PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

SEC. 6051. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. The Education for Economic Security Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new title: “TITLE IX— STAR SCHOOLS PROGRAM “short title “Sec. 901. This title may be cited as the ‘Star Schools Program Assistance Act’. “statement of purpose “Sec. 902. It is the purpose of this title to encourage improved instruction in mathematics, science, and foreign languages as well as other subjects such as vocational education through a star schools program under which demonstration grants are made to eligible telecommuniations partnerships to enable such eligible telecommunications partnerships to develop, construct, and acquire telecommunications audio and visual facilities and equipment, to develop and acquire instructional programming, and obtain technical assistance for the use of such facilities and instructional programming. “program authorized “Sec. 903. (a) General Authority.— The Secretary is authorized, in accordance with the provisions of this title, to make grants to eligible telecommunications partnerships for the Federal share of the cost of the development, construction, and acquisition of tele-102 STAT. 1487communications facilities and equipment, of the development and acquisition of instructional programming, and of technical assistance. “(b) Authorization of Appropriations.— (1) There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for the period beginning October 1, 1987, and ending September 30, 1992. “(2) No appropriation in excess of $20,000,000 may be made in fiscal year 1988, and no appropriation in excess of $37,500,000 may be made in any of the fiscal years 1989 through 1992 pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection. “(3) Funds appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall remain available until expended. “(c) Limitations.— (1) (A) A demonstration grant made to an eligible telecommunications partnership under this title may not exceed $10,000,000. “(B) An eligible telecommunications partnership may receive a grant for a second year under this title, but in no event may such a partnership receive more than $20,000,000. “(2) Not less than 25 percent of the funds available in any fiscal year under this Act shall be used for the cost of instructional programming. “(3) Not less than 50 percent of the funds available in any fiscal year under this Act shall be used for the cost of facilities, equipment, teacher training or retraining, technical assistance, or programming, for local educational agencies which are eligible to receive assistance under chapter 1 of title I of this Act. “(d) Federal Share.— (1) The Federal share for any fiscal year shall be 75 percent. “(2) The Secretary may reduce or waive the requirements of the non-Federal share required under paragraph (1) of this subsection upon a showing of financial hardship. “eligible telecommunications partnerships “Sec. 904. (a) General Rule.— In order to be eligible for demonstration grants under this title, an eligible telecommunications partnership shall consist of— “(1) a public agency or corporation established for the purpose of developing and operating telecommunications networks to enhance educational opportunities provided by educational institutions, teacher training centers, and other entities, except that any such agency or corporation shall represent the interests of elementary and secondary schools which are eligible to participate in the program under chapter 1 of title I of this Act; or “(2) a partnership which includes 3 or more of the following, and at least one of which shall be an agency described in subparagraph (A) or (B), and which will provide a telecommunications network: “(A) a local educational agency, which has a significant number of elementary and secondary schools which are eligible for assistance under chapter 1 of title I of this Act or elementary and secondary schools operated for Indian children by the Department of the Interior eligible under section 1005(d) of this Act, “(B) a State educational agency, or a State higher education agency, 102 STAT. 1488 “(C) an institution of higher education, “(D) a teacher training center which— “(i) provides teacher preservice and inservice training, and “(ii) receives Federal financial assistance or has been approved by a State agency, or “(E) (i) a public agency with experience or expertise in the planning or operation of a telecommunications network, “(ii) a private organization with such experience, or “(iii) a public broadcasting entity with such experience. “(b) Special Rule.— An eligible telecommunications partnership must be organized on a statewide or multistate basis. “applications “Sec. 905. (a) Application Required.— Each eligible telecommunications partnership which desires to receive a demonstration grant under this title may submit an application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. “(b) Contents of Application.— Each such application shall— “(1) describe the telecommunications facilities and equipment and technical assistance for which assistance is sought which may include— “(A) the design, development, construction, and acquisition of State or multistate educational telecommunications networks and technology resource centers; “(B) microwave, fiber optics, cable, and satellite transmission equipment; “(C) reception facilities; “(D) satellite time; “(E) production facilities; “(F) other telecommunications equipment capable of serving a wide geographic area; “(G) the provision of training services to elementary and secondary school teachers (particularly teachers in schools receiving assistance under chapter 1 of title I of this Act in using the facilities and equipment for which assistance is sought; and “(H) the development of educational programming for use on a telecommunications network; “(2) describe, in the case of an application for assistance for instructional programming, the types of programming which will be developed to enhance instruction and training; “(3) demonstrate that the eligible telecommunications partnership has engaged in sufficient survey and analysis of the area to be served to ensure that the services offered by the telecommunications partnership will increase the availability of courses of instruction in mathematics, science, and foreign languages, as well as the other subjects to be offered; “(4) describe the teacher training policies to be implemented to ensure the effective use of the telecommunications facilities and equipment for which assistance is sought; “(5) provide assurances that the financial interest of the United States in the telecommunications facilities and equipment will be protected for the useful life of such facilities and equipment; 102 STAT. 1489 “(6) provide assurances that a significant portion of the facilities, equipment, technical assistance, and programming for which assistance is sought will be made available to elementary and secondary schools of local educational agencies which have a high percentage of children counted for the purpose of chapter 1 of title I of this Act; “(7) describe the manner in which traditionally underserved students will participate in the benefits of the telecommunications facilities, equipment, technical assistance, and programming assisted under this Act; “(8) provide assurances that the applicant will use the funds to supplement and not supplant funds otherwise available for the purpose of this title; and “(9) provide such additional assurances as the Secretary may reasonably require. “(c) Approval of Application; Priority.— The Secretary shall, in approving applications under this title, give priority to applications which demonstrate that— “(1) a concentration and quality of mathematics, science, and foreign language resources which, by their distribution through the eligible telecommunications partnership, will offer significant new educational opportunities to network participants, particularly to traditionally underserved populations and areas with scarce resources and limited access to courses in mathematics, science, and foreign languages; “(2) the eligible telecommunications partnership has secured the direct cooperation and involvement of public and private educational institutions, State and local government, and industry in planning the network; “(3) the eligible telecommunications partnership will serve the broadest range of institutions, including public and private elementary and secondary schools (particularly schools having significant numbers of children counted for the purpose of chapter 1 of title I of this Act, programs providing instruction outside of the school setting, institutions of higher education, teacher training centers, research institutes, and private industry; “(4) a significant number of educational institutions have agreed to participate or will participate in the use of the telecommunications system for which assistance is sought; “(5) the eligible telecommunications partnership will have substantial academic and teaching capabilities including the capability of training, retraining, and inservice upgrading of teaching skills; “(6) the eligible telecommunications partnership will serve a multistate area; and “(7) the eligible telecommunications partnership will, in providing services with assistance sought under this Act, meet the needs of groups of individuals traditionally excluded from careers in mathematics and science because of discrimination, inaccessibility, or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. “(d) Geographic Distribution.— In approving applications under this title, the Secretary shall assure an equitable geographic distribution of grants. 102 STAT. 1490 “dissemination of courses and materials under the star schools program “Sec. 906. (a) Report.— Each eligible telecommunications partnership awarded a grant under this Act shall report to the Secretary a listing and description of available courses of instruction and materials to be offered by educational institutions and teacher training centers which will be transmitted over satellite, specifying the satellite on which such transmission will occur and the time of such transmission. “(b) Dissemination of Courses of Instruction.— The Secretary shall compile and prepare for dissemination a listing and description of available courses of instruction and materials to be offered by educational institutions and teacher training centers equipped with satellite transmission capabilities, as reported to the Secretary under subsection (a) of this section. “(c) Dissemination to State Educational Agencies.— The Secretary shall distribute the list required by subsection (b) of this section to all State educational agencies. “definitions “Sec. 907. As used in this title— “(1) the term ‘educational institution’ means an institution of higher education, a local educational agency, and a State educational agency; “(2) the term ‘institution of higher education’ has the same meaning given that term under section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965; “(3) the term ‘local educational agency’ has the same meaning given that term under section 198(a)(10) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; “(4) the term ‘instructional programming’ means courses of instruction, and training courses, and materials for use in such instruction and training which have been prepared in audio and visual form on tape, disc, film, or live, and presented by means of telecommunications devices; “(5) the term ‘public broadcasting entity’ has the same meaning given that term in section 397 of the Communications Act of 1934; “(6) the term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Education; “(7) the term ‘State educational agency’ has the same meaning given that term under section 198(a)(17) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and “(8) the term ‘State’ means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”.