[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 2, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H3628-H3638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TEACHER TRAINING ENHANCEMENT ACT

  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4409) to reauthorize title II of the Higher Education Act of 
1965.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4409

       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 ``Teacher Training Enhancement 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS.

       Part A of title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 1021 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:

      ``PART A--TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS FOR STATES AND 
                              PARTNERSHIPS

     ``SEC. 201. PURPOSES; DEFINITIONS.

       ``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this part are to--
       ``(1) improve student academic achievement;
       ``(2) improve the quality of the current and future 
     teaching force by improving the preparation of prospective 
     teachers and enhancing professional development activities;
       ``(3) hold institutions of higher education accountable for 
     preparing highly qualified teachers; and
       ``(4) recruit qualified individuals, including minorities 
     and individuals from other occupations, into the teaching 
     force.
       ``(b) Definitions.--In this part:
       ``(1) Arts and sciences.--The term `arts and sciences' 
     means--
       ``(A) when referring to an organizational unit of an 
     institution of higher education, any academic unit that 
     offers 1 or more academic majors in disciplines or content 
     areas corresponding to the academic subject matter areas in 
     which teachers provide instruction; and
       ``(B) when referring to a specific academic subject matter 
     area, the disciplines or content areas in which academic 
     majors are offered by the arts and science organizational 
     unit.
       ``(2) Exemplary teacher.--The term `exemplary teacher' has 
     the meaning given such term in section 9101 of the Elementary 
     and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
       ``(3) Highly qualified.--The term `highly qualified' has 
     the meaning given such term in section 9101 of the Elementary 
     and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
       ``(4) High-need local educational agency.--The term `high-
     need local educational agency' means a local educational 
     agency--
       ``(A)(i)(I) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from 
     families with incomes below the poverty line; or
       ``(II) for which not less than 25 percent of the children 
     served by the agency are from families with incomes below the 
     poverty line;
       ``(ii) that is among those serving the highest number or 
     percentage of children from families with incomes below the 
     poverty line in the State, but this clause applies only in a 
     State that has no local educational agency meeting the 
     requirements of clause (i); or
       ``(iii) with a total of less than 600 students in average 
     daily attendance at the schools that are served by the agency 
     and all of whose schools are designated with a school locale 
     code of 7, as determined by the Secretary; and
       ``(B)(i) for which there is a high percentage of teachers 
     not teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that 
     the teachers were trained to teach; or
       ``(ii) for which there is a high percentage of teachers 
     with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or 
     licensing.
       ``(5) Poverty line.--The term `poverty line' means the 
     poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and 
     Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 
     673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 
     9902(2))) applicable to a family of the size involved.
       ``(6) Professional development.--The term `professional 
     development' has the meaning given such term in section 9101 
     of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 7801).
       ``(7) Scientifically based reading research.--The term 
     `scientifically based reading research' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 1208 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6368).
       ``(8) Scientifically based research.--The term 
     `scientifically based research' has the meaning given such 
     term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
       ``(9) Teaching skills.--The term `teaching skills' means 
     skills that--
       ``(A) are based on scientifically based research;
       ``(B) enable teachers to effectively convey and explain 
     subject matter content;
       ``(C) lead to increased student academic achievement; and
       ``(D) use strategies that--
       ``(i) are specific to subject matter;
       ``(ii) include ongoing assessment of student learning;
       ``(iii) focus on identification and tailoring of academic 
     instruction to students's specific learning needs; and
       ``(iv) focus on classroom management.

     ``SEC. 202. STATE GRANTS.

       ``(a) In General.--From amounts made available under 
     section 210(1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary is authorized 
     to award grants under this section, on a competitive basis, 
     to eligible States to enable the eligible States to carry out 
     the activities described in subsection (d).
       ``(b) Eligible State.--
       ``(1) Definition.--In this part, the term `eligible State' 
     means--
       ``(A) the Governor of a State; or
       ``(B) in the case of a State for which the constitution or 
     law of such State designates another individual, entity, or 
     agency in the State to be responsible for teacher 
     certification and preparation activity, such individual, 
     entity, or agency.
       ``(2) Consultation.--The Governor or the individual, 
     entity, or agency designated under paragraph (1)(B) shall 
     consult with the Governor, State board of education, State 
     educational agency, or State agency for higher education, as 
     appropriate, with respect to the activities assisted under 
     this section.
       ``(3) Construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall be 
     construed to negate or supersede the legal authority under 
     State law of any State agency, State entity, or State public 
     official over programs that are under the jurisdiction of the 
     agency, entity, or official.
       ``(c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
     this section, an eligible State shall submit an application 
     to the Secretary that--
       ``(1) meets the requirement of this section;
       ``(2) demonstrates that the State is in full compliance 
     with sections 207 and 208;
       ``(3) includes a description of how the eligible State 
     intends to use funds provided under this section;

[[Page H3629]]

       ``(4) includes measurable objectives for the use of the 
     funds provided under the grant;
       ``(5) demonstrates the State has submitted and is actively 
     implementing a plan that meets the requirements of sections 
     1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) and 1119 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)(1)(C)(viii) and 
     6319); and
       ``(6) contains such other information and assurances as the 
     Secretary may require.
       ``(d) Uses of Funds.--An eligible State that receives a 
     grant under this section shall use the grant funds to reform 
     teacher preparation requirements, to coordinate with State 
     activities under section 2113(c) of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6613(c)), and to 
     ensure that current and future teachers are highly qualified, 
     by carrying out one or more of the following activities:
       ``(1) Reforms.--Ensuring that all teacher preparation 
     programs in the State are preparing teachers who are highly 
     qualified, are able to understand scientifically based 
     research and its applicability, and are able to use advanced 
     technology effectively in the classroom, including use for 
     instructional techniques to improve student academic 
     achievement, by assisting such programs--
       ``(A) to retrain faculty; and
       ``(B) to design (or redesign) teacher preparation programs 
     so they--
       ``(i) are based on rigorous academic content, 
     scientifically based research (including scientifically based 
     reading research), and challenging State student academic 
     content standards; and
       ``(ii) promote strong teaching skills.
       ``(2) Certification or licensure requirements.--Reforming 
     teacher certification (including recertification) or 
     licensing requirements to ensure that--
       ``(A) teachers have the subject matter knowledge and 
     teaching skills in the academic subjects that the teachers 
     teach that are necessary to help students meet challenging 
     State student academic achievement standards; and
       ``(B) such requirements are aligned with challenging State 
     academic content standards.
       ``(3) Alternatives to traditional teacher preparation and 
     state certification.--Providing prospective teachers with 
     alternative routes to State certification and traditional 
     preparation to become highly qualified teachers through--
       ``(A) innovative approaches that reduce unnecessary 
     barriers to State certification while producing highly 
     qualified teachers;
       ``(B) programs that provide support to teachers during 
     their initial years in the profession; and
       ``(C) alternative routes to State certification of teachers 
     for qualified individuals, including mid-career professionals 
     from other occupations, former military personnel, and recent 
     college graduates with records of academic distinction.
       ``(4) Innovative programs.--Planning and implementing 
     innovative programs to enhance the ability of institutions of 
     higher education to prepare highly qualified teachers, such 
     as charter colleges of education or university and local 
     educational agency partnership schools, that--
       ``(A) permit flexibility in meeting State requirements as 
     long as graduates, during their initial years in the 
     profession, increase student academic achievement;
       ``(B) provide long-term data gathered from teachers' 
     performance over multiple years in the classroom on the 
     ability to increase student academic achievement;
       ``(C) ensure high-quality preparation of teachers from 
     underrepresented groups; and
       ``(D) create performance measures that can be used to 
     document the effectiveness of innovative methods for 
     preparing highly qualified teachers.
       ``(5) Merit pay.--Developing, or assisting local 
     educational agencies in developing--
       ``(A) merit-based performance systems that reward teachers 
     who increase student academic achievement; and
       ``(B) strategies that provide differential and bonus pay in 
     high-need local educational agencies to retain--
       ``(i) principals;
       ``(ii) highly qualified teachers who teach in high-need 
     academic subjects, such as reading, mathematics, and science;
       ``(iii) highly qualified teachers who teach in schools 
     identified for school improvement under section 1116(b) of 
     the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     6316(b));
       ``(iv) special education teachers;
       ``(v) teachers specializing in teaching limited English 
     proficient children; and
       ``(vi) highly qualified teachers in urban and rural schools 
     or districts.
       ``(6) Teacher advancement.--Developing, or assisting local 
     educational agencies in developing, teacher advancement and 
     retention initiatives that promote professional growth and 
     emphasize multiple career paths (such as paths to becoming a 
     highly qualified mentor teacher or exemplary teacher) and pay 
     differentiation.
       ``(7) Teacher removal.--Developing and implementing 
     effective mechanisms to ensure that local educational 
     agencies and schools are able to remove expeditiously 
     incompetent or unqualified teachers consistent with 
     procedures to ensure due process for the teachers.
       ``(8) Technical assistance.--Providing technical assistance 
     to low-performing teacher preparation programs within 
     institutions of higher education identified under section 
     208(a).
       ``(9) Teacher effectiveness.--Developing--
       ``(A) systems to measure the effectiveness of teacher 
     preparation programs and professional development programs; 
     and
       ``(B) strategies to document gains in student academic 
     achievement or increases in teacher mastery of the academic 
     subjects the teachers teach as a result of such programs.
       ``(10) Teacher recruitment and retention.--Undertaking 
     activities that--
       ``(A) develop and implement effective mechanisms to ensure 
     that local educational agencies and schools are able 
     effectively to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers; 
     or
       ``(B) are described in section 204(d).
       ``(11) Preschool teachers.--Developing strategies--
       ``(A) to improve the qualifications of preschool teachers, 
     which may include State certification for such teachers; and
       ``(B) to improve and expand preschool teacher preparation 
     programs.
       ``(e) Evaluation.--
       ``(1) Evaluation system.--An eligible State that receives a 
     grant under this section shall develop and utilize a system 
     to evaluate annually the effectiveness of teacher preparation 
     programs and professional development activities within the 
     State in producing gains in--
       ``(A) the teacher's annual contribution to improving 
     student academic achievement, as measured by State academic 
     assessments required under section 1111(b)(3) of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     6311(b)(3)); and
       ``(B) teacher mastery of the academic subjects they teach, 
     as measured by pre- and post-participation tests of teacher 
     knowledge, as appropriate.
       ``(2) Use of evaluation system.--Such evaluation system 
     shall be used by the State to evaluate--
       ``(A) activities carried out using funds provided under 
     this section; and
       ``(B) the quality of its teacher education programs.
       ``(3) Public reporting.--The State shall make the 
     information described in paragraph (1) widely available 
     through public means, such as posting on the Internet, 
     distribution to the media, and distribution through public 
     agencies.

     ``SEC. 203. PARTNERSHIP GRANTS.

       ``(a) Grants.--From amounts made available under section 
     210(2) for a fiscal year, the Secretary is authorized to 
     award grants under this section, on a competitive basis, to 
     eligible partnerships to enable the eligible partnerships to 
     carry out the activities described in subsections (d) and 
     (e).
       ``(b) Definitions.--
       ``(1) Eligible partnerships.--In this part, the term 
     `eligible partnership' means an entity that--
       ``(A) shall include--
       ``(i) a partner institution;
       ``(ii) a school of arts and sciences;
       ``(iii) a high-need local educational agency; and
       ``(iv) a public or private educational organization; and
       ``(B) may include a Governor, State educational agency, the 
     State board of education, the State agency for higher 
     education, an institution of higher education not described 
     in subparagraph (A), a public charter school, a public or 
     private elementary school or secondary school, a public or 
     private educational organization, a business, a science-, 
     mathematics-, or technology-oriented entity, a faith-based or 
     community organization, a prekindergarten program, a teacher 
     organization, an education service agency, a consortia of 
     local educational agencies, or a nonprofit telecommunications 
     entity.
       ``(2) Partner institution.--In this section, the term 
     `partner institution' means an institution of higher 
     education, the teacher training program of which demonstrates 
     that--
       ``(A) graduates from the teacher training program exhibit 
     strong performance on State-determined qualifying assessments 
     for new teachers through--
       ``(i) demonstrating that the graduates of the program who 
     intend to enter the field of teaching have passed all of the 
     applicable State qualification assessments for new teachers, 
     which shall include an assessment of each prospective 
     teacher's subject matter knowledge in the content area or 
     areas in which the teacher intends to teach; or
       ``(ii) being ranked among the highest-performing teacher 
     preparation programs in the State as determined by the 
     State--

       ``(I) using criteria consistent with the requirements for 
     the State report card under section 207(a); and
       ``(II) using the State report card on teacher preparation 
     required under section 207(a); or

       ``(B) the teacher training program requires all the 
     students of the program to participate in intensive clinical 
     experience, to meet high academic standards, and--
       ``(i) in the case of secondary school candidates, to 
     successfully complete an academic major in the subject area 
     in which the candidate intends to teach or to demonstrate 
     competence through a high level of performance in relevant 
     content areas; and
       ``(ii) in the case of elementary school candidates, to 
     successfully complete an academic major in the arts and 
     sciences or to demonstrate competence through a high level of 
     performance in core academic subject areas.

[[Page H3630]]

       ``(c) Application.--Each eligible partnership desiring a 
     grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
     Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
     such information as the Secretary may require. Each such 
     application shall--
       ``(1) contain a needs assessment of all the partners with 
     respect to teaching and learning and a description of how the 
     partnership will coordinate with other teacher training or 
     professional development programs, and how the activities of 
     the partnership will be consistent with State, local, and 
     other education reform activities that promote student 
     academic achievement;
       ``(2) contain a resource assessment that describes the 
     resources available to the partnership, the intended use of 
     the grant funds, including a description of how the grant 
     funds will be used in accordance with subsection (f), and the 
     commitment of the resources of the partnership to the 
     activities assisted under this part, including financial 
     support, faculty participation, time commitments, and 
     continuation of the activities when the grant ends;
       ``(3) contain a description of--
       ``(A) how the partnership will meet the purposes of this 
     part;
       ``(B) how the partnership will carry out the activities 
     required under subsection (d) and any permissible activities 
     under subsection (e);
       ``(C) the partnership's evaluation plan pursuant to section 
     206(b);
       ``(D) how faculty of the teacher preparation program at the 
     partner institution will serve, over the term of the grant, 
     with highly qualified teachers in the classrooms of the high-
     need local educational agency included in the partnership;
       ``(E) how the partnership will ensure that teachers, 
     principals, and superintendents in private elementary and 
     secondary schools located in the geographic areas served by 
     an eligible partnership under this section will participate 
     equitably in accordance with section 9501 of the Elementary 
     and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7881);
       ``(F) how the partnership will design and implement a 
     clinical program component that includes close supervision of 
     student teachers by faculty of the teacher preparation 
     program at the partner institution and mentor teachers;
       ``(G) how the partnership will design and implement an 
     induction program to support all new teachers through the 
     first 3 years of teaching that includes mentors who are 
     trained and compensated by the partnership for their work 
     with new teachers; and
       ``(H) how the partnership will collect, analyze, and use 
     data on the retention of all teachers in schools located in 
     the geographic areas served by the partnership to evaluate 
     the effectiveness of its teacher support system; and
       ``(4) contain a certification from the high-need local 
     educational agency included in the partnership that it has 
     reviewed the application and determined that the grant 
     proposed will comply with subsection (f).
       ``(d) Required Uses of Funds.--An eligible partnership that 
     receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds 
     to reform teacher preparation requirements, to coordinate 
     with State activities under section 2113(c) of the Elementary 
     and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6613(c)), and 
     to ensure that current and future teachers are highly 
     qualified, by carrying out one or more of the following 
     activities:
       ``(1) Reforms.--Implementing reforms within teacher 
     preparation programs to ensure that such programs are 
     preparing teachers who are highly qualified, are able to 
     understand scientifically based research and its 
     applicability, and are able to use advanced technology 
     effectively in the classroom, including use for instructional 
     techniques to improve student academic achievement, by--
       ``(A) retraining faculty; and
       ``(B) designing (or redesigning) teacher preparation 
     programs so they--
       ``(i) are based on rigorous academic content, 
     scientifically based research (including scientifically based 
     reading research), and challenging State student academic 
     content standards; and
       ``(ii) promote strong teaching skills.
       ``(2) Clinical experience and interaction.--Providing 
     sustained and high-quality preservice and in-service clinical 
     experience, including the mentoring of prospective teachers 
     by exemplary teachers, substantially increasing interaction 
     between faculty at institutions of higher education and new 
     and experienced teachers, principals, and other 
     administrators at elementary schools or secondary schools, 
     and providing support for teachers, including preparation 
     time and release time, for such interaction.
       ``(3) Professional development.--Creating opportunities for 
     enhanced and ongoing professional development that improves 
     the academic content knowledge of teachers in the subject 
     areas in which the teachers are certified to teach or in 
     which the teachers are working toward certification to teach, 
     and that promotes strong teaching skills.
       ``(4) Teacher preparation.--Developing, or assisting local 
     educational agencies in developing, professional development 
     activities that--
       ``(A) provide training in how to teach and address the 
     needs of students with different learning styles, 
     particularly students with disabilities, limited English 
     proficient students, and students with special learning 
     needs; and
       ``(B) provide training in methods of--
       ``(i) improving student behavior in the classroom; and
       ``(ii) identifying early and appropriate interventions to 
     help students described in subparagraph (A) learn.
       ``(e) Allowable Uses of Funds.--An eligible partnership 
     that receives a grant under this section may use such funds 
     to carry out the following activities:
       ``(1) Alternatives to traditional teacher preparation and 
     state certification.--Providing prospective teachers with 
     alternative routes to State certification and traditional 
     preparation to become highly qualified teachers through--
       ``(A) innovative approaches that reduce unnecessary 
     barriers to teacher preparation while producing highly 
     qualified teachers;
       ``(B) programs that provide support during a teacher's 
     initial years in the profession; and
       ``(C) alternative routes to State certification of teachers 
     for qualified individuals, including mid-career professionals 
     from other occupations, former military personnel, and recent 
     college graduates with records of academic distinction.
       ``(2) Dissemination and coordination.--Broadly 
     disseminating information on effective practices used by the 
     partnership, and coordinating with the activities of the 
     Governor, State board of education, State higher education 
     agency, and State educational agency, as appropriate.
       ``(3) Managerial and leadership skills.--Developing and 
     implementing professional development programs for principals 
     and superintendents that enable them to be effective school 
     leaders and prepare all students to meet challenging State 
     academic content and student academic achievement standards.
       ``(4) Teacher recruitment.--Activities--
       ``(A) to encourage students to become highly qualified 
     teachers, such as extracurricular enrichment activities; and
       ``(B) activities described in section 204(d).
       ``(5) Clinical experience in science, mathematics, and 
     technology.--Creating opportunities for clinical experience 
     and training, by participation in the business, research, and 
     work environments with professionals, in areas relating to 
     science, mathematics, and technology for teachers and 
     prospective teachers, including opportunities for use of 
     laboratory equipment, in order for the teacher to return to 
     the classroom for at least 2 years and provide instruction 
     that will raise student academic achievement.
       ``(6) Coordination with community colleges.--Coordinating 
     with community colleges to implement teacher preparation 
     programs, including through distance learning, for the 
     purposes of allowing prospective teachers--
       ``(A) to attain a bachelor's degree and State certification 
     or licensure; and
       ``(B) to become highly qualified teachers.
       ``(7) Teacher mentoring.--Establishing or implementing a 
     teacher mentoring program that--
       ``(A) includes minimum qualifications for mentors;
       ``(B) provides training and stipends for mentors;
       ``(C) provides mentoring programs for teachers in their 
     first 3 years of teaching;
       ``(D) provides regular and ongoing opportunities for 
     mentors and mentees to observe each other's teaching methods 
     in classroom settings during the school day;
       ``(E) establishes an evaluation and accountability plan for 
     activities conducted under this paragraph that includes 
     rigorous objectives to measure the impact of such activities; 
     and
       ``(F) provides for a report to the Secretary on an annual 
     basis regarding the partnership's progress in meeting the 
     objectives described in subparagraph (E).
       ``(8) Computer software for multilingual education.--
     Training teachers to use computer software for multilingual 
     education to address the needs of limited English proficient 
     students.
       ``(f) Special Rule.--At least 50 percent of the funds made 
     available to an eligible partnership under this section shall 
     be used directly to benefit the high-need local educational 
     agency included in the partnership. Any entity described in 
     subsection (b)(1)(A) may be the fiscal agent under this 
     section.
       ``(g) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to prohibit an eligible partnership from using 
     grant funds to coordinate with the activities of more than 
     one Governor, State board of education, State educational 
     agency, local educational agency, or State agency for higher 
     education.
       ``(h) Supplement, not Supplant.--Funds made available under 
     this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, 
     other Federal, State, and local funds that would otherwise be 
     expended to carry out the purposes of this section.

     ``SEC. 204. TEACHER RECRUITMENT GRANTS.

       ``(a) Program Authorized.--From amounts made available 
     under section 210(3) for a fiscal year, the Secretary is 
     authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
     eligible applicants to enable the eligible applicants to 
     carry out activities described in subsection (d).
       ``(b) Eligible Applicant Defined.--In this part, the term 
     `eligible applicant' means--
       ``(1) an eligible State described in section 202(b); or
       ``(2) an eligible partnership described in section 203(b).
       ``(c) Application.--Any eligible applicant desiring to 
     receive a grant under this section

[[Page H3631]]

     shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
     such form, and containing such information as the Secretary 
     may require, including--
       ``(1) a description of the assessment that the eligible 
     applicant, and the other entities with whom the eligible 
     applicant will carry out the grant activities, have 
     undertaken to determine the most critical needs of the 
     participating high-need local educational agencies;
       ``(2) a description of the activities the eligible 
     applicant will carry out with the grant, including the extent 
     to which the applicant will use funds to recruit minority 
     students to become highly qualified teachers; and
       ``(3) a description of the eligible applicant's plan for 
     continuing the activities carried out with the grant, once 
     Federal funding ceases.
       ``(d) Uses of Funds.--Each eligible applicant receiving a 
     grant under this section shall use the grant funds--
       ``(1)(A) to award scholarships to help students, such as 
     individuals who have been accepted for their first year, or 
     who are enrolled in their first or second year, of a program 
     of undergraduate education at an institution of higher 
     education, pay the costs of tuition, room, board, and other 
     expenses of completing a teacher preparation program;
       ``(B) to provide support services, if needed to enable 
     scholarship recipients--
       ``(i) to complete postsecondary education programs; or
       ``(ii) to transition from a career outside of the field of 
     education into a teaching career; and
       ``(C) for followup services provided to former scholarship 
     recipients during the recipients first 3 years of teaching; 
     or
       ``(2) to develop and implement effective mechanisms to 
     ensure that high-need local educational agencies and schools 
     are able effectively to recruit highly qualified teachers.
       ``(e) Additional Discretionary Uses of Funds.--In addition 
     to the uses described in subsection (d), each eligible 
     applicant receiving a grant under this section may use the 
     grant funds--
       ``(1) to develop and implement effective mechanisms to 
     recruit into the teaching profession employees from--
       ``(A) high-demand industries, including technology 
     industries; and
       ``(B) the fields of science, mathematics, and engineering; 
     and
       ``(2) to conduct outreach and coordinate with inner city 
     and rural secondary schools to encourage students to pursue 
     teaching as a career.
       ``(f) Service Requirements.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish such 
     requirements as the Secretary determines necessary to ensure 
     that recipients of scholarships under this section who 
     complete teacher education programs--
       ``(A) subsequently teach in a high-need local educational 
     agency for a period of time equivalent to--
       ``(i) one year; increased by
       ``(ii) the period for which the recipient received 
     scholarship assistance; or
       ``(B) repay the amount of the scholarship.
       ``(2) Use of repayments.--The Secretary shall use any such 
     repayments to carry out additional activities under this 
     section.
       ``(g) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority under 
     this section to eligible applicants who provide an assurance 
     that they will recruit a high percentage of minority students 
     to become highly qualified teachers.

     ``SEC. 205. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

       ``(a) Duration; One-Time Awards; Payments.--
       ``(1) Duration.--
       ``(A) Eligible states and eligible applicants.--Grants 
     awarded to eligible States and eligible applicants under this 
     part shall be awarded for a period not to exceed 3 years.
       ``(B) Eligible partnerships.--Grants awarded to eligible 
     partnerships under this part shall be awarded for a period of 
     5 years.
       ``(2) One-time award.--An eligible partnership may receive 
     a grant under each of sections 203 and 204, as amended by the 
     Teacher Training Enhancement Act, only once.
       ``(3) Payments.--The Secretary shall make annual payments 
     of grant funds awarded under this part.
       ``(b) Peer Review.--
       ``(1) Panel.--The Secretary shall provide the applications 
     submitted under this part to a peer review panel for 
     evaluation. With respect to each application, the peer review 
     panel shall initially recommend the application for funding 
     or for disapproval.
       ``(2) Priority.--In recommending applications to the 
     Secretary for funding under this part, the panel shall--
       ``(A) with respect to grants under section 202, give 
     priority to eligible States that--
       ``(i) have initiatives to reform State teacher 
     certification requirements that are based on rigorous 
     academic content, scientifically based research, including 
     scientifically based reading research, and challenging State 
     student academic content standards;
       ``(ii) have innovative reforms to hold institutions of 
     higher education with teacher preparation programs 
     accountable for preparing teachers who are highly qualified 
     and have strong teaching skills; or
       ``(iii) have innovative efforts aimed at reducing the 
     shortage of highly qualified teachers in high poverty urban 
     and rural areas; and
       ``(B) with respect to grants under section 203--
       ``(i) give priority to applications from broad-based 
     eligible partnerships that involve businesses and community 
     organizations; and
       ``(ii) take into consideration--

       ``(I) providing an equitable geographic distribution of the 
     grants throughout the United States; and
       ``(II) the potential of the proposed activities for 
     creating improvement and positive change.

       ``(3) Secretarial selection.--The Secretary shall 
     determine, based on the peer review process, which 
     application shall receive funding and the amounts of the 
     grants. In determining grant amounts, the Secretary shall 
     take into account the total amount of funds available for all 
     grants under this part and the types of activities proposed 
     to be carried out.
       ``(c) Matching Requirements.--
       ``(1) State grants.--Each eligible State receiving a grant 
     under section 202 or 204 shall provide, from non-Federal 
     sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount of the 
     grant (in cash or in kind) to carry out the activities 
     supported by the grant.
       ``(2) Partnership grants.--Each eligible partnership 
     receiving a grant under section 203 or 204 shall provide, 
     from non-Federal sources (in cash or in kind), an amount 
     equal to 25 percent of the grant for the first year of the 
     grant, 35 percent of the grant for the second year of the 
     grant, and 50 percent of the grant for each succeeding year 
     of the grant.
       ``(d) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--An eligible 
     State or eligible partnership that receives a grant under 
     this part may not use more than 2 percent of the grant funds 
     for purposes of administering the grant.

     ``SEC. 206. ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION.

       ``(a) State Grant Accountability Report.--An eligible State 
     that receives a grant under section 202 shall submit an 
     annual accountability report to the Secretary, the Committee 
     on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and 
     the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of 
     Representatives. Such report shall include a description of 
     the degree to which the eligible State, in using funds 
     provided under such section, has made substantial progress in 
     meeting the following goals:
       ``(1) Percentage of highly qualified teachers.--Increasing 
     the percentage of highly qualified teachers in the State as 
     required by section 1119 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6319).
       ``(2) Student academic achievement.--Increasing student 
     academic achievement for all students as defined by the 
     eligible State.
       ``(3) Raising standards.--Raising the State academic 
     standards required to enter the teaching profession as a 
     highly qualified teacher.
       ``(4) Initial certification or licensure.--Increasing 
     success in the pass rate for initial State teacher 
     certification or licensure, or increasing the numbers of 
     qualified individuals being certified or licensed as teachers 
     through alternative programs.
       ``(5) Decreasing teacher shortages.--Decreasing shortages 
     of highly qualified teachers in poor urban and rural areas.
       ``(6) Increasing opportunities for professional 
     development.--Increasing opportunities for enhanced and 
     ongoing professional development that--
       ``(A) improves the academic content knowledge of teachers 
     in the subject areas in which the teachers are certified or 
     licensed to teach or in which the teachers are working toward 
     certification or licensure to teach; and
       ``(B) promotes strong teaching skills.
       ``(7) Technology integration.--Increasing the number of 
     teachers prepared effectively to integrate technology into 
     curricula and instruction and who use technology to collect, 
     manage, and analyze data to improve teaching, learning, and 
     decisionmaking for the purpose of increasing student academic 
     achievement.
       ``(b) Eligible Partnership Evaluation.--Each eligible 
     partnership applying for a grant under section 203 shall 
     establish, and include in the application submitted under 
     section 203(c), an evaluation plan that includes strong 
     performance objectives. The plan shall include objectives and 
     measures for--
       ``(1) increased student achievement for all students, as 
     measured by the partnership;
       ``(2) increased teacher retention in the first 3 years of a 
     teacher's career;
       ``(3) increased success in the pass rate for initial State 
     certification or licensure of teachers;
       ``(4) increased percentage of highly qualified teachers; 
     and
       ``(5) increasing the number of teachers trained effectively 
     to integrate technology into curricula and instruction and 
     who use technology to collect, manage, and analyze data to 
     improve teaching, learning, and decisionmaking for the 
     purpose of improving student academic achievement.
       ``(c) Revocation of Grant.--
       ``(1) Report.--Each eligible State or eligible partnership 
     receiving a grant under section 202 or 203 shall report 
     annually on the progress of the eligible State or eligible 
     partnership toward meeting the purposes of this part and the 
     goals, objectives, and measures described in subsections (a) 
     and (b).
       ``(2) Revocation.--
       ``(A) Eligible states and eligible applicants.--If the 
     Secretary determines that an eligible State or eligible 
     applicant is not making substantial progress in meeting the 
     purposes, goals, objectives, and measures, as

[[Page H3632]]

     appropriate, by the end of the second year of a grant under 
     this part, then the grant payment shall not be made for the 
     third year of the grant.
       ``(B) Eligible partnerships.--If the Secretary determines 
     that an eligible partnership is not making substantial 
     progress in meeting the purposes, goals, objectives, and 
     measures, as appropriate, by the end of the third year of a 
     grant under this part, then the grant payments shall not be 
     made for any succeeding year of the grant.
       ``(d) Evaluation and Dissemination.--The Secretary shall 
     evaluate the activities funded under this part and report 
     annually the Secretary's findings regarding the activities 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. The Secretary shall broadly 
     disseminate successful practices developed by eligible States 
     and eligible partnerships under this part, and shall broadly 
     disseminate information regarding such practices that were 
     found to be ineffective.

     ``SEC. 207. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PROGRAMS THAT PREPARE 
                   TEACHERS.

       ``(a) State Report Card on the Quality of Teacher 
     Preparation.--Each State that receives funds under this Act 
     shall provide to the Secretary annually, in a uniform and 
     comprehensible manner that conforms with the definitions and 
     methods established by the Secretary, a State report card on 
     the quality of teacher preparation in the State, both for 
     traditional certification or licensure programs and for 
     alternative certification or licensure programs, which shall 
     include at least the following:
       ``(1) A description of the teacher certification and 
     licensure assessments, and any other certification and 
     licensure requirements, used by the State.
       ``(2) The standards and criteria that prospective teachers 
     must meet in order to attain initial teacher certification or 
     licensure and to be certified or licensed to teach particular 
     subjects or in particular grades within the State.
       ``(3) A description of the extent to which the assessments 
     and requirements described in paragraph (1) are aligned with 
     the State's standards and assessments for students.
       ``(4) The percentage of students who have completed at 
     least 50 percent of the requirements for a teacher 
     preparation program at an institution of higher education or 
     alternative certification program and who have taken and 
     passed each of the assessments used by the State for teacher 
     certification and licensure, and the passing score on each 
     assessment that determines whether a candidate has passed 
     that assessment.
       ``(5) For students who have completed at least 50 percent 
     of the requirements for a teacher preparation program at an 
     institution of higher education or alternative certification 
     program, and who have taken and passed each of the 
     assessments used by the State for teacher certification and 
     licensure, each such institution's and each such program's 
     average raw score, ranked by teacher preparation program, 
     which shall be made available widely and publicly.
       ``(6) A description of each State's alternative routes to 
     teacher certification, if any, and the number and percentage 
     of teachers certified through each alternative certification 
     route who pass State teacher certification or licensure 
     assessments.
       ``(7) For each State, a description of proposed criteria 
     for assessing the performance of teacher preparation programs 
     in the State, including indicators of teacher candidate 
     skills and academic content knowledge and evidence of gains 
     in student academic achievement.
       ``(8) For each teacher preparation program in the State, 
     the number of students in the program, the average number of 
     hours of supervised practice teaching required for those in 
     the program, and the number of full-time equivalent faculty 
     and students in supervised practice teaching.
       ``(b) Report of the Secretary on the Quality of Teacher 
     Preparation.--
       ``(1) Report card.--The Secretary shall provide to 
     Congress, and publish and make widely available, a report 
     card on teacher qualifications and preparation in the United 
     States, including all the information reported in paragraphs 
     (1) through (8) of subsection (a). Such report shall identify 
     States for which eligible States and eligible partnerships 
     received a grant under this part. Such report shall be so 
     provided, published and made available annually.
       ``(2) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall report to 
     Congress--
       ``(A) a comparison of States' efforts to improve teaching 
     quality; and
       ``(B) regarding the national mean and median scores on any 
     standardized test that is used in more than 1 State for 
     teacher certification or licensure.
       ``(3) Special rule.--In the case of programs with fewer 
     than 10 students who have completed at least 50 percent of 
     the requirements for a teacher preparation program taking any 
     single initial teacher certification or licensure assessment 
     during an academic year, the Secretary shall collect and 
     publish information with respect to an average pass rate on 
     State certification or licensure assessments taken over a 3-
     year period.
       ``(c) Coordination.--The Secretary, to the extent 
     practicable, shall coordinate the information collected and 
     published under this part among States for individuals who 
     took State teacher certification or licensure assessments in 
     a State other than the State in which the individual received 
     the individual's most recent degree.
       ``(d) Institution and Program Report Cards on Quality of 
     Teacher Preparation.--
       ``(1) Report card.--Each institution of higher education or 
     alternative certification program that conducts a teacher 
     preparation program that enrolls students receiving Federal 
     assistance under this Act shall report annually to the State 
     and the general public, in a uniform and comprehensible 
     manner that conforms with the definitions and methods 
     established by the Secretary, both for traditional 
     certification or licensure programs and for alternative 
     certification or licensure programs, the following 
     information:
       ``(A) Pass rate.--(i) For the most recent year for which 
     the information is available, the pass rate of each student 
     who has completed at least 50 percent of the requirements for 
     the teacher preparation program on the teacher certification 
     or licensure assessments of the State in which the 
     institution is located, but only for those students who took 
     those assessments within 3 years of receiving a degree from 
     the institution or completing the program.
       ``(ii) A comparison of the institution or program's pass 
     rate for students who have completed at least 50 percent of 
     the requirements for the teacher preparation program with the 
     average pass rate for institutions and programs in the State.
       ``(iii) A comparison of the institution or program's 
     average raw score for students who have completed at least 50 
     percent of the requirements for the teacher preparation 
     program with the average raw scores for institutions and 
     programs in the State.
       ``(iv) In the case of programs with fewer than 10 students 
     who have completed at least 50 percent of the requirements 
     for a teacher preparation program taking any single initial 
     teacher certification or licensure assessment during an 
     academic year, the institution shall collect and publish 
     information with respect to an average pass rate on State 
     certification or licensure assessments taken over a 3-year 
     period.
       ``(B) Program information.--The number of students in the 
     program, the average number of hours of supervised practice 
     teaching required for those in the program, and the number of 
     full-time equivalent faculty and students in supervised 
     practice teaching.
       ``(C) Statement.--In States that require approval or 
     accreditation of teacher education programs, a statement of 
     whether the institution's program is so approved or 
     accredited, and by whom.
       ``(D) Designation as low-performing.--Whether the program 
     has been designated as low-performing by the State under 
     section 208(a).
       ``(2) Requirement.--The information described in paragraph 
     (1) shall be reported through publications such as school 
     catalogs and promotional materials sent to potential 
     applicants, secondary school guidance counselors, and 
     prospective employers of the institution's program graduates, 
     including materials sent by electronic means.
       ``(3) Fines.--In addition to the actions authorized in 
     section 487(c), the Secretary may impose a fine not to exceed 
     $25,000 on an institution of higher education for failure to 
     provide the information described in this subsection in a 
     timely or accurate manner.
       ``(e) Data Quality.--Either--
       ``(1) the Governor of the State; or
       ``(2) in the case of a State for which the constitution or 
     law of such State designates another individual, entity, or 
     agency in the State to be responsible for teacher 
     certification and preparation activity, such individual, 
     entity, or agency;

     shall attest annually, in writing, as to the reliability, 
     validity, integrity, and accuracy of the data submitted 
     pursuant to this section.

     ``SEC. 208. STATE FUNCTIONS.

       ``(a) State Assessment.--In order to receive funds under 
     this Act, a State shall have in place a procedure to identify 
     and assist, through the provision of technical assistance, 
     low-performing programs of teacher preparation within 
     institutions of higher education. Such State shall provide 
     the Secretary an annual list of such low-performing 
     institutions that includes an identification of those 
     institutions at risk of being placed on such list. Such 
     levels of performance shall be determined solely by the State 
     and may include criteria based upon information collected 
     pursuant to this part. Such assessment shall be described in 
     the report under section 207(a).
       ``(b) Termination of Eligibility.--Any institution of 
     higher education that offers a program of teacher preparation 
     in which the State has withdrawn the State's approval or 
     terminated the State's financial support due to the low 
     performance of the institution's teacher preparation program 
     based upon the State assessment described in subsection (a)--
       ``(1) shall be ineligible for any funding for professional 
     development activities awarded by the Department of 
     Education; and
       ``(2) shall not be permitted to accept or enroll any 
     student who receives aid under title IV of this Act in the 
     institution's teacher preparation program.

     ``SEC. 209. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

       ``(a) Methods.--In complying with sections 207 and 208, the 
     Secretary shall ensure that States and institutions of higher 
     education use fair and equitable methods in reporting

[[Page H3633]]

     and that the reporting methods do not allow identification of 
     individuals.
       ``(b) Special Rule.--For each State in which there are no 
     State certification or licensure assessments, or for States 
     that do not set minimum performance levels on those 
     assessments--
       ``(1) the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, 
     collect data comparable to the data required under this part 
     from States, local educational agencies, institutions of 
     higher education, or other entities that administer such 
     assessments to teachers or prospective teachers; and
       ``(2) notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the 
     Secretary shall use such data to carry out requirements of 
     this part related to assessments or pass rates.
       ``(c) Limitations.--
       ``(1) Federal control prohibited.--Nothing in this part 
     shall be construed to permit, allow, encourage, or authorize 
     any Federal control over any aspect of any private, 
     religious, or home school, whether or not a home school is 
     treated as a private school or home school under State law. 
     This section shall not be construed to prohibit private, 
     religious, or home schools from participation in programs or 
     services under this part.
       ``(2) No change in state control encouraged or required.--
     Nothing in this part shall be construed to encourage or 
     require any change in a State's treatment of any private, 
     religious, or home school, whether or not a home school is 
     treated as a private school or home school under State law.
       ``(3) National system of teacher certification 
     prohibited.--Nothing in this part shall be construed to 
     permit, allow, encourage, or authorize the Secretary to 
     establish or support any national system of teacher 
     certification.

     ``SEC. 210. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     part $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may 
     be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years, of 
     which--
       ``(1) 45 percent shall be available for each fiscal year to 
     award grants under section 202;
       ``(2) 45 percent shall be available for each fiscal year to 
     award grants under section 203; and
       ``(3) 10 percent shall be available for each fiscal year to 
     award grants under section 204.''.

     SEC. 3. PREPARING TOMORROW'S TEACHERS TO USE TECHNOLOGY.

       (a) Eligibility.--Section 222(a)(3)(D) of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1042(a)(3)(D)) is amended by 
     inserting ``nonprofit telecommunications entity,'' after 
     ``community-based organization,''.
       (b) Permissible Uses of Funds.--Section 223(b)(1)(E) of the 
     Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1043(b)(1)(E)) is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``(E) To use technology to collect, manage, and analyze 
     data to improve teaching, learning, and decisionmaking for 
     the purpose of increasing student academic achievement.''.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 224 of the 
     Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1044) is amended by 
     striking ``each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003.'' and 
     inserting ``fiscal year 2004 and each of the 4 succeeding 
     fiscal years.''.

     SEC. 4. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.

       Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1021 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

                    ``PART C--CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

     ``SEC. 231. PURPOSES; DEFINITIONS.

       ``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this part are--
       ``(1) to help recruit and prepare teachers, including 
     minority teachers, to meet the national demand for a highly 
     qualified teacher in every classroom; and
       ``(2) to increase opportunities for Americans of all 
     educational, ethnic, class, and geographic backgrounds to 
     become highly qualified teachers.
       ``(b) Definitions.--As used in this part:
       ``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
     institution' means--
       ``(A) an institution of higher education that has a teacher 
     preparation program that meets the requirements of section 
     203(b)(2) and that is--
       ``(i) a part B institution (as defined in section 322);
       ``(ii) a Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in 
     section 502);
       ``(iii) a Tribal College or University (as defined in 
     section 316);
       ``(iv) an Alaska Native-serving institution (as defined in 
     section 317(b)); or
       ``(v) a Native Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined in 
     section 317(b));
       ``(B) a consortium of institutions described in 
     subparagraph (A); or
       ``(C) an institution described in subparagraph (A), or a 
     consortium described in subparagraph (B), in partnership with 
     any other institution of higher education, but only if the 
     center of excellence established under section 232 is located 
     at an institution described in subparagraph (A).
       ``(2) Highly qualified.--The term `highly qualified' has 
     the meaning given such term in section 9101 of the Elementary 
     and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
       ``(3) Scientifically based reading research.--The term 
     `scientifically based reading research' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 1208 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6368).
       ``(4) Scientifically based research.--The term 
     `scientifically based research' has the meaning given such 
     term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

     ``SEC. 232. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.

       ``(a) Program Authorized.--From the amounts appropriated to 
     carry out this part, the Secretary is authorized to award 
     competitive grants to eligible institutions to establish 
     centers of excellence.
       ``(b) Use of Funds.--Grants provided by the Secretary under 
     this part shall be used to ensure that current and future 
     teachers are highly qualified, by carrying out one or more of 
     the following activities:
       ``(1) Implementing reforms within teacher preparation 
     programs to ensure that such programs are preparing teachers 
     who are highly qualified, are able to understand 
     scientifically based research, and are able to use advanced 
     technology effectively in the classroom, including use for 
     instructional techniques to improve student academic 
     achievement, by--
       ``(A) retraining faculty; and
       ``(B) designing (or redesigning) teacher preparation 
     programs that--
       ``(i) prepare teachers to close student achievement gaps, 
     are based on rigorous academic content, scientifically based 
     research (including scientifically based reading research), 
     and challenging State student academic content standards; and
       ``(ii) promote strong teaching skills.
       ``(2) Providing sustained and high-quality preservice 
     clinical experience, including the mentoring of prospective 
     teachers by exemplary teachers, substantially increasing 
     interaction between faculty at institutions of higher 
     education and new and experienced teachers, principals, and 
     other administrators at elementary schools or secondary 
     schools, and providing support, including preparation time, 
     for such interaction.
       ``(3) Developing and implementing initiatives to promote 
     retention of highly qualified teachers and principals, 
     including minority teachers and principals, including 
     programs that provide--
       ``(A) teacher or principal mentoring from exemplary 
     teachers or principals; or
       ``(B) induction and support for teachers and principals 
     during their first 3 years of employment as teachers or 
     principals, respectively.
       ``(4) Awarding scholarships based on financial need to help 
     students pay the costs of tuition, room, board, and other 
     expenses of completing a teacher preparation program.
       ``(5) Disseminating information on effective practices for 
     teacher preparation and successful teacher certification and 
     licensure assessment preparation strategies.
       ``(6) Activities authorized under sections 202, 203, and 
     204.
       ``(c) Application.--Any eligible institution desiring a 
     grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
     Secretary at such a time, in such a manner, and accompanied 
     by such information the Secretary may require.
       ``(d) Minimum Grant Amount.--The minimum amount of each 
     grant under this part shall be $500,000.
       ``(e) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--An eligible 
     institution that receives a grant under this part may not use 
     more than 2 percent of the grant funds for purposes of 
     administering the grant.
       ``(f) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe such 
     regulations as may be necessary to carry out this part.

     ``SEC. 233. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     part $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.

     SEC. 5. TRANSITION.

       The Secretary of Education shall take such actions as the 
     Secretary determines to be appropriate to provide for the 
     orderly implementation of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McKeon) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon).


                             General Leave

  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 4409.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4409, the Teacher 
Training Enhancement Act, a bipartisan bill that seeks to meet the call 
of the No Child Left Behind Act to place a highly qualified teacher in 
every classroom. It makes improvements to title II of the Higher 
Education Act to help ensure teacher-training programs are producing 
well-prepared teachers to meet the needs of America's students.
  I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey), for 
his leadership and commitment to

[[Page H3634]]

this important issue for our teachers. There is widespread awareness 
that the subject matter knowledge and teaching skills of teachers play 
a central role in the success of elementary and secondary education 
reform.
  More than half of the 2.2 million teachers that America's schools 
will need to hire over the next 10 years will be first-time teachers, 
and they will need to be well prepared for the challenges of today's 
classrooms. For these reasons, the Nation's attention is increasingly 
focused on the role that institutions of higher education and States 
play in ensuring that new teachers have the content knowledge and 
teaching skills they need to ensure that all students are held to 
higher standards.
  Accordingly, building on current law, the Teacher Training 
Enhancement Act authorizes three types of teacher training grants that 
each play a unique, yet critical, role in the education of tomorrow's 
teachers. State grant funds must be used to reform teacher preparation 
requirements and ensure that current and future teachers are highly 
qualified. Partnership grants allow effective partners to join together 
combining strengths and resources to train highly qualified teachers 
and achieve success where it matters most, in the classroom. Teacher 
recruitment grants help bring high-quality individuals into teacher 
programs and ultimately put more highly qualified teachers in the 
classrooms.
  H.R. 4409 includes a new program to authorize grants for the creation 
of teacher preparation programs at minority-serving institutions around 
the country. This new Centers of Excellence program will help to 
increase teacher recruitment and make institutional improvements to 
teacher preparation programs at minority-serving institutions.
  This legislation also includes activities authorized under the 
Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology program, which is part 
B of title II of the Higher Education Act. This program was updated and 
transferred to the Higher Education Act during consideration of the No 
Child Left Behind Act during the 107th Congress. The purpose of this 
program is to prepare prospective teachers to use advanced technology 
to prepare all students to meet challenging State and local academic 
content and student academic achievement standards.
  In general, the Teacher Training Enhancement Act focuses on three key 
objectives: accountability, flexibility, and effectiveness to improve 
the quality of teacher preparation. The bill bolsters accountability 
requirements in current law to ensure States, schools, and prospective 
teachers have access to accurate and reliable data about the quality of 
teacher-training programs.

                              {time}  1315

  The bill also recognizes the need for flexibility in methods used for 
training highly qualified teachers and for that reason allows funds to 
be used for innovative methods in teacher-preparation programs which 
can provide an alternative gateway for teachers to become highly 
qualified. Pioneering programs such as charter colleges of education 
would also implement systems to gauge the true measure of teacher 
effectiveness, the academic achievement of students.
  In addition to strengthening accountability measures, the Teacher 
Training Enhancement Act increases the effectiveness and quality in 
teacher training programs by including provisions to focus training on 
the skills and knowledge needed to prepare highly qualified teachers. 
The bill places a renewed emphasis on a broad range of skills required 
for effective teaching, such as the use of advanced technology in the 
classroom, rigorous academic content knowledge, scientifically based 
research, and challenging State student academic content standards.
  Teacher-preparation programs have a great deal of responsibility in 
contributing to the preparation of our Nation's teachers, and this bill 
will make sure they are meeting their responsibilities. We owe our 
teachers the opportunities they are seeking to become highly qualified 
and ready to teach.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues 
to vote ``yes.'' We stand in solidarity and support of America's school 
teachers.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I think I have seen this movie before. It was known at 
that time as H.R. 2211. It brings to mind, if I could sing I might sing 
it, but it seems to me I heard this song before. It is from an old 
familiar score. However, despite the fact that we are running this bill 
through again, the substance of this bill is certainly acceptable to 
this side.
  I know this because, as I say, we voted on this before. It is over in 
the Senate under its previous title. In fact, we voted on this exact 
bill a few months ago. I think it was last year this House reported the 
bill by a vote of 404 to 17. And I would hope we would get even more 
votes on this second time around today. I intend to support this bill 
today again.
  Why are we doing this? Why pass the exact same bill in the same 
Congress? Why is the House starting to repass the same bills in the 
same Congress? I do not think we have had a constitutional amendment 
that if a bill passes one House twice, it goes straight to the 
President, but nevertheless we are doing that. No one, however, 
watching this debate today should be fooled by it. We are not breaking 
new ground with this bill. In fact, we are not really even legislating.
  The action taken by the House today on this bill and the other two 
bills that will follow are really unnecessary. Rather than wasting our 
time repassing legislation, as we are today, we should be investing in 
America's students and America's families. This investment would mean 
increasing Pell grants, holding down tuition, and allowing all students 
to benefit from today's low interest rates. The buying power of today's 
Pell grant is $500 less in real terms than these grants were worth 30 
years ago.
  President Bush has frozen the maximum Pell grant over the last 3 
years. This bill does not add a single dime to Pell grants. Instead of 
expanding college access through increased Pell funding, we are 
repassing bills already passed by the House. Tuition has skyrocketed as 
States cut their higher education budgets. Tuition has risen by more 
than 30 percent since 2001. The Republican answer, repass bills already 
considered by the House.
  We are at a time of historically low interest rates, the lowest in a 
generation. Some individuals who have previously consolidated their 
students loans now cannot benefit from these low rates. Instead, they 
are trapped with student loans at high interest rates. Is this 
legislation going to allow these students to reconsolidate their 
student loans at today's low interest rates? The answer is no. Instead 
of reducing the cost of college, this Congress is repassing bills 
already passed by this House.
  Mr. Speaker, I again want to say that I am going to support the 
legislation which is before us today. However, we are simply 
squandering our time and resources by repassing this bill. This 
legislation is not making a single improvement to our higher education 
programs, nor does it ensure that a single teacher is more qualified.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, though I have seen this movie before, I will 
support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Mr. Speaker, to respond to the refrain from the other side, my good 
friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), has heard this hymn 
before. I have heard the song that we just heard before. I would say in 
the last 3 years we have increased Pell grants $1 billion a year. And 
in the last 8 years we have almost doubled the amount of money going 
into Pell grants and doubled the amount of young people in our country 
that are receiving Pell grants.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Gingrey), the author of my bill, my friend and colleague.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from California 
(Mr. McKeon), the chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century 
Competitiveness, and I appreciate his great work on this legislation, 
as well as the gentleman from Michigan for this bipartisan bill.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 4409, the Teacher Enhancement Act. It 
is a

[[Page H3635]]

bill I am proud to offer on behalf of our Nation's school teachers. 
H.R. 4409 will help ensure teacher-training programs produce well-
prepared teachers to meet the needs of America's students.
  The goals of the Teacher Training Enhancement Act are to increase 
student achievement, academic achievement, improve the quality of the 
current and future teacher workforce by improving teacher preparation 
and enhancing professional development activities, hold teacher-
preparation programs accountable for preparing highly qualified 
teachers, and recruit highly qualified individuals from diverse ethnic 
and occupational backgrounds into the teaching profession.
  As in current law, H.R. 4409 authorizes three types of competitive 
grant programs: the State grants, partnership grants, and teacher 
recruitment grants. The State grant funds must be used to reform 
teacher-preparation requirements, coordinate with the activities set 
forth under title II of the No Child Left Behind Act, and ensure that 
current and future teachers are indeed highly qualified. Programs 
administered through State grants will focus on effective teacher 
preparation, placing a renewed emphasis on the skills needed to meet 
the highly qualified standard.
  The partnership grants allow effective partners to join together, 
combining strengths and resources to train highly qualified teachers 
and to achieve success in the classroom. Eligible partnerships now must 
include four partners: a high qualified teacher-preparation program at 
an institution of higher education; second, a college of arts and 
sciences; third, a high-need local education agency; and, this is new, 
fourth, a public or a private education organization.
  These partnerships will require the faculty of the teacher-
preparation program to serve with a highly qualified teacher in the 
classroom, allowing effective in-class experience to ensure that we do 
have highly qualified teachers who are truly prepared to teach.
  As we work to hold teacher-preparation programs accountable for 
preparing teachers, the need to recruit individuals into the teaching 
profession will only increase. Teacher recruitment grants will help 
bring high-quality individuals into teaching programs and ultimately 
put more highly qualified teachers into the classroom. H.R. 4409 
recognizes the need to ensure high-need local educational agencies are 
able to effectively recruit highly qualified teachers and will help 
answer that need by increasing the number of teachers being trained.
  This bill also includes a new program which is based on provisions 
submitted to the Committee on Education and the Workforce by the United 
Negro College Fund and the Hispanic Education Coalition to authorize a 
teacher-preparation Center of Excellence at minority-serving 
institutions. This program will increase teacher recruitment and make 
institutional improvements to teacher-preparation programs at minority-
serving institutions.
  While current higher education law contains annual reporting and 
accountability requirements for institutions of higher education, these 
measures have proven ineffective in determining the true quality of 
teacher-preparation programs. H.R. 4409 adds an accountability 
provision to the Higher Education Act that will strengthen these 
current law provisions and hold teacher-preparation programs 
accountable for providing accurate and useful information about the 
quality of their program.
  The bill is specifically designed to align teacher-preparation 
programs with the high standards for accountability on the results 
provided for in No Child Left Behind. The Teacher Training Enhancement 
Act places a strong focus on the quality of teacher preparation, and a 
renewed emphasis on the skills needed to meet the ``highly qualified'' 
definition found in No Child Left Behind.
  H.R. 4409 recognizes flexibility should exist in the methods used for 
training highly qualified teachers, and it allows funds to be used for 
innovative teacher-preparation programs such as charter colleges which 
can provide an alternative gateway for teachers to become highly 
qualified.
  The future competitiveness of our Nation will depend on our ability 
to strengthen education at all levels. We need to prepare our teachers 
so that they may fulfill the high standards for students' achievement 
outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act.
  I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, to be offering this bill today which takes 
a step in the right direction to ensure that the teachers of tomorrow 
have access to the high-quality training they need and deserve. And I 
encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill and stand in 
support of America's teachers.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey), the ranking member on the 
Subcommittee on Education Reform.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, you do not have to be a baseball fan to be 
familiar with those famous words of Yogi Berra, ``It is like deja vu 
all over again.''
  Why are we back here on the House floor for a second time to consider 
bills to reauthorize teacher education and graduate education in the 
Higher Education Act?
  The House has already passed these bills. It is time to move forward. 
It is time to address the real needs of students. Those real needs are 
to make higher education more accessible and more affordable. College 
tuition and college tuition fees have increased by almost 30 percent 
over the last 3 years. At State schools last year, 49 of the 50 States 
increased tuition. The average student debt is now almost $19,000, up 
66 percent since 1997. Nearly half of all working postsecondary 
students work more than 25 hours a week in order to afford to stay in 
school.
  What solutions do my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have 
for American students? They bring back for the second time two 
perfectly fine bills that the House has already passed and that do 
nothing to make college more affordable.
  What they do not bring to this House floor is H.R. 4283, which would 
reauthorize the student loan programs. Well, it is not hard to 
understand why my colleagues do not want a public debate on that bill. 
H.R. 4283 freezes through the year 2011 the maximum Pell grant, the 
greatest source of postsecondary funding for low-income students. It 
would eliminate the current fixed rate on consolidated loans which will 
force most student borrowers to pay $5,500 more on their student loans.

                              {time}  1330

  It raises interest rates on all student loans, and it does nothing to 
address the problem of rapidly rising tuition.
  Mr. Speaker, certainly, many in the Chamber should be talking about 
higher education, how to help more students go to college, how to help 
more students pay for college, not a tired replay of the debate on 
these two bills. So do not vote for it. Insist that we do something 
more.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), who comes from an experience as a teacher, as 
professor, as a coach.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McKeon) and also the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Gingrey) for bringing this bill to the floor. It seems like we get 
involved in extraneous arguments here and do not pay attention to the 
specific bill before us. I am sure we will eventually get to student 
loans and Pell grants as time goes on.
  I am particularly interested in two aspects of this bill. As my 
colleague mentioned, I did serve as a faculty member, 2 years as a 
young man in graduate school, and then just 3 years ago I again was in 
a teacher's college for 2 years. So really there are two aspects of 
this bill that are very interesting to me.
  One is the issue of accountability. Because we give Federal grants to 
colleges and universities for teacher training, and oft-times we really 
have no rating as to what the results are. So, as the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) and as the Chairman have mentioned, 
accountability is a big part of this bill. So this is done by comparing 
one college, one university with another, which I think is very 
important, State-by-State comparison.
  Then, of course, the Secretary of Education must report to Congress 
each year on the overall state of the Nation's teacher training. Some 
colleges and universities do a great job of

[[Page H3636]]

training teachers, and some really do a rather poor job, and I think 
that will eventually show up.
  The second main point of encouragement here is I serve a very rural 
district, a lot of small schools, roughly 400 that have 600 or less 
students. So, as a result, most of these school districts do not have 
somebody teaching advanced math, they do not have somebody teaching 
Russian, they do not have somebody teaching German, they have nobody 
teaching physics, and so it has to be done by distance learning. A big 
part of this bill is to ensure competence on the part of teachers in 
terms of technology, the ability to deliver successfully classroom 
education via ESUs and via the Internet. So I think this is really 
going to serve those schools that are widely dispersed and those 
students that are served in very small schools very well.
  This is a well-crafted piece of legislation. I want to congratulate 
the Chairman and the author.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, on this summer rerun I now yield as much 
time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen).
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the time.
  I think it is very important that the American people understand the 
charade that the Republican leadership is engaged in here today. The 
two education bills that are being taken up this afternoon, as my 
colleague has said, are identical to the education bills that this 
House has already passed by large margins. They have simply been 
repackaged, dressed up and trotted out again as if they were something 
new, but this bill we are considering now was passed last year by the 
House by an overwhelming vote of 404 to 17.
  I do not think anyone has changed their mind in the House. This is a 
good bill, and it should be passed once again, but those who are close 
followers of the House of Representatives will begin to see a pattern 
here. Just 3 weeks ago, the House leadership brought out three other 
pieces of legislation at that time which were ostensibly health-related 
issues; and, again, those were three pieces of health legislation that 
had already passed the House of Representatives.
  So what is going on? Why are we doing this? Why are we wasting 
taxpayer dollars? Why are we tying up the time of the House of 
Representatives on useless, unnecessary and meaningless exercises?
  There is only one answer here, which is to create the illusion with 
the American people that the House of Representatives, that the House 
Republican leadership is actually doing something new to improve the 
higher education system and expand access to college and universities. 
We should not be wasting taxpayer dollars on what is simply a PR ploy, 
a cynical ploy.
  We are facing many challenges in this country. We are facing 
challenges abroad. We are facing challenges here at home. In the area 
of education, we should get about the business of fully funding No 
Child Left Behind. This year's budget is $9 billion short that was 
submitted by the White House. Let us fully fund that.
  Let us do something about the growing opportunity gap in higher 
education. We have got rising tuitions around the country. Federal 
support for students has been going down in real terms. Let us try and 
close that gap, but, instead, we are doing, as my colleagues have said, 
reruns, summer reruns.
  This bill today accomplishes nothing new. That is bad enough. What is 
worse is that we are trying to create the impression that we are doing 
something new.
  Sadly, it is a procedural hoax. It is an example of waste, fraud and 
abuse: waste of taxpayer dollars to be here and abusing the time of the 
House, a fraud on the American people in that we are trying to tell 
them we are doing something new when we just did this last year. We do 
not have to be doing it again. Abuse of process because we are taking 
the same bills, just giving them new bill numbers and telling people we 
are going to do something again.
  So I think that whether a person is a Democrat or a Republican or 
Independent they should be offended by this farce. We should get about 
the business of doing something new in the area of education, the area 
of higher education, do something about the big problems we face in 
this country and not going through meaningless exercises to try and 
create the impression that something is new.
  Madison Avenue would be very jealous of what is happening here today 
in terms of trying to create an impression that something is being done 
when it is not.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am happy that we are here today working on 
something to help better our teachers and better education for our 
young people.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Burns), a strong member of the committee, a person who was a college 
professor for 20 years and knows what he is speaking about.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding the time. 
I thank the gentleman for bringing this legislation to the floor.
  I sat here and I listened to the rhetoric from the other side, and 
they do not seem to get it. They do not seem to get that education is 
important to America. They do not seem to get the fact that, as we 
improve education and teacher training, we can improve America. They do 
not seem to get the fact that it is important that the future of our 
Nation depends on education.
  I want to speak specifically to a portion of this legislation that we 
worked out with our colleagues from the other side; and that is the 
demand for more ethnically and culturally diverse, highly qualified 
teachers. It is critical, especially as the significant growth in the 
numbers of minority students in K through 12 is present across our 
Nation.
  Opportunities that increase the numbers of minority teachers and 
enhance their training will support the broader strategies to enhance 
instructional opportunities for and can help to eliminate the 
achievement gaps of minority students.
  According to part C of H.R. 4411, it authorizes the creation of 
centers of excellence at high-quality, minority-serving institutions.
  During the discussion of H.R. 2211, the Ready to Teach Act, the bill 
that we are discussing from last year, I offered an amendment that was 
cosponsored by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) and the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) that authorizes grants for teacher 
preparation at centers of excellence that are based on language that 
was submitted by the committee or to the committee by the United Negro 
College Fund and the Hispanic Education Coalition.
  I am pleased that the bill before the House today, H.R. 4409, the 
Teacher Enhancement Training Act, also contains this important new 
program.
  I believe that these centers of excellence will provide minority-
serving institutions that have demonstrated a record of preparing 
highly qualified teachers with a leadership role in recruiting and 
preparing those teachers and increase the opportunities for Americans 
of all educational, of all ethnic and of all geographic backgrounds to 
become highly qualified teachers.
  In general, the purpose of these centers are to increase teacher 
recruitment at minority-serving institutions and make institutional 
improvements to teacher preparation programs at these schools.
  Mr. Speaker, I have two HBCUs in the 12th district. Paine College in 
Augusta and Savannah State University in Savannah will both benefit 
from this legislation. They provide grants. Grants are competitively 
awarded to high-quality teacher preparation programs at HBCUs, the 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving 
Institutions, Tribally-Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska 
Native-Serving Institutions and the Native Hawaiian-Serving 
Institutions.
  This is a good bill. It provides a positive reinforcement for the 
future for teachers and teacher training and for minorities across our 
Nation. These grants can be used for numerous opportunities at these 
institutions to enhance and create opportunities for minorities in the 
teaching environment: reforms within teacher preparation programs; 
high-quality preservice clinical experiences; initiatives that promote 
the retention of highly qualified

[[Page H3637]]

teachers and principals; and scholarships to help teachers pay for 
tuition, room, board and other experiences.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, to 
support minority-serving institutions and vote yes for H.R. 4409, the 
Teacher Training Enhancement Act.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4409, the Teacher 
Training Enhancement Act, and I would like to thank the gentleman from 
Georgia [Representative Gingrey] for his leadership on this issue. The 
bill before us complements the No Child Left Behind Act and will help 
to improve the quality and accountability of our nation's teacher 
preparation programs.
  In exchange for significant new funding, the No Child Left Behind Act 
calls on states to place a highly qualified teacher in every public 
school classroom by the 2005-2006 school year. We can all agree highly 
qualified teachers play a pivotal role in the successful education of 
our nation's children, and those children deserve nothing less than the 
best.
  Congress has kept its word to increase funding to help ensure 
teachers can become highly qualified--in fact, funding for teacher 
quality grants increased by 35 percent in the first year of No Child 
Left Behind alone. We're providing the resources, and this bill will 
build on that effort by ensuring our teachers are highly qualified and 
prepared to teach.
  There is no doubt highly qualified teachers are essential if we are 
to provide every child in America with a high quality education. In 
fact, the future competitiveness of our workforce is directly dependent 
on the quality of education in our schools. Today's students are 
tomorrow's workers, and highly qualified teachers play a vital role in 
providing our students with the skills and knowledge they need to 
succeed. Yet the nation's teacher training programs suffer from a 
serious lack of accountability, and this time it's the teachers who are 
being left behind.
  The bill before us today takes important steps to ensure teacher 
training programs are giving prospective teachers the skills and 
knowledge they need to meet the highly qualified standard in No Child 
Left Behind. Let's be clear on this point: this bill is about 
supporting our teachers. We're expecting a lot from them, and they 
deserve high quality training programs that will ensure they are ready 
to teach when they step into the classroom.
  This legislation makes several improvements to Title II of the Higher 
Education Act to strengthen the programs that train the teachers of 
tomorrow. This bill is about helping teachers, pure and simple--giving 
them the tools and training they need to meet the needs of the nation's 
students.
  H.R. 4409 authorizes competitively awarded grants under the Higher 
Education Act to: increase the quality our teaching force by improving 
teacher preparation and enhancing professional development; hold 
teacher preparation programs accountable for preparing highly qualified 
teachers; and recruit highly qualified individuals, including 
minorities and individuals from other occupations, into the teaching 
force.
  The Teacher Training Enhancement Act ensures program effectiveness 
can be accurately measured and places a renewed emphasis on the skills 
needed to meet the ``highly qualified'' standard found in the No Child 
Left Behind Act. This includes areas such as: the use of advanced 
technology in the classroom, rigorous academic content knowledge, 
scientifically based research, and challenging state student academic 
standards.
  Under this bill, funds can also be used to recruit individuals, and 
specifically minorities, into the teaching profession. This bill allows 
for the creation of Centers of Excellence at high quality minority 
serving institutions. These Centers of Excellence will help increase 
teacher recruitment and strengthen teacher preparation programs at 
minority serving institutions.
  As we work to place highly qualified teachers in classrooms across 
the nation, I'm particularly pleased that the Teacher Training 
Enhancement Act allows for innovative programs that provide alternative 
options to the traditional teacher training programs. Proposals 
outlined in the bill, such as charter colleges of education, provide a 
much-needed alternate route to training highly qualified and effective 
teachers.
  This bill recognizes that individuals seeking to enter the teaching 
profession often have varied backgrounds. And by creating flexible 
approaches that step outside the box, these individuals can become 
highly qualified teachers through training programs as unique as their 
individual experiences.
  H.R. 4409 will also bolster accountability so that the effectiveness 
of teacher training programs can be measured. While current higher 
education law contains annual reporting requirements, these measures 
have proven ineffective in gauging the true quality of teacher training 
programs. In fact, the current requirements have sometimes been 
manipulated, leaving data skewed and often irrelevant. This bill will 
strengthen reporting measures and hold teacher preparation programs 
accountable for providing accurate and useful information.
  A highly educated workforce is critical to America's future 
competitiveness. And the quality of education is directly related to 
the quality of teachers entrusted with the vital task of educating our 
students. I've said it before and I'll say it again; we are expecting a 
lot from teachers, and they deserve our full support. This bill will do 
exactly that--support the teachers of tomorrow, and the teaching 
profession as a whole, by strengthening teacher training. Our teachers 
deserve it, our schools deserve it, and our students deserve it. Mr. 
Speaker, I strongly support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do 
the same.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4409, the Teacher 
Training Enhancement Act, which will strengthen teacher training 
programs to ensure teachers are highly-qualified and ready to teach 
when they enter the classroom.
  A year and a half ago, the President signed the No Child Left Behind 
Act into law. Ever since states and school districts across the country 
have been answering its call to reform. The Teacher Training 
Enhancement Act follows the momentum of No Child Left Behind and meets 
its requirement to place a highly qualified teacher in every classroom. 
A requirement of great import, as the value of a qualified teacher on a 
student's ability to learn has been proven, over and over again. H.R. 
4409 achieves this by making improvements to the Higher Education Act 
to help ensure teacher training programs are producing highly qualified 
teachers to meet the needs of America's students.
  All states and nearly all teacher education programs in the country 
are affected by general accountability provisions in this legislation. 
Schools receiving federal funds must report annually on the quality of 
teacher preparation, including information on the pass rates of their 
graduates on initial certification assessments. Higher education 
institutions enrolling federally-aided students in their teacher 
preparation programs must report annually detailing, among other 
things, the certification pass rates of graduates.
  Unfortunately, this data has proven ineffective in measuring the true 
quality of teacher preparation programs. Current requirements have 
often been manipulated, leaving data skewed and often irrelevant. For 
example, if a student fails to pass the state certification exam, upon 
completion of the institution's program, the school will award them a 
degree in another field rather than in education. A school will only 
award students an education degree if that student has passed the state 
exam. That way, the school will always have a 100 percent pass rate. 
H.R. 4409 sets forth more useful information. This includes requiring a 
school to report on all students who have completed 50 percent of the 
program and requiring an average score of students rather than the pass 
rates.
  We are fortunate in the State of Delaware to have the University of 
Delaware's Elementary Teacher Education program. In many ways the 
University of Delaware has already begun to address the need to have a 
highly qualified teacher in our classrooms. They have been innovative 
and forward thinking always recognizing the importance of providing 
their students with a strong academic base as well as a practical 
experience.
  In their freshman year at the University of Delaware, students 
participate in field experiences in the school setting. Freshmen have 
the opportunity to observe, tutor, and offer general assistance in the 
classroom. As sophomores and juniors, the experiences include planning, 
implementing, and assessing limited instructional units with small 
groups or an entire class. As seniors, students become engaged in an 
extended student teaching experience.
  Technology is integrated throughout the curriculum and all students 
will graduate with the skills necessary to utilize technology in their 
instructional planning. The Elementary Teacher Education program's goal 
is to prepare teachers who are reflective practitioners serving a 
diverse community of learners as scholars, problem solvers and 
partners.
  I am committed to ensuring No Child Left Behind is a success for 
America's children. The Committee and this Congress have been working 
since passage to ensure other laws in the education arena are aligned 
with No Child Left Behind. We have accomplished this with IDEA, Head 
Start and hopefully today with the Teacher Training Enhancement Act. I 
encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 4409.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this carbon copy of H.R. 
2211 and urge its adoption; and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I ask 
that my colleagues support this legislation, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Quinn). The question is on the motion

[[Page H3638]]

offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4409.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________