Excellence in Teaching Act

Excellence in Teaching Act - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994 to carry out this Act.

Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to seek cost-sharing by State and local entities, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations for any program assisted under this Act.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) evaluate the teacher corps and senior teacher corps programs; and (2) report on it to the appropriate congressional committees within three years after enactment of this Act.

Directs the Secretary to designate an office within the Department of Education (the Department) to coordinate activities under this Act.

Directs the Secretary to report annually to the Congress on teachers and the teaching profession.

Title I: Teacher Corps - Teacher Corps Recruitment and Induction Act of 1989 - Part A: Teacher Corps - Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) make grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) to conduct teacher corps activities; and (2) award scholarships to teacher corps members. Bases the amounts of such grants to SEAs on school-age population.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish teacher corps selection criteria for States to use; (2) disseminate information about availability of teacher corps scholarships; (3) award such scholarships to individuals recommended by SEAs; (4) review and approve SEA applications for grants; (5) make awards to SEAs; (6) designate an office within the Department for liaison and coordination with participating SEAs; (7) foster communication among teacher corps members; and (8) collect scholarship repayments.

Specifies authorized uses of grant money by SEAs.

Allows LEAs to use grant funds to carry out induction programs for new teacher corps members (and other new teachers), ensuring that teacher corps members participate in one for at least one year, including work with a designated mentor teacher.

Requires the SEA, in cooperation with the State higher education agency, to select teacher corps members according to the Secretary's criteria, subject to the Secretary's review. Requires special consideration for those who intend to teach handicapped, limited English proficient, or preschool age students, or in an inner city school. Sets forth individual application requirements.

Sets forth SEA grant application requirements. Provides that an SEA shall be disqualified from any future financial assistance under this title: (1) if it fails to maintain accurate records on teacher corps members to ensure compliance with scholarship conditions; or (2) if it fails to notify the Secretary upon a change of status rendering a member in violation of such conditions.

Sets forth LEA grant application requirements.

Makes individuals eligible to receive such scholarships for up to two years during enrollment in any of the following programs of study: (1) the last two years of a baccalaureate degree; (2) one or two years of a masters or other postbaccalaureate specialist degree; or (3) two years of an associate's degree in early childhood education or development, or one year of a child development associate credential program. Makes individuals in other associate degree programs eligible for the third and fourth year for a baccalaureate degree. Makes individuals with a bachelor's degree who wish to enter teaching from another profession eligible for such a scholarship for the instruction necessary to enter the teaching profession in the State where they wish to teach. Allows such instruction to be provided while the individual is employed as a provisional teacher, at the discretion of the SEA and LEA.

Limits the amount of such a scholarship to an individual to the lesser of $8,000 or the cost of attendance per year for a maximum of two years.

States that such scholarship shall be considered in determining eligibility for student assistance under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Directs the Secretary, in addition to such scholarship amounts, to award teacher corps members without a masters degree a scholarship of up to $2,000 during any of the first three years of employment as a teacher, to defray the costs of pursuing post-baccalaureate instruction.

Allows the SEA in any State experiencing a shortage of mathematics and science teachers to recommend that the Secretary give special consideration for teacher corps scholarships to individuals committed to teaching mathematics or science in elementary or secondary schools. Prescribes eligibility requirements.

Requires scholarship agreements to include assurances of satisfactory academic progress and participation in teaching-related activities during the course of study, and of teaching for: (1) five years in a geographic area, or substantial field of expertise, of shortage, as determined by the SEA; (2) four years in an inner city school; or (3) four years if the student received a mathematics and science scholarship under special consideration provisions. Allows members to transfer to another LEA or to another State with a program, upon approval of the sending or receiving LEA or State. Prescribes additional assurances such agreements must include. Provides for repayment of scholarships and for cancellation of such obligation under specified conditions.

Provides for publication of, and recruitment for, the teacher corps scholarship program, particularly for minority students.

Part B: Senior Teacher Corps - Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) make grants to SEAs to conduct senior teacher corps activities; and (2) award scholarships to senior teacher corps members.

Authorizes the Secretary to use funds to: (1) establish senior teacher corps selection criteria for States to use; (2) disseminate information about availability of such scholarships nationally, and especially to LEAs with high minority enrollment; (3) award such scholarships to individuals recommended by SEAs; (4) review and approve SEA applications for grants; (5) make awards to SEAs (6) foster communication among teacher corps members; and (7) collect scholarship repayments.

Specifies authorized uses of grant money by SEAs.

Makes individuals who have been employed as teachers for eight or more years with full professional State certification eligible to apply for membership in the senior teacher corps. Sets forth requirements for individual applications, selection by SEAs, and review by the Secretary. Directs the SEA to give special consideration to individuals who intend to: (1) use a sabbatical period to improve or acquire skills in science or mathematics or in order to teach or provide related services to handicapped, limited English proficient, or preschool age students; or (2) teach students in inner city schools, following the sabbatical period.

Sets forth SEA grant application requirements. Requires that an SEA be disqualified from any future financial assistance under this title: (1) if it fails to maintain accurate records on senior teacher corps members to ensure compliance with scholarship conditions; or (2) if it fails to notify the Secretary upon a change of status rendering such member in violation of such conditions.

Directs the Secretary to award members a scholarship equal to one-half of their usual annual salary to enable them to participate in specified programs and activities during a sabbatical period.

Requires such scholarship agreements to include assurances that members will: (1) spend a half-year sabbatical to participate in certain approved programs or activities; (2) work as a teacher, following the sabbatical, for five years in the State through which the award was made, or for four years in an inner city school in that State (except that they may transfer upon approval of both the sending and receiving State); (3) during the period of such work, upon LEA approval, participate as a mentor in an induction program for new teachers or otherwise contribute to the teacher corps programs; (4) during the period of such work, help in developing in-service training programs; and (5) participate in activities fostering communication among senior teacher corps members. Provides for repayment of scholarships by members violating such agreements, and for cancellation of such obligation under specified conditions.

Provides for publicity of and recruitment for the senior teacher corps scholarship program, particularly for minority teachers and in LEAs with above-average minority enrollments.

Title II: Professional Development Academies - Professional Development Academy Establishment Act of 1989 - Provides for establishment of professional development academies which: (1) are operated by partnerships including one or more LEAs and one or more higher education institutions offering teacher training programs; and (2) provide in-service training and other activities to teachers and administrators.

Directs the Secretary to provide funds for such academies through allotments to SEAs in States with approved applications or grants to LEAs or LEA consortia in States not receiving such allotments. Bases such allotments and grants on school-age population.

Provides for State and local applications for and uses of such funds.

Sets the Federal share at 50 percent of the cost of planning, establishing, and operating such academies. Requires States receiving such assistance to pay 80 percent of the non-Federal share from non-Federal sources.

Title III: Minority Teacher Recruitment - Minority Teacher Recruitment Act of 1989 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to carry out programs and activities to: (1) improve recruitment and training opportunities for ethnic minority members in education; and (2) increase the number of minority teachers in elementary and secondary schools.

Sets forth application requirements and authorized uses of such funds by LEAs, higher education institutions, SEAs, and State higher education agencies.

Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to authorize historically Black colleges and universities to use certain grants to establish or enhance a teacher education and certification preparation program to qualify students for public elementary or secondary school teaching in the State.

Amends HEA provisions for Student Assistance Special Programs for Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds to authorize the Secretary to make grants for Summer Institutes for Future Teachers (SIFT).

Makes eligible to receive such SIFT grants higher education institutions, LEAs, SEAs, State higher education agencies, public or private nonprofit organizations, or professional associations representing teachers, counselors, or administrators.

Sets forth application requirements, selection criteria, and authorized uses of funds. Sets limits on the maximum SIFT stipends for students.

Limits the maximum amount of funds which may be used for such SIFT grants and conditions any such funding upon a specified minimum appropriation level for all such Special Programs.

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions for magnet schools assistance to include components for interesting students in, and educating them for, teaching careers.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study of alternative ways to increase minority participation in the teaching profession; and (2) report on study results to the appropriate congressional committees within two years.

Title IV: Bilingual Teacher Enhancement Act - Bilingual Teacher Enhancement Act of 1989 - Amends title VII (the Bilingual Education Act) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary to make grants for bilingual teacher enhancement through activities to: (1) increase the number of teachers trained to teach limited English proficient students; (2) provide in-service training for teachers of limited English proficient students; and (3) train all teachers in techniques for educating language minority students.

Sets forth application requirements and authorized uses of such funds by higher education institutions with existing teacher education programs, by SEAs, and by LEAs. Requires grant recipients to coordinate such programs with other Federal, State, and local programs which train teachers of limited English proficient students.

Requires linkage or coordination whenever a recipient under this title also receives a professional development academy grant.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1993 for such bilingual teacher enhancement grants.

Title V: Early Childhood Development Teacher Enhancement Act - Early Childhood Development Teacher Enhancement Act of 1989 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for activities and programs to increase the number of teachers trained to teach preschool age children in early childhood education and development programs.

Makes eligible to receive such grants higher education institutions, SEAs, LEAs, or private nonprofit institutions. Requires recipients to include in their programs curricula regarding young children with special needs.

Requires linkage or coordination whenever a recipient under this title also receives a professional development academy grant.

Sets forth application requirements and authorized uses of funds in post-baccalaureate, undergraduate, and associate degree or credential programs.

Amends the Child Development Associate Scholarship Assistance Act of 1985 to include part of the costs of training among those costs which must be covered by scholarship assistance under such Act. Increases the amount authorized to be appropriated to carry out such Act for FY 1990, and extends its authorization of appropriations through FY 1994.

Title VI: Teachers of Children with Handicaps Enhancement - Teachers of Children with Handicaps Enhancement Act of 1989 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for activities and programs to increase, through preservice and in-service training, the preparedness of mainstream classroom teachers for the participation of children with handicaps in their classrooms.

Make eligible to receive such grants higher education institutions with teacher training programs, SEAs, and LEAs. Sets forth application requirements and authorized uses of funds. Requires that such grants be awarded on a competitive basis.

Requires linkage or coordination whenever a recipient under this title also receives a professional development academy grant.

Title VII: Mathematics and Science Teacher Enhancement - Mathematics and Science Teacher Enhancement Act of 1989 - Authorizes the Director of the National Science Foundation to make grants to SEAs, LEAs, higher education institutions, or private nonprofit organizations, or consortia, to: (1) establish or upgrade teacher in-service training in substance and skills for elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers of mathematics and science; and (2) engage in other projects to improve student learning in mathematics and science.

Bases grant awards on quality of application and degree to which the applicant will meet the needs of the school population to be served, with special consideration for applicants which will serve populations including members of minority groups historically underrepresented in mathematics and science.

Requires linkage or coordination whenever recipients under this title also receive professional development academy grants.

Sets forth application requirements and authorized uses of funds. Includes among program requirements: (1) in-service training for elementary school teachers; (2) cultural and gender sensitivity training; (3) in-service training program dissemination through the Star School telecommunications network, for those recipients who also receive Star Schools Assistance; (4) coordination with activities and services funded under the Dwight D. Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education Act, and with other mathematics and science teacher training programs in the State; and (5) cost-sharing.

Requires the Director to: (1) conduct an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of curricular reforms in mathematics and science education; and (2) report evaluation results to the appropriate congressional committees within four years.

Amends the National Science Foundation Assistance Act of 1988 to increase the amounts of various authorizations of appropriations.

Title VIII: School Based Management/Shared Decisionmaking Incentive - School Based Management/Shared Decisionmaking Incentive Act - Amends the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of School and Teaching Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants to LEAs to provide incentives to test school based management/shared decisionmaking programs at school sites, and to evaluate and disseminate results.

Requires linkage or coordination whenever a recipient under this title also receives a professional development academy grant.

Describes, and delineates responsibilities under, the process of school based management/shared decisionmaking.

Sets forth application requirements and authorized uses of funds.

Requires recipients to submit annually specifed information on such programs to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to: (1) within one year, compile and analyze such information and submit the analysis to the appropriate congressional committees; and (2) within two years, evaluate programs funded under this title and other such programs to determine their effectiveness in improving school performance.

Increases the authorization of appropriations under such Act, and limits to the amount of such increase the amount which may be reserved for such program grants.

Title IX: Teacher Recognition - Teacher of the Year Recognition Act - Directs the Secretary to design and implement a recognition program for teachers designated by the Council of Chief State School Officers as teachers of the year and the national teacher of the year.

Includes among program requirements: (1) ceremonies and informational briefings in Washington, D.C., including at least one major event sponsored by the Congress; (2) program design consultation with educational organizations; (3) payment of expenses of teacher participants; and (4) authorization to accept gifts and contributions.

Directs the Secretary to designate and procure medals to be presented to such teachers by the President or a designee.

Authorizes the Secretary to work with State, local, and other organizations to encourage State and local recognition programs to honor outstanding teachers and other educators.