,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ddae ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #bh1 #bjbf,mr4 ,grassley 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,reed1 and ,mr4 ,gallego7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife regarding the use of ,,teach grants1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,teach ,improvement ,act of #bjbf4 #b4 ,teach grants ,subpart #i of part ,a of title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;g et seq47 is amended to read as follows3 #i ,,teach ,grants #dbj,l4 ,definitions ,for the purposes of this subpart3 7#a7 ,eligible institution ,the term eligible institution means an institution of higher education1 as defined in section #ajb1 that the ,secretary determines-- 7,a7 provides high-quality teacher preparation and professional development services1 including extensive clinical experience as a part of pre-service preparation2 7,b7 is financially responsible and is not subject to heightened cash monitoring or provisional certification2 7,c7 provides pedagogical coursework1 or assistance in the provision of such coursework1 including the monitoring of student performance1 and formal instruction related to the theory and practices of teaching2 and 7,d7 provides supervision and support services to teachers1 or assistance in the provision of such services1 including mentoring focused on developing effective teaching skills and strategies4 7#b7 ,post-baccalaureate ,the term post-baccalaureate means a program of instruction for individuals who have completed a baccalaureate degree that-- 7,a7 is offered by an eligible institution that does not offer a baccalaureate degree in education2 7,b7 does not lead to a graduate degree2 and 7,c7 consists of courses required by a ,state in order for a teacher candidate to receive a professional certification or licensing credential that is required for employment as a teacher in an elementary school or secondary school in that ,state4 7#c7 ,teacher candidate ,the term teacher candidate means a student or teacher described in subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b7 of section #dbj,n7a77#b74 #dbj,m4 ,program established 7a7 ,program authority 7#a7 ,payments required ,the ,secretary shall pay to each eligible institution such sums as may be necessary to pay to each teacher candidate who files an application and agreement in accordance with section #dbj,n1 and who qualifies under paragraph 7#b7 of section #dbj,n7a71 a ,,teach ,grant in the amount of-- 7,a7 in the case of an applicant who is not an applicant under section #dbj,n7a77#b77;,b7-- 7i7 #d1jjj for each of the first #b years during which that teacher candidate is in attendance at the institution2 and 7ii7 #e1jjj for each of the second #b years during which that teacher candidate is in attendance at the institution2 and 7,b7 in the case of an applicant under section #dbj,n7a77#b77;,b71 #e1jjj for each year during which that individual is in attendance at the institution4 7#b7 ,references ,grants made under paragraph 7#a7 shall be known as ,teacher ,education ,assistance for ,college and ,higher ,education ,grants or ,,teach ,grants4 7b7 ,payment methodology 7#a7 ,prepayment 7,a7 ,in general ,not less than #he percent of any funds provided to an eligible institution under subsection 7a7 shall be advanced to the eligible institution prior to the start of each payment period and shall be based upon an amount requested by the institution as needed to pay teacher candidates until such time as the ,secretary determines and publishes in the ,federal ,register1 with an opportunity for comment1 an alternative payment system that provides payments to institutions in an accurate and timely manner1 subject to subparagraph 7,b74 7,b7 ,reimbursement authority ,subparagraph 7,a7 shall not be construed to limit the authority of the ,secretary to place an institution on a reimbursement system of payment4 7#b7 ,direct payment ,nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit the ,secretary from paying directly to teacher candidates1 in advance of the beginning of the academic term1 an amount for which teacher candidates are eligible1 in cases in which the eligible institution elects not to participate in the disbursement system required by paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,distribution of grants to teacher candidates ,payments under this subpart shall be made1 in accordance with regulations promulgated by the ,secretary for such purpose1 in such manner as will best accomplish the purposes of this subpart4 ,any disbursement allowed to be made by crediting the teacher candidate's account shall be used for any component of the cost of attendance for the teacher candidate1 as selected by the teacher candidate4 7c7 ,reductions in amount 7#a7 ,part-time students ,in any case in which a teacher candidate attends an eligible institution on less than a full-time basis 7including a teacher candidate who attends an eligible institution on less than a half-time basis7 during any year1 the amount of a grant under this subpart for which that teacher candidate is eligible shall be reduced in proportion to the degree to which that teacher candidate is not attending on a full-time basis1 in accordance with a schedule of reductions established by the ,secretary for the purposes of this subpart1 computed in accordance with this subpart4 ,such schedule of reductions shall be established by regulation and published in the ,federal ,register in accordance with section #dhb4 7#b7 ,no exceeding cost ,the amount of a grant awarded under this subpart1 in combination with ,federal assistance and other assistance the student may receive1 shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the eligible institution at which that teacher candidate is in attendance4 7d7 ,period of eligibility for grants 7#a7 ,undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students ,the period during which an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student may receive grants under this subpart shall be the period required for the completion of the first undergraduate baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate course of study being pursued by the teacher candidate at the eligible institution at which the teacher candidate is in attendance1 except that-- 7,a7 any period during which the teacher candidate is enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course of study as described in paragraph 7#c7 shall not be counted for the purpose of this paragraph2 and 7,b7 the total amount that a teacher candidate may receive under this subpart for undergraduate or post-baccalaureate study shall not exceed #ah1jjj4 7#b7 ,graduate students ,the period during which a graduate student may receive grants under this subpart shall be the period required for the completion of a master's degree course of study pursued by the teacher candidate at the eligible institution at which the teacher candidate is in attendance1 except that the total amount that a teacher candidate may receive under this subpart for graduate study shall not exceed #aj1jjj4 7#c7 ,remedial course2 study abroad ,nothing in this section shall be construed to exclude from eligibility courses of study which are noncredit or remedial in nature 7including courses in ,english language acquisition7 that are determined by the eligible institution to be necessary to help the teacher candidate be prepared for the pursuit of a first undergraduate baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree or certificate or1 in the case of courses in ,english language instruction1 to be necessary to enable the teacher candidate to utilize already existing knowledge1 training1 or skills4 ,nothing in this section shall be construed to exclude from eligibility programs of study abroad that are approved for credit by the home institution at which the teacher candidate is enrolled4 7e7 ,institutional eligibility based on candidates' failure ,to complete service 7#a7 #ej percent threshold requirements ,notwithstanding subsections 7a7 and 7b7 and beginning for award year #bjbf-bjbg and each subsequent award year1 an institution for which1 during the period of the #c preceding consecutive award years 7referred to in this subsection as the applicable period71 #ej percent or more of the covered ,,teach grant recipients 7defined1 for purposes of this subsection1 as ,,teach ,grant recipients who graduated from such institution and had an outstanding service obligation during the applicable period7 have had their grant converted to loans under section #dbj,n7c77#a7 during the applicable period shall-- 7,a7 for the #c-year period beginning on the last day of the applicable period1 be ineligible to offer ,,teach ,grants to students at the institution who did not receive a ,,teach grant from the institution for the preceding award year2 and 7,b7 beginning #c years after the last day of the applicable period1 be eligible to submit an application to offer ,,teach ,grants to students but only in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 7#b71 for #c award years4 7#b7 #dj percent threshold requirements ,notwithstanding subsections 7a7 and 7b71 an institution for which1 during an applicable period1 #dj percent or more of the covered ,,teach ,grant recipients have had their ,,teach ,grants converted to loans under section #dbj,n7c77#a7 shall-- 7,a7 for a period of #c award years-- 7i7 not be permitted to offer any student a ,,teach ,grant during the student's first academic year attending an institution of higher education2 7ii7 provide a student with student teaching experience prior to offering the student a ,,teach ,grant2 and 7iii7 be required to provide additional financial aid counseling to students participating in the ,,teach ,grant program1 or who express a desire to participate in the ,,teach ,grant program2 and 7,b7 be required to establish a task force that prepares a plan to-- 7i7 identify contributing factors leading to high loan conversion rates2 and 7ii7 establish measurable objectives and actionable steps1 besides counseling students1 to improve the loan conversion rate4 7#c7 ,reentry into full eligibility ,an institution subject to the requirements of paragraph 7#b7 7including an institution subject to such paragraph as required under paragraph 7#a77;,b77 shall be eligible to apply to the ,secretary to restore full eligibility and remove the restrictions under paragraph 7#b7 when-- 7,a7 the institution has completed not less than #c award years of participating as described in such paragraph2 7,b7 during the period of the #c immediately preceding award years of such participation1 less than #dj percent of the covered ,,teach grant recipients have had their ,,teach grants converted to loans under section #dbj,n7c77#a72 and 7,c7 the institution has established the task force and improvement plan as required under paragraph 7#b77;,b71 made demonstrable progress on such improvement plan1 and continues to engage in review and technical assistance in order to improve the loan conversion rate4 7#d7 ,technical assistance and dissemination of best practices ,the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 provide technical assistance to institutions seeking to retain or regain eligibility under this section2 and 7,b7 disseminate best practices outlined in section #dbj,p7b77#g7 for minimizing the conversion of ,,teach grants into loans4 #dbj,n4 ,applications2 eligibility 7a7 ,applications2 demonstration of eligibility 7#a7 ,filing required ,the ,secretary shall periodically set dates by which teacher candidates shall file applications for ,,teach grants4 ,each teacher candidate desiring a ,,teach grant for any year shall file an application containing such information and assurances as the ,secretary may determine necessary to enable the ,secretary to carry out the functions and responsibilities of this subpart4 7#b7 ,demonstration of teach grant eligibility ,each application submitted under paragraph 7#a7 shall contain such information as is necessary to demonstrate that-- 7,a7 if the applicant is an enrolled student-- 7i7 the student is an eligible student for purposes of section #dhd2 7ii7 the student-- 7,i7 has a grade point average that is determined1 under standards prescribed by the ,secretary1 to be comparable to a #c4be average on a zero to #d4j scale1 except that1 if the student is in the first year of a program of undergraduate education1 such grade point average shall be determined on the basis of the student's cumulative secondary school grade point average2 or 7,,ii7 displayed high academic aptitude by receiving a score above the #geth percentile on at least one of the batteries in an undergraduate1 post-baccalaureate1 or graduate school admissions test2 and 7iii7 the student is completing coursework and other requirements necessary to begin a career in teaching1 or plans to complete such coursework and requirements prior to graduating2 or 7,b7 if the applicant is a current or prospective teacher applying for a grant to obtain a graduate degree-- 7i7 the applicant is a teacher or a retiree from another occupation with expertise in a field in which there is a shortage of teachers1 such as mathematics1 science1 special education1 ,english language acquisition1 or another high-need subject2 7ii7 the applicant is or was a teacher who is using high-quality alternative certification routes2 or 7iii7 the applicant is a practicing teacher in another field and is pursuing an additional credential in a field in which there is a shortage of teachers1 such as mathematics1 science1 special education1 ,english language acquisition1 or another high-need subject4 7b7 ,agreements ,to serve ,each application under subsection 7a7 shall contain or be accompanied by an agreement by the applicant that-- 7#a7 the applicant will-- 7,a7 serve as a full-time teacher for a total of not less than #d academic years within #h years after completing the course of study for which the applicant received a ,,teach ,grant 7referred to in this section as the service obligation window72 7,b7 teach in a school described in section #dfe7;a77#b77;,a72 7,c7 teach in any of the following fields-- 7i7 mathematics2 7ii7 science2 7iii7 a foreign language2 7iv7 bilingual education2 7v7 special education2 7vi7 as a reading specialist2 7vii7 career and technical education2 7viii7 school mental health2 or 7ix7 another field or geographic area documented as high-need by the ,federal ,government1 ,state government1 or local educational agency1 and approved by the ,secretary2 7,d7 submit evidence of such employment in the form of a certification of employment by the chief administrative officer of the school1 in accordance with subsection 7d77#e71 upon completion of each year of such service2 and 7,e7 meet all ,state certification requirements for teaching 7which may include meeting such requirements through a certification obtained through alternative routes to teaching72 7#b7 in the event that the applicant is determined to have failed or refused to carry out such service obligation1 an amount equal to any ,,teach ,grants received by such applicant1 prorated in accordance with subsection 7c77#a77;,b71 will be treated as a loan and collected from the applicant in accordance with subsection 7c7 and the regulations thereunder2 and 7#c7 contains1 or is accompanied by1 a plain-language disclosure form developed by the ,secretary that clearly describes the nature of the ,,teach ,grant award1 the service obligation1 and the loan repayment requirements that are the consequence of the failure to complete the service obligation4 7c7 ,repayment for failure ,to complete service 7#a7 ,in general ,in the event that any recipient of a ,,teach grant fails or refuses to comply with some or all of the service obligation required under the agreement under subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 the ,secretary shall determine the proportion of the total amount of time of the service obligation that the recipient has failed or refused to complete2 and 7,b7 the ,secretary shall-- 7i7 determine1 on a prorated basis based on the proportion described in subparagraph 7,a71 the amounts of any ,,teach ,grants received by such recipient that shall1 upon a determination of such a failure or refusal in such service obligation1 be treated as a ,federal ,direct ,stafford ,loan under part ,d 7except that such loan shall not begin to accrue interest until the time of conversion72 and 7ii7 ensure that such amounts are subject to repayment1 in accordance with terms and conditions specified by the ,secretary in regulations under this subpart4 7#b7 ,reconsideration of conversion decisions 7,a7 ,request to reconsider ,in any case where the ,secretary has determined that a recipient of a ,,teach grant has failed or refused to comply with the service obligation in the agreement under subsection 7b7 and has converted the grant into a ,federal loan in accordance with paragraph 7#a71 7including a ,,teach ,grant converted to a loan prior to the date of enactment of the ,consider ,teachers ,act of #bjba1 and including cases where such loans have been fully or partially paid71 the recipient may request that the ,secretary reconsider such initial determination and may submit additional information to demonstrate satisfaction of the service obligation4 ,upon receipt of such a request1 the ,secretary shall reconsider the determination in accordance with this paragraph not later than #ij days after the date that such request was received4 7,b7 ,reconsideration ,if1 in reconsidering an initial determination under subparagraph 7,a7 regarding a conversion of a ,,teach grant into a ,federal loan in accordance with paragraph 7#a7 7including reconsideration related to a ,,teach ,grant that was converted to a loan prior to the date of enactment of the ,consider ,teachers ,act of #bjba1 and including cases where such loans were fully or partially paid71 the ,secretary determines that the reason for such determination was the recipient's failure to timely submit a certification required under subsection 7b77#a77;,d7 7as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the ,consider ,teachers ,act of #bjba71 an error or processing delay by the ,secretary1 a change to the fields considered eligible for fulfillment of the service obligation 7as described in subsection 7b77#a77;,c771 a recipient having previously requested to have the ,,teach ,grant converted to a loan1 or another valid reason determined by the ,secretary1 and that the recipient has1 as of the date of the reconsideration1 demonstrated that the recipient did meet1 or is meeting1 the service obligation in the agreement under subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall-- 7i7 discharge the ,federal loan and reinstate the recipient's ,,teach grant under this subpart2 7ii7 discharge any interest or fees that may have accumulated during the period that the grant was converted to such ,federal loan2 7iii7 if the recipient has other loans under part ,d1 apply any payments made for such ,federal loan during such period to those other loans under part ,d2 7iv7 if the recipient does not have other loans under part ,d1 reimburse the recipient for any amounts paid on such loan during such period2 7v7 request that consumer reporting agencies remove any negative credit reporting due to the conversion of the ,,teach ,grant to a ,federal loan2 and 7vi7 use the additional information provided under subparagraph 7,a7 to determine the progress the recipient has made in meeting the service obligation4 7,c7 ,extension of time to complete service obligation ,in the case of a recipient whose ,,teach ,grant was reinstated in accordance with subparagraph 7,b71 the ,secretary shall1 upon such reinstatement-- 7i7 extend the time remaining for the recipient to fulfill the service obligation described in subsection 7b77#a7 to a period of time equal to-- 7,i7 #h years2 minus 7,,ii7 the number of full academic years of teaching that the recipient completed prior to the reconversion of the loan to a ,,teach ,grant under subparagraph 7,b71 including any years of qualifying teaching completed during the period when the ,,teach ,grant was in loan status2 and 7ii7 treat any full academic years of teaching described in clause 7i77,,ii7 as years that count toward the individual's service obligation 7regardless of whether the ,,teach ,grant funds were in grant or loan status7 if that time otherwise meets the requirements of this section4 7d7 ,additional administrative provisions 7#a7 ,change to school or high-need field 7,a7 ,change of high-need field designation after acquiring degree or expertise ,notwithstanding subsection 7b71 if a recipient of an initial ,,teach grant has acquired an academic degree1 or expertise1 in a field that was1 at the time of the recipient's application for that grant1 designated as high need in accordance with subsection 7b77#a77;,c77ix71 but is no longer so designated1 the grant recipient may fulfill the service obligation described in subsection 7b77#a7 by teaching in that field and completing the required period of service within the service obligation window4 7,b7 ,change of high-need field or school designation after beginning teaching ,notwithstanding subsection 7b71 if a recipient of a ,,teach grant on or after the effective date of the ,,teach ,improvement ,act of #bjbf begins teaching at a school described in subsection 7b77#a77;,b7 and in a field described in subsection 7b77#a77;,c7 during the service obligation window1 but such school or field later is no longer designated under subsection 7b71 the grant recipient may fulfill the service obligation described in subsection 7b77#a7 by continuing to teach in that school and field and completing the required period of service within the service obligation window4 7#b7 ,extenuating circumstances ,the ,secretary shall establish1 by regulation1 categories of extenuating circumstances under which a recipient of a ,,teach grant who is unable to fulfill all or part of the recipient's service obligation may be excused from fulfilling that portion of the service obligation4 7#c7 ,communication with recipients ,the ,secretary shall notify ,,teach grant recipients not less than once per calendar year regarding how to submit the employment certification under subsection 7b77#a77;,d7 and the recommendations and requirements for submitting that certification under paragraph 7#e74 7#d7 ,qualifying schools and high-need fields ,the ,secretary shall maintain and annually update a list of qualifying schools as described in subsection 7b77#a77;,b71 and a list of high-need fields as described in subsection 7b77#a77;,c71 and shall make such lists publicly available on the ,department's website in a sortable and searchable format4 7#e7 ,submission of employment certification 7,a7 ,recommended submissions ,the ,secretary shall notify ,,teach ,grant recipients that the ,department recommends that ,,teach ,grant recipients submit the employment certification described in subsection 7b77#a77;,d7 as soon as practicable after the completion of each year of service4 7,b7 ,required submission ,a ,,teach ,grant recipient shall be required to submit to the ,department employment certification within the timeframe that would allow that individual to complete their service obligation before the end of the service obligation window4 7,c7 ,notification ,the ,secretary shall notify ,,teach ,grant recipients of the required submission deadlines described in this paragraph4 7,d7 ,adjustment of deadline ,the ,secretary shall adjust the submission deadline described in subparagraph 7,b7 to account for a service obligation window extension4 7,e7 ,alternative to certification ,the ,secretary shall provide an alternative to the certification of employment described in subsection 7b77#a77;,d7 for recipients who cannot obtain such required certification of employment from the chief administrative officer of the school because the recipient can demonstrate the school is no longer in existence or the school refuses to cooperate4 #dbj,o4 ,program period and funding ,beginning on ,july #a1 #bjjh1 there shall be available to the ,secretary to carry out this subpart1 from funds not otherwise appropriated1 such sums as may be necessary to provide ,,teach ,grants in accordance with this subpart to each eligible applicant4 #dbj,p4 ,reports to authorizing committees 7a7 ,program reports ,not later than two years after the date of enactment of the ,,teach ,improvement ,act of #bjbf1 and every two years thereafter1 the ,secretary shall prepare and submit to the authorizing committees a report on ,,teach grants with respect to the schools and students served by recipients of such grants4 ,such report shall take into consideration information related to-- 7#a7 the number of ,,teach grant recipients2 7#b7 the degrees obtained by such recipients2 7#c7 the location1 including the school1 local educational agency1 and ,state1 where the recipients completed the service agreed to under section #dbj,n7b71 and the field taught2 7#d7 the duration of such service2 and 7#e7 any other data necessary to conduct such evaluation4 7b7 ,annual reports ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of the ,,teach ,improvement ,act of #bjbf1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall prepare and submit to the authorizing committees a report regarding the #a-year period covered by the report1 including the following3 7#a7 ,the number of ,,teach grants converted to loans under section #dbj,n7c77#a77;,b74 7#b7 ,the number of institutions that were subject to the heightened requirements under section #dbj,m7e77#a74 7#c7 ,the number of institutions that were subject to the heightened requirements under section #dbj,m7e77#b74 7#d7 ,the number of ,,teach grants converted to loans under section #dbj,n7c77#a77;,b7 that were reconverted to ,,teach grants in accordance with section #dbj,n7c77#b74 7#e7 ,the number of contacts or complaints to the ,department of ,education or the ,consumer ,financial ,protection ,bureau 7including through any ombudsman7 received from a ,,teach grant recipient1 and the resolutions of those contacts or complaints4 7#f7 ,demographic information about recipients of ,,teach grants1 including race1 ethnicity1 and gender4 7#g7 ,recommendations on best practices for minimizing the conversion of ,,teach grants into loans4 #dbj,q4 ,servicer accountability ,the ,secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to ensure accurate administrative oversight and appropriate penalties for third party servicers in order to ensure that-- 7#a7 such servicers properly perform their contractual obligations with respect to this subpart2 and 7#b7 such servicers are held responsible with respect to the loss of benefits of ,,teach grant recipients due to servicer failures4 4 #c4 ,effective date ,the amendments made by this ,act shall take effect on ,july #a1 #bjbf4