Teaching Engaged Citizenship Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.5288 | Sponsor: Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay (D-PA)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Teaching Engaged Citizenship Act of 2021
This bill provides resources to expand civic education.
Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to establish the Civic Education and Service Learning Grant Program to award grants to eligible entities (e.g., state educational agencies) for promoting and expanding civic education in public elementary and secondary schools.
Next, the bill creates the Office of Civic Education within ED to promote civic education throughout the United States. The office must establish the Center for Civic Excellence to analyze programs created with the use of grant funds and develop best practices for implementing civic education.
Further, the bill establishes the role of Assistant Secretary for Civic Education, whose responsibilities shall include managing the grant program established by the bill. It also establishes an advisory committee to advise the assistant secretary on civic education policy.
The bill requires the National Assessment of Educational Progress in civics and history to be administered every two years to certain grade levels. Further, civics and history assessment data must be published in the aggregate for the United States and separately for each state.
Additionally, the bill establishes an annual Excellence in Civics Award to highlight excellence in the development and teaching of civic education and service learning.
The Library of Congress, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Archives and Records Administration must work jointly to develop and publicly distribute educational materials and teaching resources related to civic education and effective citizenship.

To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a Civic Education and 
        Service Learning Grant Program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Teaching Engaged Citizenship Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. CIVIC EDUCATION AND SERVICE LEARNING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Education shall establish the 
Civic Education and Service Learning Grant Program to award grants, on 
a competitive basis, to eligible entities to--
            (1) promote and expand civic education by supporting the 
        development and implementation of high-quality civic education 
        and service-learning programming in public elementary schools 
        and public secondary schools;
            (2) promote the development and implementation of evidence-
        based curricula and educational standards and provide teacher 
        development with respect to civic education and service-
        learning programming in public elementary schools and public 
        secondary schools; and
            (3) assist State and local educational agencies, 
        institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations 
        in supporting civic education and service-learning in public 
        elementary schools and public secondary schools.
    (b) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, 
an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application in such 
form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary 
determines appropriate, including specifying whether the grant will be 
used for--
            (1) the training of teachers with respect to civic 
        education and service-learning under subsection (c)(1); or
            (2) the development and implementation of civic education 
        and service-learning programs under subsection (c)(2).
    (c) Grant Uses.--An eligible entity shall use grant funds awarded 
under this section, in accordance with the application submitted by 
such entity under subsection (b), for one of the following activities:
            (1) The development and implementation of programs for the 
        training of teachers with respect to civic education and 
        service-learning, including--
                    (A) training teachers with respect to effective 
                strategies for instructing students in civic education 
                and service-learning;
                    (B) hosting training sessions for teachers to share 
                best practices and learn new skills;
                    (C) developing classroom resources to aid teachers 
                with respect to improving civic education and service-
                learning programs for students;
                    (D) supporting other programs designed to provide 
                teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary for 
                teaching civic education; and
                    (E) coordinating with local organizations and 
                community-based services and programs to provide hands-
                on and experiential civic learning development 
                opportunities.
            (2) The development and implementation of effective civic 
        education and service-learning programs, including--
                    (A) establishing a new, or improving an existing, 
                civic education or service-learning program, including 
                by--
                            (i) developing and modifying curricula 
                        relating to civic education and service-
                        learning; and
                            (ii) creating and administering classroom 
                        activities, thesis projects, individual or 
                        group projects, internships, or community 
                        service activities related to civic education, 
                        including--
                                    (I) simulated congressional 
                                hearings;
                                    (II) courtroom simulations; and
                                    (III) simulated public hearings;
                    (B) evaluating and increasing the effectiveness of 
                such programs for participating students, including 
                with respect to--
                            (i) understanding of United States law, 
                        history, and government by such students;
                            (ii) the participation of such students 
                        with respect to voting and other forms of 
                        political and civic engagement;
                            (iii) critical thinking skills and media 
                        and digital literacy of such students;
                            (iv) interest of such students in 
                        employment and careers in military, national, 
                        and public service; and
                            (v) the ability of such students to solve 
                        problems through collaboration and compromise;
                    (C) developing and supporting programs necessary to 
                the efficacy of civic education or service-learning 
                programs, as determined by the Secretary; and
                    (D) coordinating with Government entities, 
                nonprofit organizations, or a consortia of such 
                entities and organizations to provide students with 
                experiences related to civic education.
    (d) Subgrants.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that is a State 
        educational agency may use the grant awarded under this section 
        to award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to local 
        educational agencies served by such State educational agency.
            (2) Use of funds.--A local educational agency receiving a 
        subgrant from a State educational agency under this subsection 
        shall use the funds to carry out the activities under 
        subsection (c) for which such State educational agency received 
        the grant.
            (3) Application.--A local educational agency shall submit 
        to the State educational agency an application in such form, at 
        such time, and containing such information as the State 
        educational agency deems appropriate.
            (4) Funds.--Of the grant amount used to award subgrants 
        under this subsection, a State educational agency shall use not 
        less than 50 percent to award such subgrants to local 
        educational agencies that serve high-need schools.
    (e) Geographic Distribution.--In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall select eligible entities that are located 
in different geographic regions of the United States.
    (f) Regulations.--The Secretary shall promulgate such regulations 
as may be necessary to carry out this section, including--
            (1) procedures for eligible entities to apply for grants 
        under this section;
            (2) the competitive process for the awarding of grants; and
            (3) reporting requirements by recipients of such grants.
    (g) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date on which the 
first grant is awarded under this section, and on an annual basis 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing 
the following:
            (1) Information with respect to each eligible entity to 
        which a grant was awarded under this section during the 
        preceding 12-month period, including with respect to--
                    (A) the programs funded by such grants; and
                    (B) the schools involved in such programs.
            (2) An evaluation of any successes of the programs for 
        which grants are awarded under this section, including with 
        respect to--
                    (A) progress toward implementing a civic education 
                curriculum in all elementary schools and secondary 
                schools by 2031; and
                    (B) the number of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 
                testing at or above the proficient level in the civics 
                and history portions of the National Assessment of 
                Education Progress Test under section 303 of the 
                National Assessment of Educational Progress 
                Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622), as compared with 
                the last administration of such assessment.
            (3) An assessment of any need for additional funding for 
        programs under this section.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for purposes of carrying out this section $400,000,000 for 
each fiscal year, of which--
            (1) 50 percent shall be used to award funds to carry out 
        programs authorized under subsection (c)(1), of which--
                    (A) 50 percent shall be used to award funds to 
                eligible entities that are State educational agencies; 
                and
                    (B) 50 percent shall be used to award funds to 
                eligible entities that are not State educational 
                agencies; and
            (2) 50 percent shall be used to award funds to carry out 
        programs authorized under subsection (c)(2), of which--
                    (A) 50 percent shall be used to award funds to 
                eligible entities that are State educational agencies; 
                and
                    (B) 50 percent shall be used to award funds to 
                eligible entities that are not State educational 
                agencies.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF CIVIC EDUCATION.

    (a) In General.--The Department of Education Organization Act (20 
U.S.C. 3401 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 202(b)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as 
                subparagraph (G); and
                    (C) by adding after subparagraph (E) the following:
                    ``(F) an Assistant Secretary for Civic Education; 
                and''; and
            (2) in title II, by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 221. OFFICE OF CIVIC EDUCATION.

    ``(a) Establishment.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish in the 
        Department an Office of Civic Education (referred to in this 
        section as the `Office').
            ``(2) Assistant secretary.--The Office will be administered 
        by the Assistant Secretary for Civic Education appointed under 
        section 202(b) (referred to in this section as the `Assistant 
        Secretary').
            ``(3) Mission.--The mission of the Office shall be to 
        promote civic education throughout the United States.
            ``(4) Functions.--The Assistant Secretary shall be 
        responsible for engaging in activities to carry out the mission 
        described in paragraph (3), including by--
                    ``(A) managing the Civic Education and Service 
                Learning Grant Program established under section 2 of 
                the Teaching Engaged Citizenship Act of 2021, including 
                presenting recommendations of funding for such Civic 
                Education and Service Learning Grant Program to the 
                Secretary, who has authority to grant final approval of 
                the selected grantees;
                    ``(B) advising the Secretary;
                    ``(C) coordinating with the agencies and offices of 
                the Department to update relevant programs;
                    ``(D) engaging in stakeholder relations and 
                developing external partnerships;
                    ``(E) identifying best practices by State and local 
                educational agencies, in conjunction with the Center 
                for Civic Excellence and the Civic Education Advisory 
                Committee, established in this section; and
                    ``(F) collaborating with other Federal agencies.
    ``(b) Center for Civic Excellence.--The Office shall establish a 
Center for Civic Excellence to--
            ``(1) analyze the programs created under the Civic 
        Education and Service Learning Grant Program established under 
        section 2 of the Teaching Engaged Citizenship Act of 2021, 
        including with respect to suggestions for best practices from 
        State educational agencies and local educational agencies; and
            ``(2) develop best practices with respect to the 
        implementation of civic education in accordance with the 
        recommendations of the Civic Education Advisory Committee 
        established in subsection (c).
    ``(c) Civic Education Advisory Committee.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a 
        Civic Education Advisory Committee (referred to in this 
        subsection as the `Committee') to advise the Assistant 
        Secretary with respect to civic education policy.
            ``(2) Membership.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Committee shall be composed 
                of 12 members, of whom--
                            ``(i) 2 shall be students;
                            ``(ii) 2 shall be civics educators;
                            ``(iii) 4 shall be representatives from 
                        State educational agencies or local educational 
                        agencies; and
                            ``(iv) 4 shall be representatives from 
                        nonprofit organizations that focus on civic 
                        education.
                    ``(B) Initial appointments.--The Secretary shall 
                appoint the members of the Committee not later than 180 
                days after the date of enactment of this section.
            ``(3) Period of appointment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A member of the Committee shall 
                be appointed for a term of 2 years.
                    ``(B) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Committee--
                            ``(i) shall not affect the powers of the 
                        Committee; and
                            ``(ii) shall be filled as soon as 
                        practicable in the same manner as the original 
                        appointment.
                    ``(C) Consecutive terms.--A member of the Committee 
                may serve an additional consecutive term.
            ``(4) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet not fewer than 4 
        times per year.
            ``(5) Duties.--The Committee shall--
                    ``(A) develop recommendations and advise the 
                Assistant Secretary on policies, initiatives, and 
                outreach relating to civic education;
                    ``(B) evaluate and review ongoing research and 
                promotion activities relating to civic education;
                    ``(C) evaluate the impact of the Civic Education 
                and Service Learning Grant Program established under 
                section 2 of the Teaching Engaged Citizenship Act of 
                2021 and recommend ways to adjust funding levels and 
                strategies;
                    ``(D) use the information contained in the report 
                required under paragraph (7)(A) to select recipients of 
                the Excellence in Civics Award established under 
                section 5 of the Teaching Engaged Citizenship Act of 
                2021; and
                    ``(E) provide additional assistance and advice to 
                the Assistant Secretary as appropriate.
            ``(6) Personnel matters.--
                    ``(A) Compensation.--A member of the Committee 
                shall serve without compensation.
                    ``(B) Travel expenses.--A member of the Committee 
                shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in 
                lieu of subsistence, in accordance with section 5703 of 
                title 5, United States Code.
            ``(7) Report.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 12 months after 
                the date of the establishment of the Committee, the 
                Committee shall submit to the Assistant Secretary a 
                report on criteria used to evaluate--
                            ``(i) high-quality civic education; and
                            ``(ii) service learning.
                    ``(B) Use.--The Assistant Secretary shall use the 
                information contained in the report required under 
                subparagraph (A) to evaluate programs created under the 
                Civic Education and Service Learning Grant Program 
                established under section 2 of the Teaching Engaged 
                Citizenship Act of 2021.
            ``(8) Duration.--The Committee shall be established for a 
        period of 2 years and may be renewed at the direction of the 
        Secretary.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1 of 
the Department of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 220 the 
following:

``Sec. 221. Office of Civic Education.''.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL CIVICS ASSESSMENT.

    (a) Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.--
            (1) State plans.--Section 1111 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (g)(2)(D), by striking ``reading 
                and mathematics'' and inserting ``reading, mathematics, 
                civics, and history''; and
                    (B) in subsection (h)(1)(C)(xii), by striking 
                ``reading and mathematics'' and inserting ``reading, 
                mathematics, civics, and history''.
            (2) Local educational agency plans.--Section 1112(c)(3) of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        6312(c)(3)) is amended by striking ``reading and mathematics'' 
        and inserting ``reading, mathematics, civics, and history''.
    (b) National Assessment of Educational Progress.--Section 303 of 
the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 
U.S.C. 9622) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (E), by 
                        striking ``reading and mathematics'' and 
                        inserting ``reading, mathematics, civics, and 
                        history'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (D)--
                                    (I) by striking ``civics,''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``history,'';
                            (iii) in subparagraph (G), by striking 
                        ``and'' at the end;
                            (iv) in subparagraph (H), by striking the 
                        period and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (v) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(I) ensure that achievement data from the civics 
                and history assessments described in subparagraphs (B), 
                (C), and (E) are made available both in the aggregate 
                for the United States and separately for each State.''; 
                and
                    (B) in paragraph (3), in subparagraphs (A)(i), 
                (A)(ii), and (C)(ii), by striking ``reading and 
                mathematics'' and inserting ``reading, mathematics, 
                civics, and history''; and
            (2) in subsection (d)(3), in subparagraphs (A) and (B), by 
        striking ``reading and mathematics'' and inserting ``reading, 
        mathematics, civics, and history''.

SEC. 5. EXCELLENCE IN CIVICS AWARD.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award to eligible 
recipients, on an annual basis, the Excellence in Civics Award to 
highlight excellence in the development and teaching of civic education 
and service-learning, with special attention to programs that address 
community needs.
    (b) Nominations.--To be eligible for an award under subsection (a), 
an eligible recipient shall submit to the Secretary a nomination, of 
any eligible recipient, in such form, at such time, and containing such 
information as the Secretary determines appropriate, including with 
respect to the eligible recipient--
            (1) a description of the innovative civic education or 
        service-learning programs or projects administered or completed 
        by such eligible recipient;
            (2) with respect to an award for service-learning programs 
        or projects, the impact of such programs or projects on--
                    (A) measurable civics learning outcomes; or
                    (B) addressing community or national needs, 
                including--
                            (i) disaster relief;
                            (ii) education;
                            (iii) poverty reduction;
                            (iv) reintegration of individuals who have 
                        been incarcerated;
                            (v) senior citizen aid; and
                            (vi) public safety; and
            (3) with respect to an award for education programs, 
        teaching styles, or projects, the ability of such programs, 
        teaching styles, or projects to be implemented on a national 
        level.
    (c) Selection of Recipients.--The Civic Education Advisory 
Committee established under section 221(c) of the Department of 
Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3401 et seq.), as added by 
section 3 of this Act, shall, in accordance with paragraph (5)(D) of 
such section 221(c), select recipients of awards under this section.
    (d) Eligible Recipient Defined.--For purposes of this section, the 
term ``eligible recipient'' means--
            (1) a State educational agency;
            (2) a local educational agency;
            (3) a public elementary school;
            (4) a public secondary school;
            (5) a teacher;
            (6) a student;
            (7) a group of students; and
            (8) a consortium of--
                    (A) 1 or more of the entities described in 
                paragraphs (1) through (7); and
                    (B) a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization.

SEC. 6. DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIAL RELATING TO CIVIC EDUCATION AND 
              EFFECTIVE CITIZENSHIP.

    (a) In General.--Covered officials shall work jointly to--
            (1) develop educational materials and teaching resources 
        relating to civic education and effective citizenship, 
        including by--
                    (A) enhancing existing online resources; and
                    (B) supporting the distribution of hard copy and 
                digital materials to local libraries, polling 
                locations, and schools; and
            (2) distribute such materials to the public.
    (b) Reporting.--The covered officials shall submit to Congress a 
report with respect to the development and distribution efforts 
required under subsection (a).
    (c) Covered Official Defined.--In this section, term ``covered 
official'' means--
            (1) the Librarian of Congress;
            (2) the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library 
        Services; and
            (3) the Archivist of the United States.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section 
for fiscal year 2022 and each succeeding fiscal year.

SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed as authorizing the Secretary 
of Education to prescribe a civics and history curriculum.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Civic education.--The term ``civic education'' means an 
        educational program that provides participants with knowledge 
        of law, government, and the rights and responsibilities of 
        citizens and skills that enable participants to participate 
        responsibly in democracy.
            (2) Eligible entity.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``eligible entity'' 
                means--
                            (i) a State educational agency; or
                            (ii) an entity described in subparagraph 
                        (B) in partnership with a State educational 
                        agency or local educational agency.
                    (B) Other entities.--The entities described in this 
                subparagraph are as follows:
                            (i) An institution of higher education.
                            (ii) A community-based organization.
                            (iii) A nonprofit, nongovernmental 
                        organization.
                            (iv) A consortium of entities described in 
                        subparagraphs (i) through (iii).
            (3) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', 
        ``institution of higher education'', ``local educational 
        agency'', ``poverty line'', ``secondary school'', 
        ``Secretary'', ``State'', and ``State educational agency'' have 
        the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (4) High-need school.--The term ``high-need school'' means 
        any public elementary school or secondary school that is 
        located in an area in which the percentage of students from 
        families with incomes below the poverty line is 30 percent or 
        more, as determined by the Secretary.
            (5) Service-learning.--The term ``service-learning'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 101 of the National and 
        Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511).
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