PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Became Public Law No: 107-279.
Congressional Research Service
Version 36 · Passed House amended · Apr 30, 2002
Title I: Education Sciences Reform - Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 - Part A: Academy of Education Sciences - Establishes in the Department of Education an Academy of Education Sciences, consisting of: (1) an Office of the Director; (2) a National Board for Education Sciences; (3) an Office of Educational Resources and Dissemination (OERD); and (4) the National Education Centers, including ones for Education Research, Education Statistics, and Education Evaluation, with their respective Commissioners to be appointed by the Academy's Director.Part B: National Education Center for Education Research - Establishes in the Academy a National Education Center for Education Research.(Sec. 133) Requires the Research Commissioner to: (1) maintain published peer-review standards and standards for conduct and evaluation of all research and development carried out under Center auspices; (2) propose to the Director a research plan; (3) carry out specific, long-term research activities consistent with Academy priorities and mission; (4) implement the plan to carry out scientifically valid research that uses objective and measurable indicators to assess progress and results, meets peer certain review procedures standards of research, and includes both basic research and applied research; (5) promote the use of scientifically valid research within the Federal Government, including active participation in interagency research initiatives; (6) ensure that research conducted by the Center is relevant to education practice and policy; (7) synthesize and disseminate, through OERD, the findings and results of research conducted or supported by the Center; and (8) oversee and support conducting evaluative summaries of the education priority areas of each of the national research and development centers.Requires the Director, through the Research Commissioner, to support national research and development centers.Part C: National Education Center for Education Statistics - Establishes in the Academy a National Education Center for Education Statistics.(Sec. 153) Requires the Statistics Center to collect, report, analyze, and disseminate statistical data related to education in the United States and in other nations, including specified types of data.Authorizes the Statistics Commissioner to establish: (1) a training program for employees of public and private educational agencies, organizations, and institutions in the use of standard statistical procedures and concepts; and (2) a fellowship program to appoint such employees as temporary fellows to assist the Statistics Center.(Sec. 157) Authorizes the Statistics Center to establish one or more national cooperative education statistics systems to produce and maintain, with the cooperation of the States, comparable and uniform information and data on early childhood education, elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education, adult education, and libraries that are useful for policymaking at the Federal, State, and local levels.Part D: National Education Center for Education Evaluation - Establishes in the Academy a National Education Center for Education Evaluation.(Sec. 173) Requires the Director, through the Evaluation Commissioner, to: (1) conduct or support evaluations consistent with the Center's mission; (2) evaluate programs under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (and administer all operations and contracts associated with evaluations authorized by part E of such title I); (3) coordinate Center activities with other evaluation activities in the Department; and (4) review and supplement Federal education program evaluations.Part E: General Provisions - Sets forth general provisions relating to title I of this Act, including definitions, interagency data sources and formats, prohibitions, confidentiality, availability of data, performance management, authority to publish, Board vacancies, scientific or technical employees, voluntary service, fellowships, rulemaking, and authorization of appropriations.(Sec. 183) Prohibits construing anything in this title to authorize: (1) the development of a nationwide database of individually identifiable information on individuals involved in studies or other collections of data under this title; (2) a Federal officer or employee to mandate, direct, or control the curriculum, program of instruction, or allocation of State or local resources of a State, local educational agency, or school, or to mandate a State or local government to spend any funds or incur any costs not provided for under this title. Prohibits the use of any funds provided under this title: (1) by the Academy (or any of its offices, boards, committees, or centers) to endorse, approve, or sanction any curriculum designed to be used in an elementary school or secondary school; or (2) by the Secretary or any award recipient to develop, pilot test, field test, implement, administer, or distribute any federally sponsored national test in reading, mathematics, or any other subject, unless specifically and explicitly authorized by law, with specified exceptions.Title II: Regional Educational Applied Research and Technical Assistance - Regional Assistance Act of 2002 - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish, oversee, and coordinate a nationwide network of regional entities to provide comprehensive applied educational research, development, and technical assistance to other appropriate entities in education technology and the core academic areas of reading, math, and science.(Sec. 203) Requires: (1) the same geographical regions as served by the regional educational laboratories to be served under this title; (2) five-year competitive contracts with at least two regional entities for each region; and (3) existing awards to certain regional educational laboratories to be continued. Allows a limited extension of existing awards for comprehensive regional assistance centers.Sets forth provisions for regional advisory committees and grants for their activities, regional entity boards, public input, priorities and evaluations, and authorization of appropriations.(Sec. 210) Makes part E of title I of this Act applicable to this title, as appropriate, except that the Secretary shall be responsible under this title for any responsibilities that such part assigned solely to the Academy Director.Title III: National Assessment of Educational Progress - National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act - Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 through 2008 for: (1) the National Assessment Governing Board; and (2) the National Assessment of Educational Progress.Title IV: Amendatory Provisions - Redesignates and transfers to this Act confidentiality protections from the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 (which are currently applicable only to the National Center for Education Statistics) in a revised form to cover all individually identifiable information that has been collected or retained under this Act. Transfers from such Act to this Act provisions relating to the National Assessment Governing Board and the National Assessment of Educational Progress.(Sec. 402) Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to provide for the Academy of Educational Sciences and its Director.(Sec. 403) Repeals: (1) the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 (title IV of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994); (2) parts A through E and J through N of the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994 (title IX of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act); and (3) specified provisions under the Department of Education Organization Act.
People & committees
Rep. Castle, Michael N. [R-DE-At Large] · R–DE
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Became Public Law No: 107-279.
Became Public Law No: 107-279.
Signed by President.
Signed by President.
Presented to President.
Presented to President.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection. (consideration: CR H7964-8009; text as House agreed to Senate amendments: CR H7984-7997)
Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.(consideration: CR H7964-8009; text as House agreed to Senate amendments: CR H7984-7997)
Mr. Armey asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S10480-10481)
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references, and to make other necessary technical and conforming corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 3801.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1729-1739)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H1729-1739)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3801.
Considered under suspension of the rules.
Mr. Castle moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 239.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 107-404.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 107-404.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Mar 23, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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