I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3234
To promote the engagement of young Americans in the democratic process
through civic education in classrooms, in service learning programs, and
in student leadership activities, of America’s public schools.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 6, 2001
Mr. BLAGOJEVICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To promote the engagement of young Americans in the
democratic process through civic education in classrooms,
in service learning programs, and in student leadership
activities, of America’s public schools.
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 ‘‘Hubert H. Humphrey
Civic Education Enhancement Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings:
(1) Civic knowledge, civic intellectual skills,
civic participation skills, and civic virtue on the part
of the United States citizenry are all crucial for the
vitality of a healthy representative democracy.
(2) In the years after leaving secondary school,
young Americans are becoming less engaged in the
democratic process. Whereas 50 percent of Ameri-
cans between the ages of 18 and 25 voted in 1972,
only 38 percent of that age group voted in 2000.
(3) The most recent nationwide survey of in-
coming college freshmen, conducted by the Higher
Education Research Institute at the University of
California at Los Angeles, reports that only 28.1
percent of the students entering college in the fall of
2000 reported an interest in ‘‘keeping up to date
with political affairs’’. This was the lowest level in
the 35-year history of the survey. In 1966, 60.3 per-
cent of students reported an interest in political af-
fairs.
(4) According to a Harvard University survey
published in 2000, 85 percent of young people said
that volunteer work is better than political engage-
ment as a way to solve important issues, suggesting
a disconnection between the record high rates of vol-
unteerism by young Americans and an interest in
public affairs by these young citizens.
(5) The 1998 National Assessment of Edu-
cational Progress (NAEP) Civics Assessment re-
vealed startling results in terms of United States
students’ competence in civics at grade levels 4, 8,
and 12. At each grade level, the percentage of stu-
dents shown to be below the basic level outnumbered
the percentage at the proficient level and at the ad-
vanced level combined. 31 percent of fourth grade
students, 30 percent of eighth grade students, and
35 percent of secondary school seniors scored below
the basic level in their civics achievement.
(6) A 1999 study published by the Lyndon B.
Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University
of Texas at Austin showed that the introduction of
mandated State assessments in other fields, but
typically not in civics, has resulted in a reduction in
the amount of class time spent on civics.
(7) From the 1950s until the 1970s, new and
veteran teachers in the field of social studies had
high-quality professional development opportunities
made available to them through programs funded by
the Federal Government as part of the National De-
fense Education Act of 1958 (Public Law 85–864;
72 Stat. 1580), the Education Professions Develop-
ment Act (Public Law 89–329; 79 Stat. 1254), the
National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42
U.S.C. 1861 et seq.), and other programs designed
by the Department of Education. Most of those fed-
erally funded opportunities—particularly helpful for
new teachers—have disappeared.
(8) Service-learning programs, when such pro-
grams are high in quality and linked to other civics
curricula, have been shown to increase student effi-
cacy in public affairs and to enhance students’
knowledge of how government works and how social
change can be brought about. According to a 1997
study by Youniss, McLellan, and Yates and a 1999
study by Melchoir, over 80 percent of participants in
high-quality service-learning programs felt they had
made a positive contribution to their community.
More importantly, according to another 1997 study,
by Billig and Conrad, individuals who participated in
service-learning programs as secondary school stu-
dents were shown to be more engaged in community
organizations and to vote, 15 years after the service-
learning experiences, than were the individuals’ non-
participant counterparts.
(9) Our Nation’s public middle schools and sec-
ondary schools often miss opportunities to develop
and support student governments that are viable
voices for students in the operations of those
schools. A 1996 study by the National Association of
Secondary School Principals showed that fewer than
50 percent of high school students believed that
their student government ‘‘affects decisions about
cocurricular activities’’ and barely 1⁄3 expressed con-
fidence in those governments’ ability to ‘‘affect deci-
sions about school rules’’. Moreover, schools rarely
take full advantage in encouraging formal involve-
ment by students in local or State government.
(10) While a variety of civic education enhance-
ment programs have been implemented through Fed-
eral Government efforts and at the State and local
levels, no comprehensive, national research exists on
the short- and long-term efficacy of such programs
in encouraging civic knowledge and other learning or
in promoting civic engagement.
(11) As a political scientist, mayor, Senator,
and Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey exempli-
fied consummately the application of civic knowl-
edge, civic intellectual skills, civic participation skills,
and civic virtue in the representative democracy of
the United States.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to promote interest and engagement in
democratic processes by Americans, particularly by
younger Americans, through a variety of civic edu-
cation programs;
(2) to promote the vitality of elementary school
and secondary school civics curricula and pedagogy
through innovative professional development oppor-
tunities for teachers of social studies and related
fields;
(3) to promote service-learning programs in
public schools that are effective in promoting lasting
civic involvement by students through developing
and expanding professional development opportuni-
ties for teachers participating in the school-based
programs under the Learn and Serve America pro-
gram carried out under subtitle B of title I of the
National Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12521 et seq.);
(4) to permit local educational agencies to use
funds made available under an innovative education
program to support certain community service and
service-learning programs;
(5) to provide funding for public schools desir-
ing to revitalize the efficacy of student governments
in the decisionmaking process within those schools;
(6) to provide funding for public schools to de-
velop opportunities for secondary school students to
participate formally in local or State government ac-
tivities; and
(7) to carry out a national study to gain a
fuller understanding of the efficacy of various civic
education strategies in promoting civic knowledge
and other learning and in promoting long-term in-
volvement in civic affairs.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘elemen-
tary school’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the
meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(3) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given
the term in section 14101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
(4) SECONDARY
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec-
ondary school’’ has the meaning given the term in
section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Education.
(6) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term
‘‘State educational agency’’ has the meaning given
the term in section 14101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
SEC. 4. CIVICS EDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary is authorized to
award grants to institutions of higher education, State
educational agencies, and other nonprofit educational pro-
viders to enable such institutions, agencies, and providers
to establish and operate teacher training and retraining
institutes that focus on effective and innovative ap-
proaches and processes for the teaching of civics.
(b) APPLICATIONS.—Each institution of higher edu-
cation, State educational agency, and other nonprofit edu-
cational provider desiring a grant under this section shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the
Secretary may reasonably require.
(c) CIVICS INSTITUTES.—The teacher training and
retraining institutes authorized in subsection (a)—
(1) shall—
(A) be conducted primarily during the
summer months with the possibility of short fol-
low-up sessions at other points in the year;
(B) be 2 to 6 weeks in duration, including
follow-up sessions;
(C) be of a size small enough to allow a
seminar format;
(D) train and retrain teachers who teach
in elementary schools and secondary schools;
and
(E) focus on improving grade-appropriate
pedagogy or curricula in specific areas of civics
education; and
(2) may incorporate participation by elementary
school and secondary school students.
(d) STIPENDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—From grant funds received
under subsection (a), an institution of higher edu-
cation, State educational agency, or other nonprofit
educational provider shall award stipends to individ-
uals participating in a training and retraining insti-
tute carried out by the institution, agency, or pro-
vider under this section. The institution, agency, or
provider may also offer course credit as an incentive
to participants.
(2) AMOUNTS.—Stipends awarded under this
subsection shall include allowances for subsistence
and such other expenses as the Secretary may deter-
mine to be appropriate, taking into account any ad-
ditional incentive being provided in the form of
course credit, and shall be awarded in a manner that
is consistent with prevailing practices under federally
supported programs comparable to the program car-
ried out under this Act.
(e) DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS.—In awarding grants
under this section, the Secretary shall seek to achieve an
equitable geographical distribution of training and retrain-
ing opportunities throughout the Nation, taking into ac-
count the number of children in each State who are public
school students.
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may
be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.
SEC. 5. EXPANSION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OP-
PORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS IN THE LEARN
AND SERVE AMERICA PROGRAM.
(a) FUNDING AMENDMENT.—Section 501(a)(1)(A)
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 12681) is amended by striking ‘‘, $45,000,000 for
fiscal year 1994 and such sums as may be necessary for
each of the fiscal years 1995 through 1996’’ and inserting
‘‘$65,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may
be necessary for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2006’’.
(b) SERVICE-LEARNING INSTITUTES.—The National
and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501
et seq.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating section 116B as section
116C; and
(2) by inserting after section 116A the fol-
lowing:
‘‘SEC. 116B. SERVICE-LEARNING INSTITUTES.
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Corporation is author-
ized to award grants to institutions of higher education,
State educational agencies, and other nonprofit edu-
cational providers to enable such institutions, agencies,
and providers to establish and operate teacher training
and retraining institutes that focus on effective and inno-
vative approaches and processes for school-based service-
learning programs.
‘‘(b) APPLICATIONS.—Each institution of higher edu-
cation, State educational agency, and other nonprofit edu-
cational provider desiring a grant under this section shall
submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the
Corporation may reasonably require.
‘‘(c) SERVICE-LEARNING INSTITUTES.—The teacher
training and retraining institutes authorized in subsection
(a)—
‘‘(1) shall—
‘‘(A) be conducted primarily during the
summer months with the possibility of short fol-
low-up sessions at other points in the year;
‘‘(B) be 2 to 6 weeks in duration, including
follow-up sessions;
‘‘(C) be of a size small enough to allow a
seminar format;
‘‘(D) train and retrain teachers who teach
in elementary schools and secondary schools;
and
‘‘(E) focus on improving grade-appropriate
service-learning pedagogy or curricula; and
‘‘(2) may incorporate participation by elemen-
tary school and secondary school students.
‘‘(d) STIPENDS.—