I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1924
To provide for the establishment of a commission to review and make rec-
ommendations to the Congress and the States on alternative and non-
traditional routes to teacher certification.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 21, 2001
Mr. DUNCAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Advisory
Commission on Alternative Routes to Teacher Certifi-
cation 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 improve-
ment and expansion of States’ alternative certification
programs for teachers.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Interest among the States in providing al-
ternate 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 in-
dividuals 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 re-
port 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 edu-
cation programs is not practical. States are aggres-
sively meeting the challenge by creating new training
and licensing avenues for people to enter the teach-
ing 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 teach-
ing 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 mili-
tary, retirees, liberal arts graduates, and others.
(8) Compared with recent college graduates who
come into teaching directly from a traditional teach-
er 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 experi-
ence 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 COM-
MISSION 
ON 
ALTERNATIVE 
ROUTES 
TO
TEACHER CERTIFICATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established within the ex-
ecutive branch a National Advisory Commission on Alter-
native Routes to Teacher Certification (in this Act re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Commission’’), comprised of 10 members
to be appointed by the Secretary of Education. The mem-
bership 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 class-
room 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 indi-
viduals 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 appoint-
ing the Commission, including various experts familiar
with the issue of teacher licensure and, in particular, alter-
native teacher certification.
(c) APPOINTMENTS.—Appointments to the Commis-
sion 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 Com-
mission have been appointed, members who have been ap-
pointed 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 appro-
priate.
(e) CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—If any indi-
vidual 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 sub-
mitted, such individual may continue as a member of the
Commission for not longer than the 30-day period begin-
ning 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 Edu-
cation Act of 1965 and the Higher Education Act of
1965.
(b) REVIEW AND ISSUING PROPOSALS.—The Com-
mission 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 profes-
sionals seeking a second career in teaching, and, when ap-
plicable, issue proposals and recommendations on the com-
ponents of highly effective alternative teacher certification
programs and ways for States to develop and implement
such programs. The Commission shall also make rec-
ommendations concerning the appropriate measures that
might be undertaken by the Federal Government to im-
prove 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 au-
thorization of the Commission, any subcommittee or mem-
ber thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out the provi-
sions 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 appropria-
tion Acts, enter into contracts to enable the Commission
to discharge its duties under this Act.
(c) ASSISTANCE FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES AND OF-
FICES.—
(1) INFORMATION.—The Commission is author-
ized to secure directly from any executive depart-
ment, 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, of-
fice, establishment, instrumentality, or committee
shall, to the extent not prohibited by law, furnish
such information, suggestions, estimates, and statis-
tics directly to the Commission, upon request made
by the Chair (Co-chairs, if elected).
(2) DEPARTMENT
OF
EDUCATION.—The Sec-
retary of Education is authorized on a nonreimburs-
able basis to provide the Commission with adminis-
trative services, funds, facilities, staff, and other
support services for the performance of the Commis-
sion’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 as-
sistance set forth in paragraphs (1) through (3), de-
partments and agencies of the United States are au-
thorized 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 agen-
cies of the United States.
(6) GIFTS.—The Commission may accept, use,
and dispose of gifts or donations of services or prop-
erty 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 re-
gard 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 employ-
ment without interruption.
(b) CONSULTANT SERVICES.—The Commission is au-
thorized 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 per-
son 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 para-
graph (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 Commis-
sion shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem
in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons em-
ployed intermittently in the Government service are al-
lowed 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 Commis-
sion 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 Pen-
sions 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 Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the High-
er 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 Commis-
sion may use the 90-day period referred to in para-
graph (1) for the purposes of concluding its activi-
ties, including providing testimony to committees of
the Congress concerning its report and dissemi-
nating such report.
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