[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2390 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2390

 To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to create 
   small, manageable, accountable classrooms with qualified teachers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 1999

 Mr. Martinez (for himself, Mr. Clay, Mr. George Miller of California, 
Mr. Kildee, Mr. Owens, Mr. Payne, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. Andrews, Mr. 
  Roemer, Mr. Scott, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Romero-Barcelo, Mr. Fattah, Mr. 
    Hinojosa, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Kind, Ms. 
 Sanchez, Mr. Ford, Mr. Kucinich, and Mr. Wu) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
 Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to create 
   small, manageable, accountable classrooms with qualified teachers.

    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 ``Smart Classrooms Act''.

SEC. 2. SMART CLASSROOMS.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by striking the heading for title II and inserting the 
        following:

                    ``TITLE II--SMART CLASSROOMS'';

            (2) by striking sections 2001 through 2003;
            (3) by striking parts A, B, and D;
            (3) by redesignating part C as part D; and
            (4) by inserting after the title heading the following:

            ``PART A--QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN EVERY CLASSROOM

    ``Subpart 1--Findings; Purpose; Authorization of Appropriations

``SEC. 2001. FINDINGS.

    ``The Congress finds as follows:
            ``(1) All students can learn and achieve to high standards.
            ``(2) States that have shown the most success in improving 
        student achievement are those that have developed challenging 
        content and student performance standards, have aligned 
        curricula and assessments with those standards, have prepared 
        educators to teach to those standards, and have held schools 
        accountable for the achievement of all students against those 
        standards.
            ``(3) Increased teachers' knowledge of academic content and 
        effective teaching skills is associated with increases in 
        student achievement. While other factors also influence 
        learning, teacher quality makes a critical difference in how 
        well students learn, across all categories of students. For 
        example, recent research has found that teachers' expertise has 
        a greater impact on students' achievement in reading than any 
        other in-school factor.
            ``(4) A crucial component of an effective strategy for 
        achieving high standards is ensuring, through professional 
        development, that all teachers provide their students with 
        challenging learning experiences in the core academic subjects.
            ``(5) Recent research has found that teachers who 
        participate in sustained curriculum-centered professional 
        development are much more likely to report that their teaching 
        is aligned with high standards than are teachers who have not 
        received such training.
            ``(6) Research has found that high-quality professional 
        development is--
                    ``(A) linked to high standards: professional 
                development activities should improve the ability of 
                teachers to help all students, including females, 
                minorities, children with disabilities, children with 
                limited English proficiency, and economically 
                disadvantaged children, reach high State academic 
                standards;
                    ``(B) focused on content: professional development 
                activities should advance teacher understanding of 1 or 
                more of the core academic subject areas and effective 
                instructional strategies for improving student 
                achievement in those areas;
                    ``(C) collaborative: professional development 
                activities should involve collaborative groups of 
                teachers, principals, administrators, and other school 
                staff from the same school or district;
                    ``(D) sustained: professional development 
                activities should be of sufficient duration to have a 
                positive and lasting impact on classroom instruction 
                and, to the greatest extent possible, should include 
                follow-up and school-based support such as coaching or 
                study groups;
                    ``(E) embedded in a plan: professional development 
                activities should be embedded in school and district-
                wide plans designed to raise student achievement to 
                State academic standards; and
                    ``(F) informed by research: professional 
                development activities should be based on the best 
                available research on teaching and learning.
            ``(7) Students who attend schools with large numbers of 
        poor children are less likely to be taught by teachers who have 
        met all State requirements for certification or licensure or 
        who have a solid academic background in the subject matter they 
        are teaching.
            ``(8) Despite the fact that every year the Nation's 
        colleges and universities produce many more teachers than are 
        hired and that over 2,000,000 individuals who possess education 
        degrees are currently engaged in activities other than 
        teaching, many school districts experience difficulty 
        recruiting and hiring enough fully qualified teachers. Among 
        the reasons researchers have found for districts hiring less 
        than fully qualified teachers are--
                    ``(A) cumbersome and poorly coordinated State 
                licensing procedures and local hiring practices;
                    ``(B) the lack of reciprocity of teacher 
                credentials, pensions, and credited years of experience 
                across State and school district lines;
                    ``(C) a lack of support for new teachers, such as 
                high-quality mentoring programs, that can help reduce 
                the attrition rate and the number of new teachers that 
                school districts must hire every year; and
                    ``(D) compensation systems that do not adequately 
                reward teachers for improving their knowledge and 
                skills.

``SEC. 2002. PURPOSE.

    ``The purpose of this part is to support the improvement of 
classroom instruction, so that all students are able to achieve to 
challenging State content and student performance standards in the core 
academic subjects, by providing assistance to State and local 
educational agencies in their efforts to recruit and retain a fully 
qualified instructional staff by--
            ``(1) supporting States and local educational agencies in 
        continuing the task of developing challenging content and 
        student performance standards and aligned assessments, revising 
        curricula and teacher certification requirements, and using 
        challenging content and student performance standards to 
        improve teaching and learning;
            ``(2) assisting high-poverty local educational agencies and 
        low-performing local educational agencies that have the 
        greatest difficulty in recruiting and retaining fully qualified 
        teachers;
            ``(3) supporting States and local educational agencies in 
        recruiting and retaining teachers in subject areas in which the 
        State has determined there to be a shortage of teachers;
            ``(4) ensuring that all instructional staff have the 
        subject matter knowledge and teaching skills necessary to teach 
        effectively in all subjects in which they provide instruction;
            ``(5) providing assistance to new teachers during their 
        first 3 years in the classroom; and
            ``(6) ensuring that teachers, principals, administrators, 
        and other school staff have access to professional development 
        that is aligned with challenging State content and student 
        performance standards in the core academic subjects.

``SEC. 2003. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) Subpart 2.--For the purpose of carrying out subpart 2, there 
are authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2000, 
$1,250,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $1,500,000,000 for fiscal year 
2002, $1,750,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, and $2,000,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2004.
    ``(b) Subpart 3.--For the purpose of carrying out subpart 3, there 
are authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and 
such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2001 through 
2004.

                ``Subpart 2--State and Local Activities

``SEC. 2011. ALLOCATIONS TO STATES.

    ``(a) In General.--In the case of each State that in accordance 
with section 2013 submits to the Secretary an application for a fiscal 
year, and has that application approved under section 2013(c), the 
Secretary shall make a grant for the year to the State for the uses 
specified in section 2012. The grant shall consist of the allocation 
determined for the State under subsection (b) or (c).
    ``(b) Reservation of Funds.--From the amount made available to 
carry out this subpart for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
reserve--
            ``(1) \1/2\ of 1 percent to provide assistance to the 
        Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of 
        the Northern Mariana Islands, to be distributed among these 
outlying areas on the basis of their relative need, as determined by 
the Secretary in accordance with the purpose of this part; and
            ``(2) \1/2\ of 1 percent for the Secretary of the Interior 
        for activities under this subpart for teachers, principals, 
        administrators, and other school staff in schools operated or 
        funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    ``(c) State Allocations.--
            ``(1) In general.--After reserving funds under subsection 
        (b), the Secretary shall allocate the remaining amount made 
        available to carry out this subpart for any fiscal year among 
        the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth 
        of Puerto Rico as follows:
                    ``(A) 50 percent of such amount shall be allocated 
                among such States on the basis of their relative 
                populations of individuals aged 5 through 17, as 
                determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most 
                recent satisfactory data.
                    ``(B) 50 percent of such amount shall be allocated 
                among such States in proportion to the number of 
                children, aged 5 to 17, who reside within the State 
                from families with incomes below the poverty line (as 
                defined by the Office of Management and Budget and 
                revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of 
                the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 
                9902(2))) applicable to a family of the size involved 
                for the most recent fiscal year for which satisfactory 
                data are available, compared to the number of such 
                individuals who reside in all such States for that 
                fiscal year.
            ``(2) Minimum allocation.--No State receiving an allocation 
        under paragraph (1) may receive less than \1/4\ of 1 percent of 
        the total amount made available to carry out this subpart for 
        any fiscal year and not reserved under subsection (b).

``SEC. 2012. WITHIN-STATE ALLOCATIONS.

    ``(a) Subgrants to Local Educational Agencies.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each State receiving a grant under this 
        subpart shall expend at least 92 percent of the amount of the 
        funds provided under the grant for the purpose of making 
        subgrants to local educational agencies as follows:
                    ``(A) subject to paragraph (2), 80 percent of such 
                amount shall be allocated as follows:
                            ``(i) 60 percent shall be allocated among 
                        local educational agencies having an approved 
                        application under section 2017 in proportion to 
                        the number of children, aged 5 to 17, who 
                        reside within the jurisdiction served by the 
                        agency from families with incomes below the 
                        poverty line (as defined by the Office of 
                        Management and Budget as revised annually in 
                        accordance with section 673(2) of the Community 
                        Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))) 
                        applicable to a family of the size involved for 
                        the most recent fiscal year for which 
                        satisfactory data are available, compared to 
                        the number of such children who reside in all 
                        such jurisdictions for that fiscal year.
                            ``(ii) 40 percent shall be allocated among 
                        local educational agencies having an approved 
                        application under section 2017 on the basis of 
                        their relative populations of children aged 5 
                        to 17, as determined by the Secretary on the 
                        basis of the most recent satisfactory data.
                    ``(B) 20 percent of such amount shall be used to 
                provide additional funds to local educational agencies, 
                and partnerships described in section 2016(b)(1), 
                having an approved application under section 2018 in 
                accordance with such section.
            ``(2) Minimum amount.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(A), a 
        local educational agency may not receive an allocation under 
        such paragraph for any fiscal year that is less than its 
        allocation for fiscal year 1999 under section 2203(1) of this 
        Act (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment 
        of the Smart Classrooms Act). If the amount available for 
        allocations under paragraph (1)(A) is insufficient to satisfy 
        the preceding sentence, each allocation under such paragraph 
        shall be ratably reduced.
    ``(b) Subgrants to Partnerships.--Each State receiving a grant 
under this subpart shall expend at least 2 percent of the amount of the 
funds provided under the grant for the purpose of making subgrants to 
partnerships under section 2016.
    ``(c) State-Level Activities.--Each State receiving a grant under 
this part may expend not more than 6 percent of the amount of the funds 
provided under the grant for one or more of the State-level activities 
described in section 2015.
    ``(d) Administration and Evaluations.--Subject to section 2023, 
each State receiving a grant under this subpart or part C shall expend 
not more than \1/6\ of its allocation under subsection (c) for--
            ``(1) its costs of administering this subpart and part C;
            ``(2) evaluations of the effectiveness of activities under 
        this subpart and part C, including effectiveness as measured 
        using the indicators of program performance described in 
        section 2401; and
            ``(3) reports required under section 2208, if the State 
        receives funds under part C.

``SEC. 2013. STATE APPLICATION.

    ``(a) Applications Required.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each State desiring to receive its 
        allocation under this subpart shall submit, through its State 
        educational agency, an application to the Secretary at such 
        time, in such form, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary reasonably may require.
            ``(2) Consultation.--The State educational agency shall 
        develop the State application--
                    ``(A) in consultation with the State agency for 
                higher education, community-based and other nonprofit 
                organizations of demonstrated effectiveness in 
professional development, and institutions of higher education; and
                    ``(B) with the extensive participation of teachers, 
                teacher educators, school administrators, and content 
                specialists.
    ``(b) Contents.--Each such application shall include the following:
            ``(1) A description of how the State educational agency 
        will use all funds received under this subpart to implement 
        State plans or policies that support comprehensive standards-
        based education reform through the following strategies:
                    ``(A) Supporting the alignment of curricula and 
                assessments with challenging State content and student 
                performance standards.
                    ``(B) Supporting local educational agencies in 
                their efforts to recruit and retain fully qualified 
                teachers, with special consideration given to 
                recruiting highly qualified teachers from minority and 
                other historically underrepresented groups, including 
                bilingual teachers.
                    ``(C) Ensuring that teachers employed by local 
                educational agencies are proficient in content 
                knowledge and teaching skills in all subjects in which 
                they provide instruction.
                    ``(D) Providing professional development, aligned 
                with State content and student performance standards, 
                in core academic subjects.
            ``(2) A plan for ensuring that all teachers teaching in 
        schools served under this part are fully qualified not later 
        than November 1, 2003.
            ``(3) An assurance that teacher aides or other 
        paraprofessionals who are not fully qualified teachers provide 
        instruction to students only under the direct and immediate 
        supervision of a fully qualified teacher, and have received the 
        professional development necessary to perform their duties.
            ``(4) A description of the process the State educational 
        agency will use to make competitive awards to local educational 
        agencies under section 2018, including a description of--
                    ``(A) the State's criteria for classifying local 
                educational agencies as among those having the greatest 
                need for services provided under this subpart and its 
                justification for those criteria;
                    ``(B) the State's strategies for ensuring that 
                local educational agencies that have historically had 
                little success in competing for funds are provided a 
                reasonable opportunity to compete for subgrants;
                    ``(C) the State's criteria for determining the 
                amounts that it will award to recipients and the 
                criteria for providing noncompetitive renewals of 
                subgrants; and
                    ``(D) the technical assistance that the State 
                educational agency will provide, under section 
                2018(e)(2), to local educational agencies that it 
                identifies as having the greatest need for services and 
                that fail to receive an award under section 2018.
            ``(5) A description of how the State educational agency 
        will ensure that all recipients of funds under this subpart 
        will report on their level of performance based on the program 
        performance indicators described in section 2401.
            ``(6) A list of any additional indicators of program 
        performance, beyond those described in section 2401, on which 
        the State educational agency and the State agency for higher 
        education will require recipients to report.
            ``(7) A set of specific, numerical, annual goals for each 
        of the performance indicators required under section 2401 and 
        for any additional indicators that the State elects to use for 
        measuring the progress of the State and local educational 
        agencies receiving funds under this subpart.
            ``(8) A description of how the State will coordinate 
        professional development activities authorized under this 
        subpart with professional development activities provided under 
        other Federal, State, and local programs, including those 
        authorized under title I, title III, title IV, part A of title 
        VII, and (where applicable) the Individuals with Disabilities 
        Education Act and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical 
        Education Act. The application shall also describe the 
        comprehensive strategy that the State will take as part of such 
        coordination effort, to ensure that teachers are trained in the 
        utilization of technology so that technology and its 
        applications are effectively used in the classroom to improve 
        teaching and learning in all curriculum and content areas, as 
        appropriate.
    ``(c) Approval.--The Secretary shall, using a peer-review process, 
approve a State application if it meets the requirements of this 
section and holds reasonable promise of achieving the purpose described 
in section 2002.

``SEC. 2014. STATE ACCOUNTABILITY.

    ``(a) Annual Reports.--Each State educational agency that receives 
funds under this subpart and part C shall, beginning in fiscal year 
2002, annually compile, publish, submit to the Secretary, and 
distribute to the public, a report including the following information:
            ``(1) The percentage of teachers teaching in the State who 
        have not met State qualifications and licensing criteria for 
        the grade levels and subject areas in which they provide 
        instruction.
            ``(2) The percentage of teachers teaching in the State 
        under emergency or other provisional status through which State 
        qualifications or licensing criteria have been waived.
            ``(3) The percentage of teachers teaching in the State who 
        do not hold a postsecondary degree with a major in the subject 
        areas in which they provide instruction.
            ``(4) The average class size.
            ``(5) The percentage of teachers with certification from 
        the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
            ``(6) Information on the progress of recipients of 
        subgrants under this subpart, measured based on the program 
        performance indicators described in section 2041 and any 
additional indicators included in the State's application.
            ``(7) Such other information as the Secretary may 
        reasonably require.
    ``(b) Disaggregated Data.--Data collected for the purpose of 
carrying out this section shall be disaggregated by State, local 
educational agency, and school.

``SEC. 2015. STATE-LEVEL ACTIVITIES.

    ``Each State shall use funds it reserves under section 2012(c) to 
carry out activities described in its approved application that promote 
high-quality classroom instruction, such as--
            ``(1) supporting the continued improvement of State content 
        and student performance standards and assessments aligned with 
        those standards;
            ``(2) providing technical assistance and other services to 
        increase the capacity of local educational agencies and schools 
        to develop and implement systemic local improvement plans, 
        implement State and local assessments, and develop curricula 
        consistent with State content and performance standards;
            ``(3) supporting the development and implementation, at the 
        local educational agency and school-building level, of improved 
        systems for recruiting, selecting, hiring, mentoring, 
        supporting, evaluating, and rewarding principals and fully 
        qualified teachers;
            ``(4) redesigning and strengthening professional licensure 
        systems for educators;
            ``(5) developing performance-based assessment systems for 
        full teacher licensure;
            ``(6) establishing, expanding, or improving rigorous 
        alternative routes to State certification or licensure that 
        lead to certification within 2 years and require applicants to 
        meet the same standards and pass the same tests as other 
        applicants;
            ``(7) developing or strengthening assessments to test the 
        content knowledge and teaching skills of new teachers;
            ``(8) developing and implementing professional development 
        opportunities for teachers, principals, administrators, and 
        other school staff based on State content and student 
        performance standards;
            ``(9) operating a teacher academy that establishes and 
        demonstrates models for local educational agencies to improve 
        teaching and learning through activities such as--
                    ``(A) using master teachers to mentor and train 
                student teachers; and
                    ``(B) providing ongoing professional development 
                opportunities and support for teachers;
            ``(10) providing professional development programs that 
        enable teachers to effectively communicate with parents in the 
        education process to support classroom instruction and work 
        effectively with parent volunteers;
            ``(11) executing policies and practices that will ensure 
        that low-income and minority students are not taught by 
        emergency certified or unqualified teachers at rates higher 
        than other students; and
            ``(12) increasing the portability of teacher pensions and 
        reciprocity of teaching credentials across State lines.

``SEC. 2016. SUBGRANTS TO PARTNERSHIPS.

    ``(a) Administration.--From the funds made available to it under 
section 2012(b) for any fiscal year, a State agency for higher 
education may use not more than 5 percent for its expenses in 
administering this section, including conducting evaluations and 
reporting under subsection (g).
    ``(b) Subgrants to Partnerships.--
            ``(1) In general.--
                    ``(A) Partnerships.--For the purpose of providing 
                professional development to elementary and secondary 
                school teachers in a local educational agency that is 
                both a high-poverty local educational agency and a low-
                performing local educational agency, a State agency for 
                higher education, subject to subsection (a) and in 
                conjunction with the State educational agency, shall 
                use the funds made available to it under section 
                2012(b) for any fiscal year to make subgrants to 
                partnerships consisting of--
                            ``(i) one or more institutions of higher 
                        education (including historically Black 
                        colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving 
                        institutions), or nonprofit organizations of 
                        demonstrated effectiveness in providing 
                        professional development in the core academic 
                        subjects; and
                            ``(ii) a local educational agency that is 
                        both a high-poverty local educational agency 
                        and a low-performing local educational agency, 
                        or more than one such agency.
                    ``(B) Requirement for institutions of higher 
                education.--Participating institutions of higher 
                education shall meet the criteria under section 
                203(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
            ``(2) Size, duration, and peer review.--Each subgrant under 
        this section shall be--
                    ``(A) of sufficient size and duration to carry out 
                the purpose of this subpart effectively; and
                    ``(B) awarded, using a peer-review process, on a 
                competitive basis.
            ``(3) Priority.--In making subgrants under this section, a 
        State agency for higher education shall give a priority to 
        projects that focus on induction programs for new teachers.
            ``(4) Other factors.--In making subgrants under this 
        section, a State agency for higher education shall consider--
                    ``(A) the need for the proposed professional 
                development activities in the jurisdiction of the local 
                educational agency; and
                    ``(B) the quality of the proposed program and its 
                likelihood of success in improving classroom 
                instruction and student academic achievement.
    ``(c) Partnership Agreements.--No institution of higher education 
or nonprofit organization may receive a subgrant under this section 
unless it enters into a written agreement with at least one local 
educational agency that is both a high-poverty local educational agency 
and a low-performing local educational agency to provide professional 
development to elementary and secondary school teachers in the schools 
of that agency in the core academic subjects. Each such agreement shall 
identify specific goals for how the professional development that the 
subgrantee provides will enhance the ability of those teachers to 
prepare all students, including females, minorities, students with 
disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, and 
economically disadvantaged students, to achieve to challenging State 
content and student performance standards in all subjects in which 
those teachers provide instruction.
    ``(d) Coordination.--Any professional development activities 
carried out under this section by a partnership shall be coordinated 
with activities carried out under title II of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.), if any member of the partnership is 
participating in programs funded under that title.
    ``(e) Joint Efforts Within Institutions of Higher Education.--In 
the case of a partnership that includes an institution of higher 
education, each activity assisted under this section shall involve the 
joint effort of the institution's school or department of education and 
the schools or departments responsible for the specific disciplines in 
which the professional development will be provided.
    ``(f) Uses of Funds.--A recipient of funds under this section shall 
use those funds for--
            ``(1) research-based programs to assist new teachers during 
        their first 3 years in the classroom, which may include--
                    ``(A) mentoring and coaching by appropriately 
                trained and certified teachers;
                    ``(B) team teaching with experienced teachers;
                    ``(C) observation by, and consultation with, 
                experienced teachers;
                    ``(D) assignment of fewer course preparations; and
                    ``(E) provision of additional time for preparation;
            ``(2) professional development in the core academic 
        subjects, aligned with State content and student performance 
        standards, for teams of teachers from a school or local 
        educational agency and, where appropriate, principals, 
        administrators, and other school staff; and
            ``(3) providing technical assistance to school and local 
        educational agency staff for planning, implementing, and 
        evaluating professional development.
    ``(g) Annual Reports.--
            ``(1) In general.--Beginning with fiscal year 2002, each 
        subgrantee under this section shall submit an annual report to 
        the State agency for higher education, by a date set by that 
        agency, on its progress, as measured using the indicators of 
        partnership performance described in section 2041.
            ``(2) Content.--Each such report--
                    ``(A) shall include a copy of each written 
                agreement required by subsection (c); and
                    ``(B) shall describe how the partners have 
                collaborated to achieve the specific goals set out in 
                the agreement, and the results of that collaboration.
            ``(3) Copy.--The State agency for higher education shall 
        provide the State educational agency with a copy of each 
        subgrantee's annual report.
    ``(h) Special Rule.--No single participant in a partnership 
receiving a subgrant under this section may retain more than 50 percent 
of the funds made available to the partnership under this section.

``SEC. 2017. LOCAL APPLICATIONS FOR FORMULA SUBGRANTS.

    ``(a) Application Required.--Each local educational agency desiring 
to receive its allocation from funds made available under section 
2012(a)(1)(A) for any fiscal year shall submit an application to the 
State educational agency at such time, in such form, and containing 
such information as the State educational agency reasonably may 
require. Each such application shall include an agency-wide plan for 
raising student achievement against State standards through each of the 
following strategies:
            ``(1) Supporting the alignment of curricula, assessments, 
        classroom instructional strategies, and professional 
        development with challenging State content and student 
        performance standards.
            ``(2) Carrying out activities to recruit fully qualified 
        teachers, particularly in subject areas and in schools in which 
        there is a shortage of such teachers with special consideration 
        given to recruiting fully qualified teachers from minority and 
        other historically underrepresented groups, including bilingual 
        teachers.
            ``(3) Ensuring that teachers employed by the local 
        educational agency are proficient in teaching skills and in the 
        content knowledge necessary to effectively teach the content 
        called for by State and local standards in all subjects in 
        which they provide instruction and are prepared to integrate 
        technology into the classroom.
            ``(4) Targeting funds to schools within the jurisdiction of 
        the local educational agency that--
                    ``(A) have the highest proportion of teachers who 
                are not fully qualified;
                    ``(B) have the largest average class size; or
                    ``(C) are identified for school improvement under 
                section 1116(c).
            ``(5) Carrying out activities to assist new teachers during 
        their first 3 years in the classroom.
            ``(6) Providing professional development in core academic 
        subjects.
    ``(b) Additional Contents.--Each such application shall also--
            ``(1) identify specific, measurable goals for achieving the 
        purpose described in section 2002 that, at a minimum, reflect 
        the performance indicators described in section 2041;
            ``(2) describe how the local educational agency will use 
        funds received under this subpart to help implement the plan 
        described in subsection (a);
            ``(3) include an assurance that the local educational 
        agency will collect data that measure progress toward the 
indicators of program performance described in section 2041;
            ``(4) describe how the local educational agency will 
        address the needs of high-poverty, low-performing schools 
        within its jurisdiction;
            ``(5) describe how the local educational agency will 
        address the needs of teachers of students with limited English 
        proficiency and other students with special needs; and
            ``(6) describe how the local educational agency will 
        coordinate funds under this subpart with the professional 
        development activities funded through other State and Federal 
        programs.
    ``(c) Approval.--Notwithstanding section 2012(a)(1)(A), a State 
educational agency shall approve a local educational agency's 
application under this section only if the application satisfies the 
requirements of this section and the State educational agency 
determines that the application holds reasonable promise of achieving 
the purpose described in section 2002.
    ``(d) Consolidated Application.--Local educational agencies may 
consolidate applications under this section and section 2018.

``SEC. 2018. LOCAL APPLICATIONS FOR COMPETITIVE SUBGRANTS.

    ``(a) In General.--Each State educational agency shall use the 
funds described in section 2012(A)(1)(B) for competitive grants to 
local educational agencies, and partnerships described in section 
2016(b)(1), that focus primarily on those agencies and partnerships 
with the greatest need for--
            ``(1) activities related to the development, and effective 
        implementation, of curricula aligned with state content and 
        student performance standards; and
            ``(2) professional development activities that are aligned 
        with those standards.
    ``(b) Selection Process.--
            ``(1) In general.--The State educational agency shall award 
        subgrants under this section through a peer-review process that 
        includes reviewers who are knowledgeable in the academic 
        content areas.
            ``(2) Public availability.--The State educational agency--
                    ``(A) shall provide local educational agencies and 
                the general public with a list of the selection 
                criteria that the State educational agency will use in 
                making subgrants under this section; and
                    ``(B) at the completion of the awards process, make 
                public a complete list of applicants and of the 
                applicants that received awards.
    ``(c) Demonstration of Need.--The State educational agency shall 
identify the applicants with the greatest need for services, based on 
the following objective data supplied by the applicant:
            ``(1) The number or percentage of children who fail to meet 
        State performance standards on assessments used for part A of 
        title I.
            ``(2) The number or percentage of schools identified for 
        school improvement under section 1116(c).
            ``(3) The number or percentage of teachers employed who 
        have not received full State certification or licensure.
            ``(4) The number or percentage of secondary school teachers 
        who do not have an academic major in a subject area directly 
        related to the area in which they provide instruction.
            ``(5) The number or percentage of students living in 
        poverty.
            ``(6) The number or percentage of students who have limited 
        English proficiency.
            ``(7) The applicant's fiscal capacity to fund programs 
        described in section 2019 without Federal assistance.
    ``(d) Selection of Subgrantees.--The State educational agency shall 
make awards to applicants based on--
            ``(1) the quality of the applicant's proposal and the 
        likelihood of its success in improving classroom instruction 
        and student academic achievement;
            ``(2) the demonstrated need of the applicant under 
        subsection (c); and
            ``(3) the applicant's need for professional development in 
        mathematics and science.
    ``(e) Opportunity To Compete.--
            ``(1) Strategies.--To ensure that local educational 
        agencies that have the greatest need are provided a reasonable 
        opportunity to compete for an award, State educational agencies 
        shall adopt at least one of the following strategies:
                    ``(A) Holding more than one competition for funds 
                for a fiscal year and, before each such competition, 
                providing technical assistance in developing a high-
                quality application to local educational agencies that 
                have demonstrated the greatest need but were 
                unsuccessful in the previous grant competition.
                    ``(B) Holding a competition restricted to local 
                educational agencies that it has identified under 
                subsection (c) as having the greatest need for 
                services.
                    ``(C) Requiring recipients seeking a renewal of a 
                subgrant under this section to form a partnership with 
                an applicant that applied for, but failed to receive, 
                such a subgrant.
                    ``(D) Providing a competitive priority to those 
                local educational agencies the State educational agency 
                has identified under subsection (c) as having the 
                greatest need for services.
            ``(2) Technical assistance.--At a minimum, a State 
        educational agency shall, after the completion of an award 
        cycle and before the start of the next cycle, provide technical 
        assistance in developing a high-quality application for future 
        competitions to any local educational agency identified under 
        subsection (c) as having the greatest need for services that 
        did not receive a subgrant.
    ``(f) Scope of Projects.--The State educational agency shall award 
a subgrant under this section only for projects that are of sufficient 
size, scope, and quality to achieve the purpose of this part.

``SEC. 2019. USES OF FUNDS.

    ``(a) Priority for Professional Development in Mathematics and 
Science.--
            ``(1) Appropriation equal to or less than $300,000,000.--
        Except as provided in section 2020(d), in any fiscal year for 
        which the amount appropriated for this subpart is $300,000,000 
        or less, each local educational agency shall ensure that all 
        funds received by the agency under this subpart are used for 
        professional development in mathematics and science.
            ``(2) Appropriation greater than $300,000,000.--Except as 
        provided in section 2020(d), in any fiscal year for which the 
        amount appropriated for this subpart is greater than 
        $300,000,000, each local educational agency shall ensure that 
        the amount of funds under this subpart that the agency uses for 
        professional development in mathematics and science is at least 
        as much as the amount that would have been made available to 
        the agency if the amount appropriated had been $300,000,000.
            ``(3) Interdisciplinary activities.--In meeting the 
        requirement under paragraph (1) or (2), a local educational 
        agency may use funds under this subpart for activities that 
        focus on more than one core academic subject if those 
        activities focus predominantly on improving instruction in 
        mathematics or science.
            ``(4) Waiver.--
                    ``(A) Application.--A local educational agency, in 
                consultation with teachers and principals, may seek a 
                waiver of the requirements under paragraph (1) or (2) 
                from a State in order to allow the local educational 
                agency to use such funds for professional development 
                in academic subjects other than mathematics and 
                science.
                    ``(B) Standard for granting.--A State may not 
                approve such a waiver unless the local educational 
                agency is able to demonstrate that--
                            ``(i) the professional development needs of 
                        mathematics and science teachers, including 
                        elementary teachers responsible for teaching 
                        mathematics and science, have been adequately 
                        met and will continue to be adequately met if 
                        the waiver is approved;
                            ``(ii) State assessments in mathematics and 
                        science demonstrate that each school within the 
                        local educational agency has made and will 
                        continue to make progress toward meeting the 
                        challenging State content standards and student 
                        performance standards in these areas; and
                            ``(iii) State assessments in other academic 
                        subjects demonstrate a need to focus on 
                        subjects other than mathematics and science.
                    ``(C) Grandfather of old waivers.--A waiver 
                provided to a local educational agency under part D of 
                title XIV prior to the date of the enactment of the 
                Smart Classrooms Act shall be deemed effective until 
                such time as it otherwise would have ceased to be 
                effective.
    ``(b) Other Professional Development Activities.--Each local 
educational agency shall ensure that funds under this subpart that the 
agency uses for professional development, in areas other than 
mathematics or science, are used to provide professional development 
activities in one or more of the other core academic subjects.
    ``(c) Other Uses of Funds.--Subject to subsection (a), a local 
educational agency that receives funds under this subpart may use those 
funds for activities to raise student achievement against challenging 
State standards, in accordance with its plan described in section 
2017(a), which may include the following:
            ``(1) Activities to recruit fully qualified teachers, 
        including teachers from historically underrepresented groups, 
        such as the provision of signing bonuses and other financial 
        incentives.
            ``(2) Providing the necessary education and training, 
        including paying (for programs that meet the criteria under 
        section 203(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1023(b)(2)(A)(i))) the costs of college tuition and 
        other student fees to assist current teachers or other school 
        personnel who are not fully qualified teachers to become fully 
        qualified, except that, to receive funds under this paragraph, 
        an individual must be within 2 years of completing an 
        undergraduate degree and must agree to teach in a high-poverty, 
        low-performing school for a period of at least 3 years.
            ``(3) Programs to assist new teachers during their first 3 
        years in the classroom, such as--
                    ``(A) mentoring and coaching by trained mentor 
                teachers;
                    ``(B) team teaching with experienced teachers;
                    ``(C) observation by, and consultation with, 
                experienced teachers;
                    ``(D) assignment of fewer course preparations; and
                    ``(E) provision of additional time for preparation.
            ``(4) Provision of professional development aligned with 
        State content and student performance standards.
            ``(5) Provision of professional development programs that 
        enable teachers to effectively communicate with parents and 
        involve parents in the educational process to support classroom 
        instruction and to work effectively with parent volunteers.
            ``(6) Participation by teams of teachers in summer 
        institutes and summer immersion activities that focus on 
        preparing teachers to bring all students to high standards in 
        one or more of the core academic subjects.
            ``(7) Subsidizing fees for teachers who participate in the 
        assessment process of the National Board for Professional 
        Teaching Standards.
            ``(8) Teacher participation in working groups, task forces, 
        or committees, charged with adapting and implementing high 
        standards for all students, including district-wide and school-
        based teams of teachers charged with aligning curricula and 
        lesson plans with State content and student performance 
        standards and assessments.
            ``(9) Programs to implement peer-assistance peer-review 
        processes for teachers, principals, administrators, and other 
        school staff.
            ``(10) Establishment and maintenance of local professional 
        networks that provide a forum for interaction among teachers 
        and that allow for the exchange of information on advances in 
        content and pedagogy.
            ``(11) Development of incentives to encourage teachers 
        employed by the agency, and other qualified individuals, to 
        obtain proficiency in content knowledge in a core academic 
        subject area identified by the agency as having a shortage of 
        qualified teachers.
            ``(12) Development and acquisition of curricular materials 
        and other instructional aids, if they are not normally provided 
        by the local educational agency or the State as part of the 
        regular instructional program, that will advance local reform 
        efforts to raise student achievement against State content and 
        student performance standards.
            ``(13) Providing increased opportunities for minorities, 
        individuals with disabilities, and other individuals 
        underrepresented in the teaching profession.

``SEC. 2020. LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY.

    ``(a) Annual Reports.--Each local educational agency that receives 
funds under this subpart shall, beginning in fiscal year 2002, annually 
compile, publish, and submit to the State educational agency a report 
on its activities under this subpart, at such time, in such form, and 
containing such information as the State educational agency may 
reasonably require.
    ``(b) Contents.--Each report shall include the following 
information:
            ``(1) The percentage of teachers teaching in the 
        jurisdiction of the agency who have not met State 
        qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and 
        subject areas in which they provide instruction.
            ``(2) The percentage of teachers teaching in the 
        jurisdiction of the agency under emergency or other provisional 
        status through which State qualifications or licensing criteria 
        have been waived.
            ``(3) The percentage of teachers teaching in the 
        jurisdiction of the agency who do not hold a postsecondary 
        degree with a major in the subject areas in which they provide 
        instruction.
            ``(4) The average class size.
            ``(5) Information on the progress of schools and teachers 
        under this subpart, measured based on the program performance 
        indicators described in section 2041 and any additional 
        indicators included in the local educational agency's 
        application.
            ``(6) Such other information as the State educational 
        agency may reasonably require.
    ``(c) Disaggregated Data.--Data collected for the purpose of 
carrying out this section shall be disaggregated by local educational 
agency and school.
    ``(d) Funding.--A local educational agency may reserve up to 5 
percent of the amount it receives under section 2012(a)(1)(A) to carry 
out this section.

``SEC. 2021. PARENTS' RIGHT TO KNOW.

    ``Each local educational agency that receives funds under this 
subpart shall provide, upon request, to any parent of a student 
attending any school receiving funds under this subpart, in an 
understandable and uniform format, information regarding the 
professional qualifications of the student's teacher, including--
            ``(1) whether the teacher has met State qualification and 
        licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in 
        which the teacher provides instruction;
            ``(2) whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or 
        other provisional status through which the State qualifications 
        or licensing criteria have been waived;
            ``(3) the college major of the teacher and any other 
        graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the 
        field or discipline of the certificate or degree; and
            ``(4) the school or local educational agency's hiring 
        policy.

``SEC. 2022. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    ``The State educational agency shall provide technical assistance 
to local educational agencies receiving a subgrant under this subpart 
that fail for 2 consecutive years to meet their goals, as measured 
using the performance indicators described in section 2041.

``SEC. 2023. CORRECTIVE ACTION.

    ``The State educational agency shall take corrective action, 
against any local educational agency that does not make sufficient 
effort to comply with this subpart within the time specified. In a case 
in which a State fails to take corrective action, the Secretary shall 
withhold funds from such State up to an amount equal to that described 
in section 2012(d).

``SEC. 2024. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.

    ``No funds may be provided to a local educational agency for a 
fiscal year under this subpart unless the State educational agency is 
satisfied that the local educational agency will spend, from other 
sources, at least as much for activities described in this subpart as 
the average amount it spent from other sources for those activities 
over the previous 3 fiscal years.

``SEC. 2025. EQUIPMENT AND TEXTBOOKS.

    ``A local educational agency may not use subgrant funds under this 
subpart for equipment, computer hardware, textbooks, telecommunications 
fees, or other items, that would otherwise be provided by the local 
educational agency, the State, or a private school whose students 
receive services under this part.

``SEC. 2026. SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.

    ``A local educational agency that receives funds under this subpart 
shall use those funds only to supplement the amount of funds or 
resources that would, in the absence of those Federal funds, be made 
available from non-Federal sources for the purposes of the program 
authorized under this subpart, and not to supplant those non-Federal 
funds or resources.

 ``Subpart 3--National Activities for the Improvement of Teaching and 
                           School Leadership

``SEC. 2031. ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants to, and enter into 
contracts and cooperative agreements with, local educational agencies, 
educational service agencies, State educational agencies, State 
agencies for higher education, institutions of higher education, and 
other public and private nonprofit agencies, organizations, and 
institutions to carry out subsection (b).
    ``(b) Activities.--The Secretary--
            ``(1) may support activities of national significance that 
        are not supported through other sources and that the Secretary 
        determines will contribute to the improvement of teaching and 
        school leadership in the Nation's schools, such as--
                    ``(A) supporting collaborative efforts by States, 
                or consortia of States, to review and benchmark the 
                quality, rigor, and alignment of State standards and 
                assessments;
                    ``(B) supporting collaborative efforts by States, 
                or consortia of States, to develop performance-based 
                systems for assessing content knowledge and teaching 
                skills prior to full teacher licensure;
                    ``(C) efforts to increase the portability of 
                teacher pensions and reciprocity of teaching 
                credentials across State lines; and
                    ``(D) research, evaluation, and dissemination 
                activities related to effective strategies for 
                increasing the portability of teachers' credited years 
                of experience across State and local educational agency 
                lines;
            ``(2) may support activities of national significance that 
        the Secretary determines will contribute to the recruitment and 
        retention of fully qualified teachers and principals in high-
        poverty local educational agencies and low-performing local 
        educational agencies, such as--
                    ``(A) providing States with assistance in the 
                development of alternative certification programs that 
                lead to certification within 2 years and require 
                applicants to meet the same standards and pass the same 
                tests as other applicants;
                    ``(B) the development and implementation of a 
                national teacher recruitment clearinghouse and job 
                bank, which shall be coordinated and, to the extent 
                feasible, integrated with the America's Job Bank 
                administered by the Secretary of Labor--
                            ``(i) to disseminate information and 
                        resources nationwide on entering the teaching 
                        profession to persons interested in becoming 
                        teachers;
                            ``(ii) to serve as a national resource 
                        center for effective practices in teacher 
                        recruitment and retention;
                            ``(iii) to link prospective teachers to 
                        local educational agencies and training 
                        resources with particular attention to high-
                        poverty local educational agencies and low-
                        performing local educational agencies with 
                        critical teacher shortages; and
                            ``(iv) to provide information and technical 
                        assistance to prospective teachers about 
                        certification and other State and local 
                        requirements related to teaching; and
                    ``(C) the development and implementation, or 
                expansion, of programs that recruit talented 
                individuals to become principals, including such 
                programs that employ alternative routes to State 
                certification, and that prepare both new and 
                experienced principals to serve as instructional 
                leaders, which may include the creation and operation 
                of a national center for the preparation and support of 
                principals as leaders of school reform; and
            ``(3) may support the National Board for Professional 
        Teaching Standards.

``SEC. 2032. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR PRINCIPALS AS LEADERS OF 
              SCHOOL REFORM.

    ``(a) Competitive Grants.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 
5 percent of the amount appropriated under section 2003(b) for 
competitive grants to eligible partnerships--
            ``(1) consisting of--
                    ``(A) one or more institutions of higher education 
                that provide professional development for principals 
                and other school administrators; and
                    ``(B) one or more local educational agencies; and
            ``(2) that may include other entities, agencies, and 
        organizations, such as a State educational agency, a State 
        agency for higher education, or professional organizations for 
        principals, administrators, teachers, and parents.
    ``(b) Application.--An eligible partnership that desires to receive 
a grant under this section shall submit an application at such time, in 
such form, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. Each such application shall include--
            ``(1) a description of the activities the partnership will 
        carry out to meet the purpose of this part;
            ``(2) a description of how those activities will build on 
        and be coordinated with other professional development 
        activities, including activities under this title and title II 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965;
            ``(3) a description of how principals, teachers, and other 
        interested parties were involved in developing the application 
        and will be involved in planning and carrying out the 
        activities under this section; and
            ``(4) a description of how the professional development 
        will result in the acquisition of a license, degree, or 
        continuing education unit.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible partnership that receives a grant 
under this section shall use the grant funds to provide professional 
development to principals and other school administrators to enable 
them to be effective school leaders and prepare all students to achieve 
to challenging State content and student performance standards, 
including professional development on--
            ``(1) comprehensive school reform;
            ``(2) leadership skills;
            ``(3) recruitment, assignment, retention and evaluation of 
        teacher and other instructional staff;
            ``(4) State content standards;
            ``(5) effective instructional practice;
            ``(6) using smaller classes effectively; and
            ``(7) parental and community involvement.

``SEC. 2033. SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY CENTERS.

    ``(a) Competitive Grants.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 
5 percent of the amount appropriated under section 2003(b) for 
competitive grants to eligible partnerships consisting of--
            ``(1) one or more institutions of higher education;
            ``(2) one or more technology-deficient local educational 
        agencies or schools;
            ``(3) one or more technology-proficient local educational 
        agencies or schools; and
            ``(4) such other entities, agencies, and organizations, 
        such as a State educational agency, a State agency for higher 
        education, nonprofit organizations, or businesses, as the 
        partners described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) determine to 
        be appropriate.
    ``(b) Application.--An eligible partnership that desires to receive 
a grant under this section shall submit an application at such time, in 
such form, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. Each such application shall include--
            ``(1) a description of the activities the partnership will 
        carry out under this section;
            ``(2) a description of how the partners will work together 
        to build the capacity to use technology to improve teaching and 
        learning in the partners described in subsection (a)(2); and
            ``(3) a description of the goals of each partner and how 
        progress toward those goals will be measured.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible partnership that receives a grant 
under this section shall use the grant funds to develop or expand a 
technology center serving the partners described in subsection (a)(2).

``SEC. 2034. EISENHOWER NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR MATHEMATICS AND 
              SCIENCE EDUCATION.

    ``(a) Establishment of Clearinghouse.--The Secretary shall award a 
competitive grant or contract to establish the Eisenhower National 
Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (hereafter in this 
section referred to as the `Clearinghouse').
    ``(b) Authorized Activities.--
            ``(1) Application and award basis.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each entity desiring to 
                establish and operate the Clearinghouse shall submit an 
                application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
                manner, and containing such information as the 
                Secretary may require.
                    ``(B) Peer review.--The Secretary shall establish a 
                peer review process to make recommendations on the 
                recipient of the award for the Clearinghouse.
                    ``(C) Merit.--The Secretary shall make the award 
                for the Clearinghouse on the basis of merit.
            ``(2) Duration.--The Secretary shall award the grant or 
        contract for the Clearinghouse for a period of 5 years.
            ``(3) Activities.--The award recipient shall use the award 
        funds to--
                    ``(A) maintain a permanent collection of such 
                mathematics and science education instructional 
                materials and programs for elementary and secondary 
                schools as the Secretary finds appropriate, with a 
                priority for such materials and programs that have been 
                identified as promising or exemplary, through a 
                systematic approach such as the use of expert panels 
                required under the Educational Research, Development, 
                Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994;
                    ``(B) disseminate the materials and programs 
                described in paragraph (1) to the public, State 
                educational agencies, local educational agencies, and 
                schools (particularly high-poverty, low-performing 
                schools), including through the maintenance of an 
                interactive national electronic information management 
                and retrieval system accessible through the Worldwide 
                Web and other advanced communications technologies;
                    ``(C) coordinate with other databases containing 
                mathematics and science curriculum and instructional 
                materials, including Federal, non-Federal, and, where 
feasible, international databases;
                    ``(D) support the development and dissemination of 
                model professional development materials in mathematics 
                and science education;
                    ``(E) contribute materials or information, as 
                appropriate, to other national repositories or 
                networks; and
                    ``(F) gather qualitative and evaluative data on 
                submissions to the Clearinghouse, and disseminate that 
                data widely, including through the use of electronic 
                dissemination networks.
            ``(4) Submission to clearinghouse.--Each Federal agency or 
        department that develops mathematics or science education 
        instructional materials or programs, including the National 
        Science Foundation and the Department, shall submit copies of 
        that material and those programs to the Clearinghouse.
            ``(5) Steering committee.--The Secretary may appoint a 
        steering committee to recommend policies and activities for the 
        Clearinghouse.
            ``(6) Application of copyright laws.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Nothing in this section shall be 
                construed to allow the use or copying, in any medium, 
                of any material collected by the Clearinghouse that is 
                protected under the copyright laws of the United States 
                unless the permission of the owner of the copyright is 
                obtained.
                    ``(B) Compliance.--In carrying out this section, 
                the Clearinghouse shall ensure compliance with title 17 
                of the United States Code.

``SEC. 2035. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON RESEARCH-BASED 
              PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

    ``The Secretary shall gather and disseminate information related to 
comprehensive, research-based professional development.

``SEC. 2036. SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants under this 
section to establish or expand elementary and secondary school 
counseling programs.
    ``(b) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give special consideration to applications describing 
programs that--
            ``(1) demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional 
        counseling services among the children in the elementary and 
        secondary schools served by the applicant;
            ``(2) propose the most promising and innovative approaches 
        for initiating or expanding elementary and secondary school 
        counseling; and
            ``(3) show the greatest potential for replication and 
        dissemination.

  ``PART B--TRANSITION OF CAREER-CHANGING PROFESSIONALS TO TEACHING; 
                           TROOPS TO TEACHERS

``SEC. 2101. FINDINGS.

    ``The Congress finds as follows:
            ``(1) School districts will need to hire more than 
        2,000,000 teachers during the first decade of the 21st century.
            ``(2) The need for teachers in the areas of math, science, 
        foreign languages, special education, and bilingual education, 
        and for teachers able to teach in high-poverty school 
        districts, will be particularly high. To meet this need, 
        talented Americans of all ages should be recruited to become 
        successful, qualified teachers.
            ``(3) Nearly 13 percent of teachers of academic subjects 
        have neither an undergraduate major nor minor in their main 
        assignment fields. This problem is most acute in high-poverty 
        local educational agencies, where the out-of-field teaching 
        percentage is 22 percent.
            ``(4) The Third International Math and Science Study 
        (TIMSS) ranked United States high school seniors last among 16 
        countries in physics and next to last in math. It is also 
        evident, mainly from the TIMSS data, that based on academic 
        scores, a stronger emphasis needs to be placed on the academic 
        preparation of our children in math and science.
            ``(5) One-fourth of high-poverty local educational agencies 
        find it very difficult to fill bilingual teaching positions, 
        and nearly half of public school teachers have students in 
        their classrooms for whom English is a second language.
            ``(6) Many career-changing professionals with strong 
        content-area skills are interested in a teaching career, but 
        they need assistance in getting the appropriate pedagogical 
        training and classroom experience.
            ``(7) The teacher placement program known as the `troops-
        to-teachers program', which was established by the Secretary of 
        Defense and the Secretary of Transportation under section 1151 
        of title 10, United States Code, has been highly successful in 
        securing high-quality teachers for teaching positions in high-
        poverty local educational agencies.

``SEC. 2102. PURPOSE.

    ``The purpose of this part is to address the need of local 
educational agencies that are high-poverty local educational agencies 
or low-performing local educational agencies for fully qualified 
teachers in particular subject areas, such as mathematics, science, 
foreign languages, bilingual education, and special education, by--
            ``(1) continuing and enhancing the troops-to-teachers 
        program for recruiting and supporting the placement of former 
        members of the Armed Forces as teachers in such local 
        educational agencies; and
            ``(2) recruiting, preparing, placing, and supporting 
        career-changing professionals who have knowledge and experience 
        that will help them become such teachers.

``SEC. 2103. CONTINUATION AND SUPPORT FOR TROOPS-TO-TEACHERS PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Continuation.--The Secretary may enter into a written 
agreement with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Transportation, or take such other steps as the Secretary determines 
are appropriate, to ensure effective continuation of the troops-to-
teachers program, notwithstanding the duration of the program specified 
in section 1151(c)(1)(A) of title 10, United States Code.
    ``(b) Support.--Before providing any assistance under section 2104 
for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall first--
            ``(1) consult with the Secretary of Defense and the 
        Secretary of Transportation regarding the appropriate amount of 
        funding needed to continue and enhance the troops-to-teachers 
        program; and
            ``(2) upon agreement, transfer that amount to the Secretary 
        of Defense to carry out the troops-to-teachers program.

``SEC. 2104. TRANSITION OF CAREER-CHANGING PROFESSIONALS TO TEACHING.

    ``(a) Authority To Support Transition Programs.--The Secretary may 
use funds appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations 
in section 2108 to award grants to, and enter into contracts or 
cooperative agreements with, institutions of higher education, 
including historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-
serving institutions, and public and private nonprofit agencies or 
organizations to recruit, prepare, place, and support career-changing 
professionals as teachers in local educational agencies that are high-
poverty local educational agencies or low-performing local educational 
agencies.
    ``(b) Application.--Each entity described in subsection (a) that 
desires assistance under subsection (a) shall submit an application to 
the Secretary containing such information as the Secretary may require, 
including--
            ``(1) a description of the target group of career-changing 
        professionals upon which the applicant will focus in carrying 
        out its program under this part, including a description of the 
        characteristics of that target group that shows how the 
        knowledge and experience of its members are relevant to meeting 
        the purpose of this part;
            ``(2) a description of how the applicant will identify and 
        recruit career-changing professional for its program under this 
        part;
            ``(3) a description of the training that career-changing 
        professionals will receive in the program and how that training 
        will relate to their certification as teachers;
            ``(4) a description of how the applicant will ensure that 
        career-changing professionals are placed and teach in high-
        poverty local educational agencies or low-performing local 
        educational agencies;
            ``(5) a description of the teacher induction services 
        (which may be provided through existing induction programs) 
        that the career-changing professionals in the program will 
        receive throughout at least their first year of teaching;
            ``(6) a description of how the applicant will collaborate, 
        as needed, with other institutions, agencies, or organizations 
        to recruit, train, place, and support career-changing 
        professionals under this part, including evidence of the 
        commitment of those institutions, agencies, or organizations to 
        the applicant's program;
            ``(7) a description of how the applicant will evaluate the 
        progress and effectiveness of its program, including--
                    ``(A) the program's goals and objectives;
                    ``(B) the performance indicators the applicant will 
                use to measure the program's progress; and
                    ``(C) the outcome measures that will be used to 
                determine the program's effectiveness; and
            ``(8) an assurance that the applicant will provide to the 
        Secretary such information as the Secretary determines 
        necessary to determine the overall effectiveness of programs 
        under this part.

``SEC. 2105. USES OF FUNDS AND PERIOD OF SERVICE.

    ``(a) Authorized Activities.--Funds provided under section 2104 may 
be used for--
            ``(1) recruiting career-changing professionals, including 
        informing them of opportunities under the program and putting 
        them in contact with other institutions, agencies, or 
        organizations that would train, place, and support them;
            ``(2) training stipends and other financial incentives for 
        career-changing professional in the program, such as moving 
        expenses, not to exceed $5,000, in the aggregate, per 
        participant;
            ``(3) assisting institutions of higher education or other 
        providers of teacher training to tailor their training to meet 
        the particular needs of career-changing professionals;
            ``(4) placement activities, including identifying high-
        poverty, low-performing local educational agencies with needs 
        for the particular skills and characteristics of the newly 
        trained career-changing professionals and assisting those 
        persons to obtain employment in those local educational 
        agencies; and
            ``(5) post-placement induction or support activities.
    ``(b) Period of Service.--A career-changing professional selected 
to participant in a program under this part who completes his or her 
training shall serve in a high-poverty local educational agency or a 
low-performing local educational agency for at least three years.
    ``(c) Repayment.--The Secretary shall establish such requirements 
as the Secretary determines appropriate to ensure that career-changing 
professionals who receive a training stipend or other financial 
incentive under subsection (a)(2), but who fail to complete their 
service obligation under subsection (b), repay all or a portion of such 
stipend or other incentive.

``SEC. 2106. EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.

    ``To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall make awards and 
enter into contracts and cooperative agreements under section 2104 to 
support teacher placement programs for career-changing professionals in 
different geographic regions of the United States.

``SEC. 2107. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``For the purpose of carrying out this part, there is authorized to 
be appropriated to the Secretary $18,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2001 through 2005.

                     ``PART C--CLASS SIZE REDUCTION

``SEC. 2201. FINDINGS.

    ``The Congress finds as follows:
            ``(1) Rigorous research has shown that students attending 
        small classes in the early grades make more rapid educational 
        progress than students in larger classes, and that these 
        achievement gains persist through at least the elementary 
        grades.
            ``(2) The benefits of smaller classes are greatest for 
        lower achieving, minority, poor, and inner-city children. One 
        study found that urban fourth-graders in smaller-than-average 
        classes were 3/4 of a school year ahead of their counterparts 
        in larger-than-average classes.
            ``(3) Teachers in small classes can provide students with 
        more individualized attention, spend more time on instruction 
        and lesson other tasks, cover more material effectively, and 
        are better able to work with parents to further their 
        children's education.
            ``(4) Smaller classes allow teachers to identify and work 
        more effectively with students who have learning disabilities 
        and, potentially, can reduce those students' need for special 
        education services in the later grades.
            ``(5) Students in smaller classes are able to become more 
        actively engaged in learning than their peers in large classes.
            ``(6) Efforts to improve educational achievement by 
        reducing class sizes in the early grades are likely to be more 
        successful if--
                    ``(A) well-prepared teachers are hired and 
                appropriately assigned to fill additional classroom 
                positions; and
                    ``(B) teachers receive intensive, continuing 
                training in working effectively in smaller classroom 
                settings.
            ``(7) Several States have begun a serious effort to reduce 
        class sizes in the early elementary grades, but these actions 
        may be impeded by financial limitations or difficulties in 
        hiring well-prepared teachers.
            ``(8) The Federal Government can assist in this effort by 
        providing funding for class-size reductions in grades 1 through 
        3, and by helping to ensure that the new teachers brought into 
        the classroom are well prepared.

``SEC. 2202. PURPOSE.

    ``The purpose of this part is to help States and local educational 
agencies recruit, train, and hire 100,000 additional fully qualified 
teachers over a 7-year period in order to--
            ``(1) reduce class sizes nationally, in grades 1 through 3, 
        to an average of 18 students per classroom; and
            ``(2) improve teaching in the early grades so that all 
        students can learn to read independently and well by the end of 
        the third grade.

``SEC. 2203. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this part, there are authorized to be appropriated, $1,400,000,000 
for fiscal year 2000, $1,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, 
$1,700,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, $1,735,000,000 for fiscal year 
2003, $2,300,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and $2,800,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2005.
    ``(b) Allotments.--From the amount appropriated under subsection 
(a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary--
            ``(1) shall make a total of 1 percent available to the 
        Secretary of the Interior (on behalf of the Bureau of Indian 
        Affairs) and the outlying areas for activities that meet the 
        purpose of this part; and
            ``(2) shall allot to each State the same percentage of the 
        remaining funds as the percentage it received of funds 
        allocated to States for the previous fiscal year under section 
        1122 or section 2011(c) (or, as applicable, section 2202(b) (as 
        in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the 
        Smart Classrooms Act)), whichever percentage is greater, except 
        that such allotments shall be ratably decreased as necessary.
    ``(c) Within-State Distribution.----
            ``(1) In general.--Each State that receives an allotment 
        under this section shall distribute the amount of the allotted 
        funds that remain after using funds in accordance with 
        subsection (b)(3) to local educational agencies in the State, 
        of which--
                    ``(A) 80 percent of such remainder shall be 
                allocated to such local educational agencies in 
                proportion to the relative number of children, aged 5 
                to 17, who reside in the jurisdiction served by such 
                local educational agency and are from families with 
                incomes below the poverty line (as defined by the 
                Office of Management and Budget and revised annually in 
                accordance with section 673(2) of the Community 
                Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) applicable 
                to a family of the size involved) for the most recent 
                fiscal year for which satisfactory data is available 
                compared to the number of such individuals who reside 
                in the jurisdictions served by all the local 
                educational agencies in the State for that fiscal year; 
                and
                    ``(B) 20 percent of such remainder shall be 
                allocated to such local educational agencies in 
                accordance with the relative enrollments of children, 
                aged 5 to 17, in public and private nonprofit 
                elementary schools and secondary schools in the 
                jurisdictions within the boundaries of such agencies.
            ``(2) Award rule.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the 
        award to a local educational agency under this section is less 
        than the starting salary for a new teacher in that agency, the 
        State shall not make the award unless--
                    ``(A) the local educational agency agrees to form a 
                consortium with not less than 1 other local educational 
                agency for the purpose of reducing class size;
                    ``(B) the local educational agency agrees to 
                supplement the award with non-Federal funds sufficient 
                to pay the cost of hiring a teacher; or
                    ``(C) the local educational agency agrees to use 
                the funds for professional development related to 
                teaching smaller classes.

``SEC. 2204. USE OF FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--Each local educational agency that receives 
funds under this part shall use such funds to carry out effective 
approaches to reducing class size with fully qualified teachers to 
improve educational achievement for both regular and special-needs 
children, with particular consideration given to reducing class size in 
the early elementary grades for which research has shown class size 
reduction is most effective.
    ``(b) Class Reduction.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each such local educational agency may 
        pursue the goal of reducing class size through--
                    ``(A) recruiting, hiring, and training fully 
                qualified regular and special education teachers and 
                teachers of special-needs children;
                    ``(B) testing new teachers for academic content 
                knowledge, and to meet the State qualifications and 
                licensing criteria in the areas in which they teach; 
                and
                    ``(C) providing professional development to 
                teachers, including special education teachers and 
                teachers of special-needs children.
            ``(2) Restriction(s).--A local educational agency may use 
        not more than a total of 15 percent of the funds received under 
        this part for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2005, to 
        carry out activities described in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of 
        section 2204(b)(1).
            ``(3) Special rule.--A local educational agency that has 
        already reduced class size in the early grades to 18 or fewer 
        children may use funds received under this part--
                    ``(A) to make further class-size reductions in 
                grades 1 through 3;
                    ``(B) to reduce class size in kindergarten or other 
                grades; or
                    ``(C) to carry out activities to improve teacher 
                quality, including providing--
                            ``(i) professional development;
                            ``(ii) financial incentives to new or 
                        veteran fully qualified teachers to join the 
                        instructional staff of schools in which at 
                        least 50 percent of the students are from low-
                        income families; and
                            ``(iii) financial incentives to fully 
                        qualified teachers who are currently teaching 
                        in schools in which at least 50 percent of the 
                        students are from low-income families,
    ``(c) Supplement Not Supplant.--A local educational agency shall 
use funds under this part only to supplement, and not to supplant, 
State and local funds that, in the absence of such funds, would 
otherwise be spent for activities under this part.
    ``(d) Professional Development.--If a local educational agency uses 
funds made available under this part for professional development 
activities, the agency shall ensure the equitable participation of 
private nonprofit elementary and secondary schools in such activities.
    ``(e) Administrative Expenses.--A local educational agency that 
receives funds under this part may use not more than 3 percent of such 
funds for local administrative expenses.
    ``(f) Consortia Requirement.--Notwithstanding subsection (b)(3), if 
a local educational agency has already reduced class size in the early 
grades to 18 or fewer children and intends to use funds provided under 
this section to carry out professional development activities, 
including activities to improve teacher quality, then the State shall 
make the award under subsection (b) to the local educational agency 
without requiring the formation of a consortium.

``SEC. 2205. COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.

    ``(a) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of activities 
carried out under this part--
            ``(1) may be up to 100 percent in local educational 
        agencies with child-poverty levels of 50 percent or greater; 
        and
            ``(2) shall be no more than 65 percent for local 
        educational agencies with child-poverty rates of less than 50 
        percent.
    ``(b) Local Share.--A local educational agency shall provide the 
non-Federal share of a project under this part through cash 
expenditures from non-Federal sources, except that if an agency has 
allocated funds under section 1113(c) to one or more schoolwide 
programs under section 1114, it may use those funds for the non-Federal 
share of activities under this program that benefit those schoolwide 
programs, to the extent consistent with section 1120A(c) and 
notwithstanding section 1114(a)(3)(B).

``SEC. 2206. REQUEST FOR FUNDS.

    ``Each local educational agency that desires to receive funds under 
this part shall include in the application submitted under section 2017 
a description of the agency's program under this part to reduce class 
size by hiring additional fully qualified teachers.

``SEC. 2207. REPORTS.

    ``Each State educational agency receiving funds under this part 
shall report on activities in the State under this section as a part of 
its report under section 2014.''.
    (b) National Writing Project; Sabbatical Leave for Professional 
Development; General Provisions.--Title II of such Act is amended by 
striking part E and inserting the following:

                   ``PART E--NATIONAL WRITING PROJECT

``SEC. 2301. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    ``(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            ``(1) the United States faces a continuing crisis in 
        writing in schools and in the workplace;
            ``(2) the writing problem has been magnified by the rapidly 
        changing student population, the growing number of at-risk 
        students due to limited English proficiency, the shortage of 
        adequately trained teachers, and the specialized knowledge 
        required of teachers to teach students with special needs who 
        are now part of mainstream classrooms;
            ``(3) nationwide reports from universities and colleges 
        show that entering students are unable to meet the demands of 
        college level writing, almost all 2-year institutions of higher 
        education offer remedial writing courses, and three-quarters of 
        public 4-year institutions of higher education and half of all 
        private 4-year institutions of higher education must provide 
        remedial courses in writing;
            ``(4) American businesses and corporations are concerned 
        about the limited writing skills of both entry-level workers 
        and executives whose promotions are denied due to inadequate 
        writing abilities;
            ``(5) writing is fundamental to learning, including 
        learning to read, yet writing has been neglected historically 
        in schools and in teacher training institutions;
            ``(6) writing is a central feature in State and school 
        district education standards in all disciplines;
            ``(7) since 1973, the only national program to address the 
        writing problem in the Nation's schools has been the National 
        Writing Project, a network of collaborative university-school 
        programs the goals of which are to improve student achievement 
        in writing and student learning through improving the teaching 
        and uses of writing at all grade levels and in all disciplines;
            ``(8) the National Writing Project is a nationally 
        recognized and honored nonprofit organization that improves the 
        quality of teaching and teachers through developing teacher 
        leaders who teach other teachers in summer and school year 
        programs;
            ``(9) evaluations of the National Writing Project document 
        the positive impact the project has had on improving the 
        teaching of writing, student performance in writing, and 
        student learning;
            ``(10) the National Writing Project has become a model for 
        programs to improve teaching in such other fields as 
        mathematics, science, history, reading and literature, 
        performing arts and foreign languages;
            ``(11) each year over 150,000 participants benefit from 
        National Writing Project programs in 1 of 156 United States 
        sites located in 46 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
        and
            ``(12) the National Writing Project is a cost-effective 
        program and leverages over 6 dollars for every 1 Federal 
        dollar.
    ``(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this part--
            ``(1) to support and promote the expansion of the National 
        Writing Project network of sites so that teachers in every 
        region of the United States will have access to a National 
        Writing Project program;
            ``(2) to ensure the consistent high quality of the sites 
        through ongoing review, evaluation and technical assistance;
            ``(3) to support and promote the establishment of programs 
        to disseminate effective practices and research findings about 
        the teaching of writing; and
            ``(4) to coordinate activities assisted under this part 
        with activities assisted under this Act.

``SEC. 2302. AUTHORIZATION.

    ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to make a grant 
to the National Writing Project (hereafter in this section referred to 
as the `grantee'), a nonprofit educational organization that has as its 
primary purpose the improvement of the quality of student writing and 
learning, to improve the teaching and uses of writing to learn in our 
Nation's classrooms.
    ``(b) Requirements of Grant.--The grant shall provide that--
            ``(1) the grantee will enter into contracts with 
        institutions of higher education or other nonprofit educational 
        providers (hereafter in this section referred to as 
        `contractors') under which the contractors will agree to 
        establish, operate, and provide the non-Federal share of the 
        cost of teacher training programs in effective approaches and 
        processes for the teaching of writing;
            ``(2) funds made available by the Secretary to the grantee 
        pursuant to any contract entered into under this section will 
        be used to pay the Federal share of the cost of establishing 
        and operating teacher training programs as provided in 
        paragraph (1); and
            ``(3) the grantee will meet such other conditions and 
        standards as the Secretary determines to be necessary to assure 
        compliance with the provisions of this section and will provide 
        such technical assistance as may be necessary to carry out the 
        provisions of this section.
    ``(c) Teacher Training Programs.--The teacher training programs 
authorized in subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) be conducted during the school year and during the 
        summer months;
            ``(2) train teachers who teach grades kindergarten through 
        college;
            ``(3) select teachers to become members of a National 
        Writing Project teacher network whose members will conduct 
        writing workshops for other teachers in the area served by each 
        National Writing Project site; and
            ``(4) encourage teachers from all disciplines to 
        participate in such teacher training programs.
    ``(d) Federal Share.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2) or 
        (3) and for purposes of subsection (a), the term `Federal 
        share' means, with respect to the costs of teacher training 
        programs authorized in subsection (a), 50 percent of such costs 
        to the contractor.
            ``(2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the provisions of 
        paragraph (1) on a case-by-case basis if the National Advisory 
        Board described in subsection (e) determines, on the basis of 
        financial need, that such waiver is necessary.
            ``(3) Maximum.--The Federal share of the costs of teacher 
        training programs conducted pursuant to subsection (a) may not 
        exceed $100,000 for any one contractor, or $200,000 for a 
        statewide program administered by any one contractor in at 
        least five sites throughout the State.
    ``(e) National Advisory Board.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The National Writing Project shall 
        establish and operate a National Advisory Board.
            ``(2) Composition.--The National Advisory Board established 
        pursuant to paragraph (1) shall consist of--
                    ``(A) national educational leaders;
                    ``(B) leaders in the field of writing; and
                    ``(C) such other individuals as the National 
                Writing Project deems necessary.
            ``(3) Duties.--The National Advisory Board established 
        pursuant to paragraph (1) shall--
                    ``(A) advise the National Writing Project on 
                national issues related to student writing and the 
                teaching of writing;
                    ``(B) review the activities and programs of the 
                National Writing Project; and
                    ``(C) support the continued development of the 
                National Writing Project.
    ``(f) Evaluation.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct an 
        independent evaluation by grant or contract of the teacher 
        training programs administered pursuant to this Act in 
        accordance with section 14701. Such evaluation shall specify 
        the amount of funds expended by the National Writing Project 
        and each contractor receiving assistance under this section for 
        administrative costs. The results of such evaluation shall be 
        made available to the appropriate committees of the Congress.
            ``(2) Funding limitation.--The Secretary shall reserve not 
        more than $150,000 from the total amount appropriated pursuant 
        to the authority of subsection (h) for fiscal year 1994 and the 
        four succeeding fiscal years to conduct the evaluation 
        described in paragraph (1).
    ``(g) Application Review.--
            ``(1) Review board.--The National Writing Project shall 
        establish and operate a National Review Board that shall 
        consist of--
                    ``(A) leaders in the field of research in writing; 
                and
                    ``(B) such other individuals as the National 
                Writing Project deems necessary.
            ``(2) Duties.--The National Review Board shall--
                    ``(A) review all applications for assistance under 
                this subsection; and
                    ``(B) recommend applications for assistance under 
                this subsection for funding by the National Writing 
                Project.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for the grant to the National Writing Project, $15,000,000 
for fiscal year 2000 and such sums as may be necessary for each of 
fiscal years 2001 through 2004.

        ``PART F--SABBATICAL LEAVE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

``SEC. 2351. GRANTS FOR SALARY DURING SABBATICAL LEAVE.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary may make grants to State 
educational agencies and local educational agencies to pay such 
agencies for one-half of the amount of the salary that otherwise would 
be earned by an eligible teacher described in subsection (b), if, in 
lieu of fulfilling the teacher's ordinary teaching assignment, the 
teacher completes a course of study described in subsection (c) during 
a sabbatical term described in subsection (d).
    ``(b) Eligible Teachers.--An eligible teacher described in this 
subsection is a teacher who--
            ``(1) has been employed for the 3 previous years by a local 
        educational agency that is both a high-poverty local 
        educational agency and a low-performing local educational 
        agency;
            ``(2) has secured from such agency, and any other person or 
        agency whose approval is required under State law, approval to 
        take sabbatical leave for a sabbatical term described in 
        subsection (d); and
            ``(3) has submitted to the agency an application for a 
        subgrant at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the agency may require, including--
                    ``(A) written proof--
                            ``(i) of the approval described in 
                        paragraph (2); and
                            ``(ii) of the teacher's having been 
                        accepted for enrollment in a course of study 
                        described in subsection (c); and
                    ``(B) assurances that the teacher--
                            ``(i) will notify the agency in writing 
                        within a reasonable time if the teacher 
                        terminates enrollment in the course of study 
                        described in subsection (c) for any reason;
                            ``(ii) in the discretion of the agency, 
                        will reimburse to the agency some or all of the 
                        amount of the subgrant if the teacher fails to 
                        complete the course of study; and
                            ``(iii) otherwise will provide the agency 
                        with proof of having completed such course of 
                        study not later than 60 days after such 
                        completion;
            ``(4) has agreed to continue teaching in the high-poverty, 
        low-performing local educational agency for a period of 3 years 
        following the sabbatical;
            ``(5) has agreed to collaborate with other teachers of the 
        same subject in the local educational agency following the 
        sabbatical to share the skills and knowledge obtained through 
        the sabbatical; and
            ``(6) has been selected by the agency to receive a subgrant 
        based on the agency's plan for meeting its classroom needs.
    ``(c) Course of Study.--A course of study described in this 
subsection is a course of study at an institution of higher education 
that--
            ``(1) requires not less than one academic semester and not 
        more than one academic year to complete;
            ``(2) is open for enrollment for professional development 
        purposes to an eligible teacher described in subsection (b); 
        and
            ``(3) is designed to improve the classroom teaching of such 
        teachers through academic and child development studies.
    ``(d) Sabbatical Term.--A sabbatical term described in this 
subsection is a leave of absence from teaching duties granted to an 
eligible teacher for not less than one academic semester and not more 
than one academic year, during which period the teacher receives--
            ``(1) one-half of the amount of the salary that otherwise 
        would be earned by the teacher, if the teacher had not been 
        granted a leave of absence, from State or local funds made 
        available by a State educational agency or a local educational 
        agency; and
            ``(2) one-half of such amount from Federal funds received 
        by such agency through a grant under this section.
    ``(e) Payments.--
            ``(1) To eligible teachers.--In making a subgrant to an 
        eligible teacher under this section, a State educational agency 
        or a local educational agency shall agree to pay the teacher, 
        for tax and administrative purposes, as if the teacher's 
        regular employment and teaching duties had not been suspended.
            ``(2) Repayment of secretary.--A State educational agency 
        or a local educational agency receiving a grant under this 
        section shall agree to pay over to the Secretary the Federal 
        share of any amount recovered by the agency pursuant to 
        subsection (b)(3)(B)(ii).
    ``(f) Funding.--For the purpose of carrying out this section, there 
are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2001 through 2004.

                      ``PART G--GENERAL PROVISIONS

``SEC. 2401. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.

    ``(a) Minimum Indicators.--At a minimum, the indicators of program 
performance under this title, against which recipients of funds under 
this title shall report their progress in such manner as the Secretary 
may determine, are the following:
            ``(1) Improvement in student achievement.
            ``(2) Closing of the achievement gap between groups of 
        students.
            ``(3) An increase in the percentage of fully qualified 
        teachers, including teachers from minority and other 
        historically underrepresented groups.
            ``(4) An equalization, between high- and low-poverty 
        schools in a local educational agency, of classes in core 
        academic areas taught by fully qualified teachers.
            ``(5) An increase in the percentage of new teachers 
        receiving support during their first 3 years of teaching.
            ``(6) An increase in the percentage of teachers 
        participating in high-quality professional development.
            ``(7) An increase in the percentage of paraprofessionals 
        enrolled in certification programs.
            ``(8) A decrease in the average class size.

``SEC. 2402. DEFINITIONS.

    ``As used in this title:
            ``(1) Career-changing professional.--The term `career-
        changing professional' means a person who--
                    ``(A) holds at least a baccalaureate degree;
                    ``(B) demonstrates a commitment to changing the 
                person's current professional career and becoming a 
                teacher; and
                    ``(C) has knowledge and experience that is relevant 
                to teaching a high-need subject area in a high-poverty 
                local educational agency.
            ``(2) Core academic subjects.--The term `core academic 
        subjects' means--
                    ``(A) mathematics;
                    ``(B) science;
                    ``(C) reading (or language arts) and English;
                    ``(D) social studies (history, civics/government, 
                geography, and economics);
                    ``(E) foreign languages; and
                    ``(F) fine arts (music, dance, drama, and the 
                visual arts).
            ``(3) Fully qualified.--The term `fully qualified'--
                    ``(A) when used with respect to an elementary or 
                secondary school teacher, means that the teacher has 
                obtained certification or passed the State licensing 
                exam and holds a license; and
                    ``(B) when used with respect to--
                            ``(i) an elementary school teacher, means 
                        that the teacher holds a bachelor's degree and 
                        demonstrates general knowledge, teaching skill, 
                        and subject matter knowledge required to teach 
                        at the elementary school level the academic 
                        subjects described in subparagraphs (A) through 
                        (D) of paragraph (2); or
                            ``(ii) a middle or secondary school 
                        teacher, means that the teacher holds a 
                        bachelor's degree and demonstrates a high level 
                        of competency in all subject areas in which he 
                        or she teaches through--
                                    ``(I) a high level of performance 
                                on a rigorous academic subject area 
                                test; or
                                    ``(II) completion of an academic 
                                major in each of the subject areas in 
                                which he or she provides instruction.
            ``(4) High-poverty local educational agency.--The term 
        `high-poverty local educational agency' means a local 
        educational agency in which--
                    ``(A) the percentage of children, ages 5 through 
                17, from families below the poverty level (as defined 
                by the Office of Management and Budget and revised 
                annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the 
                Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))) 
                applicable to a family of the size involved for the 
                most recent fiscal year for which satisfactory data are 
                available is 33 percent or greater; or
                    ``(B) the number of such children exceeds 10,000.
            ``(5) Low-performing local educational agency.--The term 
        `low-performing local educational agency' means--
                    ``(A) a local educational agency that includes a 
                school identified by the agency for school improvement 
                under section 1116(c); or
                    ``(B) a local educational agency that includes a 
                school in which at least 50 percent of the students 
                fail to meet State student performance standards based 
                on assessments the agency is using under part A of 
                title I.
            ``(6) Professional development.--The term `professional 
        development' means sustained and intensive activities that 
        improve teachers' content knowledge and teaching skills and 
        that--
                    ``(A) enhance the ability of teachers to help all 
                students, including females, minorities, children with 
                disabilities, children with limited English proficiency 
                and economically disadvantaged children, reach high 
                State and local content and student performance 
                standards;
                    ``(B) advance teacher understanding of one or more 
                of the core academic subject areas and effective 
                instructional strategies for improving student 
                achievement in those areas, including technology;
                    ``(C) are directly related to the subject area in 
                which the teacher provides instruction;
                    ``(D) are of sufficient duration to have a positive 
                and lasting impact on classroom instruction;
                    ``(E) are an integral part of broader school and 
                district-wide plans for raising student achievement to 
                State and local standards;
                    ``(F) are aligned with State content and student 
                performance standards;
                    ``(G) are based on the best available research on 
                teaching and learning;
                    ``(H) include professional development activities 
                that involve collaborative groups of teachers and 
                administrators from the same school or district and, to 
                the greatest extent possible, include follow-up and 
                school-based support such as coaching or study groups; 
                and
                    ``(I) as a whole, are regularly evaluated for their 
                impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved 
                student achievement, with the findings of such 
                evaluations used to improve the quality of professional 
                development.
            ``(7) Technology deficient.--The term `technology 
        deficient', when used with respect to a local educational 
        agency or a school, means that the agency or school does not 
        possess the equipment, networking, or skills to use technology 
        to enhance teaching and learning.
            ``(8) Technology proficient.--The term `technology 
        proficient', when used with respect to a local educational 
        agency or a school, means that the agency or school possesses 
        the equipment, networking, and skills to use technology to 
        enhance teaching and learning.
            ``(9) Troops-to-teachers program.--The term `troops-to-
        teachers program' means the teachers and teachers' aide 
        placement program for separated members of the Armed Forces 
        that was established by the Secretary of Defense, and the 
        Secretary of Transportation with respect to the Coast Guard, 
        under section 1151 of title 10, United States Code.
            ``(10) Unqualified teacher.--The term `unqualified teacher' 
        means a teacher who is not fully qualified.''.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) National writing project.--Part K of title X of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8331 
        et seq.) is repealed.
            (2) Reference to national clearinghouse for mathematics and 
        science education.--Section 13302(1) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8672(1)) is amended 
        by striking ``2102(b)'' and inserting ``2032(b)''.
            (3) Definition of covered program.--Section 14101(10)(C) of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        8801(10)(C)) is amended by striking ``(other than section 2103 
        and part D)'' and inserting ``(other than subpart 3 of part 
        A)''.
            (4) Private school participation.--Section 14503(b)(1)(B) 
        (20 U.S.C. 8893(b)(1)(B)) of such Act is amended by striking 
        ``(other than section 2103 and part D of such title)''.

SEC. 3. READING EXCELLENCE ACT.

    Section 2260 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6661i) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Fiscal years 2001 to 2004.--There are authorized to 
        be appropriated to carry out this part $286,000,000 for fiscal 
        year 2001 and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 
        2002 through 2004.''.
                                 <all>