(1) prepare qualified students from rural areas who are preparing to enter village high schools to excel in science and mathematics; and (2) provide those support services to the families of such students that are needed to enable such students to benefit from the program. (b) USES OF FUNDS.-The program funded under this section may include (1) the identification of the students eligible to participate in the program; (2) the conduct of educational, psychosocial, and developmental activities which hold reasonable promise of resulting in substantial enrichment of the educational performance of the participating students; (3) leadership programs designed to provide for the replication of the program in other subject matter areas and the dissemination of information derived from the program; and (4) appropriate research, evaluation and related activities pertaining to the benefits of such enrichment programs. (c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.-Not more than 10 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out the provisions of this section for any fiscal year may be used for administrative purposes. (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-There are authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the four succeeding fiscal years, to carry out this section. Funds appropriated under the authority of this subsection shall remain available until expended. SEC. 9307. [20 U.S.C. 7937] ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS. (a) APPLICATION REQUIRED.—No grant may be made under this part, nor any contract be entered into under this part, unless an application is submitted to the Secretary in such form, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may determine necessary to carry out the provisions of this part. (b) APPLICATIONS BY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR STATE EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES.-Local school districts or State educational entities shall apply for funding under this part in partnership with Alaska Native organizations. (c) CONSULTATION REQUIRED.-Each applicant for funding shall provide for ongoing advice from and consultation with representatives of the Alaska Native community. (d) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY COORDINATION.-Each local educational agency serving students who will participate in the program for which assistance is sought shall be informed regarding each application submitted under this part, except that approval by or concurrence from such local educational agency shall not be required. (e) IMPLEMENTATION OF AUTHORITIES.-The Secretary shall expeditiously obligate funds appropriated as provided in this part. SEC. 9308. [20 U.S.C. 7938] DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this part (1) the term "Alaska Native" has the same meaning as the term "Native" has in section 3(b) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; and (2) the term "Alaska Native organization” means a federally recognized tribe, consortium of tribes, regional nonprofit Native association, and other Alaska Native organizations that (A) has or commits to acquire expertise in the education of Alaska Natives; and (B) has Alaska Natives in substantive and policy-making positions within the organization. TITLE X-PROGRAMS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE PART A-FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATION SEC. 10101. [20 U.S.C. 8001] FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATION. (a) FUND AUTHORIZED. From funds appropriated under subsection (d), the Secretary is authorized to support nationally significant programs and projects to improve the quality of education, assist all students to meet challenging State content standards and challenging State student performance standards, and contribute to achievement of the National Education Goals. The Secretary is authorized to carry out such programs and projects directly or through grants to, or contracts with, State and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public and private agencies, organizations, and institutions. (b) USES OF FUNDS. (1) IN GENERAL.-Funds under this section may be used for (A) activities that will promote systemic education reform at the State and local levels, such as (i) research and development related to challenging State content and challenging State student performance standards; (ii) the development and evaluation of model strategies for (I) assessment of student learning; (II) professional development for teachers and administrators; (III) parent and community involvement; and (IV) other aspects of systemic reform; (iii) developing and evaluating strategies for eliminating ability-grouping practices, and developing policies and programs that place all students on a collegepreparatory path of study, particularly in academic. fields such as mathematics, science, English, and social studies, including comprehensive inservice programs for teachers and pupil services personnel and academic enrichment programs that supplement regular courses for students; (iv) developing and evaluating programs that directly involve parents and family members in the academic progress of their children; (v) developing and evaluating strategies for integrating instruction and assessment such that teachers and administrators can focus on what students should know and be able to do at particular grade levels, which instruction shall promote the synthesis of knowledge, encourage the development of problemsolving skills drawing on a vast range of disciplines, and promote the development of higher order thinking by all students; and (vi) developing and evaluating strategies for supporting professional development for teachers across all disciplines and for pupil services personnel, guidance counselors, and administrators, including inservice training that improves the skills of pupil services personnel, counselors and administrators for working with students from diverse populations; (B) demonstrations at the State and local levels that are designed to yield nationally significant results, including approaches to public school choice and school-based decisionmaking; (C) joint activities with other agencies to assist the effort to achieve the National Education Goals, including activities related to improving the transition from preschool to school and from school to work, as well as activities related to the integration of education and health and social services; (D) activities to promote and evaluate counseling and mentoring for students, including students, including intergenerational mentoring; (E) activities to promote and evaluate coordinated pupil services programs; (F) activities to promote comprehensive health education; (G) activities to promote environmental education; (H) activities to promote consumer, economic, and personal finance education, such as saving, investing, and entrepreneurial education; (I) activities to promote programs to assist students to demonstrate competence in foreign languages; (J) studies and evaluation of various education reform strategies and innovations being pursued by the Federal Government, States, and local educational agencies; (K) activities to promote metric education; (L) the identification and recognition of exemplary schools and programs, such as Blue Ribbon Schools; (M) programs designed to promote gender equity in education by evaluating and eliminating gender bias in instruction and educational materials, identifying, and analyzing gender inequities in educational practices, and implementing and evaluating educational policies and practices designed to achieve gender equity; (N) programs designed to reduce excessive student mobility, retain students who move within a school district at the same school, educate parents about the effect of mobility on a child's education and encourage parents to participate in school activities; ing; (O) experiential-based learning, such as service-learn (P) the development and expansion of public-private partnership programs which extend the learning experience, via computers, beyond the classroom environment into student homes through such programs as the Buddy System Computer Project; (Q) other programs and projects that meet the purposes of this section; (R) activities to promote child abuse education and prevention programs; (S) activities to raise standards and expectations for academic achievement among all students, especially disadvantaged students traditionally underserved in schools; (T) activities to provide the academic support, enrichment and motivation to enable all students to reach such standards; (U) demonstrations relating to the planning and evaluations of the effectiveness of projects under which local educational agencies or schools contract with private management organizations to reform a school or schools; (V) demonstrations that are designed to test whether prenatal and counseling provided to pregnant students may have a positive effect on pregnancy outcomes, with such education and counseling emphasizing the importance of prenatal care, the value of sound diet and nutrition habits, and the harmful effects of smoking, alcohol, and substance abuse on fetal development; (W) programs under section 10102; (2) ADDITIONAL USES.-The Secretary may also use funds under this section to complete the project periods for direct grants or contracts awarded under the provisions of this Act, the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching Act, or title III of the Education for Economic Security Act, as such Acts were in effect on the day preceding the date of the enactment of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994. (3) SPECIAL RULE.-The Secretary shall not make available more than $1,000,000 to carry out paragraph (1)(R), nor more than $1,000,000 to carry out paragraph (1)(V) during the period beginning on October 1, 1994, through September 30, 1999. (c) AWARDS. (1) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary may (A) make awards under this section on the basis of competitions announced by the Secretary; and (B) support meritorious unsolicited proposals. (2) SPECIAL RULE.-The Secretary shall ensure that programs, projects, and activities supported under this section are designed so that the effectiveness of such programs, projects, and activities is readily ascertainable. (3) PEER REVIEW.-The Secretary shall use a peer review process in reviewing applications for assistance under this section and may use funds appropriated under subsection (d) for the cost of such peer review. (d) AUTHORIZATION.-For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for fiscal year 1995 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the four succeeding fiscal years. SEC. 10102. [20 U.S.C. 8002] ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELING DEMONSTRATION. (a) COUNSELING DEMONSTRATION. (1) In General.-The Secretary may award grants under this section to establish or expand elementary school counseling programs. (2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to applications describing programs that— (A) demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional counseling services among the children in the elementary schools served by the applicant; (B) propose the most promising and innovative approaches for initiating or expanding elementary school counseling; and (C) show the greatest potential for replication and dissemination. (3) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.-In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure an equitable geographic distribution among the regions of the United States and among urban, suburban, and rural areas. (4) DURATION.-A grant under this section shall be awarded for a period not to exceed three years. (5) MAXIMUM GRANT.-A grant under this section shall not exceed $400,000 for any fiscal year. (b) APPLICATIONS.— (1) IN GENERAL.-Each local educational agency desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. (2) CONTENTS.-Each application for a grant under this section shall (A) describe the elementary school population to be targeted by the program, the particular personal, social, emotional, educational, and career development needs of such population, and the current school counseling resources available for meeting such needs; (B) describe the activities, services, and training to be provided by the program and the specific approaches to be used to meet the needs described in subparagraph (A); |