S.Amdt. 2112

SA 2112. Mr. BENNET submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 2089 submitted by Mr. Alexander (for himself and Mrs.
Murray) to the bill S. 1177, to reauthorize the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 to ensure that every child achieves;
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 284, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:
``(C) Optional uses.--
``(i) In general.--The State educational agency for a State
that receives an allotment under subsection (b) may use not
more than 1 percent of funds available and not reserved under
paragraph (1) to establish, expand, or implement 1 or more
teacher or principal preparation academies and to provide for
a State authorizer, if--

``(I) the State does not have in place legal, statutory, or
regulatory barriers to the creation or operation of teacher
or principal preparation academies;
``(II) the State enables candidates attending a teacher or
principal preparation academy to be eligible for State
financial aid to the same extent as participants in other
State-approved teacher or principal preparation programs,
including alternative certification, licensure, or credential
programs;
``(III) the State enables teachers or principals who are
teaching or working while on alternative certificates,
licenses, or credentials to teach or work in the State while
enrolled in a teacher or principal preparation academy; and
``(IV) the State will recognize a certificate of completion
(from any teacher or principal preparation academy that is
not, or is unaffiliated with, an institution of higher
education), as at least the equivalent of a master's degree
in education for the purposes of hiring, retention,
compensation, and promotion in the State.

``(ii) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:

``(I) Teacher or principal preparation academy.--The term
`teacher or principal preparation academy' means a public or
other nonprofit institution that will prepare teachers or
principals, or both, to serve in high need schools and that--

``(aa) enters into an agreement with a State authorizer
that specifies the goals expected of the institution,
including--
``(AA) a requirement that teacher or principal candidates,
or teachers teaching or principals serving on alternative
certificates, licenses, or credentials, who are enrolled in
the academy receive a significant part of their training
through clinical preparation that partners candidates with
mentor teachers or principals with a demonstrated track
record of success in improving student growth, including
(where applicable) children with disabilities, children
living in poverty, and English learners; and
``(BB) a requirement that the academy will provide
instruction to teacher candidates that links to the clinical
preparation experience;
``(CC) the number of teachers or principals the academy
will produce and the minimum number and percentage of
teachers or principals who will demonstrate success in
improving student performance based on multiple measures
(including student growth);
``(DD) a requirement that the teacher preparation component
of the academy will only award a certificate of completion
(or degree, if the academy is, or is affiliated with, an
institution of higher education) after the graduate
demonstrates a track record of success in improving student
performance based on multiple measures (including student
growth), either as a student teacher or teacher-of-record on
an alternative certificate, license, or credential;
``(EE) a requirement that the principal preparation
component of the academy will only award a certificate of
completion (or degree, if the academy is, or is affiliated
with, an institution of higher education) after the graduate
demonstrates a track record of success in improving student
performance for some or all of a school's students; and
``(FF) timelines for producing cohorts of graduates and
conferring certificates of completion (or degrees, if the
academy is, or is affiliated with, an institution of higher
education) from the academy;
``(bb) shall not have unnecessary restrictions placed on
the methods the academy will use to train teacher or
principal candidates (or teachers or principals that are
teaching or working while on alternative certificates,
licenses, or credentials), including restrictions or
requirements--
``(AA) obligating the faculty of the academy to hold
advanced degrees, or prohibiting the faculty of the academy
from holding advanced degrees;
``(BB) obligating such faculty to conduct academic
research;
``(CC) related to the physical infrastructure of the
academy;
``(DD) related to the number of course credits required as
part of the program of study;
``(EE) related to the undergraduate coursework completed by
teachers teaching on alternative certificates, licenses, or
credentials, as long as such teachers have successfully
passed all relevant State-approved content area examinations;
or
``(FF) related to obtaining additional accreditation from a
national accrediting body; and
``(cc) limits admission to its program to candidates who
demonstrate strong potential to improve student achievement,
based on a rigorous selection process that reviews a
candidate's prior academic achievement or record of
professional accomplishment.

[[Page S4799]]

``(II) State authorizer.--The term `State authorizer' means
an entity designated by the Governor of a State to recognize
teacher or principal preparation academies within the State
that--

``(aa) enters into an agreement with a teacher or principal
preparation academy that specifies the goals expected of the
academy, as described in subclause (I)(aa);
``(bb) may be a nonprofit organization, State educational
agency, or other public entity, or consortium of such
entities (including a consortium of States); and
``(cc) does not reauthorize a teacher or principal
preparation academy if the academy fails to produce the
minimum number or percentage of effective teachers or
principals, respectively, identified in the academy's
authorizing agreement.
``(iii) Supplement, not supplant.--Funds used in accordance
with this subparagraph shall be used to supplement, and not
supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be used for
activities authorized under this subparagraph.''.
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