text: SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
              (1) Extension services such as the Manufacturing Extension 
          Partnership and the Agricultural Extension Service have proven 
          to be effective public-private partnerships to integrate new 
          technologies and to improve utilization of existing 
          technologies by small to medium sized manufacturers and the 
          United States agricultural community.
              (2) Undergraduate institutions of higher education working 
          with nonprofit organizations and State and Federal agencies can 
          tailor educational technology extension programs to meet 
          specific local and regional requirements.
              (3) Undergraduate institutions of higher education, often 
          with the assistance of the National Science Foundation, have 
          during the past 20 years been integrating educational 
          technologies into their curriculums, and as such can draw upon 
          their own experiences to advise elementary and secondary school 
          educators on ways to integrate a variety of educational 
          technologies into the educational process.
              (4) Many elementary and secondary school systems, 
          particularly in rural and traditionally underserved areas, lack 
          general information on the most effective methods to integrate 
          their existing technology infrastructure, as well as new 
          educational technology, into the educational process and 
          curriculum.
              (5) Most Federal and State educational technology programs 
          have focused on acquiring educational technologies with less 
          emphasis on the utilization of those technologies in the 
          classroom and the training and infrastructural requirements 
          needed to efficiently support those types of technologies. As a 
          result, in many instances, the full potential of educational 
          technology has not been realized.
              (6) Our global economy is increasingly reliant on a 
          workforce not only comfortable with technology, but also able 
          to integrate rapid technological changes into the production 
          process. As such, in order to remain competitive in a global 
          economy, it is imperative that we maintain a work-ready labor 
          force.
              (7) According to ``Teacher Quality: A Report on the 
          Preparation and Qualifications of Public School Teachers'', 
          prepared by the Department of Education, only 1 in 5 teachers 
          felt well prepared to work in a modern classroom.
              (8) The most common form of professional development for 
          teachers continues to be workshops that typically last no more 
          than 1 day and have little relevance to teachers' work in the 
          classroom.
              (9) A 1998 national survey completed by the Department of 
          Education found that only 19 percent of teachers had been 
          formally mentored by another teacher, and that 70 percent of 
          these teachers felt that this collaboration was very helpful to 
          their teaching.
      (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to improve the utilization 
  of educational technologies in elementary and secondary education by 
  creating an educational technology extension service based at 
  intermediate school districts, regional education service agencies, or 
  undergraduate institutions of higher education.
  
  SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) The term ``Director'' means the Director of the 
          National Science Foundation.
              (2) The term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
          meaning given that term in section 101 of the Higher Education 
          Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
  
  SEC. 3. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION EXTENSION ASSISTANCE.
  
      (a) Program Authorized.--
              (1) General authority--The Director, in cooperation with 
          the Secretary of Education and the Director of the National 
          Institute of Standards and Technology, is authorized to provide 
          assistance for the creation and support of regional centers for 
          the utilization of educational technologies (hereinafter in 
          this Act referred to as ``ETU Centers'').
              (2) Functions of centers--
                      (A) Establishment.--ETU Centers may be established 
                  at any intermediate school district, regional education 
                  service agency, institution of higher education, or 
                  consortium of such entities, but such Centers may 
                  include the participation of nonprofit entities.
                      (B) Objectives of centers.--The objective of ETU 
                  Centers is to enhance the utilization of educational 
                  technologies in elementary and secondary education 
                  through--
                              (i) advising elementary and secondary 
                          school administrators, school boards, and 
                          teachers on the adoption and utilization of new 
                          educational technologies and the utility of 
                          local schools' existing educational technology 
                          assets and infrastructure;
                              (ii) participation of individuals from the 
                          private sector, universities, State and local 
                          governments, and other Federal agencies;
                              (iii) active dissemination of technical and 
                          management information about the use of 
                          educational technologies; and
                              (iv) utilization, if appropriate, of the 
                          expertise and capabilities that exist in 
                          Federal laboratories and Federal agencies.
                      (C) Activities of centers.--The activities of ETU 
                  Centers shall include the following:
                              (i) The active transfer and dissemination 
                          of research findings and ETU Center expertise 
                          to local school authorities, including school 
                          administrators, school boards, and teachers.
                              (ii) The training of teachers in the 
                          integration of local schools' existing 
                          educational technology infrastructure into 
                          their instructional design.
                              (iii) The training and advising of 
                          teachers, administrators, and school board 
                          members in the acquisition, utilization, and 
                          support of educational technologies.
                              (iv) Support services to teachers, 
                          administrators, and school board members as 
                          agreed upon by ETU Center representatives and 
                          local school authorities.
                              (v) The advising of teachers, 
                          administrators, and school board members on 
                          current skill set standards employed by private 
                          industry.
              (3) Program administration.--
                      (A) Proposed rules.--The Director, after 
                  consultation with the Secretary of Education and the 
                  Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
                  Technology, shall publish in the Federal Register, not 
                  later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
                  this Act, proposed rules for the program for 
                  establishing ETU Centers, including--
                              (i) a description of the program;
                              (ii) the procedures to be followed by 
                          applicants;
                              (iii) the criteria for determining 
                          qualified applicants; and
                              (iv) the criteria, including those listed 
                          in this section, for choosing recipients of 
                          financial assistance under this Act from among 
                          qualified applicants.
                      (B) Final rules.--The Director shall publish final 
                  rules for the program under this Act after the 
                  expiration of a 30-day comment period on such proposed 
                  rules.
              (4) Eligibility and selection.--
                      (A) Applications required.--Any intermediate school 
                  district, regional education service agency, 
                  undergraduate institution of higher education, or 
                  consortium of any of those entities may submit an 
                  application for financial support under this Act in 
                  accordance with the procedures established under this 
                  Act. In order to receive assistance under this Act, an 
                  applicant shall provide adequate assurances that the 
                  applicant will contribute 50 percent or more of the 
                  proposed ETU Center's capital and annual operating and 
                  maintenance costs.
                      (B) Selection.--The Director, in conjunction with 
                  the Secretary of Education and the Director of the 
                  National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall 
                  subject each application to competitive, merit-based 
                  review. In making a decision whether to approve such 
                  application and provide financial support under this 
                  Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
                  shall consider, at a minimum--
                              (i) the merits of the application, 
                          particularly those portions of the application 
                          regarding the adaptation of training and 
                          educational technologies to the needs of 
                          particular regions;
                              (ii) the quality of service to be provided;
                              (iii) the geographical diversity and extent 
                          of service area, with particular emphasis on 
                          rural and traditionally underdeveloped areas; 
                          and
                              (iv) the percentage of funding and amount 
                          of in-kind commitment from other sources.
                      (C) Evaluation.--Each ETU Center that receives 
                  financial assistance under this Act shall be evaluated 
                  during its third year of operation by an evaluation 
                  panel appointed by the Director. Each evaluation panel 
                  shall measure the involved ETU Center's performance 
                  against the objectives specified in this Act. Funding 
                  for an ETU Center shall not be renewed unless the 
                  evaluation is positive.
      (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
  appropriated to the National Science Foundation to carry out this Act 
  $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, $8,500,000 for fiscal year 2003, and 
  $9,500,000 for fiscal year 2004.
target: Authorizes the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), in cooperation with the Secretary of Education and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to provide assistance for the creation and support of regional centers for the utilization of educational technologies (ETU Centers). Allows ETU Centers to be established at any intermediate school district, regional education service agency, institution of higher education, or consortium of such entities, and to include the participation of non-profit entities.Requires ETU Centers to enhance the use of educational technologies in elementary and secondary education through: (1) advice to school administrators, school boards, and teachers on adopting and using new educational technologies and the usefulness of local schools' existing educational technology assets and infrastructure; (2) participation of individuals from the private sector, universities, State and local governments, and other Federal agencies; (3) active dissemination of technical and management information about the use of educational technologies; and (4) appropriate use of the expertise and capabilities that exist in Federal laboratories and Federal agencies.Requires ETU Centers' activities to include: (1) active transfer and dissemination of research findings and ETU Center expertise to local school authorities; (2) training of teachers in integrating schools' existing educational technology infrastructure into their instructional design; (3) training and advising of teachers, administrators, and school board members in acquiring, using, and supporting educational technologies; (4) support services to teachers, administrators, and school board members; and (5) advising of teachers, administrators, and school board members on current skill set standards employed by private industry.
feat_title: To improve the utilization of educational technologies in elementary and secondary education by creating an educational technology extension service.