Combating Implicit Bias in Education Act

Bill: 115-hr-6765
Sponsor: full_name: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Introduced: 2018-09-10
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments

Disability and health-based discrimination

Education programs funding

Elementary and secondary education

Performance measurement

Racial and ethnic relations

School administration

Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Teaching, teachers, curricula
Latest action: action_date: 2018-09-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-09-10
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Combating Implicit Bias in Education Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Education to award competitive grants to local educational agencies to provide training to staff of elementary and secondary schools on implicit bias for purposes of ending discrimination based on such bias, improving the school climate and student-staff relationships, and improving student academic achievement.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6765 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 10, 2018 Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a competitive grant program to award grants to local educational agencies to address implicit bias in elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Combating Implicit Bias in Education Act . 2. Grant program (a) Establishment The Secretary of Education shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to local educational agencies to provide training to educators, principals, and other staff of elementary schools and secondary schools on implicit bias, for the purposes of— (1) ending discrimination based on such bias, including— (A) in the administration of exclusionary discipline (including suspensions and expulsions); (B) in access to gifted and talented programs; and (C) in the apportionment of academic resources; (2) improving the school climate and the relationships between students and educators, principals, and other staff of elementary and secondary schools; and (3) improving the academic achievement and attainment of students. (b) Application A local educational agency desiring to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary as the Secretary shall require. The application shall include a description of how the local educational agency will use the grant to carry out training under subsection (a). (c) Report The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences shall conduct a periodic review of the effectiveness of the grant program established by this Act. (d) Authorization of appropriations For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2021. (e) Definitions In this Act: (1) Elementary and Secondary Education Act terms The terms elementary school , local educational agency , other staff , and secondary school have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ). (2) Implicit Bias The term implicit bias means bias with respect to actual or perceived race, religion, sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity), disability, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, that results from subconsciously held attitudes, beliefs, or associations. (3) Training The term training means evidence based, on-going professional development and support.