I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1971 

To provide for recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting a national 

teacher corps in underserved communities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 19, 2007 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself, Mr. CASTLE, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. REGULA, 

and Mr. SARBANES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To provide for recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting 

a national teacher corps in underserved communities. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Teach for America 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 

7 The purposes of this part are— 

8 (1) to raise the number of highly accomplished 

9 recent college graduates teaching in underserved 

10 urban and rural communities in the United States; 

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1 (2) to increase the number of school districts 

2 and communities served by a nationally recruited 

3 corps of outstanding new teachers; and 

4 (3) to build a broader pipeline of talented and 

5 experienced future leaders in public education and 

6 education reform. 

7 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this part: 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The terms ‘‘highly quali10 fied’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, and ‘‘Secretary’’ 

11 have the meanings given the terms in section 9101 

12 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

13 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

14 (2) GRANTEE.—The term ‘‘grantee’’ means 

15 Teach For America, Inc. 

16 (3) HIGH NEED.—The term ‘‘high need’’, when 

17 used with respect to a local educational agency, 

18 means a local educational agency in which a sub19 stantial percentage of students are eligible for free 

20 or reduced price meals through the Richard B. Rus21 sell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et 

22 seq.). 

23 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 

24 The Secretary is authorized to award a grant to 

25 Teach For America, Inc., the national corps of outmstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

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1 standing recent college graduates who commit to teach for 

2 2 years in underserved communities in the United States, 

3 to implement and expand its program of recruiting, select4 ing, training, and supporting new teachers. 

5 SEC. 5. GRANT REQUIREMENTS. 

6 In carrying out the grant program under this part, 

7 the Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the 

8 grantee under which the grantee agrees to use the grant 

9 funds— 

10 (1) to provide highly qualified teachers to high 

11 need local educational agencies in urban and rural 

12 communities; 

13 (2) to pay the cost of recruiting, selecting, 

14 training, and supporting new teachers; and 

15 (3) to serve a substantial number of students 

16 who are eligible for free or reduced price meals 

17 through the Richard B. Russell National School 

18 Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.). 

19 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. 

20 Grant funds provided under this part shall be used 

21 by the grantee to carry out each of the following activities: 

22 (1) Recruiting and selecting teachers through a 

23 highly-selective national process. 

24 (2) Providing preservice training to selected 

25 teachers through a rigorous summer institute that 

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1 includes hands-on teaching experience and signifi2 cant exposure to education coursework and theory. 

3 (3) Placing selected teachers in schools and po4 sitions in high need local education agencies. 

5 (4) Providing ongoing professional development 

6 activities for the selected teachers in the classroom, 

7 including regular classroom observations and feed8 back, and ongoing training and support. 

9 SEC. 7. EVALUATION. 

10 (a) ANNUAL REPORT.—The grantee shall provide to 

11 the Secretary an annual report that includes— 

12 (1) data on the number and characteristics of 

13 the teachers provided to local educational agencies 

14 through the grant under this part; 

15 (2) an externally conducted analysis of the sat16 isfaction of local educational agencies and principals 

17 with the teachers so provided; and 

18 (3) comprehensive data on the background of 

19 the selected teachers, the training such teachers re20 ceived, the placement sites of the teachers, the pro21 fessional development of the teachers, and the reten22 tion of the teachers. 

23 (b) STUDY.—From funds appropriated under this 

24 legislation, the Secretary shall provide for a study com25 paring the academic achievement of students taught by 

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1 the teachers selected, trained, and placed under this part 

2 with the academic achievement of students taught by other 

3 teachers in the same schools and positions. The Secretary 

4 shall provide for such a study not less than once every 

5 3 years, and each such study shall include multiple local 

6 education agencies. Each such study shall meet the peer7 review standards of the education research community. 

8 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

9 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

10 this Act— 

11 (1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 

12 (2) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 

13 (3) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and 

14 (4) such sums as may be necessary for each of 

15 the fiscal years 2011 and 2012. 

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