I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3115
To establish professional development partnerships to improve the quality
of America’s teachers and the academic achievement of students in the
classroom, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 27, 1998
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To establish professional development partnerships to im-
prove the quality of America’s teachers and the academic
achievement of students in the classroom, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 
1. 
TEACHER 
EXCELLENCE 
IN 
AMERICA
CHALLENGE.
Part A of title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1102 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘PART A—TEACHER EXCELLENCE IN AMERICA
CHALLENGE
‘‘SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE.
‘‘This part may be cited as the ‘Teacher Excellence
in America Challenge Act of 1997’.
‘‘SEC. 502. PURPOSE.
‘‘The purpose of this part is to improve the prepara-
tion and professional development of teachers and the aca-
demic achievement of students by encouraging partner-
ships among institutions of higher education, elementary
schools or secondary schools, local educational agencies,
State educational agencies, teacher organizations, and
nonprofit organizations.
‘‘SEC. 503. GOALS.
‘‘The goals of this part are as follows:
‘‘(1) To support and improve the education of
students and the achievement of higher academic
standards by students, through the enhanced profes-
sional development of teachers.
‘‘(2) To ensure a strong and steady supply of
new teachers who are qualified, well-trained, and
knowledgeable and experienced in effective means of
instruction, and who represent the diversity of the
American people, in order to meet the challenges of
working with students by strengthening preservice
education and induction of individuals into the
teaching profession.
‘‘(3) To provide for the continuing development
and professional growth of veteran teachers.
‘‘(4) To provide a research-based context for re-
inventing schools, teacher preparation programs, and
professional development programs, for the purpose
of building and sustaining best educational practices
and raising student academic achievement.
‘‘SEC. 504. DEFINITIONS.
‘‘In this part:
‘‘(1) ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL.—The term ‘ele-
mentary school’ means a public elementary school.
‘‘(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—
The term ‘institution of higher education’ means an
institution of higher education that—
‘‘(A) has a school, college, or department
of education that is accredited by an agency
recognized by the Secretary for that purpose; or
‘‘(B) the Secretary determines has a
school, college, or department of education of a
quality equal to or exceeding the quality of
schools, colleges, or departments so accredited.
‘‘(3) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘poverty line’
means the poverty line (as defined by the Office of
Management and Budget, and revised annually in
accordance with section 673(2) of the Community
Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) appli-
cable to a family of the size involved.
‘‘(4) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNER-
SHIP.—The term ‘professional development partner-
ship’ means a partnership among 1 or more institu-
tions of higher education, 1 or more elementary
schools or secondary schools, and 1 or more local
educational agency based on a mutual commitment
to improve teaching and learning. The partnership
may include a State educational agency, a teacher
organization, or a nonprofit organization whose pri-
mary 
purpose 
is 
education 
research 
and
development.
‘‘(5) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL.—
The term ‘professional development school’ means
an elementary school or secondary school that col-
laborates with an institution of higher education for
the purpose of—
‘‘(A) providing high quality instruction to
students and educating students to higher aca-
demic standards;
‘‘(B) providing high quality student teach-
ing and internship experiences at the school for
prospective and beginning teachers; and
‘‘(C) supporting and enabling the profes-
sional development of veteran teachers at the
school, and of faculty at the institution of high-
er education.
‘‘(6) SECONDARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘second-
ary school’ means a public secondary school.
‘‘(7) TEACHER.—The term ‘teacher’ means an
elementary school or secondary school teacher.’’
‘‘SEC. 505. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—From the amount appropriated
under section 511 and not reserved under section 509 for
a fiscal year, the Secretary may award grants, on a com-
petitive basis, to professional development partnerships to
enable the partnerships to pay the Federal share of the
cost of providing teacher preparation, induction, classroom
experience, and professional development opportunities to
prospective, beginning, and veteran teachers while improv-
ing the education of students in the classroom.
‘‘(b) DURATION; PLANNING.—The Secretary shall
award grants under this part for a period of 5 years, the
first year of which may be used for planning to conduct
the activities described in section 506.
‘‘(c) PAYMENTS; FEDERAL SHARE; NON-FEDERAL
SHARE.—
‘‘(1) PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall make
annual payments pursuant to a grant awarded under
this part.
‘‘(2) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of
the costs described in subsection (a)(1) shall be 80
percent.
‘‘(3) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal
share of the costs described in subsection (a)(1) may
be in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated.
‘‘(d) CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY.—
‘‘(1) 2ND AND 3D YEARS.—The Secretary may
make a grant payment under this section for each
of the 2 fiscal years after the first fiscal year a pro-
fessional development partnership receives such a
payment, only if the Secretary determines that the
partnership, through the activities assisted under
this part, has made reasonable progress toward
meeting the criteria described in paragraph (3).
‘‘(2) 4TH AND 5TH YEARS.—The Secretary may
make a grant payment under this section for each
of the 2 fiscal years after the third fiscal year a pro-
fessional development partnership receives such a
payment, only if the Secretary determines that the
partnership, through the activities assisted under
this part, has met the criteria described in para-
graph (3).
‘‘(3) CRITERIA.—The criteria referred to in
paragraphs (1) and (2) are as follows:
‘‘(A) Increased student achievement as de-
termined by increased graduation rates, de-
creased dropout rates, or higher scores on local,
State, or national assessments for a year com-
pared to student achievement as determined by
the rates or scores, as the case may be, for the
year prior to the year for which a grant under
this part is received.
‘‘(B) Improved teacher preparation and de-
velopment programs, and student educational
programs.
‘‘(C) Increased opportunities for enhanced
and 
ongoing 
professional 
development 
of
teachers.
‘‘(D) An increased number of well-pre-
pared individuals graduating from a school, col-
lege, or department of education within an in-
stitution of higher education and entering the
teaching profession.
‘‘(E) Increased recruitment to, and grad-
uation from, a school, college, or department of
education within an institution of higher edu-
cation with respect to minority individuals.
‘‘(F) Increased placement of qualified and
well-prepared teachers in elementary schools or
secondary schools, and increased assignment of
such teachers to teach the subject matter in
which the teachers received a degree or special-
ized training.
‘‘(G) Increased dissemination of teaching
strategies and best practices by teachers associ-
ated with the professional development school
and faculty at the institution of higher
education.
‘‘(e) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this part,
the Secretary shall give priority to professional develop-
ment partnerships serving elementary schools, secondary
schools, or local educational agencies, that serve high per-
centages of children from families below the poverty line.
‘‘SEC. 506. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each professional development
partnership receiving a grant under this part shall use the
grant funds for—
‘‘(1) creating, restructuring, or supporting pro-
fessional development schools;
‘‘(2) enhancing and restructuring the teacher
preparation program at the school, college, or de-
partment of education within the institution of high-
er education, including—
‘‘(A) coordinating with, and obtaining the
participation of, schools, colleges, or depart-
ments of arts and science;
‘‘(B) preparing teachers to work with di-
verse student populations; and
‘‘(C) preparing teachers to implement re-
search-based, 
demonstrably 
successful, 
and
replicable, instructional programs and practices
that increase student achievement;
‘‘(3) incorporating clinical learning in the
coursework for prospective teachers, and in the in-
duction activities for beginning teachers;
‘‘(4) mentoring of prospective and beginning
teachers by veteran teachers in instructional skills,
classroom management skills, and strategies to ef-
fectively assess student progress and achievement;
‘‘(5) providing high quality professional develop-
ment to veteran teachers, including the rotation, for
varying periods of time, of veteran teachers—
higher education to allow the teachers and faculty
time to jointly develop programs and curricula for
prospective and beginning teachers, ongoing profes-
sional development opportunities, and the other au-
thorized activities described in section 506; and
‘‘(4) will develop organizational structures that
allow principals and key administrators to devote
sufficient time to adequately participate in the pro-
fessional development of their staffs, including fre-
quent 
observation 
and 
critique 
of 
classroom
instruction.
‘‘SEC. 509. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall reserve a
total of not more than 10 percent of the amount appro-
priated under section 511 for each fiscal year for evalua-
tion activities under subsection (b), and the dissemination
of information under subsection (c).
‘‘(b) NATIONAL EVALUATION.—The Secretary, by
grant or contract, shall provide for an annual, independ-
ent, national evaluation of the activities of the professional
development partnerships assisted under this part. The
evaluation shall be conducted not later than 3 years after
the date of enactment of the Teacher Excellence in Amer-
ica Challenge Act of 1997 and each succeeding year there-
after. The Secretary shall report to Congress and the pub-
lic the results of such evaluation. The evaluation, at a min-
imum, shall assess the short-term and long-term impacts
and outcomes of the activities assisted under this part,
including—
‘‘(1) the extent to which professional develop-
ment partnerships enhance student achievement;
‘‘(2) how, and the extent to which, professional
development partnerships lead to improvements in
the quality of teachers;
‘‘(3) the extent to which professional develop-
ment partnerships improve recruitment and reten-
tion rates among beginning teachers, including be-
ginning minority teachers; and
‘‘(4) the extent to which professional develop-
ment partnerships lead to the assignment of begin-
ning teachers to public elementary or secondary
schools that have a shortage of teachers who teach
the subject matter in which the teacher received a
degree or specialized training.
‘‘(c) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec-
retary shall disseminate information (including creating
and maintaining a national database) regarding outstand-
ing professional development schools, practices, and
programs.
‘‘SEC. 510. SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.
‘‘Funds appropriated under section 511 shall be used
to supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, and
local public funds expended for the professional develop-
ment of elementary school and secondary school teachers.
‘‘SEC. 511. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this part $100,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, and such
sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2000
through 2003.’’.
SEC. 2. REPEALS.
Part B of title V of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1103 et seq.), subparts 1 and 3 of part
C of such title (20 U.S.C. 1104 et seq., 1106 et seq.),
subparts 3 and 4 of part D of such title (20 U.S.C. 1109
et seq., 1110 et seq.), subpart 1 of part E of such title
(20 U.S.C. 1111 et seq.), and part F of such title (20
U.S.C. 1113 et seq.), are repealed.
Æ