[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5583 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5583

 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish an alternative 
              path to teaching in needy school districts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2000

     Mr. Tierney (for himself and Mr. George Miller of California) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                      Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish an alternative 
              path to teaching in needy school districts.

    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 ``Alternative Path to Teaching Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to encourage highly knowledgeable individuals to teach 
        in needy school districts; and
            (2) to provide them with strong support, especially during 
        their initial years of teaching.

SEC. 3. ALTERNATIVE PATH TO TEACHING IN NEEDY SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 203 the 
following:

``SEC. 203A. ALTERNATIVE PATH TO TEACHING IN NEEDY SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized, in 
        accordance with the provisions of this section, to make grants, 
        on a competitive basis, to collaboratives satisfying the 
        requirements of paragraph (3) to carry out the purposes 
        described in subsection (b).
            ``(2) Supplement not supplant.--Funds received under this 
        section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, funds 
        provided to a State, a local educational agency, or any other 
        person or entity, under any other Federal or State program 
        established for the purpose of increasing the ability of local 
        educational agencies effectively to recruit highly qualified 
        teachers, such as funds provided under section 204.
            ``(3) Requirements on collaboratives.--
                    ``(A) State licensing examination.--In order to 
                receive a grant under this section, a collaborative 
                shall be established by one or more local educational 
                agencies in a State that requires an individual to have 
                passed a State teacher licensing examination in order 
                to obtain State certification as a teacher.
                    ``(B) Establishment; required participants.--In 
                order to be eligible for a grant under this section, a 
                collaborative shall be established by one or more local 
                educational agencies and shall have a membership that 
                includes at least one representative from each of the 
                following:
                            ``(i) The local educational agency or 
                        agencies establishing the collaborative, and 
                        any other local educational agency that desires 
                        to participate.
                            ``(ii) Institutions of higher education 
                        that are--
                                    ``(I) selected by the local 
                                educational agency or agencies 
                                establishing the collaborative;
                                    ``(II) not rated by any State as 
                                being low performing; and
                                    ``(III) in compliance with all 
                                applicable provisions of this Act.
                            ``(iii) Any additional entity--
                                    ``(I) selected by the entities 
                                described in clauses (i) and (ii); and
                                    ``(II) deemed by such entities--
                                            ``(aa) to be of assistance 
                                        with recruiting, training, or 
                                        placing teachers from diverse 
                                        backgrounds in eligible 
                                        schools; and
                                            ``(bb) to have a record of 
                                        providing high quality and 
                                        effective professional 
                                        development to teachers in 
                                        eligible schools.
            ``(4) Applications.--
                    ``(A) in general.--Each collaborative desiring to 
                receive a grant under this section shall prepare and 
                submit an application to the Secretary at such time and 
                in such a manner as the Secretary deems appropriate.
                    ``(B) Written statement of support.--Such 
                application shall include a written statement of 
                support, cooperation, and intention to participate as 
                necessary in accordance with the provisions of this 
                section, including an assurance that the matching 
                requirements in paragraph (6) will be satisfied, from--
                            ``(i) the head of the State educational 
                        agency;
                            ``(ii) the head of the State higher 
                        education agency or the State university system 
                        (if the head of such agency or system is 
                        different from the head of the State 
                        educational agency); and
                            ``(iii) the head of the State agency that 
                        is responsible for teacher licensure or 
                        certification (if the head of such agency is 
                        different from the person described in clause 
                        (ii)).
            ``(5) Minimum grant amount.--Grants awarded under this 
        section--
                    ``(A) subject to subparagraph (B), shall be for not 
                less than $250,000 per grantee, per year; and
                    ``(B) shall be for not less than $5,000,000 per 
                State, per year.
            ``(6) Carryover.--A collaborative receiving a grant under 
        this section may use any grant funds that remain at the end of 
        a grant year in the succeeding year.
    ``(b) Uses of Funds.--
            ``(1) Required uses of funds.--A collaborative shall use 
        funds received under this section for the following purposes:
                    ``(A) Developing and implementing an intensive 
                full-time pre-service training program for 
                collaborative participants that--
                            ``(i) provides a minimum of 240 hours of 
                        instruction to prepare participants to commence 
                        teaching duties in eligible schools; and
                            ``(ii) makes successful completion of the 
                        program contingent on receipt of an evaluation 
                        incorporating a finding that the graduate is 
                        prepared to begin teaching in an eligible 
                        school.
                    ``(B) Recruiting and screening of training program 
                applicants to ensure both quality and diversity.
                    ``(C) Providing stipends to collaborative 
                participants during their initial 240-hour training 
                period, including stipends to cover the costs of 
                housing, board, and relocation, if such payments will 
                help to ensure quality and diversity in the corps of 
                participants.
                    ``(D) Recruiting, screening, training, and 
                providing ongoing support for, mentors for 
                collaborative participants.
                    ``(E) Purchasing release time for mentor teachers 
                and for collaborative participants for induction 
                activities during the first 3 years of collaborative 
                participation.
                    ``(F) Evaluating individual collaborative 
                participants at the conclusion of their first year of 
                teaching.
                    ``(G) Evaluating the collaborative's programs as a 
                whole to determine to what extent they are an effective 
                means of increasing the percentage of fully qualified 
                teachers in eligible schools and improving student 
                achievement in those schools.
            ``(2) Allowable uses of funds.--A collaborative may use 
        funds received under this section for the following purposes:
                    ``(A) Providing bonuses to mentor teachers.
                    ``(B) Providing signing bonuses to collaborative 
                participants prior to the commencement of their 
                training.
    ``(c) Qualification of Collaborative Participants.--
            ``(1) Standards for member acceptance.--Each collaborative 
        shall establish standards for acceptance of collaborative 
        participants to ensure that each class of collaborative 
        participants is diverse and that each collaborative participant 
        possesses appropriate and high level credentials and is likely 
        to become a highly effective teacher in an eligible school. At 
        a minimum, all candidates accepted by any collaborative funded 
        under this section shall possess the following qualifications:
                    ``(A) Recent graduates.--Individuals who completed 
                a bachelor's degree 3 years or less prior to applying 
                to be a collaborative participant--
                            ``(i) shall have been in the top 25 percent 
                        of their graduating class or have placed in the 
                        top 25 percent nationally on a widely used 
                        examination for entry into graduate or 
                        professional school;
                            ``(ii) if the individual intends to teach 
                        at the elementary school level, shall possess a 
                        bachelor's degree that provides them with the 
                        content area knowledge needed to teach the full 
                        range of subjects included in the elementary 
                        school curriculum; and
                            ``(iii) if the individual intends to teach 
                        at the secondary school level, shall possess a 
                        bachelor's degree in each subject area in which 
                        the individual plans to provide instruction, or 
                        a closely related field.
                    ``(B) Other graduates.--Individuals who completed a 
                bachelor's degree more than 3 years prior to applying 
                to be a collaborative participant--
                            ``(i) shall have a record of outstanding 
                        achievement in their profession;
                            ``(ii) if the individual intends to teach 
                        at the elementary school level, shall possess a 
                        bachelor's degree or professional background 
                        and experience that provides them with the 
                        content area knowledge needed to teach the full 
                        range of subjects included in the elementary 
                        school curriculum; and
                            ``(iii) if the individual intends to teach 
                        at the secondary school level, shall possess a 
                        bachelor's degree in each subject area in which 
                        the individual plans to provide instruction, or 
                        a closely related field.
            ``(2) Length of commitment.--All potential collaborative 
        participants shall be required, as a condition on receipt of 
        financial assistance from a collaborative under subsection (b), 
        to make a 3-year commitment to teach in eligible schools under 
        the jurisdiction of the local educational agency or agencies 
        that established the collaborative.
    ``(d) Provisions Relating to Local Educational Agencies.--In order 
for a collaborative to use a grant under this section for the benefit 
of a local educational agency establishing the collaborative, and for 
the local educational agency to employ a teacher who is a collaborative 
participant, the local educational agency shall provide to the 
Secretary assurances that--
            ``(1) the local educational agency has a rate of employment 
        of teachers who are not fully qualified, teacher vacancies, 
        teacher turnover, or use of substitutes that exceeds the State 
        average;
            ``(2) no collaborative participant will be given a teaching 
        assignment in any school that is not an eligible school;
            ``(3) no collaborative participant will be given a teaching 
        assignment for which he or she is not fully qualified;
            ``(4) no collaborative participant will be asked to teach, 
        during the member's first 3 years of teaching, in a school in 
        corrective action, as described in section 1116(c)(5) of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        6317(c)(5));
            ``(5) all collaborative participants will receive high 
        intensity, sustained, high quality professional development, 
        including mentoring, throughout the participant's first year of 
        teaching in an eligible school;
            ``(6) all collaborative participants who successfully 
        complete their first year of teaching will complete, in their 
        second and third year of teaching, a professional development 
        course based on an evaluation that the participant receives 
        from the collaborative at the end of their first year of 
        teaching; and
            ``(7) all collaborative participants who successfully 
        complete their first year of teaching and are given a positive 
        evaluation and recommendation by their principal and mentor 
        will be offered an extension of employment by the local 
        educational agency, barring exceptional circumstances.
    ``(e) Requirements Relating to Teacher Licensure or 
Certification.--
            ``(1) Initial teacher licensure or certification.--In order 
        for a collaborative to receive a grant under this section, the 
        State agency charged with teacher licensure or certification 
        shall provide to the Secretary an assurance that it is 
        authorized to, and shall, grant full and unrestricted first-
        year teacher certification or licensure to all collaborative 
        participants who--
                    ``(A) successfully complete the pre-service 
                training program for collaborative participants 
                described in subsection (b)(1)(A); and
                    ``(B) pass all applicable State and local licensing 
                examinations for first-year teachers.
            ``(2) License or certificate renewal.--In order for a 
        collaborative to receive a grant under this section, the State 
        agency charged with teacher licensure or certification shall 
        provide to the Secretary an assurance that it is authorized to, 
        and shall, renew a first-year license or certificate granted to 
        a collaborative participant only if, at the end of the 
        participant's first year of teaching, the participant receives 
        a positive evaluation from the local educational agency or 
        agencies establishing the collaborative.
    ``(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Collaborative.--The term `collaborative' means a 
        partnership established in accordance with the requirements of 
        subsection (a)(3).
            ``(2) Collaborative participant.--The term `collaborative 
        participant' means an individual who is a trainee or teacher 
        and is a recipient of financial assistance, pre-service 
        training, professional development, or mentoring services 
        provided by a collaborative under this section.
            ``(3) Eligible school.--The term `eligible school' means an 
        elementary or secondary school in which at least 35 percent of 
        the students qualify for free or reduced price meals pursuant 
        to the National School Lunch Act.
            ``(4) Fully qualified.--The term `fully qualified'--
                    ``(A) when used with respect to a public elementary 
                or secondary school teacher (other than a teacher 
                teaching in a public charter school), means that the 
                teacher has obtained State certification as a teacher 
                (including certification obtained through alternative 
                routes to certification) or passed the State teacher 
                licensing exam and holds a license to teach in such 
                State; and
                    ``(B) when used with respect to --
                            ``(i) an elementary school teacher, means 
                        that the teacher holds a bachelor's degree and 
                        demonstrates knowledge and teaching skills in 
                        reading, writing, mathematics, science, and 
                        other areas of the elementary school 
                        curriculum; 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 State or local academic 
                                subject areas test; or
                                    ``(II) completion of an academic 
                                major in each of the subject areas in 
                                which he or she provides instruction.
            ``(5) 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, 
                institutions of higher education, 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.''.

SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS; ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION.

    (a) Administrative Provisions.--Section 205 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1025) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by adding at the end the 
        following:
                    ``(C) Collaboratives.--Grants awarded to 
                collaboratives under section 203A shall be awarded for 
                a period of 5 years.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) with respect to grants under section 203A, 
                give priority to applications from collaboratives from 
                States that have developed, or are in the process of 
                developing, a system of incentives to encourage highly 
                effective teachers and individuals likely to become 
                highly effective teachers to teach in eligible 
                schools.'';
            (3) in subsection (b)(3), by inserting after the first 
        sentence the following: ``To the extent practicable, the 
        Secretary shall make awards under section 203A that support 
        programs in different geographic regions of the United States 
        and areas with varying population densities.''; and
            (4) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Collaborative grants.--If a collaborative receives a 
        grant under section 203A, the State in which the collaborative 
        is established and located shall provide, from non-Federal 
        sources (in cash or in kind), an amount equal to the following 
        percentages of the grant amount to carry out the activities 
        supported by the grant:
                    ``(A) In the first year of the grant, 25 percent.
                    ``(B) In the second year of the grant, 30 percent.
                    ``(C) In the third year of the grant, 35 percent.
                    ``(D) In the fourth year of the grant, 40 percent.
                    ``(E) In the fifth year of the grant, 50 
                percent.''.
    (b) Accountability and Evaluation.--Section 206 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1026) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) Collaborative Accountability and Program Evaluation.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each collaborative receiving funds under 
        section 203A shall publicly report, within 4 weeks of receipt 
        of such results, the percentage of its trainees who pass all 
        applicable State and local initial teacher licensure or 
        certification examinations. Such reporting shall prominently 
        feature such percentages for the most recent administration of 
such examinations on all promotional and recruitment material used by 
the collaborative.
            ``(2) Reports on pass rates.--Each collaborative receiving 
        funds under section 203A annually shall report to the Secretary 
        the percentage of its trainees who pass all applicable State 
        and local initial teacher licensure or certification 
        examinations. Such reports shall include any additional 
        information that the Secretary may deem necessary and 
        appropriate to ensure the quality and integrity of that 
        collaborative's program, or all programs under this section in 
        general.
            ``(3) Ineligibility for funds.--With respect to any year, 
        any collaborative whose training graduates fail to pass any 
        applicable State or local initial teacher licensing or 
        certification examination at a rate of 90 percent or higher 
        shall be ineligible for receipt of funds under section 203A in 
        the succeeding year.
            ``(4) Review.--
                    ``(A) Funds reserved for certain activities.--The 
                Secretary shall reserve \1/2\ of 1 percent of the funds 
                made available to carry out section 203A--
                            ``(i) to conduct a comprehensive evaluation 
                        of the program under such section not later 
                        than 3 years after the date of the enactment of 
                        the Alternative Path to Teaching Act;
                            ``(ii) to disseminate information to 
                        qualified local educational agencies nationally 
                        about grant opportunities under such section;
                            ``(iii) to establish a web page service to 
                        share best practices and allow for active 
                        exchange between grantees and between grantees 
                        and the Secretary; and
                            ``(iv) to evaluate applications from, and 
                        award grants to, collaboratives to enable such 
                        collaboratives to carry out functions described 
                        in such section.
                    ``(B) Matters covered by evaluation.--The 
                evaluation described in subparagraph (A)(i) shall 
                assess--
                            ``(i) the effectiveness of individual 
                        programs in recruiting large numbers of highly 
                        qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds;
                            ``(ii) the qualifications of teachers 
                        recruited and trained through the program as 
                        compared to other teachers in participating 
                        local educational agencies; and
                            ``(iii) the retention rates of 
                        collaborative participants as compared to the 
                        retention rates of other new teachers for 
                        participating local educational agencies.''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 210 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1030) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``section 203;'' and 
        inserting ``sections 203 and 203A;'';
            (2) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``There 
        are''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Allocation Between Partnership and Collaborative Grants.--Of 
the amount made available for any fiscal year under subsection (a)(2), 
70 percent shall be available for grants under section 203 and 30 
percent shall be available for grants under section 203A.''.
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