A bill to provide grants to teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education to award scholarships for teachers to receive a graduate level degree.

Summary: Master Teacher Scholarship Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to teacher preparation programs (schools of education at institutions of higher education) to award scholarships to assist eligible teachers in obtaining a graduate level degree from such programs.

Makes eligible for such scholarships any teachers who: (1) teach elementary or secondary school special education or teach middle or secondary school mathematics, science, or foreign languages; (2) are employed by a local education agency (LEA) that serves a school qualifying for teacher Perkins loan cancellation, and that is in partnership with the teacher preparation program; and (3) agree to teach, for five years after receiving the degree, at the school they previously taught or one designated by the LEA, and to mentor a novice teacher in the LEA for two years.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Master Teacher Scholarship Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Programs in title II of the Higher Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.) address improving the quality of 
        the teaching workforce and holding institutions of higher 
        education accountable for preparing teachers. However, States 
        are still finding it difficult to provide high-quality teachers 
        in the areas of mathematics and science and for secondary 
        schools.
            (2) Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), as amended by the No Child Left 
        Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425), States 
        are required to ensure that all teachers teaching in core 
        academic subjects within the State are highly qualified by not 
        later than the end of the 2005-2006 school year. Yet schools in 
        rural areas and high-poverty schools have trouble attracting 
        and retaining such teachers.
            (3) Teacher retention is at the main root of teacher 
        shortages, and recruitment initiatives alone will not solve 
        this problem.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible 
        local educational agency'' means a local educational agency 
        that serves a school that qualifies under section 465(a)(2)(A) 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ee(a)(2)(A)) 
        for loan cancellation for Perkins loan recipients who teach in 
        such schools.
            (2) Eligible teacher.--The term ``eligible teacher'' means 
        a teacher who is employed by the eligible local educational 
        agency included in the partnership with the teacher preparation 
        program and is--
                    (A) an elementary school or secondary school 
                special education teacher; or
                    (B) a middle school or secondary school teacher who 
                teaches in the area of mathematics, science, or foreign 
                languages.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (4) Teacher preparation program.--The term ``teacher 
        preparation program'' means a school of education program at an 
        institution of higher education that provides courses of study 
        leading to a graduate degree.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants to teacher 
preparation programs for the purpose of enabling the teacher 
preparation programs to award scholarships to assist eligible teachers 
in obtaining a graduate level degree from the teacher preparation 
program.
    (b) Application.--Each teacher preparation program applying for a 
grant shall submit, in partnership with an eligible local educational 
agency, an application to the Secretary describing--
            (1) the partnership between the teacher preparation program 
        and the eligible local educational agency; and
            (2) how the teacher preparation program is designed to meet 
        the needs of the teachers participating in the program and the 
        partnering local educational agency, including mentoring and 
        alignment of the teacher preparation program with the high 
        academic standards that students of the State where the teacher 
        preparation program is located are expected to meet.
    (c) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Each teacher preparation program receiving 
        a grant under this Act shall use the grant funds to award 
        scholarships to eligible teachers pursuing a graduate degree in 
        the area of mathematics, science, foreign language, or special 
        education.
            (2) Administrative costs.--Each teacher preparation program 
        receiving a grant under this Act may use not more than 1 
        percent of the grant funds--
                    (A) to administer the scholarship program;
                    (B) to recruit teachers to participate in the 
                program; and
                    (C) to assist in designing the program to meet the 
                needs of the teacher and school.
    (d) Scholarships.--Each individual awarded a scholarship under this 
Act shall use the scholarship funds only to pay for the tuition and 
fees associated with obtaining a graduate level degree.

SEC. 5. SCHOLARSHIP AGREEMENT.

    Each eligible teacher awarded a scholarship under this Act shall 
enter into an agreement with the eligible local educational agency and 
the teacher preparation program, under which--
            (1) the teacher preparation program agrees to award a 
        scholarship of a total of not less than $5,000 and not more 
        than $7,000 to the eligible teacher; and
            (2) the eligible teacher agrees--
                    (A) to teach for 5 years after receiving the 
                graduate level degree, in the school the eligible 
                teacher previously taught or in a school designated by 
                the eligible local educational agency;
                    (B) to mentor a novice teacher in the eligible 
                local educational agency for 2 years; and
                    (C) to repay a pro rata portion of the scholarship 
                funds received if the teacher fails to comply with 
                subparagraph (A).

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$30,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal 
years.