H. R. 6—140
shall represent the interests of elementary and secondary
schools that are eligible to participate in the program under
part A of title I; or
‘‘(B) a partnership that will provide telecommuni-
cations services and which includes 3 or more of the follow-
ing entities, at least 1 of which shall be an agency described
in clause (i) or (ii):
‘‘(i) a local educational agency that serves a signifi-
cant number of elementary and secondary schools that
are eligible for assistance under part A of title I, or
elementary and secondary schools operated or funded
for Indian children by the Department of the Interior
eligible under section 1121(b)(2);
‘‘(ii) a State educational agency;
‘‘(iii) adult and family education programs;
‘‘(iv) an institution of higher education or a State
higher education agency;
‘‘(v) a teacher training center or academy that—
‘‘(I) provides teacher pre-service and in-service
training; and
‘‘(II) receives Federal financial assistance or
has been approved by a State agency;
‘‘(vi) (I) a public or private entity with experience
and expertise in the planning and operation of a tele-
communications network, including entities involved
in telecommunications through satellite, cable, tele-
phone, or computer; or
‘‘(II) a public broadcasting entity with such experi-
ence; or
‘‘(vii) a public or private elementary or secondary
school.
‘‘(b) SPECIAL RULE.—An eligible entity receiving assistance
under this part shall be organized on a statewide or multistate
basis.
‘‘SEC. 3206. APPLICATIONS.
‘‘(a) APPLICATIONS
REQUIRED.—Each eligible entity which
desires to receive a grant under section 3204 shall submit an
application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and
containing or accompanied by such information as the Secretary
may reasonably require.
‘‘(b) STAR SCHOOL AWARD APPLICATIONS.—Each application
submitted pursuant to subsection (a) shall—
‘‘(1) describe how the proposed project will assist in achiev-
ing the National Education Goals, how such project will assist
all students to have an opportunity to learn to challenging
State standards, how such project will assist State and local
educational reform efforts, and how such project will contribute
to creating a high quality system of lifelong learning;
‘‘(2) describe the telecommunications facilities and equip-
ment and technical assistance for which assistance is sought,
which may include—
‘‘(A) the design, development, construction, acquisition,
maintenance and operation of State or multistate edu-
cational telecommunications networks and technology
resource centers;
H. R. 6—141
‘‘(B) microwave, fiber optics, cable, and satellite trans-
mission equipment or any combination thereof;
‘‘(C) reception facilities;
‘‘(D) satellite time;
‘‘(E) production facilities;
‘‘(F) other telecommunications equipment capable of
serving a wide geographic area;
‘‘(G) the provision of training services to instructors
who will be using the facilities and equipment for which
assistance is sought, including training in using such facili-
ties and equipment and training in integrating programs
into the classroom curriculum; and
‘‘(H) the development of educational and related
programming for use on a telecommunications network;
‘‘(3) in the case of an application for assistance for instruc-
tional programming, describe the types of programming which
will be developed to enhance instruction and training and pro-
vide assurances that such programming will be designed in
consultation with professionals (including classroom teachers)
who are experts in the applicable subject matter and grade
level;
‘‘(4) describe how the eligible entity has engaged in suffi-
cient survey and analysis of the area to be served to ensure
that the services offered by the eligible entity will increase
the availability of courses of instruction in English, mathe-
matics, science, foreign languages, arts, history, geography, or
other disciplines;
‘‘(5) describe the professional development policies for
teachers and other school personnel to be implemented to
ensure the effective use of the telecommunications facilities
and equipment for which assistance is sought;
‘‘(6) describe the manner in which historically underserved
students (such as students from low-income families, limited
English proficient students, students with disabilities, or stu-
dents who have low literacy skills) and their families, will
participate in the benefits of the telecommunications facilities,
equipment, technical assistance, and programming assisted
under this part;
‘‘(7) describe how existing telecommunications equipment,
facilities, and services, where available, will be used;
‘‘(8) provide assurances that the financial interest of the
United States in the telecommunications facilities and equip-
ment will be protected for the useful life of such facilities
and equipment;
‘‘(9) provide assurances that a significant portion of any
facilities and equipment, technical assistance, and program-
ming for which assistance is sought for elementary and second-
ary schools will be made available to schools or local educational
agencies that have a high number or percentage of children
eligible to be counted under part A of title I;
‘‘(10) provide assurances that the applicant will use the
funds provided under this part to supplement and not supplant
funds otherwise available for the purposes of this part;
‘‘(11) if any member of the consortia receives assistance
under subpart 3 of part A, describe how funds received under
this part will be coordinated with funds received for educational
technology in the classroom under such section;
H. R. 6—142
‘‘(12) describe the activities or services for which assistance
is sought, such as—
‘‘(A) providing facilities, equipment, training services,
and technical assistance;
‘‘(B) making programs accessible to students with
disabilities through mechanisms such as closed captioning
and descriptive video services;
‘‘(C) linking networks around issues of national impor-
tance (such as elections) or to provide information about
employment opportunities, job training, or student and
other social service programs;
‘‘(D) sharing curriculum resources between networks
and development of program guides which demonstrate
cooperative, cross-network listing of programs for specific
curriculum areas;
‘‘(E) providing teacher and student support services
including classroom and training support materials which
permit student and teacher involvement in the live inter-
active distance learning telecasts;
‘‘(F) incorporating community resources such as librar-
ies and museums into instructional programs;
‘‘(G) providing professional development for teachers,
including, as appropriate, training to early childhood devel-
opment and Head Start teachers and staff and vocational
education teachers and staff, and adult and family edu-
cators;
‘‘(H) providing programs for adults to maximize the
use of telecommunications facilities and equipment;
‘‘(I) providing teacher training on proposed or estab-
lished voluntary national content standards in mathematics
and science and other disciplines as such standards are
developed; and
‘‘(J) providing parent education programs during and
after the regular school day which reinforce a student’s
course of study and actively involve parents in the learning
process;
‘‘(13) describe how the proposed project as a whole will
be financed and how arrangements for future financing will
be developed before the project expires;
‘‘(14) provide an assurance that a significant portion of
any facilities, equipment, technical assistance, and program-
ming for which assistance is sought for elementary and second-
ary schools will be made available to schools in local educational
agencies that have a high percentage of children counted for
the purpose of part A of title I;
‘‘(15) provide an assurance that the applicant will provide
such information and cooperate in any evaluation that the
Secretary may conduct under this part; and
‘‘(16) include such additional assurances as the Secretary
may reasonably require.
‘‘(c) PRIORITIES.—The Secretary, in approving applications for
grants authorized under section 3204, shall give priority to applica-
tions describing projects that—
‘‘(1) propose high-quality plans to assist in achieving one
or more of the National Education Goals, will provide instruc-
tion consistent with State content standards, or will otherwise
H. R. 6—143
provide significant and specific assistance to States and local
educational agencies undertaking systemic education reform;
‘‘(2) will provide services to programs serving adults, espe-
cially parents, with low levels of literacy;
‘‘(3) will serve schools with significant numbers of children
counted for the purposes of part A of title I;
‘‘(4) ensure that the eligible entity will—
‘‘(A) serve the broadest range of institutions, programs
providing instruction outside of the school setting, pro-
grams serving adults, especially parents, with low levels
of literacy, institutions of higher education, teacher training
centers, research institutes, and private industry;
‘‘(B) have substantial academic and teaching capabili-
ties, including the capability of training, retraining, and
inservice upgrading of teaching skills and the capability
to provide professional development;
‘‘(C) provide a comprehensive range of courses for edu-
cators to teach instructional strategies for students with
different skill levels;
‘‘(D) provide training to participating educators in ways
to integrate telecommunications courses into existing school
curriculum;
‘‘(E) provide instruction for students, teachers, and par-
ents;
‘‘(F) serve a multistate area; and
‘‘(G) give priority to the provision of equipment and
linkages to isolated areas; and
‘‘(5) involve a telecommunications entity (such as a satellite,
cable, telephone, computer, or public or private television sta-
tions) participating in the eligible entity and donating equip-
ment or in-kind services for telecommunications linkages.
‘‘(d) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—In approving applications for
grants authorized under section 3204, the Secretary shall, to the
extent feasible, ensure an equitable geographic distribution of serv-
ices provided under this part.
‘‘SEC. 3207. LEADERSHIP AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES.
‘‘(a) RESERVATION.—From the amount appropriated pursuant
to the authority of section 3204(c)(1) in each fiscal year, the Sec-
retary may reserve not more than 5 percent of such amount for
national leadership, evaluation, and peer review activities.
‘‘(b) METHOD OF FUNDING.—The Secretary may fund the activi-
ties described in subsection (a) directly or through grants, contracts,
and cooperative agreements.
‘‘(c) USES OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) LEADERSHIP.—Funds reserved for leadership activities
under subsection (a) may be used for—
‘‘(A) disseminating information, including lists and
descriptions of services available from grant recipients
under this part; and
‘‘(B) other activities designed to enhance the quality
of distance learning activities nationwide.
‘‘(2) EVALUATION.—Funds reserved for evaluation activities
under subsection (a) may be used to conduct independent
evaluations of the activities assisted under this part and of
distance learning in general, including—