To provide for the establishment of a commission to review and make recommendations to the Congress and the States on alternative and nontraditional routes to teacher certification.

Summary: National Advisory Commission on Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification Act of 2001 - Establishes within the executive branch a National Advisory Commission on Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification to study and report to Congress on how the States might improve and expand their systems for alternative certification of teachers, including recommendations on how the Federal Government might foster State alternative certification programs.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Advisory Commission on 
Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to establish a commission to study, and 
report to the Congress recommendations on, how the States might improve 
and expand their systems for alternative certification of teachers. The 
Commission is also to make recommendations on the appropriate steps the 
Federal Government might take in fostering improvement and expansion of 
States' alternative certification programs for teachers.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Interest among the States in providing alternate routes 
        for certifying teachers is escalating.
            (2) In 1998 and 1999 alone, States developed 10 new 
        alternate route programs. In the past 2 years, 14 States have 
        passed, introduced, or plan to introduce, new legislation to 
        establish alternative programs for the preparation and 
        certification of individuals who have a bachelor's degree and 
        want to become teachers.
            (3) More than 125,000 individuals have been certified 
        through alternative routes. In 1998 and 1999, more than 24,000 
        teachers were certified through alternative routes in just the 
        28 States that collected these data.
            (4) 40 States have some type of alternative to going back 
        to college and majoring in education in order to become a 
        teacher. The States currently report 115 such programs.
            (5) People from all walks of life are stepping forward to 
        meet the projected demand for teachers. Many of these 
        individuals already have at least a bachelor's degree, and for 
        these individuals, the old model of training teachers in 
        undergraduate education programs is not practical. States are 
        aggressively meeting the challenge by creating new training and 
        licensing avenues for people to enter the teaching profession.
            (6) These alternative teacher certification routes provide 
        opportunities for people from various educational backgrounds 
        and walks of life to become teachers. They have opened doors to 
        teaching for persons switching careers, leaving the military, 
        and graduating from liberal arts colleges. They have also 
        provided opportunities for former teachers who want to upgrade 
        their credentials and get back into teaching and for people who 
        trained to teach years ago but never did.
            (7) In 1999, 36 States reported that they had programs 
        targeted specifically to bring into the teaching profession 
        individuals from careers other than education, the individuals 
        formerly in the military, retirees, liberal arts graduates, and 
        others.
            (8) Compared with recent college graduates who come into 
        teaching directly from a traditional teacher preparation 
        program, those entering teaching through alternate routes--
                    (A) have degrees with majors in subjects other than 
                education;
                    (B) are more likely to have work experience in 
                occupations other than education;
                    (C) tend to be older;
                    (D) are more likely to be people of color; and
                    (E) are more likely to be men.
            (9) Those entering teaching through alternate routes are 
        more likely to teach where job demand is greatest, such as in 
        inner cities and outlying rural areas, and in high-demand 
        subject areas.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ALTERNATIVE 
              ROUTES TO TEACHER CERTIFICATION.

    (a) In General.--There is established within the executive branch a 
National Advisory Commission on Alternative Routes to Teacher 
Certification (in this Act referred to as the ``Commission''), 
comprised of 10 members to be appointed by the Secretary of Education. 
The membership of the Commission shall be as follows:
            (1) 2 members who currently serve as college professors in 
        schools of education.
            (2) 2 members who currently serve as State teacher 
        licensure officials.
            (3) 2 members who currently serve as classroom teachers.
            (4) 2 members who serve as superintendents or comparable 
        local educational agency officials.
            (5) 2 members who have special expertise in the alternative 
        certification of teachers, including individuals currently 
        involved in providing alternative routes to teaching and 
        certification.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the 
Secretary of Education should draw from a number of important areas of 
expertise in appointing the Commission, including various experts 
familiar with the issue of teacher licensure and, in particular, 
alternative teacher certification.
    (c) Appointments.--Appointments to the Commission shall be made not 
later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. RULES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Quorum.--5 members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum 
for conducting the business of the Commission.
    (b) Initial Meeting.--If, 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, 5 or more members of the Commission have been appointed, 
members who have been appointed may meet and select the Chair (or Co-
chairs) who thereafter shall have the authority to begin the operations 
of the Commission, including the hiring of staff.
    (c) Rules.--The Commission may adopt such other rules as it 
considers appropriate.
    (d) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its 
powers, but shall be filled in the same manner in which the original 
appointment was made. Any meeting of the Commission or any subcommittee 
thereof may be held in executive session to the extent that the Chair 
(Co-Chairs, if elected) or a majority of the members of the Commission 
or subcommittee determine appropriate.
    (e) Continuation of Membership.--If any individual is appointed to 
the Commission by virtue of holding a position described in section 
4(a), and ceases to hold such position before the report of the 
Commission is submitted, such individual may continue as a member of 
the Commission for not longer than the 30-day period beginning on the 
date that such individual ceases to hold such position.

SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The duties of the Commission shall include the 
following:
            (1) To conduct, for a period of not to exceed 18 months 
        from the date of its first meeting, the review described in 
        subsection (b).
            (2) To submit to the Congress a report of the results of 
        such review, including recommendations for revisions to the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965.
    (b) Review and Issuing Proposals.--The Commission shall review all 
existing and proposed programs for alternative teacher certification in 
the various States and ascertain which programs work best in terms of 
hiring and retaining highly qualified teachers, including professionals 
seeking a second career in teaching, and, when applicable, issue 
proposals and recommendations on the components of highly effective 
alternative teacher certification programs and ways for States to 
develop and implement such programs. The Commission shall also make 
recommendations concerning the appropriate measures that might be 
undertaken by the Federal Government to improve and expand alternative 
certification programs in the States, including recommendations for 
legislative changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 and the Higher Education Act of 1965.

SEC. 7. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission or, on the authorization of the 
Commission, any subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the purpose of 
carrying out the provisions of this Act, hold such hearings and sit and 
act at such times and places, take such testimony, receive such 
evidence, and administer such oaths, as the Commission or such 
designated subcommittee or designated member may deem advisable.
    (b) Contracting.--The Commission may, to such extent and in such 
amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into contracts to 
enable the Commission to discharge its duties under this Act.
    (c) Assistance From Federal Agencies and Offices.--
            (1) Information.--The Commission is authorized to secure 
        directly from any executive department, bureau, agency, board, 
        commission, office, independent establishment, or 
        instrumentality of the Government, as well as from any 
        committee or other office of the legislative branch, such 
        information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics as it 
        requires for the purposes of its review and report. Each such 
        department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, 
        establishment, instrumentality, or committee shall, to the 
        extent not prohibited by law, furnish such information, 
        suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the 
        Commission, upon request made by the Chair (Co-chairs, if 
        elected).
            (2) Department of education.--The Secretary of Education is 
        authorized on a nonreimbursable basis to provide the Commission 
        with administrative services, funds, facilities, staff, and 
        other support services for the performance of the Commission's 
        functions.
            (3) General services administration.--The Administrator of 
        General Services shall provide to the Commission on a 
        nonreimbursable basis such administrative support services as 
        the Commission may request.
            (4) Other assistance.--In addition to the assistance set 
        forth in paragraphs (1) through (3), departments and agencies 
        of the United States are authorized to provide to the 
        Commission such services, funds, facilities, staff, and other 
        support services as they may deem advisable and as may be 
        authorized by law.
            (5) Postal services.--The Commission may use the United 
        States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
        as departments and agencies of the United States.
            (6) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of 
        gifts or donations of services or property in carrying out its 
        duties under this Act.

SEC. 8. STAFF OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Chair (Co-Chairs, if elected), in accordance 
with rules agreed upon by the Commission, may appoint and fix the 
compensation of a staff director and such other personnel as may be 
necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its functions without 
regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the 
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III or chapter 53 of such title 
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that 
no rate of pay fixed under this subsection may exceed the equivalent of 
that payable to a person occupying a position at level V of the 
Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code. 
Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to the Commission 
without reimbursement from the Commission, and such detailee shall 
retain the rights, status, and privileges of his or her regular 
employment without interruption.
    (b) Consultant Services.--The Commission is authorized to procure 
the services of experts and consultants in accordance with section 3109 
of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed the daily 
rate paid a person occupying a position at level IV of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 9. COMPENSATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSES.

    (a) Compensation.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), each 
        member of the Commission may be compensated at not to exceed 
        the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in effect 
        for a position at level IV of the Executive Schedule under 
        section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day 
        during which that member is engaged in the actual performance 
        of the duties of the Commission.
            (2) Exception.--Members of the Commission who are officers 
        or employees of the United States or Members of Congress shall 
        receive no additional pay on account of their service on the 
        Commission.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--While away from their homes or regular places 
of business in the performance of services for the Commission, members 
of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem 
in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed 
intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under 
section 5703(b) of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 10. REPORT OF THE COMMISSION; TERMINATION.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the first 
meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall submit a report to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate. The report of the Commission shall describe the 
results of its review under section 6(b), shall make the 
recommendations for revisions to the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 and the Higher Education Act of 1965 referred to section 
6(a)(2), and shall such make recommendations to State departments of 
education as the Commission considers appropriate.
    (b) Termination.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission, and all the authorities of 
        this Act, shall terminate on the date that is 90 days after the 
        date on which the report is required to be submitted under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Concluding activities.--The Commission may use the 90-
        day period referred to in paragraph (1) for the purposes of 
        concluding its activities, including providing testimony to 
        committees of the Congress concerning its report and 
        disseminating such report.