A bill to create a competitive grant program for States to enable the States to award salary bonuses to highly qualified elementary school or secondary school teachers who teach, or commit to teach, for at least 3 academic years in a school served by a rural local educational agency.

Summary: Rural Teacher Retention Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a five-year pilot program awarding competitive grants to no more than 10 states to enable them to award salary bonuses to highly qualified teachers or highly qualified special education teachers who teach, or commit to teach, for at least three academic years, in an elementary or secondary school served by the same rural local educational agency (LEA), including one that serves a high number or percentage of children who are Native Hawaiian.

Awards such grants on the basis of the needs of a state's rural LEAs for recruiting and retaining such teachers. Requires that, in determining such needs, the Secretary consider: (1) a rural LEA's eligibility for assistance under part B (Rural Education Initiative) of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; (2) a rural LEA's service of low-income, limited English proficient, migrant, Indian, or disabled students; and (3) the state's long-term plans for recruiting and retaining such teachers in its rural LEAs.

Requires the Secretary to track and assess the implementation and effectiveness of each project funded under this Act..

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Teacher Retention Act of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) More than 8,000,000 children, representing 21 percent 
        of all public school children in the United States, attend 
        public schools in rural areas.
            (2) There are 24,123 public schools in rural areas of the 
        United States, representing 31 percent of all public schools.
            (3) More than 400,000 educators, or 31 percent of all 
        public school teachers, teach in rural schools.
            (4) Rural school teachers earn approximately 14 percent 
        less than their counterparts in other regions.
            (5) Despite lower salaries, rural school teachers typically 
        teach multiple subjects and perform their jobs with fewer 
        resources than their counterparts in other regions.
            (6) One of the most critical challenges facing rural school 
        districts is in attracting and retaining qualified teachers.
            (7) Rural school districts tend to have higher teacher 
        turnover rates than school districts in other regions.
            (8) High teacher turnover has a negative impact on student 
        performance, school district performance, and the ability of 
        teachers to become highly qualified.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Child with a disability.--The term ``child with a 
        disability'' has the meaning given the term in section 602 of 
        the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
        1401).
            (2) Highly qualified.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), 
        the term ``highly qualified'' when used with respect to a 
        teacher, has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (3) Highly qualified special education teacher.--The term 
        ``highly qualified'' when used with respect to a special 
        education teacher, has the meaning given the term in section 
        602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
            (4) Limited english proficient.--The term ``limited English 
        proficient'' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
            (5) Low-income student.--The term ``low-income student'' 
        means a child eligible to be counted under section 
        1124(c)(1)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)(1)(A)).
            (6) Migratory child.--The term ``migratory child'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 1309 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6399).
            (7) Rural local educational agency.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                term ``rural local educational agency'' means a local 
                educational agency that--
                            (i)(I) is described in section 6211(b), 
                        6221(b)(1), or 9101(26)(C) of the Elementary 
                        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                        7345(b), 7351(b)(1), 7801(26)(C)); or
                            (II) serves a high number or percentage of 
                        children who are Native Hawaiian as defined in 
                        section 7207(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517(1)); and
                            (ii) has experienced a teacher turnover 
                        rate of not less than 10 percent of all the 
                        teachers teaching in the schools served by the 
                        local educational agency in any of the 3 
                        academic years preceding the date of enactment 
                        of this Act.
                    (B) County rule.--If a local educational agency 
                serves 2 or more counties in their entirety, then each 
                county shall be treated as if such county were a 
                separate local educational agency for purposes of 
                determinations under subparagraph (A).
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.

SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Grants.--From amounts appropriated under section 6 for each 
fiscal year, the Secretary shall carry out a 5-year pilot program under 
which the Secretary awards grants, on a competitive basis, to not more 
than 10 States to enable the States to award salary bonuses to highly 
qualified teachers or highly qualified special education teachers who 
teach, or commit to teach, for at least 3 academic years, in an 
elementary school or secondary school served by the same rural local 
educational agency.
    (b) Award Basis.--The Secretary shall award grants under this 
section on the basis of the needs of rural local educational agencies 
within a State for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers 
or highly qualified special education teachers.
    (c) Consideration of Needs.--In determining the needs of rural 
local educational agencies for recruiting and retaining highly 
qualified teachers and highly qualified special education teachers 
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall consider 1 or more of the 
following:
            (1) The eligibility of a rural local educational agency for 
        assistance under part B of title VI of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7341 et seq.).
            (2) The impact on a rural local educational agency of low-
        income students who are served by the rural local educational 
        agency.
            (3) The impact on a rural local educational agency of 
        limited English proficient students who are served by the rural 
        local educational agency.
            (4) The impact on a rural local educational agency of 
        migrant students who are served by the rural local educational 
        agency.
            (5) The number or percentage of rural local educational 
        agencies described in section 9101(26)(C) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(26)(C)).
            (6) The impact on a rural local educational agency of 
        children with a disability who are served by the rural local 
        educational agency.
            (7) The long-term plans of a State to improve the 
        recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers and 
        highly qualified special education teachers in rural local 
        educational agencies within the State.
    (d) Application.--A State that desires to receive a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary 
may require. The application shall contain a plan for the proposed 
distribution and use of the grant funds among rural local educational 
agencies within the State.
    (e) Use of Funds.--Grant funds under this section shall be used to 
provide salary bonuses for highly qualified teachers or highly 
qualified special education teachers who teach, or commit to teach, for 
at least 3 academic years, in an elementary school or secondary school 
served by the same rural local educational agency.

SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORTS.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a study of 
        each project that is funded under this Act. The study shall 
        track and assess the implementation and effectiveness of each 
        project.
            (2) Reservation of funds.--From the amount appropriated 
        under section 6 for fiscal year 2008, the Secretary shall 
        reserve not more than 1 percent or $500,000, whichever is 
        greater, to carry out the study described in paragraph (1).
    (b) Reports.--
            (1) Annual reports from states.--Each State receiving a 
        grant under this Act shall submit an annual report to the 
        Secretary regarding each project within the State that is 
        funded under this Act. The report shall contain such 
        information as the Secretary determines necessary to evaluate 
        the project.
            (2) Report to congress.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall submit a 
                report on the study described in subsection (a)(1) to 
                the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
                of the Senate and to the Committee on Education and 
                Labor of the House of Representatives not later than 
                September 30, 2012.
                    (B) Contents.--The report shall include--
                            (i) the number of rural local educational 
                        agencies assisted under this Act;
                            (ii) the characteristics of such rural 
                        local educational agencies with respect to the 
                        considerations of needs described in section 
                        4(c);
                            (iii) the number and demographic 
                        characteristics of teachers receiving bonuses 
                        under this Act;
                            (iv) the impact of the bonuses provided 
                        under this Act on the ability of rural local 
                        educational agencies assisted under this Act to 
                        recruit and retain highly qualified teachers 
                        and highly qualified special education 
                        teachers; and
                            (v) such other information and analysis as 
                        the Secretary determines necessary to evaluate 
                        the projects.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2012.