[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2721 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
2d Session
S. 2721
To amend the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization
Act to require State academic assessments of student achievement in
United States history, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 22, 2004
Mr. Alexander (for himself and Mr. Kennedy) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization
Act to require State academic assessments of student achievement in
United States history, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American History Achievement Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress
assessment in United States history had the largest percentage
of students scoring below basic of any subject that was tested,
including mathematics, science, and reading; and
(2) in the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress
assessment in United States history--
(A) 33 percent of students in grade 4 scored below
basic, 36 percent of students in grade 8 scored below
basic, and 57 percent of students in grade 12 scored
below basic;
(B) 92 percent of students in grade 12 could not
explain the most important cause of the Great
Depression after reading a paragraph delineating 4
significant reasons;
(C) 91 percent of students in grade 8 could not
``list two issues that were important in causing the
Civil War'' and ``list the Northern and Southern
positions on each of these issues'';
(D) 95 percent of students in grade 4 could not
list ``two reasons why the people we call `pioneers'
moved west across the United States'';
(E) 73 percent of students in grade 4 could not
identify the Constitution from among 4 choices as ``the
document that contains the basic rules used to run the
United States government'';
(F) 75 percent of students in grade 4 could not
identify ``the three parts of the federal (national)
government of the United States'' out of 4 possible
choices;
(G) 94 percent of students in grade 8 could not
``give two reasons why it can be useful for a country
to have a constitution''; and
(H) 91 percent of students in grade 12 were unable
to ``explain two ways that democratic society benefits
from citizens actively participating in the political
process''.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS
AUTHORIZATION ACT.
Section 303(b) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress
Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)(D), by inserting ``(with a priority in
conducting assessments in history not less frequently than once
every 4 years)'' after ``subject matter''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)(A)--
(A) in clause (iii)--
(i) by inserting ``except as provided in
clause (v),'' before ``may conduct''; and
(ii) by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(v) shall conduct trial State academic
assessments of student achievement in United
States history in grades 8 and 12 in not less
than 10 States representing geographically
diverse regions of the United States.''.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT GOVERNING BOARD.
Section 302(e)(1) of the National Assessment of Educational
Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9621(e)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as subparagraph (K);
(3) in the flush matter at the end, by striking
``subparagraph (J)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (K)''; and
(4) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the following:
``(J) in consultation with the Commissioner for
Education Statistics, identify and select the States
that will participate in the trial State academic
assessments described in section 303(b)(3)(A)(v);
and''.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 303(b)(3) of the National Assessment of Educational
Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622(b)(3)) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(D) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out subparagraph
(A)(v) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 and
2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each
succeeding fiscal year.''.
SEC. 6. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.
Section 113(a)(1) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20
U.S.C. 9513(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``section 302(e)(1)(J)'' and
inserting ``section 302(e)(1)(K)''.
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