Ready to Compete Act

Bill: 110-hr-6856
Sponsor: Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3]
Introduced: 2008-09-10 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Adult education
Authorization
Child development
Child health
Colleges
Continuing education
Department of Education
Distance education
Economics and Public Finance
Educational accountability
Educational innovations
Educational technology
Educational television
Educational tests
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Engineering
English language
Families
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Higher education
Labor and Employment
Literacy programs
Mathematics
Preschool education
Public broadcasting
Reading
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Secondary education
Teacher education
Technical education
Television programs
Television stations

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-10
text: 
Ready to Compete Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to create a new Ready to Learn program authorizing the Secretary of Education to award a grant to a public broadcasting entity to provide a coordinated Ready to Learn television service by awarding subgrants and contracts to public television stations and producers or distributors of educational programming for the operation of Ready to Learn programs for preschool and elementary school children.
 
Requires such service to include programming that: (1) is aligned with state academic and early learning standards; (2) addresses specific community and school needs, ascertained via ongoing community outreach programs; and (3) is in reading and social and emotional development.
 
Specifies that public broadcasting entities are eligible for Ready to Teach grants to improve teaching in core curriculum areas by using high-tech platforms to deliver integrated educational content and services and teacher training. Requires grantees to direct a significant portion of such services to schools that have failed for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward state academic performance standards.
 
Alters the Digital Educational Programming Grants program by authorizing competitive five-year (currently, three-year) grants to public television stations that partner with certain other entities to develop, and train teachers in the use of, innovative educational tools and digital content for core curriculum content areas, particularly math, science, and technology.
 
Reauthorizes appropriations for such revamped programs through FY2014.
 
Directs the Secretary to award ten-year grants to television public broadcasting entities to develop and operate a national on-demand digital education media service available to teachers, parents, educational entities, and the public at low or no cost.
 
Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to create a Ready to Earn program authorizing the Secretary to award competitive grants to public television stations that partner with states, state workforce investment boards, or institutions of higher education to develop, disseminate, and provide on-line and on-air education and training services for adults.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2008-09-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-09-10
text: Introduced in House