[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2538 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2538
To provide a grant program to support the establishment and operation
of Teachers Institutes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 17, 2004
Mr. Lieberman (for himself and Mr. Dodd) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide a grant program to support the establishment and operation
of Teachers Institutes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES.
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--TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES
``SEC. 241. SHORT TITLE.
``This part may be cited as the `Teacher Professional Development
Institutes Act'.
``SEC. 242. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
``(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
``(1) The ongoing professional development of teachers in
the subjects the teachers teach is essential for improved
student learning.
``(2) Attaining the goal of the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001, of having a teacher who is highly qualified in every core
subject classroom, will require innovative and effective
approaches to improving the quality of teaching.
``(3) The Teachers Institute Model is an innovative
approach that encourages a collaboration between urban school
teachers and university faculty. The Teachers Institute Model
focuses on the continuing academic preparation of school
teachers and the application of what the teachers study to
their classrooms and potentially to the classrooms of other
teachers.
``(4) The Teachers Institute Model has also been
successfully demonstrated over a 3-year period in a National
Demonstration Project (hereafter in this part referred to as
the `National Demonstration Project') in several cities.
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this part is to provide Federal
assistance to support the establishment and operation of Teachers
Institutes for local educational agencies that serve significant low-
income populations in States throughout the Nation--
``(1) to improve student learning; and
``(2) to enhance the quality of teaching by strengthening
the subject matter mastery of current teachers through
continuing teacher preparation.
``SEC. 243. DEFINITIONS.
``In this part:
``(1) 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) applicable to a
family of the size involved.
``(2) Significant low-income population.--The term
`significant low-income population' means a student population
of which not less than 25 percent are from families with
incomes below the poverty line.
``(3) State.--The term `State' means each of the several
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
``(4) Teachers institute.--The term `Teachers Institute'
means a partnership or joint venture between or among 1 or more
institutions of higher education, and 1 or more local
educational agencies serving a significant low-income
population, which partnership or joint venture--
``(A) is entered into for the purpose of improving
the quality of teaching and learning through
collaborative seminars designed to enhance both the
subject matter and the pedagogical resources of the
seminar participants; and
``(B) works in collaboration to determine the
direction and content of the collaborative seminars.
``SEC. 244. GRANT AUTHORITY.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized--
``(1) to award grants to Teachers Institutes to encourage
the establishment and operation of Teachers Institutes; and
``(2) to provide technical assistance, either directly or
through existing Teachers Institutes, to assist local
educational agencies and institutions of higher education in
preparing to establish and in operating Teachers Institutes.
``(b) Selection Criteria.--In selecting a Teachers Institute for a
grant under this part, the Secretary shall consider--
``(1) the extent to which the proposed Teachers Institute
will serve a community with a significant low-income
population;
``(2) the extent to which the proposed Teachers Institute
will follow the Understandings and Necessary Procedures that
have been developed following the National Demonstration
Project;
``(3) the extent to which the local educational agency
participating in the proposed Teachers Institute has a high
percentage of teachers who are unprepared or under prepared to
teach the core academic subjects the teachers are assigned to
teach; and
``(4) the extent to which the proposed Teachers Institute
will receive a level of support from the community and other
sources that will ensure the requisite long-term commitment for
the success of a Teachers Institute.
``(c) Consultation.--
``(1) In general.--In evaluating applications under
subsection (b), the Secretary may request the advice and
assistance of existing Teachers Institutes.
``(2) State agencies.--If the Secretary receives 2 or more
applications for new Teachers Institutes that propose serving
the same State, the Secretary shall consult with the State
educational agency regarding the applications.
``(d) Fiscal Agent.--For the purpose of this part, an institution
of higher education participating in a Teachers Institute shall serve
as the fiscal agent for the receipt of grant funds under this part.
``(e) Limitations.--A grant under this part--
``(1) shall be awarded for a period not to exceed 5 years;
and
``(2) shall not exceed 50 percent of the total costs of the
eligible activities, as determined by the Secretary.
``SEC. 245. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
``(a) In General.--Grant funds awarded under this part may be
used--
``(1) for the planning and development of applications for
the establishment of Teachers Institutes;
``(2) to provide assistance to the Teachers Institutes
established during the National Demonstration Project to enable
the Teachers Institutes--
``(A) to develop further the Teachers Institutes;
or
``(B) to support the planning and development of
applications for new Teachers Institutes;
``(3) for the salary and necessary expenses of a full-time
director to plan and manage the Teachers Institute and to act
as liaison between the local educational agency and the
institution of higher education participating in the Teachers
Institute;
``(4) to provide suitable office space, staff, equipment,
and supplies, and to pay other operating expenses, for the
Teachers Institute;
``(5) to provide a stipend for teachers participating in
collaborative seminars in the sciences and humanities, and to
provide remuneration for those members of the faculty of the
institution of higher education participating in the Teachers
Institute who lead the seminars; and
``(6) to provide for the dissemination through print and
electronic means of curriculum units prepared in the seminars
conducted by the Teachers Institute.
``(b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may use not more than 50
percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this part to provide
technical assistance to facilitate the establishment and operation of
Teachers Institutes. For the purpose of this subsection, the Secretary
may contract with existing Teachers Institutes to provide all or a part
of the technical assistance under this subsection.
``SEC. 246. APPLICATION, APPROVAL, AND AGREEMENT.
``(a) In General.--To receive a grant under this part, a Teachers
Institute shall submit an application to the Secretary that--
``(1) meets the requirement of this part and any
regulations under this part;
``(2) includes a description of how the Teachers Institute
intends to use funds provided under the grant;
``(3) includes such information as the Secretary may
require to apply the criteria described in section 244(b);
``(4) includes measurable objectives for the use of the
funds provided under the grant; and
``(5) contains such other information and assurances as the
Secretary may require.
``(b) Approval.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) promptly evaluate an application received for a grant
under this part; and
``(2) notify the applicant within 90 days of the receipt of
a completed application of the Secretary's approval or
disapproval of the application.
``(c) Agreement.--Upon approval of an application, the Secretary
and the Teachers Institute shall enter into a comprehensive agreement
covering the entire period of the grant.
``SEC. 247. REPORTS AND EVALUATIONS.
``(a) Report.--Each Teachers Institute receiving a grant under this
part shall report annually on the progress of the Teachers Institute in
achieving the purpose of this part and the purposes of the grant.
``(b) Evaluation and Dissemination.--
``(1) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall evaluate the
activities funded under this part and submit an annual report
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.
``(2) Dissemination.--The Secretary shall broadly
disseminate successful practices developed by Teachers
Institutes.
``(c) Revocation.--If the Secretary determines that a Teachers
Institute is not making substantial progress in achieving the purpose
of this part and the purposes of the grant by the end of the second
year of the grant under this part, the Secretary may take appropriate
action, including revocation of further payments under the grant, to
ensure that the funds available under this part are used in the most
effective manner.
``SEC. 248. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part--
``(1) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
``(2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
``(3) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
``(4) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
``(5) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.''.
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