[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 6, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1899-S1901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FRIST:
  S. 461. 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; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Math and 
Science Education Partnership Act. This bill will encourage States, 
institutions of higher education, elementary schools and secondary 
schools to work together to improve the math and science teaching as a 
profession.
  The purpose of this act is many fold. Through partnering schools with 
higher education institutions, the bill proposes to encourage 
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. Such partnerships will bring together math and science 
teachers in elementary schools and secondary schools with scientists, 
mathematicians, and engineers to increase

[[Page S1900]]

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.
  The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Education to 
award competitive grants to eligible partnerships for a period of 5 
years. The partnerships will include a state, a math or science 
department of an institution of higher education, and a local school 
district. A priority will be given to those districts with a high 
poverty rate and a high number of teachers teaching out of their 
subject area.
  A partnership may use the grant funds to develop more rigorous 
mathematics and science curricula based on standards, to recruit math 
and science majors to teaching through bonuses, stipends for 
alternative certification and scholarships, and to establish math and 
science summer workshops for teachers. Each eligible partnership 
receiving a grant under this Act must develop an evaluation and 
accountability plan that includes the following objectives and 
measures: improved student performance on state math and science 
assessments or on the Third International Math and Science Study 
assessment; increased participation by students in advanced courses in 
math and science; increased percentages of secondary school classes in 
math and science taught by teachers with majors in math and science; 
increased numbers of math and science teachers who participate in 
content-based professional development activities; and passing rates of 
students in advanced courses in math and science.
  Each partnership will be required to report the progress made toward 
these objectives to the Secretary annually. The Secretary will then 
determine whether or not the partnership is making substantial progress 
in meeting its goals. I urge my fellow colleagues to cosponsor the Math 
and Science Education Partnership Act.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 461

       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.

[[Page S1901]]

       (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.
                                 ______