20 U.S.C. § 9903 — Grant program

Page 1761 TITLE 20—EDUCATION § 9903 1 See References in Text note below. matics to become certified as elementary and secondary teachers; (2) require the education department (or its equivalent) and the departments or division responsible for preparation of science, tech- nology, engineering, and mathematics majors at an institution of higher education to col- laborate in establishing and implementing the program at that institution; (3) require students participating in the pro- gram to enter the program through a field- based course and to continue to complete field-based courses supervised by master teachers throughout the program; (4) hire sufficient teachers so that the ratio of students to master teachers in the program does not exceed 100 to 1; (5) include instruction in the use of scientif- ically-based instructional materials and meth- ods, assessments, pedagogical content knowl- edge (including the interaction between math- ematics and science), the use of instructional technology, and how to incorporate State and local standards into the classroom curriculum; (6) restrict to students participating in the program those courses that are specifically de- signed for the needs of teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (7) require students participating in the pro- gram to successfully complete a final evalua- tion of their teaching proficiency, based on their classroom teaching performance, con- ducted by multiple trained observers, and a portfolio of their accomplishments. (Pub. L. 111–358, title V, § 552, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 4022.) § 9903. Grant program (a) In general The Director shall establish a grant program to support programs at institutions of higher education to carry out the purpose of this chap- ter. (b) Geographical considerations In the administration of this chapter, the Di- rector shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that grants are equitably distributed across all regions of the United States, taking into account population density and other geo- graphic and demographic considerations. (c) Amount of grant Subject to the requirements of subsection (d), the Director may award grants annually on a competitive basis to institutions of higher edu- cation in the amount of $2,000,000, per institu- tion of which— (1) $1,500,000 shall be used— (A) to design, implement, and evaluate a program that meets the requirements of sec- tion 9902 of this title; (B) to employ master teachers at the insti- tution to oversee field experiences; (C) to provide a stipend to mentor teachers participating in the program; and (D) to support curriculum development and implementation strategies for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics content courses taught through the pro- gram; and (2) up to $500,000 shall be set aside by the grantee for technical support and evaluation services from the institution whose programs will be replicated. (d) Eligibility To be eligible to apply for a grant under this section, an institution of higher education shall— (1) include former secondary school science, technology, engineering, or mathematics mas- ter teachers as faculty in its science depart- ment for this program; (2) grant terminal degrees in science, tech- nology, engineering, and mathematics; and (3) have a process to be used in establishing partnerships with local educational agencies for placement of participating students in their field experiences, including a process for identifying mentor teachers working in local schools to supervise classroom field experi- ences in cooperation with university-based master teachers; (4) maintain policies allowing flexible entry to the program throughout the undergraduate coursework; (5) require that master teachers employed by the institution will supervise field experiences of students in the program; (6) require that the program complies with State certification or licensing requirements and the requirements under section 9101(23) 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(23)) for highly qualified teachers; (7) develop during the course of the grant a plan for long-term support and assessment of its graduates, which shall include— (A) induction support for graduates in their first one to two years of teaching; (B) systems to determine the teaching sta- tus of graduates and thereby determine re- tention rates; and (C) methods to analyze the achievement of students taught by graduates, and methods to analyze classroom practices of graduates; and (8) be able upon completion of the grant at the end of 5 years to fund essential program costs, including salaries of master teachers and other necessary personnel, from recurring university budgets. (e) Application requirements An institution of higher education seeking a grant under the program shall submit an appli- cation to the Director in such form, at such time, and containing such information and as- surances as the Director may require, includ- ing— (1) a description of the current rate at which individuals majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics become cer- tified as elementary and secondary teachers; (2) a description for the institution’s plan for increasing the numbers of students enrolled in and graduating from the program supported under this chapter; (3) a description of the institution’s capacity to develop a program in which individuals ma- Page 1762 TITLE 20—EDUCATION § 9904 joring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics can become certified as elemen- tary and secondary teachers; (4) identification of the organizational unit within the department or division of arts and sciences or the science department at the in- stitution that will adopt teacher certification for elementary and secondary teachers as its primary mission; (5) identification of core faculty within the department or division of arts and sciences or the science department at the institution to champion teacher preparation in their depart- ments by teaching courses dedicated to pre- paring future elementary and secondary school teachers, helping create new degree plans, advising prospective students within their major, and assisting as needed with pro- gram administration; (6) identification of core faculty in the edu- cation department or its equivalent at the in- stitution to champion teacher preparation by creating and teaching courses specific to the preparation of science, technology, engineer- ing, and mathematics and working closely with colleagues in the department or division of arts and sciences or the science department; and (7) a description of involving practical, field- based experience in teaching and degree plans enabling students to graduate in 4 years with a major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics and elementary or secondary school teacher certification. (f) Matching requirement An institution of higher education may not re- ceive a grant under this section unless it pro- vides, from non-federal sources, to carry out the activities supported by the grant, an amount that is not less than— (1) 35 percent of the amount of the grant for the first fiscal year of the grant; (2) 55 percent of the amount of the grant for the second and third fiscal years of the grant; and (3) 75 percent of the amount of the grant for the fourth and fifth fiscal years of the grant. (g) Guidance Within 90 days after January 4, 2011, the Direc- tor shall initiate a proceeding to promulgate guidance for the administration of the grant program established under subsection (a). (Pub. L. 111–358, title V, § 553, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 4022.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu- cation Act of 1965, referred to in subsec. (d)(6), was amended by Pub. L. 114–95 and, as so amended, is now section 8101 of the Act and no longer relates to highly qualified teachers. A reference in this section to ‘‘high- ly qualified’’, as defined in section 9101 of the Act, with respect to a teacher, means that the teacher meets ap- plicable State certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification. See section 9214(a)(2) of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a Use of the Term ‘‘Highly Qualified’’ in Other Laws note under section 1070g–2 of this title. § 9904. Grant oversight and administration (a) In general The Director may execute a contract for pro- gram oversight and fiscal management with an organization at an institution of higher edu- cation, a non-profit organization, or other enti- ty that demonstrates capacity for and experi- ence in— (1) replicating 1 or more similar programs at regional or national levels; (2) providing programmatic and technical implementation assistance for the program; (3) performing data collection and analysis to ensure proper implementation and contin- uous program improvement; and (4) providing accountability for results by measuring and monitoring achievement of programmatic milestones. (b) Oversight responsibilities (1) Mandatory duties If the Director executes a contract under subsection (a) with an organization for pro- gram oversight and fiscal management, the or- ganization shall— (A) ensure that a grant recipient faithfully replicates and implements the program or programs for which the grant is awarded; (B) ensure that grant funds are used for the purposes authorized and that a grant re- cipient has a system in place to track and account for all Federal grant funds provided; (C) provide technical assistance to grant recipients; (D) collect and analyze data and report to the Director annually on the effects of the program on— (i) the progress of participating students in achieving teaching competence and teaching certification; (ii) the participation of students in the program by major, compared with local and State needs on secondary teachers by discipline; and (iii) the participation of students in the program by demographic subgroup; (E) collect and analyze data and report to the Director annually on the effects of the program on the academic achievement of el- ementary and secondary school students taught by graduates of programs funded by grants under this chapter; and (F) submit an annual report to the Direc- tor demonstrating compliance with the re- quirements of subparagraphs (A) through (E). (2) Discretionary duties At the request of the Director, the organiza- tion under contract under subsection (a) may assist the Director in evaluating grant appli- cations. (c) Reports to Congress The Director shall submit a copy of the annual report required by subsection (b)(1)(F) to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the House of Representatives Committee on Science