[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 648 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 648

To provide signing and mastery bonuses and mentoring programs for math 
                         and science teachers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 29, 2001

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide signing and mastery bonuses and mentoring programs for math 
                         and science teachers.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SIGNING AND MASTERY BONUSES FOR TEACHERS IN MATH AND 
              SCIENCE.

    Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating part E as part G;
            (2) by redesignating sections 2401 and 2402 as sections 
        2601 and 2602, respectively; and
            (3) by inserting after part D the following new part:

 ``PART E--SIGNING AND MASTERY BONUSES FOR TEACHERS IN MATH AND SCIENCE

``SEC. 2401. SIGNING BONUSES FOR TEACHERS IN MATH AND SCIENCE.

    ``(a) Grants to State Educational Agencies.--
            ``(1) Authority to award grants.--The Secretary shall award 
        grants to State educational agencies to enable the agencies to 
        assist local educational agencies to provide signing bonuses to 
        middle or secondary school math or science teachers who agree 
        to teach in a school in a high-need area during the 4-school 
        year period that begins on the date on which the teacher is 
        hired.
            ``(2) Criteria.--In order to receive a grant under this 
        section, a State educational agency shall submit to the 
        Secretary, for the Secretary's approval, a list of criteria for 
        awarding the signing bonuses described in paragraph (1). Such 
        criteria shall require that--
                    ``(A) an individual receiving such a signing bonus 
                have obtained licensing or certification to teach other 
                than temporary or emergency licensing or certification; 
                and
                    ``(B) an individual receiving such a bonus--
                            ``(i) have an academic major or minor in 
                        the academic subject in which the individual 
                        intends to teach; or
                            ``(ii) a work-related concentration in the 
                        academic subject in which the individual 
                        intends to teach.
            ``(3) Peer review board.--In order to receive a grant under 
        this section, a State educational agency shall establish a peer 
        review board to review criteria for providing signing bonuses 
        under the grant.
            ``(4) Application.--In order to receive a grant under this 
        section, a State educational agency shall submit an application 
        to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
        by such information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(b) Grants to Local Educational Agencies.--
            ``(1) Authority to award grants.--A State educational 
        agency that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall use the 
        funds made available through the grant to award grants to local 
        educational agencies to provide the bonuses described in 
        subsection (a).
            ``(2) Use of Funds.--A local educational agency that 
        receives a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the funds made 
        available through the grant to provide, during the 4-school 
        year period described in subsection (a)(1), a signing bonus in 
        the amount of $5,000 for each such year, for the hiring of a 
        middle or secondary school math or science teacher who is 
        eligible for an award based on the criteria in subsection 
        (a)(2).
            ``(3) Application.--In order to receive a grant under this 
        subsection, a local educational agency shall submit an 
        application to the State educational agency at such time, in 
        such manner, and accompanied by such information as the State 
        educational agency may require.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2002 through 2006.
    ``(d) Definition of `High-Need Area'.--In this section, the term 
`high-need area' means an area, as determined by the local educational 
agency, in which--
            ``(1) not less than 30 percent of the children served by 
        the local educational agency are children eligible to be 
        counted under section 1124(c)(2); and
            ``(2) the middle and secondary schools--
                    ``(A) have a higher percentage of uncertified or 
                unlicensed math and science teachers than the 
corresponding percentage for the State; or
                    ``(B) have a higher percentage of math and science 
                teachers not trained in math and science than the 
                corresponding percentage for the State.

``SEC. 2402. MASTERY BONUSES FOR TEACHERS IN MATH AND SCIENCE.

    ``(a) Grants to State Educational Agencies.--
            ``(1) Authority to award grants.--The Secretary shall award 
        grants to State educational agencies to enable the agencies to 
        assist local educational agencies to provide mastery bonuses to 
        supplement the salaries of middle or secondary school math or 
        science teachers who pass an advanced competency exam in math 
        and science that is approved by the National Academy of 
        Sciences and agree to teach during the 5-school year period 
        that begins during or after the date on which the State 
        educational agency determines that the teacher has passed the 
        advanced competency exam.
            ``(2) Criteria.--In order to receive a grant under this 
        section, a State educational agency shall submit to the 
        Secretary, for the Secretary's approval, a list of criteria for 
        awarding the mastery bonuses described in paragraph (1). Such 
        criteria shall require that--
                    ``(A) an individual receiving such a bonus have 
                obtained licensing or certification to teach other than 
                temporary or emergency licensing or certification; and
                    ``(B) an individual receiving such a bonus have an 
                academic or work-related concentration in the academic 
                subject in which the individual intends to teach.
            ``(3) Peer review board.--In order to receive a grant under 
        this section, a State educational agency shall establish a peer 
        review board to review criteria for providing mastery bonuses 
        under the grant.
            ``(4) Application.--In order to receive a grant under this 
        section, a State educational agency shall submit an application 
        to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
        by such information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(b) Grants to Local Educational Agencies.--
            ``(1) Authority to award grants.--A State educational 
        agency that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall use the 
        funds made available through the grant to award grants to local 
        educational agencies to provide the mastery bonuses described 
        in subsection (a).
            ``(2) Use of funds.--A local educational agency that 
        receives a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the funds made 
        available through the grant to provide--
                    ``(A) a middle or secondary school math or science 
                teacher who passes an advanced competency exam and 
                teaches during the 5-school year period described in 
                subsection (a)(1) with an additional $4,000 each such 
                year; and
                    ``(B) a middle or secondary school math or science 
                teacher who passes an advanced competency exam and 
                agrees to teach in a high-need area (as defined in 
                section 2401(d) during the 5-school year period 
                described in subsection (a)(1) with an additional 
                $5,000 each such year.
            ``(3) Application.--In order to receive a grant under this 
        subsection, a local educational agency shall submit an 
        application to the State educational agency at such time, in 
        such manner, and accompanied by such information as the State 
        educational agency may require.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2002 through 2006.''.

SEC. 2. MENTOR TEACHER PROGRAMS FOR MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS.

    Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6601 et seq.), as amended in section 1, is further amended by 
inserting after part E the following:

                    ``PART F--MENTOR TEACHER PROGRAM

``SEC. 2501. PURPOSES.

    ``The purposes of this part are to give local educational agencies 
the resources to establish mentor teacher programs to enable 
experienced teachers to train, support, and mentor novice teachers.

``SEC. 2502. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Board certified.--The term `board certified' means 
        successful completion of all requirements to be certified by 
        the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the 
        academic subject in which a teacher is teaching.
            ``(2) Mentor teacher.--The term `mentor teacher' means a 
        teacher who--
                    ``(A) is fully certified or licensed;
                    ``(B) has demonstrated mastery of pedagogical and 
                subject matter skills (such as by becoming board 
                certified); and
                    ``(C) has provided evidence of superior teaching 
                abilities and interpersonal relationship 
                characteristics.
            ``(3) Novice teacher.--The term `novice teacher' means a 
        teacher who--
                    ``(A) has been teaching not more than 3 years at a 
                public elementary school or secondary school; and
                    ``(B) is a math or science teacher.

``SEC. 2503. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``(a) Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
        grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible local educational 
        agencies to develop and implement mentor teacher programs as 
        described in subsection (e).
            ``(2) Duration.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
        this subsection for periods of not more than 5 years.
    ``(b) Eligible Local Educational Agencies.--To be eligible to 
receive a grant under subsection (a) for a fiscal year, a local 
educational agency shall--
            ``(1) be a local educational agency that has received a 
        grant under section 2401 (relating to signing bonuses) for the 
        fiscal year; and
            ``(2) agree to use the funds made available through the 
        grant to develop and implement the mentor teacher programs in 
        schools served by teachers who have received signing bonuses 
        under section 2401 for the fiscal year.
    ``(c) Geographic Distribution.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
the Secretary shall award the grants so that the grants are distributed 
among the local educational agencies with higher percentages of novice 
teachers, or lower percentages of certified or licensed teachers, than 
the corresponding percentages for the States in which the agencies are 
located.
    ``(d) Amount.--The amount of each grant shall be determined based 
on--
            ``(1) the total amount appropriated for a fiscal year under 
        section 2508 and made available to carry out this part; and
            ``(2) the extent of the concentration of novice teachers in 
        the school district involved.
    ``(e) Authorized Activities.--
            ``(1) Allocation by activity.--A local educational agency 
        that receives a grant under subsection (a) for a mentor teacher 
        program shall use--
                    ``(A) not less than 75 percent of the funds made 
                available through the grant to pay for the Federal 
                share of the cost of obtaining the services of the 
                mentor teachers; and
                    ``(B) not more than 25 percent of the funds to pay 
                for other costs related to the development and 
                implementation of the mentor teacher program.
            ``(2) Training.--The mentor teacher program shall provide 
        training to novice teachers on effective teaching techniques 
        (including techniques relating to class discipline and 
        curriculum development) through observation, instruction, 
        coaching, and mentoring by mentor teachers.
            ``(3) Federal share.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Federal share of the cost 
                described in paragraph (1)(A) is 75 percent.
                    ``(B) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of 
                the cost may be provided from State sources in cash or 
                in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, 
                and services.
    ``(f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Funds appropriated pursuant to the 
authority of this part shall be used to supplement and not supplant 
other Federal, State, and local public funds expended to provide 
services for eligible individuals.

``SEC. 2504. APPLICATIONS.

    ``A local educational agency desiring a grant under section 2503 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
reasonably require.

``SEC. 2505. PAYMENTS.

    ``(a) In General.--Grant payments shall be made under this part on 
an annual basis.
    ``(b) Administrative Costs.--Each local educational agency that 
receives a grant under section 2503 shall use not more than 2 percent 
of the amount awarded under the grant for administrative costs.
    ``(c) Denial of Grant.--If the Secretary determines that a local 
educational agency has failed to make substantial progress in attaining 
such performance objectives and goals as the Secretary may require the 
agency to establish, such an agency shall not be eligible for a grant 
payment under this part in the next succeeding year.

``SEC. 2506. REPORTS.

    ``The Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives a report 
of program activities funded under this part.

``SEC. 2507. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

    ``The Secretary may not award a grant to a local educational agency 
under section 2503 unless the local educational agency agrees that, 
with respect to costs to be incurred by the agency in carrying out 
activities for which the grant was awarded, the agency shall provide 
(directly or through donations from public or private entities) in non-
Federal contributions an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount of 
the grant awarded to the agency.

``SEC. 2508. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006.''.
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