Excellence in Education Act

Excellence in Education Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make awards to local educational agencies (LEAs) for elementary and secondary school excellence programs.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 through 1986 to carry out this Act. Directs the Secretary to reserve from such funds specified amounts to carry out provisions for special school awards and for research, evaluation, dissemination, and monitoring activities.

Authorizes the Secretary to establish criteria, including specified standards, for the selection of schools to receive awards under this Act. Requires each LEA desiring to participate in such awards program to nominate schools according to specified procedures. Directs the chief State school officer of each State to select, taking specified factors into account, 25 schools from such nominations for submission to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to select up to 500 schools from such nominations after an impartial review panel has considered each submission. Directs the Secretary, in making such selection, to give priority to proposals which include specified types of activities.

Sets the amount and conditions of awards.

Authorizes the Secretary, from specified reserved funds, to make special school awards to nominated schools to pay a specified Federal share of the cost of the proposed activities, if the LEA provides further assurances that private sector funds will be contributed for carrying out such activities.

Directs the Secretary, from specified reserved funds, to conduct research, evaluation, and dissemination activities to assure that exemplary projects and practices developed with assistance under this Act are made available to LEAs throughout the United States. Directs the Secretary to establish an independent panel to monitor the success of the programs assisted by this Act in achieving national objectives in improving instruction and student achievement.