[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4434 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4434

To authorize science scholarships for educating mathematics and science 
                   teachers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 6, 2005

   Mr. Gordon (for himself, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Honda, Mr. Emanuel, Mr. 
  Inslee, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mr. Baird, Mr. 
 Costello, Mr. Menendez, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Price of 
 North Carolina, Mr. Miller of North Carolina, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Costa, 
 Mr. Davis of Tennessee, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Ms. Eshoo, 
  Mr. Smith of Washington, and Mr. Udall of Colorado) introduced the 
     following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize science scholarships for educating mathematics and science 
                   teachers, 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. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
                     TITLE I--SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIPS

Sec. 101. Short title.
Sec. 102. Findings.
Sec. 103. Policy objective.
Sec. 104. Science scholarship program.
Sec. 105. Science and Math Scholarship Trust Fund.
Sec. 106. Authorization of appropriations.
              TITLE II--SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHER PROGRAMS

Sec. 201. Summer institutes.
Sec. 202. Graduate degree program.
Sec. 203. Advanced placement preparation.
Sec. 204. Curricular materials.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The term ``cost of attendance'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1087ll).
            (2) The term ``Director'' means the Director of the 
        National Science Foundation.
            (3) The term ``high-need local educational agency'' means a 
        local educational agency that meets one or more of the 
        following criteria:
                    (A) It has at least one school in which 50 percent 
                or more of the enrolled students are eligible for 
                participation in the free and reduced price lunch 
                program established by the Richard B. Russell National 
                School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
                    (B) It has at least one school in which more than 
                34 percent of the academic classroom teachers at the 
                secondary level who teach science and mathematics do 
                not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor 
                in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in 
                which they teach the largest percentage of their 
                classes.
            (4) The term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 101(a) of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (5) The term ``mathematics and science teacher'' means a 
        mathematics, science, or technology teacher at the elementary 
        school or secondary school level.
            (6) The term ``scholarship'' means an award under section 
        104.

                     TITLE I--SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIPS

SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds 
Science and Math Scholarship Act''.

SEC. 102. FINDINGS.

     Congress finds the following:
            (1) The prosperity the United States enjoys today is due in 
        no small part to investments the Nation has made in research 
        and development over the past 50 years.
            (2) Corporate, government, and national scientific and 
        technical leaders have raised concerns that current trends 
        affecting the science and technology enterprise of the Nation 
        could result in erosion of this past success and jeopardize 
        future prosperity.
            (3) The National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy 
        of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine were tasked in a 
        congressional request to recommend actions that the Federal 
        Government could take to enhance the science and technology 
        enterprise so the United States can successfully compete, 
        prosper, and be secure in the global community of the 21st 
        century.
            (4) The Academies' highest priority recommendation in its 
        report, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and 
        Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future'', is to 
        improve K-12 science and mathematics education, and the 
        Academies' first recommended action item is to institute a 
        major scholarship program to recruit and educate annually 
        10,000 mathematics and science teachers.

SEC. 103. POLICY OBJECTIVE.

     In allocating the resources made available under section 106, the 
National Science Foundation shall seek to increase by up to 10,000 per 
year the number of elementary and secondary mathematics and science 
teachers in the Nation's schools having both exemplary subject 
knowledge and pedagogical skills.

SEC. 104. SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program to 
        award grants to eligible institutions of higher education (or 
        consortia of such institutions) to provide scholarships and to 
        develop and implement academic programs designed to recruit and 
        educate mathematics and science teachers.
            (2) Distribution of awards.--The Director shall, in 
        awarding grants under this section, consider the distribution 
        of awards among institutions of different sizes and geographic 
        locations.
            (3) Merit review.--Grants shall be provided under this 
        section on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis.
            (4) Use of grants.--Grants provided under this section 
        shall be used by eligible institutions of higher education or 
        consortia to develop and implement a program to encourage and 
        prepare undergraduate students majoring in mathematics, 
        science, and engineering at the grantee's institution to become 
        mathematics and science teachers, through--
                    (A) administering scholarships in accordance with 
                subsection (c);
                    (B) developing and offering undergraduate academic 
                degree programs in one or more fields of science, 
                mathematics, and engineering that will also prepare 
                graduates to become certified and licensed to teach in 
                elementary schools and secondary schools; and
                    (C) providing professional development programs and 
                mentoring activities to scholarship recipients, both 
                before and after they receive their baccalaureate 
                degree, to enable the recipients to become better 
                mathematics and science teachers, to fulfill the 
                service requirements of this section, and to exchange 
                ideas with others in their fields.
            (5) Eligible institution of higher education.--For purposes 
        of this section, an eligible institution of higher education 
        under paragraph (1) is an institution of higher education (or 
        consortia of such institutions) that--
                    (A) in its application for a grant under the 
                program, identifies faculty from the institution's 
                mathematics, science, or engineering departments and 
                from its college or school of education who will 
                participate in the development and implementation of 
                the program; and
                    (B) has entered into a partnership with one or more 
                private sector entities, which--
                            (i) pledge to provide paid summer 
                        internships for scholarship recipients; and
                            (ii) may make other financial or in-kind 
                        contributions to provide additional scholarship 
                        support and to assist in the development of the 
                        program.
            (6) Mentoring.--Grantees shall include among the activities 
        under paragraph (4)(C) mentoring for individuals carrying out 
        their service obligation in accordance with subsection (c)(5). 
        Such mentoring shall be provided through regularly scheduled 
        activities during the school year and through summer institutes 
        at the grantees' institutions. Summer institutes may also 
        enroll mathematics and science teachers who have not received 
        scholarships under the program.
    (b) Selection Process.--
            (1) Application.--An eligible institution of higher 
        education or consortium seeking funding under this section 
        shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing such information as the Director 
        may require. The application shall include, at a minimum--
                    (A) a description of the scholarship program that 
                the applicant intends to operate, including the number 
                of scholarships and the scholarship amount the 
                applicant intends to award, and the selection process 
                that will be used in awarding the scholarships;
                    (B) evidence that the applicant has the capability 
                to administer the scholarship program in accordance 
                with the provisions of this section;
                    (C) a description of the academic program or 
                programs that will be offered to scholarship 
                recipients, and identification of the faculty that will 
                be involved;
                    (D) a description of the professional development 
                and mentoring activities that will be provided to 
                scholarship recipients during and after their 
                matriculation in the program for which the scholarship 
                is received; and
                    (E) evidence that the requirement of subsection 
                (a)(4)(B) has been satisfied, including a description 
                of the characteristics and the total number of 
                internships that will be made available.
            (2) Review of applications.--In evaluating the applications 
        submitted under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider, at 
        a minimum--
                    (A) the ability of the applicant to effectively 
                carry out the program;
                    (B) the degree and quality of interdepartmental 
                faculty involvement to which the applicant is 
                committed;
                    (C) the degree to which the proposed academic 
                program, or programs, and associated student support 
                activities will enable scholarship recipients to become 
                successful mathematics and science teachers;
                    (D) the number and quality of the students that 
                will be served by the program;
                    (E) the ability of the applicant to recruit 
                students who would otherwise not pursue a career in 
                teaching; and
                    (F) the extent to which the applicant has 
                demonstrated the active participation and financial 
                support of private sector entities, including the 
                number and characteristics of summer internships 
                offered.
            (3) Special award criteria.--Criteria for an award under 
        this section shall include the impact of an award on the 
        overall geographic distribution of awards made under the 
        program, with the objective of avoiding undue concentration of 
        awards.
    (c) Scholarship Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--Scholarships under this section shall be 
        available only to undergraduate students who are majoring in 
        science, mathematics, or engineering.
            (2) Selection.--Individuals shall be selected to receive 
        scholarships primarily on the basis of academic merit, with 
        consideration given to financial need and to the goal of 
        promoting the participation of individuals identified in 
        section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
        Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
            (3) Amount.--The amount to be awarded for a scholarship 
        under this section shall not exceed $20,000 per year, except 
        that no individual shall receive for any year more than the 
        cost of attendance at that individual's institution. 
        Individuals may receive a maximum of 4 years of scholarship 
        support.
            (4) Academic performance.--Scholarships shall be terminated 
        for individuals who fail to maintain an acceptable level of 
        academic standing in the educational institution in which the 
        individual is enrolled, as determined by the Director.
            (5) Service obligation.--If an individual receives a 
        scholarship, that individual shall be required to complete, 
        within 6 years after graduation from the baccalaureate degree 
        program for which the scholarship was awarded, the following 
        number of years of service as a mathematics or science 
        teacher--
                    (A) 5 years of service for scholarship recipients 
                receiving 3 or 4 years of scholarship support; or
                    (B) 3 years of service for scholarship recipients 
                receiving 1 or 2 years of scholarship support.
            (6) Exception.--The period of service obligation under 
        paragraph (5) is reduced by 1 year for scholarship recipients 
        who teach in a high-need local educational agency.
    (d) Conditions of Support.--As a condition of acceptance of a 
scholarship under this section, a recipient shall enter into an 
agreement with the institution of higher education--
            (1) accepting the terms of the scholarship pursuant to 
        subsections (c) and (f);
            (2) agreeing to provide the awarding institution of higher 
        education with annual certification of employment and up to-
        date contact information and to participate in surveys provided 
        by the institution of higher education as part of an ongoing 
        assessment program; and
            (3) establishing that any scholarship recipient shall be 
        liable to the United States for any amount that is required to 
        be repaid in accordance with subsection (f).
    (e) Collection for Noncompliance.--
            (1) Monitoring compliance.--An eligible institution of 
        higher education (or consortium thereof) receiving a grant 
        under this section shall, as a condition of participating in 
        the program, enter into an agreement with the Director to 
        monitor the compliance of scholarship recipients with their 
        respective service requirements.
            (2) Collection of repayment.--(A) In the event that a 
        scholarship recipient is required to repay the scholarship 
        under subsection (f), the institution shall be responsible for 
        collecting the repayment amounts.
            (B) Except as provided in subparagraph (C), any such 
        repayment shall be returned to the Treasury of the United 
        States.
            (C) A grantee may retain a percentage of any repayment it 
        collects to defray administrative costs associated with the 
        collection. The Director shall establish a single, fixed 
        percentage that will apply to all grantees.
    (f) Failure to Complete Service Obligation.--
            (1) General rule.--If an individual who has received a 
        scholarship under this section--
                    (A) withdraws from the baccalaureate degree program 
                for which the award was made before the completion of 
                such program;
                    (B) declares that the individual does not intend to 
                fulfill the service obligation under this section; or
                    (C) fails to fulfill the service obligation of the 
                individual under this section,
        such individual shall be liable to the United States as 
        provided in paragraph (2).
            (2) Amount of repayment.--(A) If a circumstance described 
        in paragraph (1) occurs before the completion of one year of a 
        service obligation under this section, the United States shall 
        be entitled to recover from the individual, within one year 
        after the date of the occurrence of such circumstance, an 
        amount equal to--
                    (i) the total amount of awards received by such 
                individual under this section; plus
                    (ii) the interest on the amounts of such awards 
                which would be payable if at the time the awards were 
                received they were loans bearing interest at the 
                prevailing rate for student loans.
            (B) If a circumstance described in paragraph (1)(B) or (C) 
        occurs--
                    (i) after the completion of one year of a service 
                obligation under this section and for an individual who 
                received either 3 or 4 years of scholarship support, 
                the United States shall be entitled to recover from the 
                individual, within one year after the date of the 
                occurrence of such circumstance, an amount equal to the 
                total amount of awards received by such individual 
                under this section minus \1/5\ of the amount of the 
                award received per year for each full year of service 
                completed, plus the interest on such amounts which 
                would be payable if at the time the amounts were 
                received they were loans bearing interest at the 
                prevailing rate for student loans; or
                    (ii) after the completion of one year of a service 
                obligation under this section and for an individual who 
                received either 1 or 2 years of scholarship support, 
                the United States shall be entitled to recover from the 
                individual, within one year after the date of the 
                occurrence of such circumstance, an amount equal to the 
                total amount of awards received by such individual 
                under this section minus \1/3\ of the amount of the 
                award received per year for each full year of service 
                completed, plus the interest on such amounts which 
                would be payable if at the time the amounts were 
                received they were loans bearing interest at the 
                prevailing rate for student loans.
            (3) Exceptions.--The Director may provide for the partial 
        or total waiver or suspension of any service or payment 
        obligation by an individual under this section whenever 
        compliance by the individual with the obligation is impossible 
        or would involve extreme hardship to the individual, or if 
        enforcement of such obligation with respect to the individual 
        would be unconscionable.
    (g) Data Collection.--Institutions or consortia receiving grants 
under this section shall supply to the Director any relevant 
statistical and demographic data on scholarship recipients the Director 
may request, including information on employment required by subsection 
(c)(5).

SEC. 105. SCIENCE AND MATH SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the 
United States a trust fund to be known as the ``National Science 
Foundation Science and Math Teacher Scholarship Trust Fund'' (hereafter 
in this section referred to as the ``Trust Fund''). The Trust Fund 
shall consist of gifts and donations accepted by the National Science 
Foundation.
    (b) Investment of Trust Fund.--The Director shall direct the 
Secretary of the Treasury to invest and reinvest funds in the Trust 
Fund in public debt securities with maturities suitable for the needs 
of the Trust Fund, and bearing interest at rates determined by the 
Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration the current 
average market yield on outstanding marketable obligations of the 
United States of comparable maturities. Interest earned shall be 
credited to the Trust Fund.
    (c) Purpose.--Principal and income accruing from the Trust Fund 
principal shall be used to contribute to the funding of scholarships 
awarded pursuant to section 104, to the extent provided in advance in 
appropriation Acts.

SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

     There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science 
Foundation for the purposes of this title, $85,000,000 for fiscal year 
2007, $220,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $400,000,000 for fiscal year 
2009, $590,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and $690,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2011.

              TITLE II--SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHER PROGRAMS

SEC. 201. SUMMER INSTITUTES.

    (a) National Science Foundation Institutes.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall increase the number of 
        awards under the Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century 
        program and shall expand the program to allow grantees to 
        operate 1 to 2 week summer teacher institutes with the goal of 
        reaching the maximum number of in-service science and 
        mathematics teachers, particularly elementary and middle school 
        teachers, to improve their content knowledge and pedagogical 
        skills.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to the National Science Foundation for the 
        Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century program, $37,000,000 
        for fiscal year 2007, $92,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, 
        $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $110,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2010, and $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.
    (b) Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Energy for the 
Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development program, $3,000,000 
for fiscal year 2007, $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $10,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2009, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and $10,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2011.

SEC. 202. GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM.

    (a) Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program to 
        award grants to institutions of higher education to develop and 
        implement master's degree programs for in-service mathematics 
        and science teachers that will strengthen their subject area 
        knowledge and pedagogical skills. The degree program shall be 
        designed for current teachers, who will enroll as part-time 
        students, and to allow participants to obtain master's degrees 
        within a period of 2 years.
            (2) Distribution of awards.--The Director shall, in 
        awarding grants under this section, consider the distribution 
        of awards among institutions of different sizes and geographic 
        locations.
            (3) Merit review.--Grants shall be provided under this 
        section on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis.
            (4) Use of grants.--Grants provided under this section 
        shall be used by institutions of higher education to develop 
        and implement a program of instruction, which may involve 
        online learning, leading to the master's degree in science and 
        mathematics education. Grant funds may be used to--
                    (A) develop courses of instruction and related 
                educational materials;
                    (B) cover the cost of attendance for students in 
                the degree program; and
                    (C) acquire computer and networking equipment 
                needed for implementing the program.
    (b) Selection Process.--
            (1) Application.--An institution of higher education 
        seeking funding under this section shall submit an application 
        to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing 
        such information as the Director may require. The application 
        shall include, at a minimum--
                    (A) a description of the master's degree program 
                that the applicant intends to operate, including the 
                number of students who can be accommodated in the 
                program and identification of the faculty who will be 
                involved in designing and implementing the program; and
                    (B) a description of the sequence of courses that 
                will be offered to students in the academic program, 
                including how the program will fit within a 2-year 
                timeframe and how it will be tailored to the needs of 
                part-time students.
            (2) Review of applications.--In evaluating the applications 
        submitted under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider, at 
        a minimum--
                    (A) the ability of the applicant to effectively 
                carry out the program;
                    (B) the degree and quality of interdepartmental 
                involvement by science, mathematics, and education 
                faculty members in developing and implementing the 
                program;
                    (C) the number and quality of the students that 
                will be served by the program; and
                    (D) the extent to which the program is tailored to 
                the needs of in-service teachers, who will be 
                participating in the program as part-time students.
            (3) Special award criteria.--Criteria for an award under 
        this section shall include the impact of an award on the 
        overall geographic distribution of awards made under the 
        program, with the objective of avoiding undue concentration of 
        awards.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Science Foundation for the purposes of 
this section $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2007, $400,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2008, $600,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $600,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2010, and $600,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.

SEC. 203. ADVANCED PLACEMENT PREPARATION.

    (a) National Science Foundation Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall add a component to the 
        Teacher Professional Continuum Program to award grants to 
        institutions of higher education, or to supplement existing 
        grants, to develop and implement teacher training activities to 
        prepare science and mathematics teachers to teach Advanced 
        Placement and International Baccalaureate science and 
        mathematics courses.
            (2) Distribution of awards.--The Director shall, in 
        awarding grants under this section, consider the distribution 
        of awards among institutions of different sizes and geographic 
        locations with the goal of reaching science and mathematics 
        teachers in all parts of the Nation, and in particular, 
        teachers from schools where few or no Advanced Placement or 
        International Baccalaureate science or mathematics courses are 
        now offered.
            (3) Merit review.--Grants shall be provided under this 
        section on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis.
            (4) Use of grants.--Grants provided under this section 
        shall be used by institutions of higher education to--
                    (A) develop training programs, which may involve 
                online learning, in accordance with paragraph (1), 
                including related educational materials and equipment; 
                and
                    (B) cover cost of attendance for teachers 
                participating in the training program.
    (b) Selection Process.--
            (1) Application.--An institution of higher education 
        seeking funding under this section shall submit an application 
        to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing 
        such information as the Director may require. The application 
        shall include, at a minimum--
                    (A) a description of the training program that the 
                applicant intends to operate, including the number of 
                teachers that can be accommodated in the program; and
                    (B) evidence of the intention of private sector 
                companies or foundations to offer to teachers who 
                complete the training program bonuses for each student 
                they teach who passes an Advanced Placement or 
                International Baccalaureate science or mathematics 
                course.
            (2) Review of applications.--In evaluating the applications 
        submitted under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider, at 
        a minimum--
                    (A) the ability of the applicant to effectively 
                carry out the program;
                    (B) the number of teachers who will be served by 
                the program; and
                    (C) the level of support to be provided under 
                paragraph (1)(B).
            (3) Special award criteria.--Criteria for an award under 
        this section shall include the impact of an award on teachers 
        from schools where few or no Advanced Placement or 
        International Baccalaureate science or mathematics courses are 
        now offered.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Science Foundation for the purposes of 
this section, $92,000,000 for fiscal year 2007, $153,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2008, $219,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $296,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2010, and $357,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.

SEC. 204. CURRICULAR MATERIALS.

    (a) Instructional Materials Development.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated to the National Science Foundation for the 
Instructional Materials Development activity, $30,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2007, $31,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $32,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2009, $33,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and $34,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2011.
    (b) Assessment Panel.--The Director, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education, shall convene a national panel of experts on 
science and mathematics education to identify and collect K-12 science 
and mathematics teaching materials that have been demonstrated to be 
effective and to recommend the development of new materials in areas 
where effective materials do not exist. The Director and Secretary 
shall develop ways to disseminate effective materials and support 
efforts to develop new materials, in accordance with the 
recommendations of the national panel.
                                 <all>