text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``No Qualified Teacher Left Behind Act 
  of 2004''.
  
  SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO ESEA RELATING TO TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS.
  
      (a) Highly Qualified Definition.--Paragraph (23) of section 9101 of 
  the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) is 
  amended--
              (1) in subparagraph (B)(ii)--
                      (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``or'' at the 
                  end; and
                      (B) by striking subclause (II) and inserting the 
                  following:
                                      ``(II) successful completion, in 
                                  each of the academic subjects in which 
                                  the teacher teaches, of an academic 
                                  major or minor, a graduate degree, 
                                  State certification of sufficient 
                                  college-level coursework to satisfy 
                                  this subclause, or advanced 
                                  certification; or
                                      ``(III) passing a high objective 
                                  uniform State standard of evaluation 
                                  described in subparagraph (C)(ii) in 
                                  each of the academic subjects in which 
                                  the teacher teaches; and''; and
              (2) in clause (ii) of subparagraph (C)--
                      (A) in subclause (V), by striking ``but not be 
                  based primarily on'' and inserting ``but not be based 
                  solely on'';
                      (B) by redesignating subclauses (VI) and (VII) as 
                  subclauses (VII) and (VIII), respectively; and
                      (C) by inserting after subclause (V) the following:
                                      ``(VI) takes into consideration any 
                                  professional development being 
                                  pursued;''.
      (b) Rural School Districts.--
              (1) Extension.--Subsection (a) of section 1119 of the 
          Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6319) 
          is amended by adding at the end the following:
              ``(4) Rural school districts.--
                      ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding the deadline 
                  described in paragraphs (2) and (3), a plan developed 
                  by a State educational agency or a local educational 
                  agency under this subsection shall ensure that all 
                  teachers who are described in such paragraphs, but are 
                  teaching in a rural school district, are highly 
                  qualified not later than the end of the 2008-2009 
                  school year.
                      ``(B) Definition.--For purposes of this paragraph, 
                  a rural school district means a local educational 
                  agency that--
                              ``(i) meets the eligibility criteria 
                          described in section 6211(b), including by 
                          obtaining a waiver under paragraph (2) of such 
                          section; and
                              ``(ii) employs a percentage of teachers who 
                          are not highly qualified that is higher than 
                          the corresponding percentage for the State 
                          involved.''.
              (2) Additional funding.--Section 6234 of the Elementary and 
          Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7355c) is amended--
                      (A) by striking ``There are'' and inserting ``(a) 
                  In General.--There are''; and
                      (B) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(b) Highly Qualified Teachers.--For the purpose of making grants 
  under subpart 2 to be used for teacher recruitment, retention, and 
  professional development activities described in section 6222(a) in 
  rural school districts (as that term is defined in section 1119(a)(4)), 
  there are authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for fiscal year 
  2005 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2006 
  and 2007. Such authorization of appropriations is in addition to the 
  authorization of appropriations in subsection (a).''.
      (c) Core Academic Subjects Only.--Paragraph (1) of section 1119(a) 
  (20 U.S.C. 6319(a)) is amended by inserting ``, teaching in core 
  academic subjects,'' after ``hired after such day''.
      (d) Proportion of Inexperienced Teachers.--Subparagraph (C) of 
  section 1111(b)(8) (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(8)) is amended by striking 
  ``inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers'' and inserting 
  ``unqualified or out-of-field teachers''.
      (e) Other Grantees.--Subpart 2 of part E of title IX of the 
  Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) 
  is amended by adding at the end the following:
  
  ``SEC. 9537. HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS.
  
      ``No entity may receive any funds under this Act unless, 
  irrespective of whether the entity has applied for a grant under part A 
  of title I, the entity ensures that all elementary school and secondary 
  school teachers employed by the entity and teaching in core academic 
  subjects are highly qualified not later than--
              ``(1) the end of the 2005-2006 school year; or
              ``(2) in the case of a teacher in a rural school district 
          (as that term is defined in section 1119(a)(4)), the end of the 
          2008-2009 school year.''.
target: No Qualified Teacher Left Behind Act of 2004 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) with respect to teacher qualifications.
  
  Revises the definition of highly qualified teacher, in the case of middle or secondary school teachers who are new to the profession.
  
  Includes consideration of any professional development being pursued, in determining such qualifications for elementary, middle, or secondary school teachers who are not new to the profession.
  
  Provides for rural school districts: (1) an extension of a deadline for having highly qualified teachers; and (2) an authorization of additional appropriations for grants for teacher recruitment, retention, and professional development.
  
  Revises requirements for qualified teachers under ESEA title I part A (I-A) programs for disadvantaged students to: (1) apply only to teachers of core subjects; and (2) eliminate reference to the proportion of inexperienced teachers.
  
  Requires all ESEA grantees, whether under I-A or not, to meet specified qualification deadlines for all teachers of core subjects whom they employ.
feat_title: To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 with respect to teacher qualifications, and for other purposes.