§ 5951. International Education Program

(a) Program established

     The Secretary, with the concurrence and the foreign policy guidance of the Secretary of State, shall carry out an International Education Program in accordance with this section that shall provide for—

     (1) the study of international education programs and delivery systems; and

     (2) an international education exchange program.

(b) Repealed. Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 301(e)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–337, 2681–410

(c) International Education Exchange Program

(1) Requirement

(A) In general

     The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the United States Information Agency, shall carry out a program to be known as the International Education Exchange Program. Under such program the Secretary shall award grants to or enter into contracts with organizations with demonstrated effectiveness or expertise in international achievement comparisons, in order to—

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

     (ii) assist eligible countries in the adaptation and implementation of such programs or joint research concerning such programs;

     (iii) create and implement educational programs for United States students which draw upon the experiences of emerging constitutional democracies;

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

     (v) provide support for—

(I) 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

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

(B) Program administration

     The Secretary and the Director of the United States Information Agency, or their designees, shall be jointly responsible for the design of the program described in subparagraph (A). The Secretary and the Director of the United States Information Agency shall name to an oversight committee an equal number of representatives. Such committee shall determine the specifications for requests for proposals, the eligibility and review criteria for proposals, and the review process for proposals, for grants or contracts under this section. The Director of the United States Information Agency shall have particular responsibility for ensuring that programs assisted under this section are not duplicative of other efforts in the target countries and that foreign partner institutions are creditable.

(C) Reservations

     In carrying out the program described in subparagraph (A), there shall be reserved in each fiscal year—

     (i) 50 percent of the amount available to carry out this subsection for civics and government education activities; and

     (ii) 50 percent of such amount available to carry out this subsection for economic education activities.

(2) Contract authorized

(A) In general

     The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the United States Information Agency, is authorized to contract with independent nonprofit educational organizations to carry out the provisions of this subsection.

(B) Number

     The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the United States Information Agency, shall award at least 1 but not more than 3 contracts described in subparagraph (A) in each of the areas described in clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (1)(B).

(C) Avoidance of duplication

     The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the United States Information Agency, shall award contracts described in subparagraph (A) so as to avoid duplication of activities in such contracts.

(D) Requirements

     Each organization with which the Secretary enters into a contract pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall—

     (i) be experienced in—

(I) the development and national implementation of curricular programs in civics and government education and economic education for students from grades kindergarten through 12 in local, intermediate, and State educational agencies, in schools funded by the Bureau, and in private schools throughout the Nation with the cooperation and assistance of national professional educational organizations, colleges and universities, and private sector organizations;

(II) the development and implementation of cooperative university and school-based inservice training programs for teachers of grades kindergarten through grade 12 using scholars from such relevant disciplines as political science, political philosophy, history, law and economics;

(III) the development of model curricular frameworks in civics and government education and economic education;

(IV) the administration of international seminars on the goals and objectives of civics and government education or economic education in constitutional democracies (including the sharing of curricular materials) for educational leaders, teacher trainers, scholars in related disciplines, and educational policymakers; and

(V) the evaluation of civics and government education or economic education programs; and

     (ii) have the authority to subcontract with other organizations to carry out the provisions of this subsection.

(3) Activities

     The international education program described in this subsection shall—

     (A) provide eligible countries with—

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

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

     (iii) home stays in United States communities;

     (iv) translations and adaptations regarding 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;

     (v) translation of basic documents of United States constitutional government for use in eligible countries, such as The Federalist Papers, selected writings of Presidents Adams and Jefferson and the Anti-Federalists, and more recent works on political theory, constitutional law and economics; and

     (vi) research and evaluation assistance to determine—

(I) 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

(II) effective participation in and the preservation and improvement of an efficient market economy;

     (B) provide United States participants with—

     (i) seminars on the histories, economics, and governments of eligible countries;

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

     (iii) home stays in eligible countries;

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

     (v) opportunities to provide on-site demonstrations of United States curricula and pedagogy for educational leaders in eligible countries; and

     (vi) research and evaluation assistance to determine—

(I) 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

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

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

(4) Participants

     The primary participants in the international education program assisted under this subsection shall be leading educators in the areas of civics and government education and economic education, including curriculum and teacher training specialists, scholars in relevant disciplines, and educational policymakers, from the United States and eligible countries.

(5) Personnel and technical experts

     The Secretary is authorized to provide Department of Education personnel and technical experts to assist eligible countries to establish and implement a database or other effective methods to improve educational delivery systems, structure and organization.

(6) "Eligible country" defined

     For the purpose of this subsection the term "eligible country" means a Central European country, an Eastern European country, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and any country that formerly was a republic of the Soviet Union whose political independence is recognized in the United States.

(d) Authorization of appropriations

(1) Repealed. Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 301(e)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–337, 2681–410

(2) International education exchange

     There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1996 through 1999, to carry out subsection (c) of this section.

(Pub. L. 103–227, title VI, § 601, Mar. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 200; Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 301(e)], div. G, subdiv. A, title XIII, § 1335(e), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–337, 2681–410, 2681–788.)

     1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(e), substituted "and" for "of the Director of the United States Information Agency and with".

     Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 301(e)], struck out heading and text of subsec. (b). Text read as follows: "The Secretary shall award grants for the study, evaluation, and analysis of education systems in other nations, particularly Great Britain, France, Germany and Japan. Such studies shall focus upon a comparative analysis of curriculum, methodology, and organizational structure, including the length of the school year and school day. In addition, the studies shall provide an analysis of successful strategies employed by other nations to improve student achievement, with a specific focus upon application to schooling and the National Education Goals."

     Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 301(e)], struck out heading and text of par. (1). Text read as follows: "There are authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1996 through 1999, to carry out subsection (b) of this section."

     Amendment by section 1335(e) of Pub. L. 105–277 effective Oct. 1, 1999, see section 1301 of Pub. L. 105–277, set out as a note under section 6531 of Title 22.

     United States Information Agency (other than Broadcasting Board of Governors and International Broadcasting Bureau) abolished and functions transferred to Secretary of State, see sections 6531 and 6532 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.