[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 474 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 474

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve 
  provisions relating to initial teaching experiences and alternative 
                        routes to certification.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2001

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve 
  provisions relating to initial teaching experiences and alternative 
                        routes to certification.

    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 ``Professional Development Enhancement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE ACTIVITIES.

    Section 2207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6647) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (12), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (13), by striking the period and inserting 
        a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(14) carrying out programs that include support during 
        the initial teaching experience, such as mentoring programs 
        that--
                    ``(A) provide mentoring to beginning teachers from 
                veteran teachers with expertise in the subject matter 
                that the beginning teachers will be teaching;
                    ``(B) provide mentors time for activities such as 
                coaching, observing, and assisting the teachers who are 
                mentored; and
                    ``(C) use standards or assessments for guiding 
                beginning teachers that are consistent with the State's 
                student performance standards and with the requirements 
                for professional development activities described in 
                section 2210(b)(2); and
            ``(15) carrying out programs that establish, expand, or 
        improve alternative routes to State certification of teachers 
        for highly qualified individuals with a baccalaureate degree, 
        including mid-career professionals from other occupations, 
        paraprofessionals, former military personnel, and recent 
        college or university graduates with records of academic 
        distinction, who demonstrate the potential to become highly 
        effective teachers.''.

SEC. 3. ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.

    Section 2207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) Activities.--'' before ``Each 
        State''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Components of Alternative Routes to State Certification 
Programs.--To the extent appropriate, programs carried out under 
subsection (a)(15) shall--
            ``(1) include strong academic and teaching-related course 
        work that provides teachers with the academic subject knowledge 
        and teaching knowledge needed to help students meet State 
        content standards;
            ``(2) provide intensive field experience in the form of an 
        internship, or student teaching, under the direct daily 
        supervision of an expert, veteran teacher; and
            ``(3) provide that, before entry into teaching, candidates 
        shall be fully qualified.''.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 2402 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6702) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as 
        paragraphs (2), (5), (6), and (3) respectively;
            (2) by inserting paragraph (3) (as so redesignated) after 
        paragraph (2);
            (3) by inserting before paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(1) the term `beginning teacher' means an educator in a 
        public school who has not yet been teaching 3 full school 
        years;'';
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as so redesignated) 
        the following:
            ``(4) the term `mentoring program' means a program to 
        provide professional support and development, instruction, and 
        guidance to beginning teachers, not including a teacher or 
        individual who begins to work in a supervisory position;'';
            (5) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by striking the 
        period and inserting a semicolon;
            (6) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), by striking the 
        semicolon at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
            (7) in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (6) (as so 
        redesignated), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a period.
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