Home > 108th Congressional Bills > S. 504 (rs) To establish academies for teachers and students of American history and civics and a national alliance of teachers of American history and civics, and for other purposes. [Reported in Senate] ...S. 504 (rs) To establish academies for teachers and students of American history and civics and a national alliance of teachers of American history and civics, and for other purposes. [Reported in Senate] ...
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 504
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 23, 2003
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish academies for teachers and students of American history
and civics and a national alliance of teachers of American history and
civics, 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 ``American History and Civics
Education Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) American history and civics.--The term ``American
history and civics'' means the key events, key persons, key
ideas, and key documents that shaped the institutions and
democratic heritage of the United States of America.
(2) Chairman.--The term ``Chairman'' means the Chairman of
the National Endowment for the Humanities.
(3) Educational institution.--The term ``educational
institution''--
(A) means--
(i) an institution of higher education;
(ii) an educational institution created by
a legislative act of a State for the express
purpose of teaching American history and civics
to elementary school and secondary school
students; or
(iii) a nonprofit educational institution,
library, or research center; and
(B) includes a consortium of entities described in
subparagraph (A).
(4) 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)).
(5) Key documents.--The term ``key documents'' means the
documents that established or explained the foundational
principles of democracy in the United States, including the
United States Constitution and the amendments to the
Constitution (particularly the Bill of Rights), the Declaration
of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the Emancipation
Proclamation.
(6) Key events.--The term ``key events'' means the critical
turning points in the history of the United States (including
the encounter of Native Americans with European settlers, the
American Revolution, the Civil War, the world wars of the
twentieth century, the civil rights movement, and the major
court decisions, legislation, literature, and the arts) that
established democracy and extended its promise in American
life.
(7) Key ideas.--The term ``key ideas'' means the ideas that
shaped the democratic institutions and heritage of the United
States, including the notions of liberty, equal opportunity,
individualism, laissez faire, the rule of law, federalism and e
pluribus unum, the free exercise of religion, the separation of
church and state, and a belief in progress.
(8) Key persons.--The term ``key persons'' means the men
and women who led the United States as Founding Fathers, Native
American leaders, elected officials, scientists, inventors,
pioneers, advocates of equal rights, entrepreneurs, and
artists.
(9) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States
and the District of Columbia.
(10) Teachers of american history and civics.--The term
``teachers of American history and civics'' means kindergarten
through grade 12 teachers who teach American history,
government, or civics, or who incorporate such subjects into
their teaching.
SEC. 3. PRESIDENTIAL ACADEMIES FOR TEACHING OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND
CIVICS.
(a) Establishment.--From amounts appropriated under subsection (j),
the National Endowment for the Humanities shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to educational institutions to establish
Presidential Academies for Teaching of American History and Civics (in
this section referred to as ``Academies'') that shall offer workshops
for teachers of American history and civics--
(1) to strengthen such teachers' knowledge of the subjects
of American history and civics; and
(2) to learn how better to teach such subjects.
(b) Application.--
(1) In general.--An educational institution that desires to
receive a grant under this section shall submit an application
to the National Endowment for the Humanities at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the National
Endowment for the Humanities may require.
(2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) include the criteria that will be used to
determine which teachers will be selected to attend
workshops offered by the Academy;
(B) identify the individual the educational
institution intends to appoint to be the primary
scholar at the Academy;
(C) include a description of the curriculum to be
used at workshops offered by the Academy; and
(D) provide an assurance that the recruitment plan
for which teachers will be selected to attend workshops
offered by the Academy will include teachers from
schools receiving assistance under part A of title I of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6311 et seq.), particularly those schools with
high concentrations of students described in section
1124(c) of such Act.
(c) Number of Grants.--The National Endowment for the Humanities
shall award not more than 12 grants to different educational
institutions under this section.
(d) Distribution.--The Chairman shall encourage equitable
distribution of grants under this section among the geographical
regions of the United States.
(e) Grant Terms.--Grants awarded under this section shall be for a
term of 2 years.
(f) Use of Funds.--
(1) Workshops.--
(A) In general.--An educational institution that
receives a grant under this section shall establish an
Academy that shall offer a workshop during the summer,
or during another appropriate time, for teachers of
American history and civics--
(i) to strengthen such teachers' knowledge
of the subjects of American history and civics;
and
(ii) to learn how better to teach such
subjects.
(B) Duration of workshop.--A workshop offered
pursuant to this section shall be approximately 2 weeks
in duration.
(2) Academy staff.--
(A) Primary scholar.--Each Academy shall be headed
by a primary scholar identified in the application
submitted under subsection (b) who shall--
(i) be accomplished in the field of
American history and civics; and
(ii) design the curriculum for and lead the
workshop.
(B) Core teachers.--Each primary scholar shall
appoint an appropriate number of core teachers. At the
direction of the primary scholar, the core teachers
shall teach and train the workshop attendees.
(3) Selection of teachers.--
(A) In general.--
(i) Number of teachers.--Each year, each
Academy shall select kindergarten through grade
12 teachers of American history and civics to
attend the workshop offered by the Academy.
(ii) Flexibility in number of teachers.--
Each Academy shall select not more than 300 and
not less than 50 teachers under clause (i).
(B) Teachers from public and private schools.--An
Academy may select teachers from public schools and
private schools to attend the workshop offered by the
Academy.
(g) Costs.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a
teacher who attends a workshop offered pursuant to this section
shall not incur costs associated with attending the workshop,
including costs for meals, lodging, and materials while
attending the workshop, and may receive a stipend to cover such
costs.
(2) Travel costs.--A teacher who attends a workshop offered
pursuant to this section shall use non-Federal funds to pay for
such teacher's costs of transit to and from the Academy.
(h) Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--At the completion of all of the workshops
assisted in the third year grants are awarded under this
section, the National Endowment for the Humanities shall
conduct an evaluation and submit a report on its findings to
the relevant committees of Congress.
(2) Content of evaluation.--The evaluation conducted
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall--
(A) determine the overall success of the grant
program authorized under this section; and
(B) highlight the best grantees' practices in order
to become models for future grantees.
(i) Non-Federal Funds.--An educational institution receiving
Federal assistance under this section may contribute non-Federal funds
toward the costs of operating the Academy.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $7,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2004 through 2007.
SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL ACADEMIES FOR STUDENTS OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND
CIVICS.
(a) Establishment.--From amounts appropriated under subsection (j),
the National Endowment for the Humanities shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to educational institutions to establish
Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics (in
this section referred to as ``Academies'') that shall offer workshops
for outstanding students of American history and civics to broaden and
deepen such students' understanding of American history and civics.
(b) Application.--
(1) In general.--An educational institution that desires to
receive a grant under this section shall submit an application
to the National Endowment for the Humanities at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the National
Endowment for the Humanities may require.
(2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) include the criteria that will be used to
determine which students will be selected to attend
workshops offered by the Academy;
(B) identify the individual the educational
institution intends to appoint to be the primary
scholar at the Academy;
(C) include a description of the curriculum to be
used at workshops offered by the Academy; and
(D) include a description of how the educational
institution will--
(i) inform students from schools receiving
assistance under part A of title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.), particularly those
schools with high concentrations of students
described in section 1124(c) of such Act, of
the Academy; and
(ii) provide such students with information
on how to apply to attend workshops offered by
the Academy so that such students may attend
the workshops.
(c) Number of Grants.--The National Endowment for the Humanities
shall award not more than 12 grants to different educational
institutions under this section.
(d) Distribution.--The Chairman shall encourage equitable
distribution of grants under this section among the geographical
regions of the United States.
(e) Grant Terms.--Grants awarded under this section shall be for a
term of 2 years.
(f) Use of Funds.--
(1) Workshops.--
(A) In general.--An educational institution that
receives a grant under this section shall establish an
Academy that shall offer a workshop during the summer,
or during another appropriate time, for outstanding
students of American history, government, and civics to
broaden and deepen such students' understanding of
American history and civics.
(B) Duration of workshop.--A workshop offered
pursuant to this section shall be approximately 4 weeks
in duration.
(2) Academy staff.--
(A) Primary scholar.--Each Academy shall be headed
by a primary scholar identified in the application
submitted under subsection (b) who shall--
(i) be accomplished in the field of
American history and civics; and
(ii) design the curriculum for and lead the
workshop.
(B) Core teachers.--Each primary scholar shall
appoint an appropriate number of core teachers. At the
direction of the primary scholar, the core teachers
shall teach the workshop attendees.
(3) Selection of students.--
(A) Number of students.--Each year, each Academy
shall select between 100 and 300 eligible students to
attend the workshop offered by the Academy.
(B) Eligible students.--A student shall be eligible
to attend a workshop offered by an Academy if the
student--
(i) is recommended by the student's
secondary school principal (or other head of
such student's academic program) to attend the
workshop; and
(ii) will be a junior or senior in the
academic year following attendance at the
workshop.
(g) Costs.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a
student who attends a workshop offered pursuant to this section
shall not incur costs associated with attending the workshop,
including costs for meals, lodging, and materials while
attending the workshop.
(2) Travel costs.--A student who attends a workshop offered
pursuant to this section shall use non-Federal funds to pay for
such student's costs of transit to and from the Academy.
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