T-FELAS Act

Teaching Fellows for Expanded Learning and After-School Act of 2008 or the T-FELAS Act - Amends title IV (21st Century Schools) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to create an Expanded Learning and After-School Fellows program under which the Secretary of Education shall award competitive three-year grants to partnerships between local educational agencies and community organizations, institutions of higher education, community learning centers or other entities to recruit, select, train, and support exemplary recent college graduates (Fellows) who: (1) establish, expand, or improve expanded learning initiatives, 21st century community learning center programs, or after-school programs in high-need schools; and (2) provide school-day support to teachers in such schools.

Requires grantees to: (1) provide intensive, comprehensive, and experiential training that prepares Fellows in methods of youth development and offers them a promising career path in public education and youth development; (2) place Fellows in full-time positions where they serve for at least 30 weeks per year, and for a term sufficient to qualify the Fellow for a national service educational award; and (3) provide matching funds on the basis of a sliding scale that gauges the grantees' ability to raise funds. Favors grant applicants that agree to engage Fellows for two-year terms and arrange for them to earn an undergraduate or master's degree in education while serving.

Directs the Secretary to conduct an external evaluation of this program every three years and publicize the best practices of program grantees through the Federal Youth Development Council.

Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to make Fellows eligible for national service educational awards.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov