20 U.S.C. § 1161f: Teach For America

Summary

Authorizes the Secretary to give a five-year grant to Teach For America, Inc. to expand its program that recruits recent college graduates who agree to teach for two years in underserved U.S. communities. The grantee is Teach For America, Inc. The term "high-need local educational agency" is defined elsewhere in the law. Grant money must be used to provide teachers who meet state certification or special education qualifications, pay for recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting those teachers, place them in high-need urban and rural school districts, and serve a large share of underserved students. Funds must support a selective national selection process, a rigorous summer training institute with hands-on teaching and coursework, placements in high-need schools, and ongoing professional development and coaching during the teachers’ first two years. No more than 5 percent of the federal funds may be used for non-program costs. Teach For America must send the Secretary an annual report with numbers and quality data on teachers, an outside review of school leader satisfaction, and details on teacher background, training, placements, professional development, and retention. The Secretary will fund a study at least once every three years that compares student achievement gains in the same schools between students taught by assisted teachers and those who are not; these studies must include many sites and meet peer-review standards with expert reviewers. The grantee must hire an independent auditor to review accounting, reporting, and controls; that review must be finished within 90 days after the grantee first receives funds available after August 14, 2008, and the auditor must report findings within 120 days. Funding is limited to $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and whatever sums are needed for each of the four following fiscal years.

Title 20, §1161f

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Definitions

For purposes of this section: (1) Grantee

(2)Repealed. Pub. L. 114–95, title IX, § 9214(c)(12)(A), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2164

(3)High-need local educational agency

The term “high-need local educational agency” has the meaning given such term in section 1021 of this title.

(b)Grants authorized

From the amounts appropriated under subsection (f), the Secretary is authorized to award a five-year grant to Teach For America, Inc., the national teacher corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in underserved communities in the United States, to implement and expand its program of recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting new teachers.

(c)Requirements

In carrying out the grant program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the grantee under which the grantee agrees to use the grant funds provided under this section to—

(1)provide teachers who 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 1412(a)(14)(C) of this title, to high-need local educational agencies in urban and rural communities;

(2)pay the costs of recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting new teachers; and

(3)serve a substantial number and percentage of underserved students.

(d)Authorized activities

(1)In general

Grant funds provided under this section shall be used by the grantee to carry out each of the following activities:

(A)Recruiting and selecting teachers through a highly selective national process.

(B)Providing preservice training to such teachers through a rigorous summer institute that includes hands-on teaching experience and significant exposure to education coursework and theory.

(C)Placing such teachers in schools and positions designated by high-need local educational agencies as high-need placements serving underserved students.

(D)Providing ongoing professional development activities for such teachers’ first two years in the classroom, including regular classroom observations and feedback, and ongoing training and support.

(2)Limitation

The grantee shall use all grant funds received under this section to support activities related directly to the recruitment, selection, training, and support of teachers as described in subsection (b), except that funds may be used for non-programmatic costs in accordance with subsection (f)(2).

(e)Reports and evaluations

(1)Annual report

The grantee shall provide to the Secretary an annual report that includes—

(A)data on the number and quality of the teachers provided to local educational agencies through a grant under this section;

(B)an externally conducted analysis of the satisfaction of local educational agencies and principals with the teachers so provided; and

(C)comprehensive data on the background of the teachers chosen, the training such teachers received, the placement sites of such teachers, the professional development of such teachers, and the retention of such teachers.

(2)Study

(A)In general

From funds appropriated under subsection (f), the Secretary shall provide for a study that examines the achievement levels of the students taught by the teachers assisted under this section.

(B)Student achievement gains compared

The study shall compare, within the same schools, the achievement gains made by students taught by teachers who are assisted under this section with the achievement gains made by students taught by teachers who are not assisted under this section.

(C)Requirements

The Secretary shall provide for such a study not less than once every three years, and each such study shall include multiple placement sites and multiple schools within placement sites.

(D)Peer review standards

Each such study shall meet the peer review standards of the education research community. Further, the peer review standards shall ensure that reviewers are practicing researchers and have expertise in assessment systems, accountability, psychometric measurement and statistics, and instruction.

(3)Accounting, financial reporting, and internal control systems

(A)In general

The grantee shall contract with an independent auditor to conduct a comprehensive review of the grantee’s accounting, financial reporting, and internal control systems. Such review shall assess whether that grantee’s accounting, financial reporting, and internal control systems are designed to—

(i)provide information that is complete, accurate, and reliable;

(ii)reasonably detect and prevent material misstatements, as well as fraud, waste, and abuse; and

(iii)provide information to demonstrate the grantee’s compliance with related Federal programs, as applicable.

(B)Review requirements

Not later than 90 days after the grantee receives funds to carry out this section for the first fiscal year in which funds become available to carry out this section after August 14, 2008, the independent auditor shall complete the review required by this paragraph.

(C)Report

Not later than 120 days after the grantee receives funds to carry out this section for the first fiscal year in which funds become available to carry out this section after August 14, 2008, the independent auditor shall submit a report to the authorizing committees and the Secretary of the findings of the review required under this paragraph, including any recommendations of the independent auditor, as appropriate, with respect to the grantee’s accounting, financial reporting, and internal control systems.

(f)Authorization of appropriations

(1)In general

The amount authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section shall not exceed—

(A)$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;

(B)$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and

(C)such sums as may be necessary for each of the four succeeding fiscal years.

(2)Limitation

The grantee shall not use more than 5 percent of Federal funds made available under this section for non-programmatic costs to carry out this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–95, § 9214(c)(12)(A), struck out par. (2). Text read as follows: “The term ‘highly qualified’ has the meaning given the term in section 7801 of this title or section 1401 of this title.” Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 114–95, § 9214(c)(12)(B), substituted “teachers who 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 1412(a)(14)(C) of this title,” for “highly qualified teachers”.

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.

§1161f Teach for America