I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1826
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reauthorize the Alternate
Routes to Teacher Certification and Licensure program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 14, 2001
Mr. DUNCAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reauthorize
the Alternate Routes to Teacher Certification and Licen-
sure program.
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 ‘‘Alternative Routes to
Teacher Certification and Licensure Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. PROGRAM REAUTHORIZED.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by
inserting after title VII (20 U.S.C. 1133 et seq.) the fol-
lowing new title:
‘‘TITLE 
VIII—ALTERNATIVE
ROUTES TO TEACHER CER-
TIFICATION AND LICENSURE
‘‘SEC. 801. FINDINGS.
‘‘The Congress finds that—
‘‘(1) effective elementary and secondary schools
require competent teachers and strong leadership;
‘‘(2) school systems would benefit greatly by in-
creasing the pool of qualified individuals from which
to recruit teachers;
‘‘(3) many talented professionals who have dem-
onstrated a high level of subject area competence
outside the education profession may wish to pursue
careers in education, but have not fulfilled the re-
quirements to be certified or licensed as teachers;
‘‘(4) alternative routes can enable qualified in-
dividuals to fulfill State certification or licensure re-
quirements and would allow school systems to utilize
the expertise of such professionals and improve the
pool of qualified individuals available to local edu-
cational agencies as teachers; and
‘‘(5) alternative routes to certification or licen-
sure requirements that do not exclude qualified indi-
viduals from teaching solely because such individuals
do not meet traditional certification or licensure re-
quirements would allow school systems to take ad-
vantage of these professionals and improve the sup-
ply of well-qualified teachers.
‘‘SEC. 802. PURPOSE.
‘‘It is the purpose of this title to improve the supply
of well-qualified elementary and secondary school teachers
by encouraging and assisting States to develop and imple-
ment programs for alternative routes to teacher certifi-
cation or licensure requirements. Such programs shall
place special emphasis on the participation of individuals
who are members of minority groups.
‘‘SEC. 803. ALLOTMENTS.
‘‘(a) ALLOTMENTS TO STATES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amount appro-
priated to carry out this title, the Secretary shall
allot to each State the lesser of either the amount
the State applies for under section 556 or an
amount that is proportional to the State’s share of
the total population of children ages 5 through 17
in all the States (based on the most recent data
available that is satisfactory to the Secretary).
‘‘(2) REALLOCATION.—If a State does not
apply for its allotment, or the full amount of its al-
lotment, under the preceding paragraph, the Sec-
retary may reallocate the excess funds to one or
more other States that demonstrate, to the satisfac-
tion of the Secretary, a current need for the funds.
‘‘(b) 
SPECIAL
RULE.—Notwithstanding 
section
412(b) of the General Education Provisions Act, funds
awarded under this title shall remain available for obliga-
tion by a recipient for a period of 2 calendar years from
the date of the grant.
‘‘SEC. 804. STATE APPLICATIONS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Any State desiring to receive a
grant under this title shall, through the State educational
agency, submit an application at such time, in such man-
ner, and containing such information, as the Secretary
may reasonably require.
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.—Each application shall—
‘‘(1) describe the programs, projects, and activi-
ties to be undertaken; and
‘‘(2) contain such assurances as the Secretary
considers necessary, including assurances that—
‘‘(A) assistance provided to the State edu-
cational agency under this title will be used to
supplement, and not to supplant, any State or
local funds available for the development and
implementation of programs to provide alter-
native routes to fulfilling teacher certification or
licensure requirements;
‘‘(B) the State educational agency has, in
developing and designing the application, con-
sulted with—
‘‘(i) representatives of local edu-
cational agencies, including superintend-
ents and school board members (including
representatives of their professional organi-
zations where applicable);
‘‘(ii) elementary and secondary school
teachers, including representatives of their
professional organizations;
‘‘(iii) institutions of higher education
with schools or departments of education;
‘‘(iv) parents; and
‘‘(v) other interested organizations
and individuals; and
‘‘(C) the State educational agency will sub-
mit to the Secretary, at such time as the Sec-
retary may specify, a final report describing the
activities carried out with assistance provided
under this title and the results achieved.
‘‘(c) GEPA PROVISIONS INAPPLICABLE.—Sections
435 and 436 of the General Education Provisions Act, ex-
cept to the extent that such sections relate to fiscal control
profession to fulfill State certification or licensure
requirements;
‘‘(2) the establishment of administrative struc-
tures necessary for the development and implemen-
tation of programs to provide alternative routes to
fulfilling State requirements for certification or li-
censure;
‘‘(3) training of staff, including the develop-
ment of appropriate support programs, such as men-
tor programs, for teachers entering the school sys-
tem through alternative routes to teacher certifi-
cation or licensure;
‘‘(4) the development of recruitment strategies;
‘‘(5) the development of reciprocity agreements
between or among States for the certification or li-
censure of teachers; and
‘‘(6) other appropriate programs, projects, and
activities designed to meet the objectives of this title.
‘‘SEC. 806. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this title $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and each of
the 3 succeeding fiscal years.’’.
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