Overview

Reauthorizes a program of competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and community-based organizations to pay the Federal share of initiating, expanding, and improving physical education programs for kindergarten through 12th-grade students in order to make progress toward meeting State standards for physical education. Funds may be used to provide equipment and support to enable students to participate actively in physical education activities, and for staff and teacher training and education. Moves the program to the Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE).

Changes from Current Law

• Adds community-based organizations as eligible applicants. (Current law limits funding eligibility to LEAs).

Accountability

• In order to continue receiving funding after the first year of a multi-year award, a grantee must submit an annual report to the Secretary that demonstrates that it has made progress toward meeting State standards for physical education.

• By June 1, 2003, the Secretary is required to submit a report to Congress that documents the success of projects funded under this program in improving physical fitness, and makes recommendations for the continuation and improvement of projects.

Allocations

• Competitive grants. The Secretary is required to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of awards among urban and rural areas.

Matching Requirement

• The Federal share may not exceed 90 percent of the total cost of a project for the first year, and may not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of a project for the second and each subsequent year.

Set-Asides

• None.

Overview

Authorizes grants to create and expand community technology centers that provide disadvantaged residents of economically distressed urban and rural communities with access to information technology and related training.

Changes from Current Law

• Authorization - Creates a separate authorization for the program in the ESEA under the Fund for the Improvement of Education (Title V, Part D, new subpart 11). Previously, the program had no separate statutory authorization; it was implemented under Section 3122 (Federal Leadership), which authorized the use of funds for "the development of model programs that demonstrate the educational effectiveness of technology in urban and rural areas and economically distressed communities."

Program Description

• Eligible Entities - Eligible applicants include State educational agencies, local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, for-profit businesses, public or private non-profit organizations, or a consortium of such entities that have the capacity to expand access to computers and related services in eligible communities.

• Use of Funds - Requires grantees to use funds to create or expand community technology centers and to evaluate the effectiveness of their project. Permissible uses of funds include: (1) paying for a coordinator and staff; (2) acquiring equipment and infrastructure; (3) providing after-school, adult education, family literacy, career development, and small business activities; and (4) providing home access to computers and technology.

• Matching Requirements - Requires that the Federal share of the cost of any project not exceed 50 percent. (The non-Federal share may be in cash or in kind.)

Accountability

• Federal - No specific provisions.

• Applicants - must provide a plan for the evaluation of the program, which must include benchmarks to monitor progress toward specific project objectives.

Allocations

• Federal - Competitive awards to eligible entities.

Set-Asides

• None.

Overview

Authorizes, within the Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE), a new program to develop culturally based educational activities, internships, apprentice programs, and exchanges to assist Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and children and families living in Massachusetts. The program earmarks funds for certain entities in Massachusetts, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Use of Funds

Authorizes the use of funds for:

• Educational programs to increase understanding of cultural diversity and multicultural communication among Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and people in the continental United States, based on historic patterns of trading and commerce.

• Programs that use modern technology to educate people about cultural and trading ties between Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the people of Massachusetts.

• Cultural exchanges of elders, students, parents, and teachers among Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the people in Massachusetts.

• Sharing collections among cultural institutions.

• Internship and apprentice programs in cultural institutions to train Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and low-income students of Massachusetts for careers with cultural institutions.

Accountability

• No specific provision.

Funding

• Earmarks - $2 million each for: (1) the New Bedford Whaling Museum, in partnership with tne New Bedford Oceanarium, in Massachusetts, and (2) the Inupiat Heritage Center in Alaska. Not less than $1 million each (for the New Trade Winds Project) to: (1) the Alaska Native Heritage Center; (2) the Bishop Museum in Hawaii; and (3) the Peabody-Essex Museum in Massachusetts, and not less than $1 million each, for the same three entities, for internship and apprenticeship programs.

• Also authorizes grants to Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian cultural and education organizations and other cultural and educational organizations.

Overview

Authorizes, within the Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE), a new program to promote economic and financial literacy among students in kindergarten through grade 12 through teacher training, research, assessment, dissemination of best practices, and partnerships between private and public entities at the national, State, and local levels through a grant to a single national entity.

Uses of Funds

• Grantees - Authorizes the use of funds to strengthen and expand grantees' relationships with State and local personal finance, entrepreneurial, and economic education organizations; to support teacher training in grades K-12; to conduct research on effective teaching practices; to develop assessment instruments; and to develop and disseminate materials that foster economic literacy.

• Subgrantees - Authorizes the use of funds to create and conduct teacher training programs; to provide resources that support curricula in school districts; to evaluate program impact; to conduct research on economic and financial literacy; to support school-based student activities that promote saving, investing, and entrepreneurial education; and to encourage replication of best practices to promote economic and financial literacy.

Accountability

• Federal - Report to Congress on program activities within 2 years of funding availability and every 2 years thereafter.

• Grantee - Peer review of subgrant applications by a panel including leaders in the fields of economics and education and such other individuals as the grantee determines to be necessary, especially members of the State and local business, banking, and finance communities.

Allocations

• Competitive grant to a national nonprofit educational organization. Grantee must retain 25 percent of funds for national activities and must use the remaining 75 percent of funds to award subgrants to SEAs, LEAs, and State or local economic, personal finance, or entrepreneurial education organizations.

• Federal share of the cost of authorized subgrantee activities is 50 percent. Non-federal share may be paid in cash or through in-kind expenses.

Set-Asides

• Grantees and subgrantees may use up to 5 percent of their award for administrative costs.

Overview

Authorizes, within the Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE), two separate programs whose purpose is to improve the mental health of children.

Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems (section 5541)

• Program Description - Authorizes a program of competitive awards to State educational agencies, local educational agencies (LEAs), or Indian tribes, for the purpose of increasing student access to high-quality mental health care by developing innovative programs that link local school systems with the local mental health system.

• Use of Funds - Funds may be used to enhance, improve, or develop collaborative efforts between school-based service systems and mental health service systems to provide, enhance, or improve prevention, diagnosis, referral, and treatment services to students; enhance the availability of crisis intervention services; provide training for school personnel and mental health professionals; and provide technical assistance and consultation to school systems, mental health agencies, and families.

• Accountability - No specific accountability provisions, other than that the Secretary must evaluate each program funded and disseminate the evaluation findings to appropriate public and private entities.

• Allocations - Competitive grants or contracts. The Secretary is also required to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of grants among the regions of the United States and among urban, suburban, and rural populations.

• Set-Asides - None