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United States · Bill · S

S. 659 (111th)

Improving the Teaching and Learning of American History and Civics Act of 2009

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

19 March 2009

Last action

19 March 2009 · Introduced

Status

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Sponsors

Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN], Sen. Byrd, Robert C. [D-WV], Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA], Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS]

Subjects

Education

Source updated

14 August 2025

Education

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Summary

Improving the Teaching and Learning of American History and Civics Act of 2009 - Creates a new part E (American History and Civics Education) under title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), under which are placed the existing Teaching of Traditional American History, Civic Education (containing the We the People and Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange programs), and Close Up Fellowship programs. Establishes, under part E of title II of the ESEA, programs requiring the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to IHEs, museums, libraries, research centers, or certain other educational institutions to establish Presidential Academies for Teaching of American History and Civics and Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics which offer seminars or institutes for teachers and outstanding students of such subjects, respectively. Creates, under part E, a program authorizing the Secretary to provide grants or contracts to National History Day, Inc. for specified activities promoting and improving the study of history. Repeals the American History and Civics Education Act of 2004, which contained a version of the Presidential Academies, Congressional Academies, and National History Day programs. Reauthorizes part E programs through FY2015. Amends the ESEA to require states to: (1) establish challenging academic content and student achievement standards in U.S. history, beginning in the 2011-2012 school year; and (2) measure the achievement of students against such standards at least one time during grades 3 through 5, grades 6 through 9, and grades 10 through 12, beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. Improving the Teaching and Learning of American History and Civics Act of 2009 - Amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act to direct the Commissioner for Education Statistics to: (1) give priority to conducting national assessments of student achievement in history at least once every four years in grades 4, 8, and 12; and (2) conduct trial state academic assessments of student achievement in U.S. history and civics in grades 8 and 12.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 19 March 2009

    Introduced

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 19 March 2009

    Introduced

    Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3567-3571)

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 19 March 2009

    Introduced

    Introduced in Senate

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

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Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in Senate (text)

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  • Introduced in Senate (text)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 19 March 2009

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  • Introduced in Senate (PDF)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 19 March 2009

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  • Introduced in Senate

    summary · EN · 19 March 2009

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Sponsors

Related records

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Sources

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