Subpart 3 – Civic Education

Subpart 3 — Civic Education

SEC. 2341. SHORT TITLE.

This subpart may be cited as the ‘Education for Democracy Act’.

SEC. 2342. PURPOSE.

It is the purpose of this subpart —

(1) to improve the quality of civics and government education by educating students about the history and principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights;

(2) to foster civic competence and responsibility; and

(3) to improve the quality of civic education and economic education through cooperative civic education and economic education exchange programs with emerging democracies.

SEC. 2343. GENERAL AUTHORITY.

(a) AUTHORITY- The Secretary is authorized to award grants to, or enter into contracts with —

(1) the Center for Civic Education, to carry out civic education activities under sections 2344 and 2345;

(2) the National Council on Economic Education, to carry out economic education activities under section 2345; and

(3) organizations experienced in the development of curricula and programs in civics and government education and economic education for students in elementary schools and secondary schools in countries other than the United States, to carry out civic education activities under section 2345.

(b) DISTRIBUTION FOR COOPERATIVE CIVIC EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC EDUCATION EXCHANGE PROGRAMS-

(1) LIMITATION- Not more than 40 percent of the amount appropriated under section 2346 for a fiscal year shall be used to carry out section 2345.

(2) DISTRIBUTION- Of the amount used to carry out section 2345 for a fiscal year (consistent with paragraph (1)), the Secretary shall use —

(A) 37.5 percent for a grant or contract for the Center for Civic Education;

(B) 37.5 percent for a grant or contract for the National Council on Economic Education; and

(C) 25 percent for not less than 1, but not more than 3, grants or contracts for organizations described in subsection (a)(3).

SEC. 2344. WE THE PEOPLE PROGRAM.

(a) THE CITIZEN AND THE CONSTITUTION-

(1) EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES- The Center for Civic Education —

(A) shall use funds made available under grants or contracts under section 2343(a)(1) —

(i) to continue and expand the educational activities of the program entitled the We the People… The Citizen and the Constitution’ program administered by such center;

(ii) to carry out activities to enhance student attainment of challenging academic content standards in civics and government;

(iii) to provide a course of instruction on the basic principles of the Nation’s constitutional democracy and the history of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights;

(iv) to provide, at the request of a participating school, school and community simulated congressional hearings following the course of instruction described in clause (iii); and

(v) to provide an annual national competition of simulated congressional hearings for secondary school students who wish to participate in such a program; and

(B) may use funds made available under grants or contracts under section 2343(a)(1) —

(i) to provide advanced, sustained, and ongoing training of teachers about the Constitution of the United States and the political system of the United States;

(ii) to provide materials and methods of instruction, including teacher training, that utilize the latest advancements in educational technology; and

(iii) to provide civic education materials and services to address specific problems such as the prevention of school violence and the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

(2) AVAILABILITY OF PROGRAM- The education program authorized under this subsection shall be made available to public and private elementary schools and secondary schools, including Bureau funded schools, in the 435 congressional districts, and in the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

(b) PROJECT CITIZEN-

(1) EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES- The Center for Civic Education —

(A) shall use funds made available under grants or contracts under section 2343(a)(1) —

(i) to continue and expand the educational activities of the program entitled the We the People… Project Citizen’ program administered by the Center;

(ii) to carry out activities to enhance student attainment of challenging academic content standards in civics and government;

(iii) to provide a course of instruction at the middle school level on the roles of State and local governments in the Federal system established by the Constitution of the United States; and

(iv) to provide an annual national showcase or competition; and

(B) may use funds made available under grants or contracts under section 2343(a)(1) —

(i) to provide optional school and community simulated State legislative hearings;

(ii) to provide advanced, sustained, and ongoing training of teachers on the roles of State and local governments in the Federal system established by the Constitution of the United States;

(iii) to provide materials and methods of instruction, including teacher training, that utilize the latest advancements in educational technology; and

(iv) to provide civic education materials and services to address specific problems such as the prevention of school violence and the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

(2) AVAILABILITY OF PROGRAM- The education program authorized under this subsection shall be made available to public and private middle schools, including Bureau funded schools, in the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

(c) BUREAU-FUNDED SCHOOL DEFINED- In this section, the term Bureau-funded school’ has the meaning given such term in section 1146 of the Education Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 2026).

SEC. 2345. COOPERATIVE CIVIC EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC EDUCATION EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.

(a) COOPERATIVE EDUCATION EXCHANGE PROGRAMS- The Center for Civic Education, the National Council on Economic Education, and organizations described in section 2343(a)(3) shall use funds made available under grants or contracts under section 2343 to carry out cooperative education exchange programs in accordance with this section.

(b) PURPOSE- The purpose of the cooperative education exchange programs carried out under this section shall be —

(1) to make available to educators from eligible countries exemplary curriculum and teacher training programs in civics and government education, and economics education, developed in the United States;

(2) to assist eligible countries in the adaptation, implementation, and institutionalization of such programs;

(3) to create and implement civics and government education, and economic education, programs for students that draw upon the experiences of the participating eligible countries;

(4) to provide a means for the exchange of ideas and experiences in civics and government education, and economic education, among political, educational, governmental, and private sector leaders of participating eligible countries; and

(5) to provide support for —

(A) independent research and evaluation to determine the effects of educational programs on students’ development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy; and

(B) effective participation in, and the preservation and improvement of, an efficient market economy.

(c) ACTIVITIES- In carrying out the cooperative education exchange programs assisted under this section, the Center for Civic Education, the National Council on Economic Education, and organizations described in section 2343(a)(3) shall —

(1) provide to the participants from eligible countries —

(A) seminars on the basic principles of United States constitutional democracy and economic system, including seminars on the major governmental and economic institutions and systems in the United States, and visits to such institutions;

(B) visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government education, and economic education, in the United States;

(C) translations and adaptations with respect to United States civics and government education, and economic education, curricular programs for students and teachers, and in the case of training programs for teachers, translations and adaptations into forms useful in schools in eligible countries, and joint research projects in such areas; and

(D) independent research and evaluation assistance —

(i) to determine the effects of the cooperative education exchange programs on students’ development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy; and

(ii) to identify effective participation in, and the preservation and improvement of, an efficient market economy;

(2) provide to the participants from the United States —

(A) seminars on the histories, economies, and systems of government of eligible countries;

(B) visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government education, and economic education, located in eligible countries;

(C) assistance from educators and scholars in eligible countries in the development of curricular materials on the history, government, and economy of such countries that are useful in United States classrooms;

(D) opportunities to provide onsite demonstrations of United States curricula and pedagogy for educational leaders in eligible countries; and

(E) independent research and evaluation assistance to determine —

(i) the effects of the cooperative education exchange programs assisted under this section on students’ development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy; and

(ii) effective participation in, and improvement of, an efficient market economy; and

(3) assist participants from eligible countries and the United States to participate in international conferences on civics and government education, and economic education, for educational leaders, teacher trainers, scholars in related disciplines, and educational policymakers.

(d) PARTICIPANTS- The primary participants in the cooperative education exchange programs assisted under this section shall be educational leaders in the areas of civics and government education, and economic education, including teachers, curriculum and teacher training specialists, scholars in relevant disciplines, and educational policymakers, and government and private sector leaders from the United States and eligible countries.

(e) CONSULTATION- The Secretary may award a grant to, or enter into a contract with, the entities described in section 2343 to carry out programs assisted under this section only if the Secretary of State concurs with the Secretary that such grant, or contract, respectively, is consistent with the foreign policy of the United States.

(f) AVOIDANCE OF DUPLICATION- With the concurrence of the Secretary of State, the Secretary shall ensure that —

(1) the activities carried out under the programs assisted under this section are not duplicative of other activities conducted in eligible countries; and

(2) any institutions in eligible countries, with which the Center for Civic Education, the National Council on Economic Education, or organizations described in section 2343(a)(3) may work in conducting such activities, are creditable.

(g) ELIGIBLE COUNTRY DEFINED- In this section, the term eligible country’ means a Central European country, an Eastern European country, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the independent states of the former Soviet Union as defined in section 3 of the FREEDOM Support Act (22 U.S.C. 5801), the Republic of Ireland, the province of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, and any developing country (as such term is defined in section 209(d) of the Education for the Deaf Act) if the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, determines that such developing country has a democratic form of government.

SEC. 2346. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

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