
directors to promote research syntheses across the In-
stitutes.
‘‘(c) AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary is
authorized to conduct research, development, dem-
onstration, and evaluation activities to carry out the
purposes for which such Institute was established—
‘‘(A) directly;
‘‘(B) through grants, contracts, and cooper-
ative agreements with institutions of higher edu-
cation, regional educational laboratories, public
and private organizations, institutions, agencies,
and individuals, which may include—
‘‘(i) grants to support research and de-
velopment 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, which may also include devel-
opment activities; and
‘‘(III) established by institutions
of higher education, by institutions of
higher education in consortium with
public agencies or private nonprofit or-
ganizations, or by interstate agencies
established by compact which operate
subsidiary bodies established to conduct
postsecondary educational research and
development;
‘‘(ii) public-private research partner-
ships established by a State or local edu-
cation agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs-
funded school, or tribal department of edu-
cation, in concert with a private organiza-
tion and a team of educational researchers,
for which the Federal share shall be limited
to not more than 50 percent 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 Assistant Sec-
retary, 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 grad-
uate students in the sciences, humanities,
and the arts to support research by such
scholars in the field of education;
‘‘(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, Amer-
ican Indian and Alaska Native, and other indi-
viduals from groups which have been tradition-
ally 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 Fel-
lowships, 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 car-
rying out the purposes for which each Institute is es-
tablished, the Assistant Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) maintain an appropriate balance be-
tween applied and basic research;
‘‘(B) significantly expand the role of field-
initiated research in meeting the Nation’s edu-
cation research and development needs by reserv-
ing 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);
‘‘(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 one-third
of the amounts available to each Institute in any
fiscal year to support such research and develop-
ment centers;
‘‘(D) support and provide research informa-
tion that leads to policy formation for State leg-
islatures, State and local boards of education
and other policy and governing bodies, to assist
such entities in identifying and developing effec-
tive policies to promote student achievement and
school improvement; and
‘‘(E) coordinate the Institute’s activities
with the activities of the regional educational
laboratories and with other educational service
organizations in designing the Institute’s re-
search agenda and projects in order to increase
the responsiveness of such Institute to the needs
of teachers and the educational field and to bring
research findings directly into schools to ensure
greatest access at the local level to the latest re-
search developments.
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS REGARDING FINANCIAL AS-
SISTANCE.—No grant, contract, or cooperative agree-
ment 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 Register
or other appropriate means;
‘‘(B) it has been evaluated through peer re-
view in accordance with the standards developed
pursuant to subsection (h) of section 405;
‘‘(C) it will be evaluated in accordance with
the standards developed pursuant to subsection
(h) of section 405;
‘‘(D) in the case of a grant, contract, or co-
operative 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); and
‘‘(E) in the case of a grant, contract, or co-
operative agreement to support a research and
development center, all applications for such as-
sistance have been evaluated by independent ex-
perts according to standards and criteria which
include—
‘‘(i) whether applicants have assembled
a critical mass of high quality researchers
sufficient to achieve the mission of the cen-
ter;
‘‘(ii) whether the proposed organiza-
tional structure and arrangements will fa-
cilitate achievement of the mission of the
center;
‘‘(iii) whether there is a substantial
staff commitment to the work of the center;
‘‘(iv) whether the directors and staff
will devote adequate time to center activi-
ties; and
‘‘(v) review of the contributions of pri-
mary researchers (other than researchers at
the proposed center) to evaluate the appro-
priateness of such primary researcher’s ex-
periences and expertise in the context of the
proposed center activities, and the adequacy
of such primary researcher’s time commit-
ment to achievement of the mission of the
center.
‘‘(4) BOARD
REVIEW
OF
CERTAIN
PROPOSED
GRANT AND CONTRACT ACTIONS.—The Assistant Sec-
retary may not solicit any contract bid or issue a re-
quest for proposals or applications for any grant or
cooperative agreement the amount of which exceeds
$500,000 in any single fiscal year or which exceeds
an aggregate amount of $1,000,000 for more than one
fiscal year unless the Board has had an opportunity
to review such proposed grant, contract, or coopera-
tive agreement action and to provide written com-
ments to the Assistant Secretary with respect to
whether—
‘‘(A) the purposes and scope of the proposed
action are consistent with the Research Priorities
Plan; and
‘‘(B) the methodology and approach of the
proposed action are sound and adequate to
achieve its stated objectives.
‘‘(5) HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED RESEARCH-
ERS
AND
INSTITUTIONS.—The Assistant Secretary
shall establish and maintain initiatives and pro-
grams to increase the participation in the activities
of each Institute of groups of researchers and institu-
tions that have been historically underutilized in Fed-
eral educational research activities, including—
‘‘(A) researchers who are women, African-
American, Hispanic, American Indian and
Alaska Native, or other ethnic minorities;
‘‘(B) promising young or new researchers in
the field, such as postdoctoral students and re-
cently appointed assistant or associate profes-
sors;
‘‘(C) historically black colleges and univer-
sities, tribally controlled community colleges,
and other institutions of higher education with
large numbers of minority students;
‘‘(D) institutions of higher education located
in rural areas; and
‘‘(E) institutions and researchers located in
States and regions of the Nation which have his-
torically received the least Federal support for
educational research and development.
‘‘(6) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITIES.—The Assistant
Secretary—
‘‘(A) may obtain (in accordance with sec-
tion 3109 of title 5 but without regard to the
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 Insti-
tute;
‘‘(B) 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;
‘‘(C) may accept voluntary and uncompen-
sated services; and
‘‘(D) may accept unconditional gifts made
to the Office to support its activities.
‘‘(d) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE EDUCATION OF
AT-RISK STUDENTS.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows:
‘‘(A) The rate of decline in our urban
schools is escalating at a rapid pace. Student
performance in most inner city schools grows
worse each year. At least half of all students en-
tering ninth grade fail to graduate 4 years later
and many more students from high-poverty back-
grounds leave school with skills that are inad-
equate for today’s workplace. In 1988 the average
National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) reading score of white 17 year-olds was
approximately 20 points higher than that of Af-
rican-American 17 year-olds and 25 points high-
er than that of Hispanic 17 year-olds. None of
the existing Federal educational research and de-
velopment programs are adequately addressing
this obvious emergency.
‘‘(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 population, inad-
equate financial resources and other impedi-
ments to the educational success of children re-
siding in rural areas.
‘‘(C) By the year 2000, an estimated 3.4
million school age children with limited English
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) American Indian and Alaska Native
students are keenly at-risk of educational failure,
with demonstrated high dropout, illiteracy and
poverty rates, and cultural, linguistic, social and
geographic isolation. The estimated 400,000 In-
dian and Alaska Native student population from
over 500 Indian and Alaska Native tribes, is
small and scattered throughout remote reserva-
tions and villages in 32 States, and in off-res-
ervation rural and urban communities where In-
dians constitute but a small percentage of public
school student bodies. To meaningfully address
the special educational needs of this historically
under-served population, the existing research
and development system must be opened to In-
dian and Alaska Native people to identify needs
and design ways to address such needs.
‘‘(F) Minority scholars as well as institu-
tions and groups that have been historically com-
mitted to the improvement of the education of at-
risk students need to be more fully mobilized in
the effort to develop a new generation of pro-
grams, models, practices, and schools capable of
responding to the urgent needs of students who
are educationally at-risk.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—It shall be the purpose of the
Institute for the Education of At-Risk Students to
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 chil-
dren who reside in inner city and rural areas, and
on Indian reservations, and children of limited Eng-
lish proficiency. Such program shall—
‘‘(A) undertake research necessary to pro-
vide a sound basis from which to identify, de-
velop, evaluate, and assist others to replicate and
adapt interventions, programs, and models
which promote greater achievement and edu-
cational success by at-risk students, such as—
‘‘(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 com-
munity resources and institutions (includ-
ing cultural 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-
professionals to work more effectively with
at-risk students;
‘‘(iv) the most effective uses of tech-
nology in the education of at-risk students;
‘‘(v) programs designed to promote
gender equity in schools that serve at-risk
students; and
‘‘(vi) methods of assessing the achieve-
ment of students which are sensitive to cul-
tural differences, provide multiple methods
of assessing student learning, support stu-
dent acquisition of higher order capabilities,
and enable identification of the effects of in-
equalities in the resources available to sup-
port the learning of children throughout the
Nation; and
‘‘(B) maximize the participation of those
schools and institutions of higher education that
serve the greatest number of at-risk students in
inner city and rural areas, and on Indian res-
ervations, including model collaborative pro-
grams between schools and schools systems, insti-
tutions of higher education, cultural institutions,
and community organizations.
‘‘(3) COMPREHENSIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM.—
The Institute shall support a diverse and comprehen-
sive program of research and development which shall
include research related to the educational needs of—
‘‘(A) at-risk students who reside in urban
areas;
‘‘(B) at-risk students who reside in rural
areas;
‘‘(C) children with limited English lan-
guage proficiency; and
‘‘(D) Indian and Alaska Native students.
‘‘(4) CONSULTATION WITH INDIAN AND ALASKA
NATIVE EDUCATORS.—All research and development
activities supported by the Institute which relate to
the education of Indian and Alaska Native students
shall be developed in close consultation with Indian
and Alaska Native researchers and educators, tribally
controlled community colleges, tribal departments of
education, and others with expertise in the needs of
Indian and Native Alaska students.
‘‘(e) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATION IN EDU-
CATIONAL GOVERNANCE, FINANCE, POLICY-MAKING, AND
MANAGEMENT.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows:
‘‘(A) Many elementary and secondary
schools in the United States—
‘‘(i) are structured according to models
that are ineffective and rely on notions of
management and governance that may be
outdated or insufficient for the challenges of
the next century; and
‘‘(ii) are unsuccessful in equipping all
students with the knowledge and skills need-
ed to succeed as citizens and in the working
world.
‘‘(B) New approaches are needed in the gov-
ernance and management of elementary and sec-
ondary education with the United States at the
State, local, school building and classroom level.
‘‘(C) Not enough is known about the effects
of various systems of school governance and
management on student achievement to provide
sound guidance to policymakers as they pursue
school restructuring and reform.
‘‘(D) A concentrated Federal effort is needed
to support research, development, demonstration,
and evaluation of approaches to school govern-
ance, finance and management which promise to
improve education equity and excellence through-
out the Nation.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—It shall be the purpose of the
National Institute on Innovation in Educational
Governance, Finance, Policy-Making, and Manage-
ment to carry out a coordinated and comprehensive
program of research and development to provide non-
partisan, research-based leadership to the Nation as it
seeks to improve student 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, fi-
nance, policy-making, and management at the
State, local, tribal, school building and classroom
level which promise to improve educational eq-
uity and excellence, such as—
‘‘(i) open enrollment programs, magnet
schools and other systems through which
parents may select the public schools and
educational programs in which their chil-
dren are enrolled;
‘‘(ii) innovative school design, includ-
ing lengthening the school day and the
school year, reducing class size and building
professional development into the weekly
school schedule;
‘‘(iii) effective approaches to organiz-
ing learning;
‘‘(iv) effective ways of grouping stu-
dents for learning so that a student is not
labeled or stigmatized in ways that may
impede such student’s achievement;
‘‘(v) effective approaches to organizing,
structuring, and financing vocational edu-
cation;
‘‘(vi) the provision of financial and
other rewards and incentives based on per-
formance to improve student achievement;
‘‘(vii) the use of regulatory flexibility
on the State or district level to promote in-
novation and school restructuring;
‘‘(viii) school-based management;
‘‘(ix) the restructuring of school finance
systems at the State and local level to pro-
mote greater equity in the distribution of
resources for education and to maximize the
allocation of such resources to support di-
rect learning;
‘‘(x) expanding the role of teachers in
policymaking and administration at the
school and district-wide level;
‘‘(xi) programs designed to increase the
involvement of parents and families in the
management and governance of schools and
the education of their children;
‘‘(xii) effective approaches to increas-
ing the representation of women and mi-
norities among leadership and management
positions in education;
‘‘(xiii) approaches to systemic reforms
involving the coordination of multiple poli-
cies of each level of government to promote
higher levels of student achievement;
‘‘(xiv) approaches to coordinated serv-
ices for children; and
‘‘(xv) 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 lead-
ership at the State, tribal, and local level and to
enhance the ability of school leaders and admin-
istrators to improve the educational environment
for all students.
‘‘(3) RESEARCH ON EDUCATIONAL CHOICE.—In
carrying out the duties of the Institute, the Assistant
Secretary shall conduct or support research on wheth-
er and to what extent the quality of education in the
United States would be improved by providing public
funds to parents for the costs of attendance of their
children at the elementary and secondary schools of
the parents’ choice.
‘‘(f) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows:
‘‘(A) The Nation has set as a goal that all
children should arrive at school ready to learn.
‘‘(B) Despite efforts to expand and improve
preschool programs, many children still 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 re-
ducing later expenditures on a wide variety of
health, developmental, and educational problems
that often interfere with learning. Long-term
studies of the benefits of preschool education have
a demonstrated return on investment 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 In-
stitute for Early Childhood Development and Edu-
cation is to carry out a comprehensive program of re-
search and development to provide nonpartisan, re-
search-based leadership to the Nation as it seeks to
improve early childhood development and education.
Such program shall identify, develop, evaluate, and
assist others to replicate sound policies and practices
that may include—
‘‘(A) social and educational development of
all infants, toddlers, and preschool children;
‘‘(B) the role of parents and the community
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 pre-
school and child care workers;
‘‘(D) the structure and environment of early
childhood education and child care settings
which lead to improved social and educational
development;
‘‘(E) practices and approaches which sus-
tain the benefits of effective preschool and child
care programs;
‘‘(F) effective learning methods and curricu-
lum for early childhood learning, including ac-
cess to current materials in libraries;
‘‘(G) the importance of family literacy and
parental involvement in student learning;
‘‘(H) the impact that outside influences
have on learning, including television, and drug
and alcohol abuse; and
‘‘(I) methods for integrating learning in set-
tings other than the classroom, such as within
families and communities, with a special empha-
sis on character development and the value of
hard work.
‘‘(3) CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out
the activities of the Institute, the Assistant Secretary
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
Start, Even Start, chapter 1 preschool programs,
and part H of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, and Bureau of Indian Affairs
early childhood development programs.
‘‘(g) NATIONAL INSTITUTE
ON STUDENT ACHIEVE-
MENT.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows:
‘‘(A) The current achievement levels of stu-
dents in the Nation are far below those that
might indicate competency in challenging subject
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 activity
sheets and unequal patterns of student attention.
‘‘(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 mathe-
matics, 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 In-
stitute on Student Achievement is to carry out a co-
ordinated and comprehensive program of research
and development to provide research-based leadership
to the Nation as it seeks to improve student achieve-
ment in English, mathematics, science, history, geog-
raphy, and other subject areas and across the bound-
aries of the subject areas. Such program shall—
‘‘(A) identify, develop, and evaluate innova-
tive and exemplary methods to improve student
knowledge at all levels in English, mathematics,
science, history, geography, civics and govern-
ment, foreign languages, arts and humanities,
economics, and other subject areas, such as—
‘‘(i) student learning and assessment
in various subject matters;
‘‘(ii) the effects of organizational pat-
terns on the delivery of instruction, includ-
ing issues of grouping and tracking,
ungraded classrooms, and on the effects of
various pedagogies, including the issues of
technology in education;
‘‘(iii) the best methods of teacher prep-
aration;
‘‘(iv) methods to improve the process of
reading, the craft of writing, the growth of
reasoning skills, and the development of in-
formation-finding skills;
‘‘(v) enabling students to develop high-
er order thinking skills;
‘‘(vi) methods to teach effectively all
students in mixed-ability classrooms;
‘‘(vii) curriculum, instruction, and as-
sessment, in vocational education;
‘‘(viii) the impact and effectiveness of
Federal, State, and local efforts to provide
gender-fair educational opportunities to ele-
mentary and secondary students; and
‘‘(ix) programs, policies, approaches
which promote gender equity in elementary
and secondary education;
‘‘(B) conduct basic and applied research in
the areas of human learning, cognition, and per-
formance, including research and development on
the education contexts which promote excellence
in learning and instruction, and motivational
issues which provide a key to learning;
‘‘(C) identify, develop, and evaluate pro-
grams designed to enhance academic achievement
and narrow racial and gender performance gaps
in a variety of subject areas, including research
and development on methods of involving parents
in their children’s education and ways to involve
business, industry and other community part-
ners in promoting excellence in schools; and
‘‘(D) include a comprehensive, coordinated
program of research and development in the area
of assessment which—
‘‘(i) addresses such issues as—
‘‘(I) the validity, reliability, gen-
eralizability, fairness, costs, relative
merits, and most appropriate uses of
various approaches and methods of as-
sessing student learning and achieve-
ment;
‘‘(II) methods and approaches to
assessing student opportunities to learn
(including the quality of instruction
and the availability of resources nec-
essary to support learning) and evalu-
ating the quality of school environ-
ment;
‘‘(III) the design, development,
evaluation, and validation of model
performance-based and other alter-
native or innovative formats or uses of
assessments;
‘‘(IV) the impact of high-stakes
uses of assessment on student perform-
ance and motivation, narrowing of
curriculum, teaching practices, and
test integrity;
‘‘(V) the fairness and impact of
various methods of assessment on chil-
dren of different races, ethnicities, gen-
der, socioeconomic status, English lan-
guage proficiencies, and children with
other special needs;
‘‘(VI) standards of performance,
quality, and validity for various meth-
ods of assessment and the means by
which such standards should be devel-
oped;
‘‘(VII) current and emerging test-
ing practices of State and local edu-
cation agencies within the United
States, as well as other nations;
‘‘(VIII) the diverse effects, both in-
tended and unintended, of assessments
as actually used in the schools, includ-
ing effects on curriculum and instruc-
tion, effects on equity in the allocation
of resources and opportunities, effects
on equity of outcomes, effects on other
procedures and standards for judging
students and practitioners and possible
inflation of test scores;
‘‘(IX) identifying and evaluating
how students with limited English lan-
guage proficiency and students with
disabilities are included and accommo-
dated in the various assessment pro-
grams of State and local education
agencies; and
‘‘(X) the feasibility and validity
of comparing or equating the results of
different assessments;
‘‘(ii) reflects recommendations made by
the National Education Goals Panel (pro-
vided such panel has been authorized by
law);
‘‘(iii) complies with the ‘Standards for
Educational and Psychological Tests’ devel-
oped by the American Psychological Asso-
ciation, the National Council on Measure-
ment in Education, and the American Edu-
cational Research Association;
‘‘(iv) is consistent with the ‘Criteria
for Evaluation of Student Assessment Sys-
tems’ developed by the National Forum on
Assessment; and
‘‘(v) complies with the ‘Code of Fair
Testing Practices in Education’ developed
by the Joint Committee on Testing Prac-
tices.
For purposes of this subparagraph, the term ‘develop-
ment’ means the development of prototypes for the
purposes of research and evaluation.
‘‘(h) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR POSTSECONDARY EDU-
CATION, LIBRARIES, AND LIFELONG LEARNING.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows:
‘‘(A) The American system of postsecondary
education is foremost in the world in its achieve-
ment of both academic excellence and equity in
access, but maintaining that preeminence re-
quires renewed efforts to strengthen the quality of
postsecondary education. Disappointing student
performance on achievement tests and licensure
examinations, declining rates of persistence and
completion among minorities, and other trou-
bling trends in the quality of postsecondary edu-
cation must be addressed by the Nation as part
of its overall drive to improve American edu-
cation.
‘‘(B) The need to improve our Nation’s eco-
nomic productivity to meet the competitive chal-
lenges of a new, international economy, coupled
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 Amer-
ican workplace.
‘‘(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 correctional
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 essen-
tial to sustain both national and individual eco-
nomic success and to provide a nurturing envi-
ronment in which all children and youth can
learn and achieve. Historically the most effective
community resource for lifelong learning, the Na-
tion’s public library system must expand and re-
structure its delivery of services to take full ad-
vantage of the potential of new information tech-
nologies to meet the needs of learning commu-
nities.
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the National In-
stitute for Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and
Lifelong Learning is to promote greater coordination
of Federal research and development on issues related
to adult learning and to carry out a program of re-
search and development in adult learning to provide
nonpartisan, research-based leadership to the Nation
as it seeks to improve libraries, postsecondary edu-
cation, and lifelong learning throughout the United
States. Such program—
‘‘(A) shall promote greater coordination, co-
operation, and interaction among entities within
the Federal Government which support research
and development related to postsecondary edu-
cation, 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;
‘‘(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;
‘‘(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, achievement
and graduation by students who are
economically 
disadvantaged, 
ethnic
and racial minorities, women, older,
working, and who have children;
‘‘(II) instructional practices and
programs which are effective in correc-
tional settings;
‘‘(III) new models of service deliv-
ery for public library systems which
expand opportunities for lifelong learn-
ing;
‘‘(IV) effective programs and ap-
proaches which promote greater access
to and success by minorities in post-
secondary programs which prepare
them for scientific, technical, teaching,
and health career fields;
‘‘(V) effective approaches to work-
based learning; and
‘‘(VI) the most effective training
methods for adults to upgrade edu-
cation and vocational skills;
‘‘(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;
‘‘(v) the quality of higher education at
all levels and the roles and responsibilities
of regional and national accrediting agen-
cies in assuring the quality and relevance of
academic goals and objectives established by
institutions of higher education;
‘‘(vi) approaches to improving the pro-
ductivity of colleges, community colleges,
universities, and other postsecondary insti-
tutions;
‘‘(vii) financial barriers to postsecond-
ary educational opportunity, including—
‘‘(I) the role of Federal programs
authorized under title IV of the Higher
Education Act and State grant and
work programs in mitigating such bar-
riers;
‘‘(II) the impact of the rising total
cost of postsecondary education on ac-
cess to higher education; and
‘‘(III) the extent and impact of
student reliance on loans to meet the
costs of higher education;
‘‘(viii) opportunities for adults to con-
tinue their education beyond higher edu-
cation and graduate school, in the context of
lifelong learning and information-finding
skills; and
‘‘(ix) preparing students for a lifetime
of work, the ability to adapt through re-
training to the changing needs of the work
force and the ability to learn new tasks.
‘‘(3) INVOLVEMENT OF CERTAIN AGENCIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS.—In promoting coordination and
collaboration on research and development on issues
related to postsecondary education, libraries, and life-
long learning, the Institute shall, as appropriate, seek
the involvement of—
‘‘(A) within the Department of Education—
‘‘(i) the Office of Library Programs;
‘‘(ii) the Office of Correctional Edu-
cation;
‘‘(iii) the Office of Vocational and
Adult Education;
‘‘(iv) the National Institute on Disabil-
ity 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 National Endowment for the Arts;
‘‘(I) the Bureau of Prisons of the Depart-
ment of Justice;
‘‘(J) the Department of Commerce;
‘‘(K) the Department of Defense; and
‘‘(L) the Office of Indian Education Pro-
grams of the Department of the Interior.
‘‘(4) In addition to the responsibilities described
in paragraph (2), the Assistant Secretary shall ensure
that the activities of the existing National Center on
Literacy are fully coordinated with those of the Na-
tional Institute for Literacy.
‘‘(i) COORDINATION OF RESEARCH ON CROSS-CUTTING
ISSUES.—The Assistant Secretary shall promote the coordi-
nation of research and development activities among the In-
stitutes established by subsection (a) to investigate those
cross-cutting disciplines and areas of inquiry, such as as-
sessment, the use of technology and the training of teachers
and school administrators, which are relevant to the mis-
sions 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 Assistant
Secretary and are consistent with the research prior-
ities 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 Assistant
Secretary and the Board for other research and devel-
opment conducted by the Office.
‘‘(j) PROGRAM ON TEACHING AND TEACHER EDU-
CATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary, in
accordance with the requirements of this subsection,
shall undertake a comprehensive, coordinated pro-
gram of research in the area of teaching, teacher edu-
cation, and professional development.
‘‘(2) CERTAIN PURPOSES OF PROGRAM.—In car-
rying out the program established under paragraph
(1), the Assistant 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, which may in-
clude such topics as—
‘‘(i) teacher isolation;
‘‘(ii) professional resources available to
teachers;
‘‘(iii) continuing educational and pro-
fessional opportunities available to teachers;
‘‘(iv) physical facilities and equipment,
such as office space, telephone, computer ac-
cess, and fax machines and television cable
access available to teachers in the work en-
vironment;
‘‘(v) opportunities for teachers to share
information and resources with other teach-
ers 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;
‘‘(D) restructuring of State certification of
teachers and teacher education standards; and
‘‘(E) assisting in the development of teacher
certification standards by Indian tribal depart-
ments of education.
‘‘(3) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the
program established under paragraph (1), the Assist-
ant Secretary—
‘‘(A) shall work with institutions of higher
education engaged in the preparation of teachers
and professional organizations of teacher edu-
cators and practitioners to encourage institu-
tional program renewal and restructuring;
‘‘(B) may conduct, directly or through
grants and contracts research on—
‘‘(i) effective and reflective teaching for
the preparation and continuing education
of teachers;
‘‘(ii) the use of computing and multi-
made technology to advance the understand-
ing 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) shall work with the national regional
education laboratories, the ERIC clearinghouses,
national education research library, and the Na-
tional Center for Education Statistics to maxi-
mize information available, to prevent unneces-
sary duplication of efforts and resources, and to
ensure the results of the centers’ work are widely
available.
‘‘(k) 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 education.
Such program—
‘‘(1) may support basic and applied research
and development, analysis, evaluation in the area of
the uses and applications of technology to education,
including—
‘‘(A) the capabilities of current and emerg-
ing technologies and their possible uses in edu-
cation;
‘‘(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 special
needs;
‘‘(iii) to improve education in rural
communities and other remote areas;
‘‘(iv) to improve the assessment of stu-
dent learning and achievement;
‘‘(v) to deliver preservice and inservice
training for teachers, librarians, and school
administrators; and
‘‘(vi) to deliver and improve profes-
sional development and continuing edu-
cation programs;
‘‘(C) the cost and educational effectiveness of
technologies used in education;
‘‘(D) effective models and approaches for
providing the preservice and inservice training
and technical assistance necessary to enable
teachers, librarians, and school administrators,
cultural organizations, and others to use tech-
nology effectively in education;
‘‘(E) the identification of barriers to greater
use of technologies in education and potential
approaches to eradicating or mitigating such
barriers;
‘‘(F) methods and approaches which can be
utilized by teachers, school administrators, and
education policymakers, and educational pro-
grams in cultural institutions to evaluate the
quality and most appropriate uses of software
and other technologies designed for use in edu-
cation; and
‘‘(G) approaches to organizing and manag-
ing schools and classrooms to make the most ef-
fective use of technology in education; and
‘‘(2) shall be coordinated with related research
and development activities undertaken by the Office of
Special Education Programs, the National Science
Foundation, the Department of Defense, and other
Federal agencies.
‘‘(l) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.—
‘‘(1) TEMPORARY REORGANIZATIONS.—Upon the
enactment of the Educational Research, Development
and Dissemination Excellence Act, the Secretary shall
reorganize the research and development functions
and activities of the Office into administrative 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 re-
sponsible for planning and providing for the estab-
lishment 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) (relat-
ing to authorities and duties) shall apply to all ac-
tivities undertaken by each such administrative unit.
‘‘(2) DATES
FOR
ESTABLISHMENT
OF
INSTI-
TUTES.—The National Institute for the Education of
At-Risk Students, the National Institute for Innova-
tion in Educational Governance, Finance, Policy-
Making, and Management, the National Institute for
Early Childhood Development and Education, the
National Institute on Student Achievement, and the
National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Li-
braries, and Lifelong Learning shall each be estab-
lished effective October 1, 1994.’’.
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 inserting
after section 405B the following new section:
‘‘NATIONAL EDUCATION DISSEMINATION SYSTEM
‘‘SEC. 405C. (a) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows:
‘‘(A) In order to improve the American edu-
cational system for all students, achieve the na-
tional education goals, and provide for greater
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.
‘‘(C) All current resources within the Office,
the Department, and other agencies that can help
accomplish this goal should be coordinated by the
Assistant Secretary so as to form a systematic
process to accomplish these objectives.
‘‘(D) Education research has the capacity to
improve teaching and learning in our Nation’s
schools, however, teachers need training in the
developmental skills necessary to translate re-
search into practice and to allow them to become
a cadre of knowledgeable practitioners and lead-
ers 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 dissemina-
tion, development, and educational improvement
in order to create, adapt, identify, validate, and
disseminate to educators, parents, and policy-
makers those educational programs that have po-
tential 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 devel-
opment process.
‘‘(3) DEFINITION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.—
For the purposes of this section, the term ‘educational
program’ includes educational policies, research find-
ings, 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;
‘‘(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 pro-
grams in the priority areas identified in section
405(b)(3), but who might not, without such as-
sistance, be able to complete necessary develop-
ment and assessment activities;
‘‘(D) nationally disseminate information re-
garding the exemplary and promising programs
to educators, parents, and policymakers through
a variety of means, including existing Depart-
ment activities, education associations and net-
works, and communication technologies;
‘‘(E) provide training and technical assist-
ance regarding the implementation and adoption
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.
‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL DUTIES.—The Dissemination
Office shall carry out and contain the following func-
tions and activities:
‘‘(A) A process for the identification of edu-
cational programs that work.
‘‘(B) The educational resources information
clearinghouses.
‘‘(C) Dissemination through new tech-
nologies.
‘‘(D) Smartline.
‘‘(E) The regional educational laboratories.
‘‘(F) Teacher Research Dissemination Net-
work.
‘‘(G) The Goals 2000 Community Partner-
ships Program.
‘‘(H) The existing National Diffusion Net-
work and its Developer-Demonstrator and State
Facilitator projects.
‘‘(I) Such other programs or entities the
Secretary determines are consistent with the pur-
poses for which the Dissemination Office is es-
tablished.
‘‘(c) IDENTIFICATION OF PROGRAMS.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary
shall establish a process through which successful edu-
cational programs are actively sought out for possible
dissemination through the national educational dis-
semination system. Such process shall, at a mini-
mum, 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 Goals 2000 Community Partnerships
Program, department-supported technical assist-
ance providers, and other entities to identify suc-
cessful educational programs at the regional,
State, local, or classroom level;
‘‘(B) review successful educational programs
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-
cation Act, Bilingual Education, Indian Edu-
cation, the Women’s Educational Equity Act,
and Adult and Vocational Education;
‘‘(C) through cooperative agreements, review
for possible inclusion in the system educational
programs administered by the Departments of
Health and Human Services (particularly the
Head Start program), Labor and Defense, the
National Science Foundation, the Department of
the Interior (particularly the Office of Indian
Education Programs), and any other appro-
priate 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 organi-
zations, 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 dissemination system.
‘‘(2) PRIORITY PROGRAMS.—In carrying out this
subsection, the Secretary shall place a priority on
identifying programs, products, and practices related
to the priority research and development needs identi-
fied in section 405(b)(3).
‘‘(d) DESIGNATION OF EXEMPLARY AND PROMISING
PROGRAMS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary, in
consultation with the Board, shall establish 1 or more
panels of appropriately qualified experts and practi-
tioners to—
‘‘(A) evaluate educational programs that
have been identified by the Secretary under sub-
section (c) or that have been submitted to the
Secretary for such evaluation by some other indi-
vidual or organization; and
‘‘(B) recommend to the Secretary programs
that should be designated as exemplary or prom-
ising educational programs.
‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS IN MAKING RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.—In determining whether an educational pro-
gram should receive a recommendation under para-
graph (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
‘‘(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 Assistant Secretary 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 Assistant Secretary may not des-
ignate a program as exemplary or promising
unless a panel established under paragraph (1)
has recommended that the program be so des-
ignated.
‘‘(C) The Secretary shall establish such pan-
els under paragraph (1) as may be necessary to
ensure that each program identified or submitted
for evaluation is evaluated.
‘‘(D) Not less than two-thirds of the mem-
bership of a panel established under paragraph
(1) shall consist of individuals who are not offi-
cers 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 PROMISING
PROGRAMS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to ensure that pro-
grams identified as exemplary or promising are
available for adoption by the greatest number of
teachers, schools, local and State education agencies,
and Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded schools, the As-
sistant Secretary shall utilize the capabilities of—
‘‘(A) the education resources information
clearinghouses;
‘‘(B) Smartline;
‘‘(C) the regional educational laboratories;
‘‘(D) the National Diffusion Network;
‘‘(E) entities established under the Goals
2000 Community Partnerships Program;
‘‘(F) department-supported technical assist-
ance providers;
‘‘(G) the National Library of Education;
and
100
‘‘(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
ASSISTANT
SEC-
RETARY.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Assist-
ant 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.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary
shall establish a system of 16 education resource in-
formation clearinghouses having, at a minimum, the
functions and scope of work as the clearinghouses had
on the date of the enactment of the Educational Re-
search, Development, and Dissemination Excellence
Act.
101
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL
FUNCTIONS.—In addition to
those functions already being carried out by the clear-
inghouses, such clearinghouses may—
‘‘(A) periodically produce interpretive sum-
maries, digests, and syntheses of the results and
findings of education-related research and devel-
opment; 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 Assist-
ant Secretary shall assure that the functions and ac-
tivities of such clearinghouses are coordinated with
the activities of the research institutes, the regional
educational laboratories, learning grant institutions,
other clearinghouses supported by the Department, the
National Diffusion Network, and other appropriate
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
102
contract with the Department of Education are
made available to clearinghouses;
‘‘(B) establish cooperative agreements with
the Departments of Defense, Health and Human
Services, Interior, and other Federal agencies to
assure that all education-related reports, studies,
and other resources produced directly or by grant
or contract with the Federal Government are
made available to such clearinghouses; and
‘‘(C) devise an effective system for maximiz-
ing the identification, synthesis, and dissemina-
tion of information related to the needs of Indian
and Alaska Native children.
‘‘(5) COPYRIGHT PROHIBITED.—
‘‘(A) No clearinghouse or other entity re-
ceiving assistance under this subsection may
copyright or otherwise charge a royalty or other
fee that—
‘‘(i) is for the use or redissemination of
any database, index, abstract, report, or
other information produced with assistance
under this subsection; and
‘‘(ii) exceeds the incremental cost of
disseminating such information.
103
‘‘(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the
incremental cost of dissemination does not in-
clude any portion of the cost of collecting, orga-
nizing, or processing the information which is
disseminated.
‘‘(g) 
DISSEMINATION
THROUGH
NEW
TECH-
NOLOGIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary is
authorized to award grants or contracts in accordance
with this subsection to support the development of
materials, programs, and resources which utilize new
technologies and techniques to synthesize and dissemi-
nate research and development findings and other in-
formation which can be used to support educational
improvement.
‘‘(2) SOURCES
OF
MATERIALS
AND
RESEARCH
ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR IMPROVING NA-
TIONWIDE EDUCATION (SMARTLINE).—
‘‘(A) ELECTRONIC NETWORK.—The Assist-
ant Secretary, acting through the Office of Re-
form Assistance and Dissemination, shall estab-
lish and maintain an electronic network which
shall, at a minimum, link—
‘‘(i) each office of the Department of
Education;
104
‘‘(ii) the research institutes established
by section 405B;
‘‘(iii) the National Center for Edu-
cation Statistics;
‘‘(iv) the National Library of Edu-
cation; and
‘‘(v) entities engaged in research, devel-
opment, dissemination, and technical assist-
ance under grant, contract, or cooperative
agreement with the Department of Edu-
cation.
‘‘(B) CERTAIN
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
NET-
WORK.—The network described in subparagraph
(A) shall—
‘‘(i) to the extent feasible, build upon
existing national, regional, and State elec-
tronic 
networks 
and 
support 
video,
telecomputing, and interactive communica-
tions;
‘‘(ii) at a minimum, have the capabil-
ity to support electronic mail and file
transfer services;
‘‘(iii) be linked to and accessible to
other users, including State and local edu-
cation agencies, institutions of higher edu-
105
cation, museums, libraries, and others
through the Internet and the National Re-
search and Education Network; and
‘‘(iv) be provided at no cost (excluding
the costs of necessary hardware) to the con-
tractors and grantees described in clause (v)
of subparagraph (A) and to educational in-
stitutions accessing such network through
the Internet and the National Research and
Education Network.
‘‘(C) INFORMATION
RESOURCES.—The As-
sistant Secretary, acting through the Office of
Reform Assistance and Dissemination, may
make available through the network described in
subparagraph (A)—
‘‘(i) information about grant and con-
tract assistance available through the de-
partment;
‘‘(ii) an annotated directory of current
research and development activities and
projects being undertaken with the assist-
ance of the Department;
‘‘(iii) information about publications
published by the Department and, to the ex-
106
tent feasible, the full text of such publica-
tions;
‘‘(iv) statistics and data published by
the National Center for Education Statis-
tics;
‘‘(v) syntheses of research and develop-
ment findings;
‘‘(vi) a directory of other education-re-
lated electronic networks and databases, in-
cluding information about the means by
which they may be accessed;
‘‘(vii) a descriptive listing of materials
and courses of instruction provided by tele-
communications partnerships assisted under
the Star Schools program;
‘‘(viii) resources developed by the
ERIC Clearinghouses;
‘‘(ix) education-related software (in-
cluding video) which is in the public do-
main;
‘‘(x) a listing of instructional mate-
rials available through telecommunications
to local education agencies through the Pub-
lic Broadcasting Service and State edu-
cational television networks; and
107
‘‘(xi) such other information and re-
sources the Assistant Secretary considers
useful and appropriate.
‘‘(D) 
EVALUATIONS
REGARDING
OTHER
FUNCTIONS
OF
NETWORK.—The Assistant Sec-
retary shall also undertake projects to test and
evaluate the feasibility of using the network de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) for—
‘‘(i) the submission of applications for
assistance to the Department; and
‘‘(ii) the collection of data and other
statistics through the National Center for
Education Statistics.
‘‘(E) TRAINING
AND
TECHNICAL
ASSIST-
ANCE.—The Assistant Secretary, acting through
the Office of Reform Assistance and Dissemina-
tion, shall—
‘‘(i) provide such training and tech-
nical assistance as may be necessary to en-
able the contractors and grantees described
in clause (v) of subparagraph (A) to par-
ticipate in the electronic network described
in such subparagraph; and
‘‘(ii) work with the National Science
Foundation to provide, upon request, assist-
108
ance to State and local education agencies,
the Department of the Interior’s Office of
Indian Education Programs, tribal depart-
ments of education, State library agencies,
libraries, museums, and other educational
institutions in obtaining access to the
Internet and the National Research and
Education Network.
‘‘(h) REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORIES.—
‘‘(1) REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORIES.—
The Assistant Secretary shall enter into contracts
with public or private nonprofit entities to establish
a networked system of 10 regional educational labora-
tories which serve the needs of each region of the Na-
tion 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 published in num-
ber 157 of volume 53 of the Federal Register on Au-
gust 15, 1988.
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—Each regional educational lab-
oratory receiving assistance under this subsection
shall, with such assistance, assist State education
agencies, intermediate education agencies, local school
109
districts, and schools funded by the Bureau of Indian
Affairs in implementing broad-based, systemic school
improvement strategies through the use of applied re-
search and development activities. The regional edu-
cational laboratories shall support such system-wide
reform efforts through—
‘‘(A) the development of a plan for identify-
ing needs and for serving the needs of the region
by conducting a continuing survey of the edu-
cational needs, strengths and weaknesses within
the region, including a process of open hearings
to solicit the views of schools, teachers, adminis-
trators, parents, local educational agencies, li-
brarians, and State educational agencies within
the region;
‘‘(B) the dissemination of information about
programs designated as exemplary and promis-
ing under subsection (c) and other appropriate
programs and practices;
‘‘(C) 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;
110
‘‘(iii) the development of valid, reliable,
fair systems of assessment which are based
upon State, local, or Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs-funded school 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 challenging
curriculum;
‘‘(v) expanding and improving the use
of technology in education to improve teach-
ing and learning;
‘‘(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
conducive to planning, implementing, and
sustaining school reform and improved edu-
cational outcomes;
‘‘(D) the development of educational pro-
grams and practices that address State, regional,
111
or Indian tribal needs in relating to their school
reform efforts;
‘‘(E) facilitating communication between
educational experts, school officials, and teachers,
parents, and librarians, to enable such individ-
uals to assist schools to develop a plan to meet
the national education goals;
‘‘(F) bringing teams of experts together to
develop and implement school improvement
plans and strategies;
‘‘(G) the provision of training in—
‘‘(i) the field of education research and
related areas;
‘‘(ii) the use of new educational meth-
ods; and
‘‘(iii) the use of information-finding
methods, practices, techniques, and products
developed in connection with such training
for which the regional educational labora-
tory shall be authorized to support intern-
ships and fellowships and to provide sti-
pends; and
‘‘(H) the provision of support and technical
assistance 
(upon 
their 
request) 
to 
State
112
facilitators funded through the National Diffu-
sion Network.
‘‘(3) NETWORKING.—In order to improve the ef-
ficiency and effectiveness of the regional laboratories,
the governing boards of the ten regional laboratories
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 develop-
ment of activities undertaken by the laboratories
to reduce redundancy and increase collaboration
and resource-sharing in such activities; and
‘‘(D) otherwise devise means by which the
work of the individual laboratories could serve
national, as well as regional, needs.
‘‘(4) ADDITIONAL DUTIES.—Each regional edu-
cation laboratory receiving assistance under this sub-
section shall carry out the following activities:
‘‘(A) Collaborate with the Institutes estab-
lished under section 405B in order to—
‘‘(i) maximize the use of research con-
ducted through the Institutes in the work of
such laboratory;
113
‘‘(ii) keep the Institutes apprised of the
work of the regional educational labora-
tories in the field; and
‘‘(iii) inform the Institutes about addi-
tional research needs identified in the field.
‘‘(B) Consult with the State educational
agencies and library agencies in the region in
developing the plan for serving the region.
‘‘(C) Develop strategies to utilize schools as
critical components in reforming education and
revitalizing rural communities in the United
States.
‘‘(D) Report and disseminate information
on overcoming the obstacles faced by rural edu-
cators and rural schools.
‘‘(E) 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 national edu-
cation development and dissemination system.
114
‘‘(5) CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out
its responsibilities, each regional educational labora-
tory shall—
‘‘(A) establish a governing board that—
‘‘(i) is the sole entity that—
‘‘(I) guides and directs the labora-
tory 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 develop-
ment 
needs 
identified 
in 
section
405(b)(3); and
‘‘(ii) reflects a balanced representation
of the States in the region, as well as the in-
terests and concerns of regional constitu-
encies;
‘‘(B) comply with the standards established
by the Assistant Secretary and the Board under
section 405A;
‘‘(C) coordinate its activities, collaborate,
and regularly exchange information with the in-
stitutes established under section 405C, the Na-
115
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 engages
in technical assistance and dissemination activi-
ties 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 de-
livery in areas of sparse populations, and any
special initiatives being undertaken by State, in-
termediate, local education agencies, or Bureau
of Indian Affairs-funded schools which may re-
quire special assistance from the laboratory.
‘‘(6) EVALUATIONS.—The Assistant Secretary
shall provide for periodic, independent evaluations of
each of the laboratories in carrying out the duties de-
scribed in paragraph (1) in accordance with the
standards developed by the Assistant Secretary and
the Board and transmit the results of such evalua-
tions to the relevant committees of the Congress, the
116
Board, and the appropriate regional educational lab-
oratory board.
‘‘(7) INVITATION REGARDING COMPETITION FOR
AWARDS OF ASSISTANCE.—Prior to awarding a grant
or entering into a contract under this section, the Sec-
retary shall invite applicants, including the existing
regional educational laboratories, to compete for such
award through notice in the Federal Register and in
the publication of the Department of Commerce
known as the Commerce Business Daily.
‘‘(8) APPLICATION FOR ASSISTANCE.—Each ap-
plication for assistance under this subsection shall—
‘‘(A) cover not less than 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.
‘‘(9) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—No regional edu-
cational laboratory receiving assistance under this
subsection shall, by reason of the receipt of that assist-
ance, be ineligible to receive any other assistance from
the Department as authorized by law.
‘‘(10) ADVANCE
PAYMENT
SYSTEM.—Each re-
gional educational laboratory shall participate in the
117
advance payment system at the Department of Edu-
cation.
‘‘(i) GOALS 2000 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS PRO-
GRAM.—
‘‘(1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Goals 2000
Community Partnerships program is to improve the
quality of learning and teaching in the Nation’s most
impoverished urban and rural communities by sup-
porting sustained collaborations between universities,
schools, businesses, and communities which apply and
utilize the results of educational research and develop-
ment.
‘‘(2) GRANTS FOR GOALS 2000 COMMUNITY PART-
NERSHIPS.—The Assistant Secretary is authorized to
make grants to eligible entities to support the estab-
lishment of Learning Grant Institutions and District
Education Agents and the activities authorized under
this subsection within eligible communities.
‘‘(3) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY AND ELI-
GIBLE
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-
118
ter, public or private nonprofit corporation, or
any consortium thereof that—
‘‘(i) has demonstrated experience, ex-
pertise and commitment in serving the edu-
cational needs of at-risk students; and
‘‘(ii) is, by virtue of its previous ac-
tivities, 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) in which not less than one-half of
the school-age children have family incomes
which are below the poverty line, as deter-
mined by the 1990 United States Census,
participation in the National School Lunch
119
program, or other current, reliable data
concerning family income.
‘‘(4) GOALS 2000 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.—
Each learning grant institution receiving assistance
under this subsection shall establish a Goals 2000
community partnership to carry out the activities au-
thorized under this subsection. Such partnership—
‘‘(A) shall include the participation of one
or more local educational agencies, institutions
of higher education, community-based organiza-
tions, parents, teachers, and the business commu-
nity;
‘‘(B) may include the participation of
human, social service and health care agencies,
Head Start and child care agencies, libraries,
museums, employment and training agencies,
and the State educational agency or tribal de-
partment of education; and
‘‘(C) shall be broadly representative of all
segments of the community in which the activi-
ties will be carried out.
‘‘(5) COMPREHENSIVE GOALS 2000 PLAN.—Each
Goals 2000 Community Partnership shall develop a
comprehensive plan for assuring educational success
120
and high achievement for all students in the commu-
nity. Each such plan shall—
‘‘(A) adopt the 6 national educational goals;
‘‘(B) identify additional needs and goals for
educational improvement within the community;
‘‘(C) focus on helping all students reach
challenging content and student performance
standards;
‘‘(D) be consistent with the State and local
plan for system-wide education improvement de-
veloped pursuant to the Goals 2000: Educate
America Act;
‘‘(E) establish a comprehensive community-
wide plan for achieving such goals; and
‘‘(F) develop a means for measuring the
progress of the community in meeting such goals
for improvement.
‘‘(6) IMPLEMENTATION
OF
COMMUNITY-WIDE
PLAN.—Each Goals 2000 Community Partnership
shall, utilizing the District Education Agent, provide
assistance in implementing the community-wide plan
for educational improvement by—
‘‘(A) supporting innovation, restructuring,
and continuous improvement in educational
practice by—
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‘‘(iv) opportunities to provide feedback
into the educational research infrastructure
regarding needed research and ways to im-
prove the development and dissemination 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;
‘‘(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 training;
‘‘(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 supportive of
change, including training in interpersonal
and leadership skills; and
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from such district or districts participate in the
program assisted under this subsection shall pro-
vide the regional partnership with the names of
such teachers, and an indication of the type of
issues or problems on which each such teacher
would like to receive information and training.
‘‘(C) SELECTION.—
‘‘(i) Teacher participants shall be se-
lected by the regional partnerships in con-
sultation with the State educational agen-
cies in the region. Teacher participants
shall be selected in such a manner so as to
ensure an equitable representation of such
teachers by State and school enrollment
within the region.
‘‘(ii) The number of teachers selected
each year shall be determined in accordance
with the amount of funding received by the
regional partnership.
‘‘(5) INDEPENDENT EVALUATION.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary
shall provide for an independent evaluation of
the program assisted under this subsection to de-
termine the net impact and cost effectiveness of
the program and the reactions of teachers and