Title: Teach CS Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Teacher Education for Computer Science Act or the Teach CS Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award grants to institutions of higher education for establishing and maintaining teacher education programs for computer science.
It also includes computer science as an eligible education category with respect to receiving various teacher preparation grants and graduate fellowships.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1394 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1394

     To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include teacher 
preparation for computer science in elementary and secondary education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 27, 2021

    Ms. Rosen (for herself, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Romney, and Ms. Hassan) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include teacher 
preparation for computer science in elementary and secondary education.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Teacher Education for Computer 
Science Act'' or the ``Teach CS Act''.

SEC. 2. TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT.

    (a) Partnership Grants.--Section 202(d)(5) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``computer science,'' 
        after ``science,''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``(including computer 
        science, computer engineering, data science, information 
        technology, and cybersecurity professionals)'' after 
        ``occupations''.
    (b) Accountability and Evaluation.--Section 204(a)(4) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022c(a)(4)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``computer science,'' 
        after ``science,''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (G)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by inserting ``(including 
                computational thinking)'' after ``technology''; and
                    (B) in clause (ii), by inserting ``(including 
                computational thinking)'' after ``technology''.
    (c) Teacher Development.--Section 206(a) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022e(a)) is amended by inserting ``computer 
science,'' after ``science,''.

SEC. 3. ENHANCING TEACHER EDUCATION.

    Section 232(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1032a(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``(including computer 
        science)'' after ``technology''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3)(B), by inserting ``(including computer 
        science)'' after ``technology''.

SEC. 4. TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION.

    Part B of title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended 
(20 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.) by adding at the end the following:

 ``Subpart 6--Teacher Education Programs for Computer Science Education

``SEC. 259. TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--From the amounts appropriated to carry 
out this section, the Secretary may award competitive grants to 
eligible institutions to establish centers of excellence in teacher 
education programs for computer science, that may include computational 
thinking, computing, and computer engineering.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--A grant awarded to an eligible institution 
under this section--
            ``(1) shall be used by such institution to ensure that 
        current and future teachers meet the applicable State 
        certification and licensure requirements in a field that will 
        enable them to teach computer science in their State at the 
        elementary and secondary school levels, by--
                    ``(A) creating teacher education programs that meet 
                the requirements of section 200(6)(A)(iv) and offer, 
                through hands-on and classroom teaching activities with 
                in-service teachers--
                            ``(i) doctoral, master's, or bachelor's 
                        degrees in teaching computer science at the 
                        elementary school and secondary school levels; 
                        or
                            ``(ii) teaching endorsements in computer 
                        science, in the case of a teacher with related 
                        State certification and licensure requirements 
                        or a student who is pursuing certification and 
                        licensure requirements in related fields, such 
                        as mathematics and science;
                    ``(B) ensuring that current and future teachers who 
                graduate from such programs meet the applicable State 
                certification and licensure requirements, including any 
                requirements for certification obtained through 
                alternative routes to certification, or, with regard to 
                special education teachers, the qualifications 
                described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the Individuals 
                with Disabilities Education Act;
                    ``(C) recruiting individuals to enroll in such 
                programs, including subject matter experts and 
                professionals in fields related to computer science; 
                and
                    ``(D) awarding scholarships and fellowships based 
                on financial need and to recruit traditionally 
                underrepresented groups in computer science to help 
                such students pay the cost of attendance (as defined in 
                section 472); and
            ``(2) may be used by such institution to--
                    ``(A) hire and pay faculty salaries for the teacher 
                education programs described in paragraph (1)(A);
                    ``(B) conduct research in computer science 
                education; and
                    ``(C) carry out activities to encourage the 
                Secretary to partner with other agencies, and 
                prioritize funding for computer science education 
                research to support teacher preparation.
    ``(c) Duration.--
            ``(1) In general.--A grant under this section shall be 
        awarded for 5 years, conditional upon a satisfactory report to 
        the Secretary of progress with respect to the program carried 
        out with the grant after the first 3-years of the grant period.
            ``(2) Report of progress.--Such report of progress on the 
        program shall include data on the number of students and 
        instructors enrolled, information on former graduates 
        (including on how many earn teaching certification or licensure 
        in a field that will enable them to teach computer science in 
        their State at the secondary level, or be prepared to teach 
        computer science at the elementary level), and data on any 
        additional funding (other than Federal funds) received to carry 
        out the program.
    ``(d) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible institution desiring a grant 
        under this section shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary, at such time in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require, which shall include--
                    ``(A) a demonstration of the need for teachers with 
                the certification or licensure requirements that enable 
                them to teach computer science at the elementary and 
                secondary level in the geographic area or State in 
                which the institution is located;
                    ``(B) the plan to ensure the longevity of the 
                program after the end of the grant; and
                    ``(C) the plan to scale up the program (including 
                the plan for the number of personnel to be hired, a 
                description of their expected qualifications and 
                titles, the number of fellowships and scholarships to 
                be awarded, the estimated administrative expenses, 
                proposed academic advising strategy, and organizing and 
                outreach to maintain virtual community of computer 
                science educators).
            ``(2) Equitable distribution.--The Secretary shall award 
        grants under this section in a manner that ensures an equitable 
        distribution of grants--
                    ``(A) to rural and urban eligible institutions;
                    ``(B) to eligible institutions that qualify for a 
                waiver under subsection (e)(2); and
                    ``(C) to eligible institutions that are located in 
                areas where there is a need for increasing computer 
                science education opportunities.
    ``(e) Matching Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--To receive a grant under this section, 
        an eligible entity shall provide, from non-Federal sources, an 
        amount that is not less than 25 percent of the amount of the 
        grant, which may be provided in cash or in-kind, to carry out 
        the activities supported by the grant.
            ``(2) Waiver.--The Secretary shall waive all or part of the 
        matching requirement described in paragraph (1) for any fiscal 
        year the Secretary determines that applying such requirement to 
        the eligible institution would result in serious hardship or an 
        inability to carry out the authorized activities described in 
        this section.
    ``(f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the first 
grant is awarded under his section and each year thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the success of the 
program based on metrics determined by the Secretary, including the 
number of centers established, the number of enrolled students, and the 
number of qualified teachers.
    ``(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall use up to 5 
percent of the amount appropriated for each fiscal year to provide 
technical assistance to eligible institutions.
    ``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
        institution' means an institution of higher education, as 
        defined in section 101, which may be in a partnership with a 
        nonprofit organization.
            ``(2) Computer science.--The term `computer science' means 
        the study of computers including algorithmic processes and 
        engineering principles for hardware and software design, 
        development, and systems integration, and their impact on 
        society.
            ``(3) Computing.--The term `computing' means any goal-
        oriented activity requiring, benefitting from, or creating 
        algorithmic processes.
            ``(4) Computational thinking.--The term `computational 
        thinking' means the human ability to formulate problems so that 
        their solutions can be represented as computational steps or 
        algorithms to be executed by a computer and integrated into 
        broader networks of systems.''.

SEC. 5. ADJUNCT TEACHER CORPS.

    Section 255 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1035) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``computer science,'' 
        after ``science,'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by inserting ``computer science,'' 
        after ``science,'';
            (3) in subsection (e)(1), by inserting ``computer 
        science,'' after ``science,'';
            (4) in subsection (f)(2)(A)(i), by inserting ``computer 
        science,'' after ``science,'';
            (5) in subsection (g)(1), by inserting ``computer 
        science,'' after ``science,'';
            (6) in subsection (g)(3), by inserting ``computer 
        science,'' after ``science,''; and
            (7) in subsection (k)(2), by inserting ``computer 
        science,'' after ``science,''.

SEC. 6. GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS TO PREPARE FACULTY IN HIGH-NEED AREAS AT 
              COLLEGES OF EDUCATION.

    Section 258(d)(2)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1036(d)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting ``(including computer science)'' 
after ``technology''.

SEC. 7. TEACH GRANT.

    Section 420N of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070g-
2) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2)(B)(i), by inserting ``computer 
        science,'' after ``science,''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(1)(C)--
                    (A) by redesignating clauses (iii) through (vii) as 
                clauses (iv) through (viii), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (ii), the following:
                            ``(iii) computer science;''.

SEC. 8. GRADUATE AND POSTSECONDARY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS.

    (a) Purpose.--Section 700(1)(B)(i) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1133(1)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting ``computer 
science,'' after ``science,''.
    (b) Designation of Areas of National Need.--Section 712(b)(4) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1135a(b)(4)) is amended by 
inserting before the period at the end the following: ``, including the 
need for computer science''.
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