I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2065
To improve teacher mastery and use of educational technology.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 25, 1997
Mrs. MORELLA (for herself and Mr. VENTO) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To improve teacher mastery and use of educational
technology.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Technology for Teach-
ers Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Nation’s Governors and Congress have
endorsed a set of National Education Goals which
include the preparation of teachers in the use of
emerging technologies.
(2) Research has shown that elementary and
secondary school students have expanded learning
opportunities if various forms of educational tech-
nology are made available to the students.
(3) Employers have pointed out the need for
graduates who are familiar and comfortable with
computers, networks, and other forms of technology.
Tens of thousands of high technology jobs are un-
filled and will remain vacant unless educational tech-
nology is incorporated into classrooms.
(4) Lack of computers in schools and lack of
connectivity to the information superhighway are no
longer the principal obstacles to the use of tech-
nology in classrooms. The obstacles are being over-
come, in part, with support provided by the Depart-
ment of Education, the National Science Founda-
tion, the Department of Commerce, and other Fed-
eral departments and agencies, and through provi-
sions in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public
Law 104–104; 110 Stat. 56) that will provide
schools with affordable access to the Nation’s infor-
mation infrastructure.
(5) As access to computers and computer net-
works has become more available, lack of adequate
teacher training in the use of education technology
is becoming the single factor that most limits the
benefits of computer technology accruing to stu-
dents.
(6) The ability of new and inservice teachers to
use technology in the classroom is strongly influ-
enced by several stakeholders, including schools of
education that are approved by a State to train new
teachers, State educational agencies that will license
new teachers, school districts that hire licensed
teachers and provide for the teachers’ ongoing pro-
fessional development, and the private sector that
develops and markets educational technology. Co-
operation and collaboration among the stakeholders
will provide benefits to teachers, students, and the
community through the improved use of educational
technology in schools and classrooms.
(7) Estimates show that 2,000,000 new teach-
ers must enter the teaching profession by 2007 to
accommodate expanding enrollment and to replace
retiring teachers. The need to prepare the new
teachers for the 21st century classroom represents a
significant challenge to schools of education.
(8) According to a 1997 study, only 10 percent
of new teachers reported that the teachers felt pre-
pared to use technology in their classrooms, reflect-
ing inadequate training in the use of classroom edu-
cational technology during their undergraduate prep-
aration.
(9) There is no national standard for the capa-
bilities of teachers in the use of emerging tech-
nologies, though several voluntary standards have
been developed by the National Council for Accredi-
tation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and are
being developed by the Interstate New Teacher As-
sessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and
the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS).
(10) Licensure of new teachers is at the discre-
tion of the States and mastery of education tech-
nology is not a universal performance standard in
State requirements for the licensing of new teachers.
Eighteen States do not require applicants for a
teaching license to have any technology training.
Thirty-two other States require a course or some
equivalent experience in educational technology.
(11) Training for teachers in the use of edu-
cational technology is inadequate because it is only
one of many important areas in which teachers need
ongoing professional development. As a result of this
competition for limited professional development
support, only 15 percent of the Nation’s teachers
have had 9 hours or more of training in 1994 in how
to use educational technology. Washington and Ken-
tucky have shown the most progress on this front,
but only 28 percent of their teachers had 9 hours of
technology training in 1994. Support for training in
educational technology must be ensured in the face
of competition for limited professional development
resources.
(12) Advances in educational hardware and
software are generally much more frequent than are
revisions of professional development courses for in-
service teachers, making it difficult for teachers to
have access to the most recent educational software
and hardware. Private sector developers of edu-
cational technology are most aware of the state-of-
the-art at any moment.
(13) In light of proven value of educational
technology and the many stakeholders seeking to ex-
pand and improve the use of educational technology,
promoting partnerships among the stakeholders is
an appropriate Federal role.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
(a) PURPOSE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—It is the purpose of this title
to enrich the quality of elementary and secondary
education by preparing new and inservice teachers
and enabling inservice teachers to use the most mod-
ern technology as a tool in teaching and learning,
by—
(A) promoting the creation and growth of
partnerships among State educational agencies,
schools of education, local educational agencies,
and nongovernmental education organizations,
with the partnerships being devoted to improv-
ing the ability of new and inservice teachers to
use educational technology in the classroom;
(B) promoting greater non-Federal invest-
ment in technology training for teachers;
(C) increasing the public sharing of infor-
mation by State educational agencies, schools of
education, and local educational agencies, on
the use of educational technology;
(D) encouraging and enabling schools of
education to develop and improve courses in the
use of educational technology as part of the
curriculum offered to students pursuing a
teaching career;
(E) encouraging State educational agencies
to include proficiency in the classroom use of
educational technology among the requirements
for teaching licenses;
(F) stimulating and enabling development
of new mechanisms for professional develop-
ment of teachers seeking to increase their abil-
ity to use technology and to integrate tech-
nology into the classroom; and
(G) stimulating the creation and develop-
ment of more rapid-response training opportu-
nities that will give teachers access to the most
recent educational software and hardware.
(2) SPECIAL RULE.—It is not the purpose of
this Act to provide Federal support to nongovern-
mental education organizations firms wishing to use
teacher training as a way to represent or sell par-
ticular educational technology products or services to
teachers, schools, or school districts.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES.
This Act is based on the following principles:
(1) All elementary schools and secondary
schools in the States, and all elementary schools and
secondary schools administered by the Bureau of In-
dian Affairs and the Department of Defense, should
have equal access to teachers who are prepared to
use the most modern technology to improve teaching
and learning.
(2) Two forces should have the potential to mo-
tivate schools of education and professional develop-
ment programs to improve their training and devel-
opment of teachers to use technology for education.
The forces are—
(A) competition for resources; and
(B) pressure from stakeholders at the
State and local levels.
(3) An appropriate Federal role with respect to
educational technology is to—
(A) set performance standards;
(B) provide the greatest resources to those
meeting the standards;
(C) enable the poorest performers to begin
the process of attaining the standards;
(D) set accountability standards; and
(E) motivate all performers to be account-
able to their constituent stakeholders.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY.—The term
‘‘educational technology’’ means computers, com-
puter software, computer networks, digital storage
media such as CD–ROM, interactive video, and
other advanced technologies designed or used to im-
prove classroom teaching and learning.
(2) 
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL; 
SECONDARY
SCHOOL; LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY; STATE EDU-
CATIONAL
AGENCY.—The 
terms 
‘‘elementary
school’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, ‘‘local educational agen-
cy’’, and ‘‘State educational agency’’ have the mean-
ings given the terms in section 14101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 8801).
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the
meaning given the term in section 1201 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141).
(4) LICENSED TEACHER.—The term ‘‘licensed
teacher’’ means an individual who possesses a docu-
ment certifying that the individual has met the re-
quirements of a State for employment as a public
school teacher in the State.
(5) SCHOOL OF EDUCATION.—The term ‘‘school
of education’’ means a school, department, or other
division within an institution of higher education
that trains individuals to serve as licensed teachers.
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Education.
(7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of
the several States of the United States, the District
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin
Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the
Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of
Palau.
(8) TEACHER.—The term ‘‘teacher’’ means an
elementary school or secondary school teacher.
(9) NONGOVERNMENTAL
EDUCATION
ORGANI-
ZATION.—The term ‘‘nongovernmental organization’’
means a private organization, either for-profit or
nonprofit, that has an interest in the use of tech-
nology to improve education, and would, for exam-
ple, include private sector education technology
firms, professional organizations of educators, and
education research organizations.
TITLE I—EDUCATIONAL TECH-
NOLOGY TRAINING FOR NEW
TEACHERS
SEC. 101. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
From the amount available to carry out this title for
a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve 10 percent to en-
able the Secretary—
(1) to provide assistance to entities that receive
assistance under subpart 3 of part A of title III of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6861) to enable the entities to pro-
vide technical assistance to applicants for and recipi-
ents of assistance under this Act, and to disseminate
information on activities, results, and impacts of re-
cipients of assistance under this Act to other organi-
zations within the State and region, and to equiva-
lent organizations in other regions;
(2) to carry out evaluations and studies nec-
essary to monitor and assess the impacts of the as-
sistance provided under this Act; and
(3) to provide support through grants or coop-
erative agreements to a limited number of national
model projects that involve collaborations among or-
ganizations in several States but in all other ways
serve the goals of this Act.
SEC. 102. STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY GRANTS.
(a) RESERVATION.—From the amount available to
carry out this title for each fiscal year and not reserved
under section 101, the Secretary shall reserve not less
than 2 percent of the amount to award grants to the Bu-
reau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Defense on
the basis of their relative need to improve teacher mastery
and use of educational technology at the elementary
schools or secondary schools administered by the Bureau
of Indian Affairs and the Department of Defense, respec-
tively. Applications for the grants shall be subject to re-
view criteria that are based on the review criteria de-
scribed in section 104(b).
(b) GRANTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amount available
to carry out this title and not reserved under section
101 or subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary
may award planning or implementation grants under
this section to State educational agencies to improve
teacher mastery and use of educational technology.
(2) AWARD BASIS.—The Secretary shall award
grants under this section on a competitive basis and
pursuant to an application review process that in-
volves the use of experts and takes into consider-
ation the criteria described in section 104(b).
(c) AMOUNT.—
(1) 
DETERMINATION
OF
STATE
BASE
AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall determine the State
base amount for each State for each fiscal year. The
State base amount for a State for a fiscal year is
an amount that bears the same relation to the sum
of no less than 88 percent of the amount appro-
priated under the authority of section 109 for the
fiscal year as the amount all local educational agen-
cies in the State received under part A of title I of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) for the preceding fis-
cal year bears to the amount all local educational
agencies in all States received under such part for
the preceding fiscal year.
(2) MAXIMUM AMOUNTS.—
(A) PLANNING
GRANTS.—The Secretary
may award a State educational agency a plan-
ning grant for a fiscal year in an amount that
does not exceed 10 percent of the applicable
State base amount for the fiscal year.
(B) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—The Sec-
retary may award a State educational agency
an implementation grant for a fiscal year in an
amount that does not exceed twice the applica-
ble State base amount for the fiscal year.
(d) DURATION AND RENEWAL.—
(1) PLANNING
GRANTS.—The Secretary shall
award planning grants under this section for a pe-
riod of 1 fiscal year. The grants may be renewed for
periods of 1 fiscal year upon reapplication under sec-
tion 104.
(2) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—The Secretary
shall award implementation grants under this sec-
tion for a period of not less than 3 fiscal years and
not more than 5 fiscal years. The grants may be re-
newed for periods of not less than 3 fiscal years and
not more than 5 fiscal years upon reapplication
under section 104.
(e) SPECIAL RULES.—
(1) 1 GRANT
REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary
shall award each State educational agency not more
than 1 grant under this section for a fiscal year.
(2) PLANNING.—Each State educational agency
submitting an application for an implementation
grant for a fiscal year that is denied funding shall
receive a planning grant from the Secretary for the
fiscal year after submitting an application for the
planning grant that the Secretary approves.
(f) MATCHING FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to receive a grant
under this section a State educational agency shall
include in the application submitted under section
104 an assurance that, with respect to the costs to
be incurred by the State educational agency in car-
rying out the activities for which the grant is award-
ed, the State educational agency will provide match-
ing funds from non-Federal sources in an amount
equal to the amount received under the grant.
(2) NON-FEDERAL FUNDS.—Non-Federal funds
provided pursuant to paragraph (1) may be in cash
or in kind, including plant, equipment or services.
(g) DIRECT
GRANTS
TO
SCHOOLS
FOR
EDU-
CATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—If a State educational agen-
cy does not receive a grant under this title for a fis-
cal year then the Secretary may award grants to
schools of education in the State.
(2) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The total amount of
all grants awarded to schools of education within a
State under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year shall not
exceed the State base amount determined under sub-
section (c) for the State for the fiscal year.
(3) APPLICATION.—Each school of education
desiring a grant under paragraph (1) shall submit
an application to the Secretary at such time, in such
manner, and accompanied by such information as
the Secretary may require.
SEC. 103. STATE USE OF FUNDS.
Each State educational agency receiving a grant
under this title for a fiscal year—
(1) may use not more than 10 percent of the
grant funds for State activities that the State edu-
cational agency determines carry out the purposes of
this title; and
(2) shall use not less than 90 percent of the
grant funds to award grants to schools of education
pursuant to section 105.
SEC. 104. STATE APPLICATIONS; REVIEW CRITERIA.
(a) STATE APPLICATIONS.—Each State educational
agency desiring a grant under this title shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and accompanied by such information, as the Secretary
may require.
(b) REVIEW CRITERIA.—The Secretary, with the as-
sistance of experts representing education organizations,
shall review applications from State educational agencies
for grants under this title on the basis of the following
criteria:
(1) AVAILABILITY
OF
EDUCATIONAL
TECH-
NOLOGY
INFORMATION.—The degree to which a
State educational agency has made, or plans to
make, the public aware of the extent to which edu-
cational technology is used in elementary schools
and secondary schools in the State. Factors relevant
to the extent may include—
(A) the amount of training and teaching
experience in the classroom use of educational
technology that is required to become a licensed
teacher in the State;
(B) the amount of training and teaching
experience in the classroom use of educational
technology that newly licensed teachers in the
State have received;
(C) the yearly investment by the State
educational agency in educational technology
for the classroom;
(D) the percentage of elementary schools
and secondary schools in the State that are con-
nected to the Internet; and
(E) the percentage of elementary school
and secondary school classrooms in the State
that are connected to the Internet.
(2) PLANS FOR IMPROVING THE USE OF EDU-
CATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY.—The degree to which a
State educational agency—
(A) has established or plans to establish
high standards for experience in the use of edu-
cational technology for teacher licensure;
(B) has promoted or plans to promote the
preparation of new teachers in the use of edu-
cational technology; and
(C) has demonstrated or plans to dem-
onstrate leadership in promoting the use of edu-
cational technology to improve classroom in-
struction.
SEC. 105. GRANTS TO SCHOOLS OF EDUCATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State educational agency re-
ceiving a grant under this title shall use the grant funds
described in section 103(2) to award grants to schools of
education to improve teacher mastery and use of edu-
cational technology.
(b) AWARD BASIS.—A State educational agency shall
award grants under this title on a competitive basis and
pursuant to an application review process that involves the
use of experts and takes into consideration the criteria de-
scribed in section 106(b).
(c) AMOUNT AND DURATION.—A State educational
agency shall determine the amount and duration of each
grant awarded under this section.
(d) MATCHING FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to receive a grant
under this section a school of education shall include
in the application submitted under section 106 an
assurance that, with respect to the costs to be in-
curred by the school of education in carrying out the
activities for which the grant is awarded, the school
of education will provide matching funds from non-
Federal sources in an amount equal to one-half of
the amount received under the grant.
(2) NON-FEDERAL
SHARE.—The non-Federal
funds provided pursuant to paragraph (1) may be in
cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant,
equipment or services.
SEC. 106. LOCAL APPLICATIONS; REVIEW CRITERIA.
(a) LOCAL APPLICATIONS.—Each school of education
desiring a grant from a State educational agency under
this title shall submit an application to the State edu-
cational agency at such time, in such manner, and accom-
panied by such information, as the State educational agen-
cy may require.
(b) CRITERIA.—The State educational agency, with
the assistance of experts representing education organiza-
tions, shall review applications for grants under this title
on the basis of the following criteria:
(1) PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY.—The degree to
which a school of education has made, or plans to
make, the public aware of the amount and quality
of instruction in the use of educational technology
being provided in the teacher preparation program
of the school of education. Factors relevant to the
amount and quality may include—
(A) the number of courses offered in the
use of education technology;
(B) the number and types of courses in the
use of educational technology that are required
for graduation from the school of education;
(C) the amount and type of teaching expe-
rience in the classroom use of technology that
is required for graduation from the school of
education; and
(D) the average number of courses in the
use of educational technology taken by grad-
uates of the school of education in each of the
3 years preceding the year for which the deter-
mination is made.
(2) PLANS FOR IMPROVING THE PREPARATION
OF NEW TEACHERS IN THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY.—The degree to which a school of
education has incorporated or plans to incorporate
into the undergraduate preparation of teachers the
following:
(A) Expanded instruction in the use of
educational technology.
(B) Partnerships with local educational
agencies to improve teacher preparation in the
use of educational technology.
(C) Partnerships with nongovernmental
education organizations to improve teacher
preparation in the use of educational tech-
nology.
(D) Special efforts to engage underrep-
resented groups in the use of educational tech-
nology.
SEC. 107. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT; SUPPLEMENT NOT
SUPPLANT.
(a) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—A State educational
agency and a school of education, in utilizing the grant
funds received under this title, shall maintain the expendi-
tures of the State educational agency and school of edu-
cation, respectively, for improving teacher mastery and use
of educational technology at a level equal to not less than
the level of expenditures maintained by the State edu-
cational agency and school of education, respectively, for
the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the
grant is received.
(b) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds appro-
priated under the authority of section 109 shall be used
to supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, and
local public funds expended to improve teacher mastery
and use of educational technology.
SEC. 108. ADMINISTRATION.
The Secretary shall carry out the program authorized
by this title through the Office of Educational Technology
in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of the Department
of Education.
SEC. 109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this title $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, and such sums
as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999.
TITLE II—EDUCATIONAL TECH-
NOLOGY TRAINING FOR IN-
SERVICE TEACHERS
SEC. 201. STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY GRANTS.
(a) RESERVATION.—From the amount available to
carry out this title for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall
reserve not less than 2 percent of the amount to award
grants to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Depart-
ment of Defense on the basis of their relative need to ex-
pand and improve the use of technology by inservice teach-
ers at the elementary schools or secondary schools admin-
istered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Depart-
ment of Defense, respectively. Applications for the grants
shall be subject to review criteria that are based on the
review criteria described in section 203(b).
(b) GRANTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amount available
to carry out this title and not reserved under sub-
section (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may
award planning or implementation grants under this
section to State educational agencies to expand and
improve the use of technology by inservice teachers.
(2) AWARD BASIS.—The Secretary shall award
grants under paragraph (1) on a competitive basis
and pursuant to an application review process that
involves the use of experts and takes into consider-
ation the criteria described in section 203(b).
(c) MAXIMUM AMOUNTS.—
(1) PLANNING
GRANTS.—The Secretary may
award a State educational agency a planning grant
under subsection (a)(1) for a fiscal year in an
amount that does not exceed 10 percent of the appli-
cable State base amount for the fiscal year.
(2) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—The Secretary
may award a State educational agency an implemen-
tation grant under subsection (a)(1) for a fiscal year
in an amount that does not exceed twice the applica-
ble State base amount for the fiscal year.
(3) STATE
BASE
AMOUNT.—For purposes of
this subsection, the State base amount for a State
for a fiscal year shall be determined in the same
manner as the amount is determined under section
102(c)(1), except that subparagraphs (A) and (B) of
section 102(c)(1) shall be applied by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 109’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘sec-
tion 208’’.
(d) DURATION AND RENEWAL.—
(1) PLANNING
GRANTS.—The Secretary shall
award planning grants under this section for a pe-
riod of 1 fiscal year. The grants may be renewed for
periods of 1 fiscal year upon reapplication under sec-
tion 203.
(2) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—The Secretary
shall award implementation grants under this sec-
tion for a period of not less than 3 fiscal years and
not more than 5 fiscal years. The grants may be re-
newed for periods of not less than 3 fiscal years and
not more than 5 fiscal years upon reapplication
under section 203.
(e) SPECIAL RULES.—
(1) 1 GRANT
REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary
shall award each State educational agency not more
than 1 grant under this section for a fiscal year.
(2) PLANNING.—Each State educational agency
submitting an application for an implementation
grant for a fiscal year that is denied funding shall
receive a planning grant from the Secretary for the
fiscal year after submitting an application for the
planning grant that the Secretary approves.
(f) MATCHING FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to receive a grant
under this section a State educational agency shall
include in the application submitted under section
203 an assurance that, with respect to the costs to
be incurred by the State educational agency in car-
rying out the activities for which the grant is award-
ed, the State educational agency will provide match-
ing funds from non-Federal sources in an amount
equal to the amount received under the grant.
(2) NON-FEDERAL FUNDS.—Non-Federal funds
provided pursuant to paragraph (1) may be in cash
or in kind, including plant, equipment or services.
(g) DIRECT GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—If a State educational agen-
cy does not receive a grant under this title for a fis-
cal year then the Secretary may award grants to
local educational agencies in the State.
(2) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The total amount of
all grants awarded to local educational agencies
within a State under paragraph (1) shall not exceed
the State base amount determined under subsection
(c)(3) for the State for the fiscal year.
(3) 
APPLICATION.—Each 
local 
educational
agency desiring a grant under paragraph (1) shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time,
in such manner and accompanied by such informa-
tion as the Secretary may require.
SEC. 202. STATE USE OF FUNDS.
Each State educational agency receiving a grant
under this title for a fiscal year—
(1) may use not more than 10 percent of the
grant funds for State activities that the State edu-
cational agency determines carry out the purposes of
this title; and
(2) shall use at least 90 percent of the grant
funds to award grants to local educational agencies
pursuant to section 204.
SEC. 203. STATE APPLICATIONS; REVIEW CRITERIA.
(a) STATE APPLICATIONS.—Each State educational
agency desiring a grant under this title shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and accompanied by such information, as the Secretary
may require.
(b) REVIEW CRITERIA.—The Secretary, with the as-
sistance of experts representing education organizations,
shall review applications from State educational agencies
for grants under this title on the basis of the following
criteria:
(1) AVAILABILITY
OF
EDUCATIONAL
TECH-
NOLOGY
INFORMATION.—The degree to which a
State educational agency has made, or plans to
make, the public aware of the extent to which edu-
cational technology is used in elementary schools or
secondary schools in the State. Factors relevant to
the extent may include—
(A) investments made by the State edu-
cational agency in the professional development
of teachers in the State for improving their
mastery and use of educational technology in
each of the 3 years preceding the year for which
the determination is made;
(B) State standards for advancement or
recertification of teachers that involve edu-
cational technology;
(C) the percentage of teachers in the State
receiving a significant professional development
experience in the use of education technology in
each of the 3 years preceding the year for which
the determination is made;
(D) the percentage of elementary schools
and secondary schools in the State that are con-
nected to the Internet; and
(E) the percentage of elementary school
and secondary school classrooms in the State
that are connected to the Internet.
(2) PLANS FOR IMPROVING THE USE OF EDU-
CATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY.—The degree to which a
State educational agency—
(A) has established or plans to establish
high standards for inservice professional devel-
opment of teachers in the use of educational
technology;
(B) has provided or plans to provide sup-
port for inservice professional development of
teachers in the use of educational technology;
and
(C) has demonstrated or plans to dem-
onstrate leadership in promoting the use of edu-
cational technology to improve classroom in-
struction.
SEC. 204. GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State educational agency re-
ceiving a grant under this title shall use the grant funds
described in section 202(2) to award grants to local edu-
cational agencies in the State to expand and improve the
use of technology by inservice teachers.
(b) AWARD BASIS.—A State educational agency shall
award grants under this title on a competitive basis and
pursuant to an application review process that involves the
use of experts and takes into consideration the criteria de-
scribed in section 205(b).
(c) AMOUNT AND DURATION.—A State educational
agency shall determine the amount and duration of each
grant awarded under this section.
(d) MATCHING FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to receive a grant
under this section a local educational agency shall
include in the application submitted under section
205 an assurance that, with respect to the costs to
be incurred by the local educational agency in carry-
ing out the activities for which the grant is awarded,
the local educational agency will provide matching
funds from non-Federal sources in an amount equal
to one-half of the amount received under the grant.
(2) NON-FEDERAL
SHARE.—The non-Federal
funds provided pursuant to paragraph (1) may be in
cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant,
equipment or services.
SEC. 205. LOCAL APPLICATIONS; REVIEW CRITERIA.
(a) LOCAL APPLICATIONS.—Each local educational
agency desiring a grant from a State educational agency
under this title shall submit an application to the State
educational agency at such time, in such manner, and ac-
companied by such information, as the State educational
agency may require.
(b) CRITERIA.—The State educational agency, with
the assistance of experts representing education organiza-
tions, shall review applications for grants under this title
on the basis of the following criteria:
(1) AVAILABILITY
OF
EDUCATIONAL
TECH-
NOLOGY INFORMATION.—The degree to which the
local educational agency has made, or plans to make,