PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Allows the U.S. Secretary of Education to give competitive grants, for up to five years, to local school districts or to partnerships of a district with schools, colleges, or businesses. The money is for finding, recruiting, and training people who know a lot about math, science, or critical foreign languages so they can work part-time in secondary schools as adjunct content specialists. Grantees can use funds to build their ability to recruit experts from outside K–12 (including business or government and distance learners) and to give preservice and ongoing training. Grant applications must explain the need and expected benefits, set measurable goals (like number of specialists placed and expected student gains), describe recruitment and training plans, show how funds will be used and evaluated, and promise not to replace current teachers. Priority goes to plans serving schools with many low-performing or low-income students or with teacher shortages. Recipients must match the grant dollar-for-dollar with nonfederal funds or in-kind support. Grantees must send a final report to the Secretary, who will evaluate results and report to Congress. An adjunct content specialist must meet state certification rules (including alternative routes), be judged by the district to have subject expertise, and not be the main teacher unless directly supervised by a certified teacher.

Title 20, §1035

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Purpose

The purpose of this section is to create opportunities for professionals and other individuals with subject matter expertise in mathematics, science, or critical foreign languages to provide such subject matter expertise to secondary school students on an adjunct basis.

(b)Program authorized

The Secretary is authorized to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to identify, recruit, and train qualified individuals with subject matter expertise in mathematics, science, or critical foreign languages to serve as adjunct content specialists.

(c)Duration of grants

The Secretary may award grants under this section for a period of not more than five years.

(d)Eligible entity

In this section, the term “eligible entity” means—

(1)a local educational agency; or

(2)a partnership consisting of a local educational agency, serving as a fiscal agent, and a public or private educational organization or business.

(e)Uses of funds

An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section is authorized to use such grant to carry out one or both of the following activities:

(1)To develop the capacity of the eligible entity to identify, recruit, and train individuals with subject matter expertise in mathematics, science, or critical foreign languages who are not employed in the elementary and secondary education system (including individuals in business and government, and individuals who would participate through distance-learning arrangements) to become adjunct content specialists.

(2)To provide preservice training and on-going professional development to adjunct content specialists.

(f)Applications

(1)Application required

An eligible entity that desires 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.

(2)Contents

An application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include—

(A)a description of—

(i)the need for, and expected benefits of using, adjunct content specialists in the schools served by the local educational agency, which may include information on the difficulty the local educational agency faces in recruiting qualified faculty in mathematics, science, and critical foreign language courses;

(ii)measurable objectives for the activities supported by the grant, including the number of adjunct content specialists the eligible entity intends to place in schools and classrooms, and the gains in academic achievement expected as a result of the addition of such specialists;

(iii)how the eligible entity will establish criteria for and recruit the most qualified individuals and public or private organizations and businesses to participate in the activities supported by the grant;

(iv)how the eligible entity will provide preservice training and on-going professional development to adjunct content specialists to ensure that such specialists have the capacity to serve effectively;

(v)how the eligible entity will use funds received under this section, including how the eligible entity will evaluate the success of the activities supported by the grant; and

(vi)how the eligible entity will support and continue the activities supported by the grant after the grant has expired, including how such entity will seek support from other sources, such as State and local government and the private sector; and

(B)an assurance that the use of adjunct content specialists will not result in the displacement or transfer of currently employed teachers nor a reduction in the number of overall teachers in the district.

(g)Priorities

In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that demonstrate in the application for such a grant a plan to—

(1)serve the schools served by the local educational agency that have a large number or percentage of students performing below grade level in mathematics, science, or critical foreign language courses;

(2)serve local educational agencies that have a large number or percentage of students from low-income families; and

(3)recruit and train individuals to serve as adjunct content specialists in schools that have an insufficient number of teachers in mathematics, science, or critical foreign languages.

(h)Matching requirement

Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 100 percent of the amount of such grant (in cash or in kind) to carry out the activities supported by such grant.

(i)Performance report

Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a final report on the results of the activities supported by such grant, which shall contain such information as the Secretary may require, including any improvements in student academic achievement as a result of the use of adjunct content specialists.

(j)Evaluation

The Secretary shall evaluate the activities supported by grants under this section, including the impact of such activities on student academic achievement, and shall report the results of such evaluation to the authorizing committees.

(k)Definition

In this section, the term “adjunct content specialist” means an individual who—

(1)meets 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 1412(a)(14)(C) of this title;

(2)has demonstrated expertise in mathematics, science, or a critical foreign language, as determined by the local educational agency; and

(3)is not the primary provider of instructional services to a student, unless the adjunct content specialist is under the direct supervision of a teacher who meets 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 1412(a)(14)(C) of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2015—Subsec. (k)(1). Pub. L. 114–95, § 9214(c)(10)(A), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “meets the requirements of section 7801(23)(B)(ii) of this title;”. Subsec. (k)(3). Pub. L. 114–95, § 9214(c)(10)(B), substituted “teacher who meets 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 1412(a)(14)(C) of this title” for “teacher who meets the requirements of section 7801(23) of this title”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.

§1035 Adjunct Teacher Corps