Elementary and Secondary Education Amendments

(LATEST SUMMARY)

Education Amendments - =Title I: Amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1963= - Extends the Commissioner of Education to make payments to State educational agencies to June 30, 1978.

Sets forth procedures and criteria for the making of special grants to State and local educational agencies. Provides funds to local educational agencies for compensatory programs for educationally deprived children, including handicapped, migratory, delinquent, and Indian children.

Authorizes to be appropriated $220,000,000 for school library resources, textbooks and other instructional materials for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974, and for each of the succeeding fiscal years ending prior to July 1, 1978. Extends the authorization of additional appropriations authority to July 1, 1978 and the authorization for payments to States under specified conditions.

Authorizes to be appropriated $735,000,000 for supplementary educational centers and services grants for fiscal years 1974 through 1978.

Authorizes appropriations for grants to strengthen State Educational Agencies for each fiscal year prior to July 1, 1978.

Authorizes appropriations for carrying out the provisions of the Bilingual Education Act.

Establishes, in the Office of Education, a Bureau of Bilingual Education through which the Commissioner of Education shall carry out his functions relating to bilingual education.

Establishes, subject to the General Education Provisions Act, the National Advisory Council on Bilingual Education, to be composed of fifteen members to be appointed by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Provides that it shall be the duty of the Council to advise the Commissioner of Education in the preparation of general regulations and with respect to policy matters arising in the administration and operation of this Act.

Directs the National Institute of Education to carry out a program of research in the field of bilingual education in order to enhance the effectiveness of bilingual education programs carried out under this Act.

Authorizes the Commissioner of Education and the Director of the National Institute of Education to make grants for research or demonstration projects in the field of bilingual education.

Authorizes the Commissioner and the Director to make contracts with State educational agencies for the development, in such agencies, of leadership capabilities in the field of bilingual education.

=Title II: Amendments to Public Laws 815 and 874 of the Eighty-First Congress= - Extends to June 30, 1978, the date for filing applications for payments with respect to construction projects for school facilities in areas affected by Federal activities. Extends Federal assistance in cases of specified disasters to July 1, 1978. Extends to July 1, 1978 the Federal assistance for local educational agencies in areas affected by Federal activity. Makes conforming technical amendments.

=Title III: Adult Education= - Directs the Commissioner of Education to establish or designate an existing agency as a National Clearinghouse on Adult Education, which shall obtain and disseminate to the public information pertaining to the education of adults and adult education programs.

Provides that any State which receives assistance under the Adult Education Act may establish and maintain a State advisory council to advise with respect to planning and studies to evaluate adult education programs, services, and activities assisted under the Adult Education Act.

=Title IV: Consolidation, Simplification, and Improvement of the Administration of Education Programs= - Provides that each State, local educational agency, institution of higher education, and other eligible applicant under any applicable program which desires to receive a grant, or make a contract, or receive other payments, under any applicable program for any fiscal year, shall submit to, and maintain on file with the Commissioner, a general application which shall apply for all applicable programs.

States that whenever the Commissioner, after reasonable notice and an opportunity for hearing, finds that there has been a failure, by any recipient of funds under any applicable program, to comply substantially with the terms to which such recipient has agreed in order to receive such funds, the Commissioner shall notify such recipient that further payments will not be made to such recipient under that program until he is satisfied that such recipient no longer fails to comply with such terms. Provides that until the Commissioner is so satisfied, no further payments shall be made to such recipient.

Sets forth the procedure for both administrative and judicial review of the Commissioner's actions.

Revises the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by adding Title VI: Assistance to the States for Supplemental, Auxiliary, and Supportive Educational Services.

Sets forth sums to which each State is entitled in the form of grants for educational services. Provides that such grants may be used for provisions of school library resources, textbooks, programs of testing, guidance and counseling, instructional equipment, and for the development, establishment, and operation of exemplary elementary and secondary school educational programs. Provides that such grants may also be used to provide in-service training for persons for teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Sets forth the application procedure for States for such grants.

Provides that each local educational agency which receives funds under this Act shall insure that, to the extent consistent with the number of children in the school district of such agency who: (1) are enrolled in private nonprofit elementary and secondary schools, which are free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin; and (2) are in need of the materials, equipment, or services for which such funds are expended, such agency will provide, on an equitable basis, such materials, equipment, or services.

Sets forth allotment of funds for each State under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Directs the Commissioner to carry out a program of grants and contracts in order to encourage educational agencies and institutions to prepare students to use the metric system of measurement. Authorizes the Commissioner to expend $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years ending prior to July 1, 1978 for the purpose of carrying out such program.

Directs the Commissioner to establish or designate a National Clearinghouse on Gifted and Talented Children and Youth to obtain and disseminate to the public information pertaining to the education of gifted and talented children and youth. Directs the Commissioner to make grants to State educational agencies and local educational agencies, in order to assist them in the planning, development, operation, and improvement of programs designed to meet the special educational needs of gifted and talented children at the preschool, elementary, and secondary school levels.

Community Schools Act - Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to local educational agencies to assist in planning, establishing, expanding, and operating community education programs. Directs the Commissioner to establish or designate a National Clearinghouse on Community Education Programs to gather and disseminate information received from community education programs.

Establishes the Community Education Advisory Council, to be composed of eleven members appointed by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Provides that the Advisory Council shall advise the Commissioner on policy matters relating to the interests of community schools.

Establishes in the Office of Education an Office of Career Education for the purpose of: (1) developing information on the needs for career education for all children; (2) promoting a national dialogue on career education designed to encourage each State and local educational agency to determine and adopt the approach to career education best suited to the needs of the children served by the them; (3) assessing the status of career education programs and practices; (4) providing for the demonstration of the best of the current career education programs and practices by the development and testing of exemplary programs and practices using various theories, concepts, and approaches with respect to career education; (5) providing for the training and retraining of persons for conducting career education programs; and (6) developing State and local plans for implementing career education programs.

Establishes the National Advisory Council for Career Education to advise the Commissioner with respect to the development and implementation of career education programs.

Establishes within the Office of Education an Office of Consumers' Education.

Women's Educational Equity Act - Establishes the Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs and sets forth the composition of such council. Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and individuals for activities designed to provide educational equity for women in the United States. Authorizes the Commissioner to expend sums not to exceed $30,000,000 for each fiscal year prior to July 1, 1978.

Directs the Commissioner to carry out a program of grants and contracts to encourage and assist State and local educational agencies to establish and conduct programs in which the arts are an integral part of elementary and secondary school programs. Provides that not less than $750,000 shall be available to carry out such program during any fiscal year during the period June 30, 1974 to June 30, 1978.

=Title V: Miscellaneous= - Establishes within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare an Education Division composed of: (1) the Office of Education; (2) the National Institute of Education; and (3) the National Center for Education Statistics. States that the Education Division shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare who shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Sets forth the functions and responsbilities of the Assistant Secretary.

Provides that the Office of Education shall be headed by the Commissioner of Education who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Sets forth the organization and administration composition of the Office.

Establishes a National Center for Education Statistics which shall consist of a National Board for Education Statistics and a Director of the Center. States that the purpose of the Center is to collect and disseminate statistics and other data related to education in the United States and in other nations. Sets forth the duties of the Center. Provides that the Board shall be composed of six members appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. States that no more than three of the appointed members may be members of the same political party. Sets forth the duties of the Board.

Establishes a Federal Interagency Committee on Education. States that the Committee shall advise the heads of departments and agencies with respect to their functions which relate to, or affect, education and encourage them to coordinate such functions. Sets forth rules for education officers of the United States.

Sets forth the appropriations authorized for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

Revises the Higher Education Act of 1965 by setting forth a formula for payment to institutions of higher learning for veterans' cost of instruction.

Directs the Commissioner to develop and promulgate specific funding criteria based on this Act to assist potential grantees and contractors in developing proposals for Teacher Corps projects.

Authorizes the Commissioner to assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake training for the legal profession.

Political Leadership Intern Program Act - Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to provide practical political involvement with elected officials in the performance of their duties at the local and State levels of government through internships in their offices.

Revises the Vocational Education Act of 1963 by authorizing additional appropriations for carrying out such Act.

Authorizes appropriations for the development, dissemination, and evaluation of accurate information of the status of bilingual vocational training in the United States.

Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants and enter into contracts to assist in conducting bilingual vocational training programs in the United States. Sets forth the programs for which such grants may be used.

Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants and enter into contracts to assist in conducting training for instructors in bilingual vocational training programs and for developing instructional material and methods for such programs.

Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, institutions of higher education for the purpose of preparing indivuduals for teaching or administering special programs and projects designed to meet the educational needs of Indian children.

Authorizes development cost reimbursement of any State assistance to local educational agencies in that State to assist such agencies in the provision of free public education.

Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to make a full and complete investigation of athletic injuries and report the findings to Congress.

=Title VI: Education of the Handicapped= - Revises the Education of the Handicapped Act by setting forth additional authorized appropriations for the carrying out of the provisions of such Act.

=Title VII: National Reading Improvement Program= - Authorizes the Commissioner to contract with State or local educational agencies for the carrying out by such agencies, in schools having large numbers of children with reading deficiencies, of demonstration projects involving the use of innovative methods, systems, materials, or programs which show promise of overcoming such reading deficiencies.

Authorizes the Commissioner to contract with local educational agencies for special emphasis projects to determine the effectiveness of intensive instruction by reading specialists and reading teachers.

Authorizes the Commissioner to enter into contracts with institutions of higher education for the preparation, production, evaluation, and distribution for use on public educational television stations of courses for elementary school teachers who are or intend to be reading teachers.

Establishes, in the Office of Education, an Office for the Improvement of Reading Programs responsible for administration of the reading programs authorized by this Act.

Authorizes and directs the Director of the National Institute of Education to designate an existing facility, or establish a new facility, to be known as the Reading Improvement Laboratory to conduct or support research, demonstrations and pilot projects in the field of reading and language development.

Directs the Commissioner to carry out a program for making grants to State agencies responsible for certifying elementary and secondary education teachers to institute or upgrade reading certification requirements in the State.

Establishes the Presidential Reading Achievement Award to be presented to elementary school children for achievement in reading as determined pursuant to regulations established by the Commissioner.

Authorizes appropriations for the carrying out of the provisions of this title.

=Title VIII: General Provisions Relating to the Assignment or Transportation of Students= - States that no provision of this Act shall be construed to require the assignment or transportation of students or teachers in order to overcome racial imbalance.

Provides that no funds appropriated for the purpose of carrying out any applicable program may be used for busing in order to overcome racial imbalance in any school or school system.

Provides that the rules of evidence required to prove that State or local authorities are practicing racial discrimination in assigning students to public schools shall be uniform throughout the United States.

Provides that the provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 regarding the busing of students shall apply to all public school students throughout the United States.

=Title IX: Equal Educational Opportunities= - States that deliberate segregation, assignment of students effecting segregational policies, and the failure of an educational agency which has formerly practiced such deliberate segregation to take affirmative steps to eradicate such practice shall be unlawful practices because they are denials of equal educational opportunities.

States that no court, department, or agency of the United States shall make an order which effectuates the transportation of any student to a school other than the school closest or next closest to his place of residence which provides the appropriate grade level and type of education for such student.

=Title X: Provision With Respect to Certain Fees= - States that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the party in any civil action brought under this Act may not be allowed attorney's fees as part of the costs of any such action.