No Child Left Inside Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-492
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-02-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Advisory bodies
Congressional oversight
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Government information and archives
Higher education
Nutrition and diet
Outdoor recreation
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Preschool education
Science and engineering education
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-12
text: 

No Child Left Inside Act of 2015

 
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to eligible partnerships to support the implementation of state environmental literacy plans that include environmental education standards and teacher training.
 
Includes in the eligible partnerships a local educational agency (LEA) and at least one institution of higher education, another LEA, an elementary or secondary school, or a government or nonprofit entity experienced in environmental literacy.
 
Requires use of the subgrants for one or more of the following activities:
 
 
providing targeted, job-embedded professional development that improves teachers' environmental content knowledge and pedagogical skills;
 
 establishing and operating environmental education summer workshops or institutes for teachers;
 
developing or redesigning more rigorous environmental education curricula;
 
designing programs that prepare teachers to provide environmental education mentoring and training to other teachers in their school;
 
 establishing and operating programs to bring teachers and students into contact with working professionals in environmental fields;
 
creating initiatives that incorporate environmental education within teacher training programs or accreditation standards; and
 
promoting the integration of outdoor environmental education lessons into the regular school curriculum and schedule.
 
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to eligible partnerships for one or more of the following activities:
 
 
developing and implementing state curriculum frameworks for environmental education that meet challenging state academic content and achievement standards for environmental education,
 
replicating or disseminating information about proven and tested model environmental education programs, and
 
developing and implementing new approaches to advancing environmental education and the adoption and use of environmental education content standards.
 
 
Amends part B (Mathematics and Science Partnerships) of title II of the ESEA to: (1) include nonprofit environmental education organizations and government science, environmental, or natural resource management agencies among the entities eligible to participate in part B partnerships; and (2) allow the use of part B funds to train teachers to use environmental education to enhance student understanding of science and mathematics.
 
Amends part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers) of title IV of the ESEA to include environmental literacy activities among the before and after school activities that such program funds at community learning centers.
 
Directs the Secretary to: 
 
 
 request all federal agencies to provide information on any environmental literacy assistance program that they operate, sponsor, or support; 
 
 make that information searchable and accessible through the Department of Education's website and cross-referenced with the United States Green Ribbon School application information; 
 
 coordinate environmental literacy activities between the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce; and 
 
 appoint an advisory panel of stakeholders to advise and support interagency environmental literacy planning and assessment activities.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S987-988)
action_date: 2015-02-12
text: Introduced in Senate