[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 461 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 461

To support educational partnerships, focusing on mathematics, science, 
and technology, between institutions of higher education and elementary 
         schools and secondary schools, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 6, 2001

   Mr. Frist introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To support educational partnerships, focusing on mathematics, science, 
and technology, between institutions of higher education and elementary 
         schools and secondary schools, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Mathematics and Science Education 
Partnership and Teacher Recruitment Act of 2001''.

 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to encourage States, institutions of 
higher education, elementary schools, and secondary schools to 
participate in programs that--
            (1) upgrade the status and stature of math and science 
        teaching as a profession by encouraging institutions of higher 
        education to assume greater responsibility for improving math 
        and science teacher education through the establishment of a 
        comprehensive, integrated system of recruiting and advising 
        such teachers;
            (2) focus on education of math and science teachers as a 
        career-long process that should continuously stimulate 
        teachers' intellectual growth and upgrade teachers' knowledge 
        and skills;
            (3) bring together elementary school and secondary school 
        math and science teachers with scientists, mathematicians, and 
        engineers to increase teacher content knowledge and improve 
        teaching skills through the use of more sophisticated 
        laboratory space and equipment, computing facilities, 
        libraries, and other resources that colleges and universities 
        are more able to provide; and
            (4) develop more rigorous mathematics and science curricula 
        that are aligned and intended to prepare students for 
        postsecondary study in mathematics and science.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Incorporation of General Definitions.--The provisions of 
section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 8801) shall apply for purposes of this Act in the same manner as 
they apply for purposes of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965.
    (b) Other Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible 
        partnership'' means a partnership that--
                    (A) shall include--
                            (i) a State educational agency;
                            (ii) a mathematics or science department of 
                        an institution of higher education; and
                            (iii) a local educational agency; and
                    (B) may include--
                            (i) another institution of higher education 
                        or the teacher training department of such 
                        institution;
                            (ii) another local educational agency, or 
                        an elementary school or secondary school;
                            (iii) a business; or
                            (iv) a nonprofit organization of 
                        demonstrated effectiveness, including a museum.
            (2) High need local educational agency.--The term ``high 
        need local educational agency'' has the meaning given the term 
        in section 201(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1021(b)).
            (3) Summer workshop or institute.--The term ``summer 
        workshop or institute'' means a workshop or institute conducted 
        outside of the academic year that--
                    (A) is conducted during a period of a minimum of 2 
                weeks;
                    (B) provides for direct interaction between 
                students and faculty; and
                    (C) provides for followup training in the classroom 
                during the academic year for a period of a minimum of 3 
                days, which shall not be required to be consecutive, 
                except that--
                            (i) if the program at the summer workshop 
                        or institute is for a period of only 2 weeks, 
                        the followup training shall be for a period of 
                        more than 3 days; and
                            (ii) for teachers in rural school 
                        districts, followup training through the 
                        Internet may be used.

SEC. 4. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants, on a 
competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to enable the eligible 
partnerships to pay the Federal share of the costs of carrying out the 
authorized activities described in section 6.
    (b) Duration.--The Secretary shall award grants under this section 
for periods of 5 years.
    (c) Federal Share.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal share of the costs of the 
        activities assisted under this Act shall be--
                    (A) 75 percent of the costs for the first year an 
                eligible partnership receives a grant payment under 
                this Act;
                    (B) 65 percent of the costs for the second such 
                year; and
                    (C) 50 percent of the costs for each of the third, 
                fourth, and fifth such years.
            (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the costs 
        of activities assisted under this Act may be provided in cash 
        or in kind, fairly evaluated.

SEC. 5. APPLICATION.

    (a) In General.--Each eligible partnership desiring a grant under 
this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
require.
    (b) Contents.--Each such application shall include--
            (1) an assessment of the teacher quality and professional 
        development needs of all the entities participating in the 
        eligible partnership with respect to the teaching and learning 
        of mathematics and science, including a statement as to whether 
        the eligible partnership includes a high need local educational 
        agency;
            (2) a description of how the activities to be carried out 
        by the eligible partnership will be aligned with State and 
        local standards and with other educational reform activities 
        that promote student achievement in mathematics and science;
            (3) a description of how the activities to be carried out 
        by the eligible partnership will be based on a review of 
        relevant research, and an explanation of why the activities are 
        expected to improve student performance and to strengthen the 
        quality of mathematics and science instruction; and
            (4) a description of--
                    (A) how the eligible partnership will carry out the 
                authorized activities described in section 6; and
                    (B) the eligible partnership's evaluation and 
                accountability plan described in section 7.
    (c) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority to any application 
submitted by an eligible partnership that includes a high need local 
educational agency.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

    An eligible partnership shall use the grant funds provided under 
this Act for 1 or more of the following activities related to 
elementary schools or secondary schools:
            (1) Developing or redesigning more rigorous mathematics and 
        science curricula that are aligned and intended to foster 
        college placement and preparation for postsecondary study in 
        mathematics and science.
            (2) Creating opportunities for enhanced and ongoing 
        professional development that improves the academic content 
        knowledge of mathematics and science teachers.
            (3) Recruiting mathematics and science majors to the 
        teaching profession through the use of--
                    (A) signing bonuses and performance bonuses for 
                mathematics and science teachers;
                    (B) stipends for mathematics teachers and science 
                teachers for certification through alternative routes;
                    (C) scholarships for teachers to pursue advanced 
                course work in mathematics and science;
                    (D) scholarships for students with academic majors 
                in mathematics and science; and
                    (E) carrying out any other program that the State 
                believes to be effective in recruiting individuals with 
                strong mathematics or science backgrounds into the 
                teaching profession.
            (4) Promoting strong teaching skills for mathematics and 
        science teachers and teacher educators, including integrating 
        reliable research-based teaching methods into the curriculum.
            (5) Establishing mathematics and science summer workshops 
        or institutes and followup training for teachers, using 
        curricula that are experiment-oriented, content-based, and 
        grounded in current research.
            (6) Establishing web-based instructional materials for 
        mathematics and science teachers using curricula that are, 
        experiment-oriented, content-based, and grounded in current 
        research.
            (7) Designing programs to prepare a teacher to provide 
        professional development instruction to other teachers within 
        the participating teacher's school.
            (8) Designing programs to bring teachers into contact with 
        working scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to increase 
        teachers' content knowledge and enhance teachers' instructional 
        techniques.
            (9) Designing programs focusing on changing behaviors and 
        practices of teachers to assist novice teachers in developing 
        confidence in their skills to increase the likelihood that such 
        novice teachers will continue in the teaching profession, and 
        to generally improve the quality of teaching.

SEC. 7. EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN.

    Each eligible partnership receiving a grant under this Act shall 
develop an evaluation and accountability plan for activities assisted 
under this Act that includes strong performance objectives. The plan 
shall include objectives and measures for--
            (1) improved student performance on State mathematics and 
        science assessments or on the Third International Math and 
        Science Study assessment;
            (2) increased participation by students in advanced courses 
        in mathematics and science;
            (3) increased percentages of secondary school classes in 
        mathematics and science taught by teachers with academic majors 
        in mathematics and science, respectively;
            (4) increased numbers of mathematics and science teachers 
        who participate in content-based professional development 
        activities; and
            (5) increased passing rates of students in advanced courses 
        in mathematics and science.

SEC. 8. REPORT; REVOCATION OF GRANT.

    (a) Report.--Each eligible partnership receiving a grant under this 
Act shall report annually to the Secretary regarding the eligible 
partnership's progress in meeting the performance objectives described 
in section 7.
    (b) Revocation.--If the Secretary determines that an eligible 
partnership is not making substantial progress in meeting the 
performance objectives described in section 7 by the end of the third 
year of a grant under this Act, then the grant payments shall not be 
made for the fourth and fifth year of the grant.

SEC. 9. CONSULTATION WITH NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.

    In carrying out the activities authorized by this Act, the 
Secretary shall consult and coordinate with the Director of the 
National Science Foundation, particularly with respect to the 
appropriate roles for the Department and the Foundation in the conduct 
of summer workshops or institutes provided by the mathematics and 
science partnerships to improve mathematics and science teaching in the 
elementary schools and secondary schools.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act, 
$500,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the 6 succeeding fiscal years.
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