21st Century Mentor Teacher Act

Summary: Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive five-year grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop and implement mentor teacher programs that provide training to novice teachers on effective teaching techniques through observation, instruction, coaching, and mentoring by experienced educators. Requires the Secretary to establish peer review panels to review LEA applications and make recommendations on which ones should be approved. Requires LEA matching funds. Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century Mentor Teacher Act''.

SEC. 2. MENTOR TEACHER PROGRAMS.

    Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating part E as part F; and
            (2) by inserting after part D the following new part:

                    ``PART E--MENTOR TEACHER PROGRAM

``SEC. 2351. PURPOSES.

    ``The purposes of this part are to give local educational agencies 
the resources to establish mentor teacher programs to enable 
experienced teachers to train novice or beginner teachers.

``SEC. 2352. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Board certified.--The term `board certified' means 
        successful completion of all requirements to be certified by 
        the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
            ``(2) Mentor teacher.--The term `mentor teacher' means a 
        teacher who--
                    ``(A) is permanently certified or licensed;
                    ``(B) has demonstrated mastery of pedagogical and 
                subject matter skills (such as by becoming board 
                certified);
                    ``(C) has provided evidence of superior teaching 
                abilities and interpersonal relationship qualities; and
                    ``(D) provides mentor services for not more than 2 
                academic years out of 5 academic years.
            ``(3) Novice teacher.--The term `novice teacher' means a 
        teacher who has been teaching not more than 3 years at a public 
        elementary school or secondary school.

``SEC. 2353. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``(a) Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
        grants on a competitive basis to local educational agencies to 
        develop and implement mentor teacher programs as described in 
        subsection (d).
            ``(2) Geographic distribution.--To the maximum extent 
        practicable, the Secretary shall award grants under paragraph 
        (1) so that such grants are distributed among the school 
        districts with the highest concentration of novice teachers.
    ``(b) Duration.--A grant under subsection (a) shall be awarded for 
a period of 5 years.
    ``(c) Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under subsection (a), 
shall be determined based on--
            ``(1) the total amount appropriated for a fiscal year under 
        section 2358 and made available to carry out this part; and
            ``(2) the extent of the concentration of novice teachers in 
        the school district involved.
    ``(d) Authorized Activities.--The mentor teacher programs described 
in subsection (a) shall provide training to novice teachers on 
effective teaching techniques through observation, instruction, 
coaching, and mentoring by experienced educators.

``SEC. 2354. APPLICATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--A local educational agency desiring a grant 
under section 2353 shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
Secretary may reasonably require.
    ``(b) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to subsection 
(a) shall include--
            ``(1) a statement describing the program activities for 
        which amounts received under the grant will be used;
            ``(2) a statement describing the goals and objectives for 
        the program activities described in paragraph (1), including 
        goals of--
                    ``(A) enhancing overall student achievement;
                    ``(B) increasing the number of permanently 
                certified and licensed teachers;
                    ``(C) increasing the number of provisionally 
                certified and licensed teachers seeking board 
                certification; and
                    ``(D) maximizing the retention in the profession of 
                teaching of certified and licensed teachers; and
            ``(3) a statement describing the manner in which the goals 
        and objectives described in paragraph (2) will be measured.
    ``(c) Approval of Application.--The Secretary shall make a 
determination regarding an application submitted under subsection (a) 
based on a recommendation of a peer review panel described in 
subsection (d), and any other criteria that the Secretary determines to 
be appropriate.
    ``(d) Peer Review Panel.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a peer 
        review panel to review and make recommendations as to whether 
        applications submitted pursuant to subsection (a) should be 
        approved.
            ``(2) Recommendations.--In making a recommendation 
        described in paragraph (1), the panel shall give consideration 
        to the same factors that the Secretary is required to consider 
        under section 2353(a)(2).

``SEC. 2355. PAYMENTS.

    ``(a) In General.--Grant payments shall be made under this part on 
an annual basis.
    ``(b) Administrative Costs.--Each local educational agency that 
receives a grant under section 2353 shall use not more than 2 percent 
of the amount awarded under the grant for administrative costs.
    ``(c) Denial of Grant.--If the Secretary determines that a local 
educational agency has failed to make substantial progress in attaining 
the performance objectives and goals described in section 2354(b)(2), 
such an agency shall not be eligible for a grant payment under this 
part in the next succeeding year.

``SEC. 2356. REPORTS.

    ``(a) Report by the Secretary.--Not later than 6 months after 
receipt of reports described in subsection (b), the Secretary shall 
prepare and submit 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 a report of program activities funded 
under this part.
    ``(b) Report by Applicant.--Not later than March 31, 2004, each 
local educational agency receiving a grant under this part shall submit 
a report to the Secretary describing whether the program established 
under section 2353 was effective in meeting the goals described in 
subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 2354(b)(2).

``SEC. 2357. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

    ``The Secretary may not award a grant to a local educational agency 
under section 2353 unless the local educational agency agrees that, 
with respect to costs to be incurred by the agency in carrying out 
activities for which the grant was awarded, the agency shall provide 
(directly or through donations from public or private entities) in non-
Federal contributions an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount of 
the grant awarded to the agency.

``SEC. 2358. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 
$50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004.''.