text: SECTION 1. PURPOSES.
  
      The purposes of this Act are as follows:
              (1) To grow the number of highly accomplished recent 
          college graduates teaching in underserved urban and rural 
          communities in the United States.
              (2) To increase the number of school districts and 
          communities served by a nationally recruited corps of 
          outstanding new teachers.
              (3) To build a broader pipeline of talented and experienced 
          future leaders in public education and education reform.
  
  SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) In general.--The terms ``highly qualified'', ``local 
          educational agency'', and ``Secretary'' have the meanings given 
          the terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
          Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
              (2) Grantee.--The term ``grantee'' means Teach For America, 
          Inc.
              (3) High need.--The term ``high need'', when used with 
          respect to a local educational agency, means a local 
          educational agency experiencing a shortage of highly qualified 
          teachers.
  
  SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
  
      The Secretary is authorized to award a grant to Teach For America, 
  Inc., the national teacher corps of outstanding recent college 
  graduates who commit to teach for 2 years in underserved communities in 
  the United States, to implement and expand its program of recruiting, 
  selecting, training, and supporting new teachers.
  
  SEC. 4. GRANT REQUIREMENTS.
  
      In carrying out the grant program under section 3, the Secretary 
  shall enter into an agreement with the grantee under which the grantee 
  agrees to use the grant funds provided under this Act--
              (1) to provide highly qualified teachers to high need local 
          educational agencies in urban and rural communities;
              (2) to pay the cost of recruiting, selecting, training, and 
          supporting new teachers; and
              (3) to serve a substantial number and percentage of 
          underserved students.
  
  SEC. 5. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.
  
      (a) In General.--Grant funds provided under this Act shall be used 
  by the grantee to carry out each of the following activities:
              (1) Recruiting and selecting teachers through a highly 
          selective national process.
              (2) Providing preservice training to the teachers through a 
          rigorous summer institute that includes hands-on teaching 
          experience and significant exposure to education coursework and 
          theory.
              (3) Placing the teachers in schools and positions 
          designated by partner local educational agencies as high need 
          placements serving underserved students.
              (4) Providing ongoing professional development activities 
          for the teachers' first 2 years in the classroom, including 
          regular classroom observations and feedback, and ongoing 
          training and support.
      (b) Limitation.--The grantee shall use all grant funds received 
  under this Act to support activities related directly to the 
  recruitment, selection, training, and support of teachers as described 
  in subsection (a).
  
  SEC. 6. EVALUATION.
  
      (a) Annual Report.--The grantee shall provide to the Secretary an 
  annual report that includes--
              (1) data on the number and quality of the teachers provided 
          to local educational agencies through a grant under this Act;
              (2) an externally conducted analysis of the satisfaction of 
          local educational agencies and principals with the teachers so 
          provided; and
              (3) comprehensive data on the background of the teachers 
          chosen, the training the teachers received, the placement sites 
          of the teachers, the professional development of the teachers, 
          and the retention of the teachers.
      (b) Study.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide for a study 
          that examines the achievement levels of the students taught by 
          the teachers assisted under this Act.
              (2) 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 Act with the 
          achievement gains made by students taught by teachers who are 
          not assisted under this Act.
              (3) Requirements.--The Secretary shall provide for such a 
          study not less than once every 3 years, and each such study 
          shall include multiple placement sites and multiple schools 
          within placement sites.
              (4) Peer review standards.--Each such study shall meet the 
          peer review standards of the education research community.
  
  SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such 
  sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006 and an amount not to 
  exceed $25,000,000 for each succeeding fiscal year.
target: Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to Teach For America, Inc. to implement and expand its program of recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting new teachers.
feat_title: A bill to provide for recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting a national teacher corps in underserved communities.