H.R. 5218 – Reading Mode

111th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5218

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 5, 2010

Mr. Polis of Colorado (for himself, Mr. Berman, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Grijalva, Mrs. Kirkpatrick of Arizona, Ms. Norton, and Ms. Richardson) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

A BILL

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide for school improvement and professional development for teachers, principals, instructional staff, and other school leaders, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Great Teachers for Great Schools Act of 2010.

References

Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.).

Findings and purpose

(a)

Findings

The Congress finds the following:

(1)

Teacher quality is the single most important factor influencing student learning and achievement.

(2)

Studies have found that 40 to 90 percent of the difference in student test scores can be attributed to teacher quality.

(3)

Principal leadership is second only to classroom instruction in terms of school-related factors which affect student learning, especially in high-needs schools.

(4)

Available experimental studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between professional development and student performance. A set of programs that offered substantial professional development, ranging from 30 to 100 hours in total, spread over six to 12 months, showed a positive and significant effect on student achievement gains. According to the research, the intensive professional development efforts that offered an average of 49 hours in a year boosted student performance by approximately 21 percentile points.

(5)

Studies that benchmark United States academic performance against that of other developed nations have stressed the importance of and need for improved professional development, for example as follows:

(A)

For professional development, Finland relies on a system wherein students are trained from a young age in the skills required for classroom success. These skills are bolstered in the workplace through an organizational structure that promotes entrepreneurship, daily learning, and continual professional development.

(B)

Japan’s focus on continually building content knowledge, intrinsic capabilities, and pedagogical knowledge—especially amongst young teachers—has yielded massive educational success for the country. They implement a nationally practiced system of “guidance teachers” and “trainee teachers” which encourage one-on-one coaching and an intense commitment to professional development.

(C)

After experiencing unsatisfactory progress in literacy and mathematics for nearly 50 years, England pursued a national teacher training program that employed best practice techniques. After three years, England increased the number of students meeting the target standards in literacy from 63 percent to 75 percent.

(b)

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to build the capacity of teachers and principals in our Nation’s schools through systematic, sustained, coherent school and team-based, job-embedded professional development.

School improvement

Section 1003(g)(5) (20 U.S.C. 6303(g)(5)) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (B), by striking and after the semicolon;

(2)

in subparagraph (C), by striking the period and inserting ; and; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(D)

permitted to be used to supplement the activities required under section 2501.

Local school improvement

Title II (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Building school capacity for effective teaching

2501.

Local school improvement activities

(a)

Subgrants to local educational agencies

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall allot the amount made available to carry out this part for a fiscal year among the State educational agencies in proportion to the amounts received by the States under title I for such year.

(2)

Use of allotment

A State educational agency that receives an allotment under this part shall—

(A)

reserve 95 percent of the fund to make subgrants to local educational agencies; and

(B)

use the remainder of the funds for administrative activities in carrying out this part.

(3)

Proportionality

To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that subgrants awarded under this part are equitably distributed among local educational agencies and serving urban and rural areas.

(b)

First award

In awarding subgrants under this part, a State educational agency shall first award grants to local educational agencies—

(1)

that demonstrate the greatest need for district and school improvement subgrant funds;

(2)

in which the average graduation rates are less than 65 percent, if applicable; and

(3)

in which children eligible for free and reduced priced lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act constitute not less than 40 percent of the total population of children aged 5 to 17 served by the agency.

(c)

Local educational agency application

(1)

In general

To be eligible to receive a subgrant under this part, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State educational agency may reasonably require.

(2)

Contents

Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include—

(A)

a description of how the local educational agency will assist schools identified under section 1116(b), and low-achieving secondary schools with graduation rates less than 65 percent, in—

(i)

implementing high-impact professional development;

(ii)

providing protected release time for high-impact professional development that occurs not less than multiple times per week; and

(iii)

using teaching standards, formative assessments, teacher portfolio processes, evidence-based instructional practices, and teacher development protocols; and

(B)

a description of how the local educational agency will—

(i)

evaluate the effectiveness of the programs and assistance provided under subsection (d) and pursuant to subsection (e);

(ii)

prepare, support, and utilize internal teacher leaders, coaches, or content experts to facilitate school-based professional development; and

(iii)

ensure that the professional development required under subsection (d) is integrated and aligned with the State’s school improvement efforts under sections 1116 and 1117.

(d)

Use of funds

(1)

In general

A local educational agency that receives a subgrant under this part shall use the subgrant funds to improve teacher, principal, and other instructional staff quality through a comprehensive system of professional development (as defined in section 9101(34))—

(A)

to increase principals’, coaches’, and teacher leaders’ knowledge and skills in—

(i)

assisting the school to—

(I)

clarify school improvement goals;

(II)

train educators in analyzing school and student data to inform decisionmaking and improvement efforts;

(III)

develop and implement professional development aligned with student achievement needs and educator learning goals;

(IV)

allocate teacher and principal professional development resources and help develop the revised plan as related to the professional development required under section 1116(b);

(V)

select and implement strategies and interventions to improve student achievement, increase teacher and school leader effectiveness, increase graduation rates, and ensure students graduate prepared for success in college and careers;

(VI)

make available opportunities for individual and team learning activities that focus on increasing pedagogical and content knowledge in academic subjects that are aligned to student learning goals; and

(VII)

design, create, and evaluate the results of curriculum-based diagnostic and performance assessments; and

(ii)

utilizing internal teacher leaders, coaches, or content experts to—

(I)

support classroom learning; and

(II)

facilitate effective collaboration skills across learning communities and transfer knowledge from peers teaching and leading at high-performing schools;

(B)

to increase principals’ knowledge and skills necessary for leading effective professional learning, including—

(i)

establishing a shared vision of school success among all school stakeholders, including teachers, parents, community organizations and related stakeholders by—

(I)

seeking leadership contributions from parents, community organizations, and other school stakeholders;

(II)

actively engaging the community to create shared responsibility for student and school success; and

(III)

engaging in partnerships between elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutes of higher education to ensure the vertical alignment of student learning outcomes;

(ii)

establishing the school as a professional learning community in which—

(I)

there is a culture of continuous learning for adults that is tied to student learning and school goals;

(II)

there is time for team collaboration focused on evaluating and improving instructional practice;

(III)

educators are able to analyze and use data to drive instruction;

(IV)

professional development is evaluated and connected to all of the school learning goals; and

(V)

members of the faculty engage in leadership roles that contribute to school improvement efforts; and

(iii)

promoting the effective use of data by educators, including—

(I)

the use of multiple data sources as diagnostic tools to identify barriers to student success and drive instructional improvement;

(II)

the review and analysis of student work to determine whether students are being taught to State academic content and achievement standards; and

(III)

the use of classroom observations to ensure that all students are provided meaningful learning opportunities that promote active engagement; and

(IV)

supporting a standards-aligned academic instructional program that sets rigorous goals for each student, and a school culture that allows for and encourages students to reach those goals through ensuring that learning is aligned to established State academic standards by—

(aa)

ensuring that State academic content standards serve as the basis for the creation of curriculum and instruction; and

(bb)

monitoring and adjusting the alignment of standards, curriculum, assessments, and instruction; and

(C)

for coaches, principals, and administrators that—

(i)

supports coaches in responding to developmental and contextual needs and promotes the ongoing examination of classroom practice;

(ii)

assists coaches in the collection and sharing of observation data to help teachers improve their practice;

(iii)

provides coaches with strategies for helping teachers identify student needs, plan for differentiated instruction, and ensure equitable learning outcomes;

(iv)

supports the coaches in coaching strategically and finding solutions to challenging situations; and

(v)

helps coaches bring teachers together for meaningful and responsive team-based learning.

(2)

Special rule

A local educational agency that receives a subgrant under this part shall use not less than 10 percent of the subgrant funds for professional development for principals.

(e)

Evaluation

(1)

In general

The professional development program required under subsection (d) shall include a formal evaluation system to determine the effectiveness of the program on not less than—

(A)

teacher instructional practice;

(B)

student learning gains;

(C)

teacher retention;

(D)

student graduation and college readiness rates, as applicable;

(E)

student attendance rates; and

(F)

teacher efficacy.

(2)

Local educational agency and school effectiveness

The formal evaluation system described in paragraph (1) shall also measure the local educational agency’s and school’s effectiveness in—

(A)

ensuring that school protected release time for professional development occurs not less than multiple times per week;

(B)

implementing on-going, research-based professional development for coaches, principals, and administrators;

(C)

ensuring that coaches, teachers, and schools are using data to inform instructional practices; and

(D)

ensuring that the professional development required under subsection (d) is integrated and aligned with the State’s school improvement efforts under sections 1116 and 1117.

(3)

Conduct of evaluation

The evaluation described in subsection (e)(1) shall be conducted by the State, local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, or an external agency that is experienced in conducting qualitative research, and shall be developed in collaboration with groups such as—

(A)

experienced educators with track records of success in the classroom;

(B)

institutions of higher education involved with teacher induction and professional development located within the State; and

(C)

local teacher organizations.

(f)

Eligible entities

The assistance required to be provided under subsection (d) may be provided—

(1)

by the local educational agency; or

(2)

by the local educational agency, in collaboration with the State educational agency, an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization, a teacher organization, an educational service agency, a teaching residency program, or another for profit or nonprofit with experience in helping schools improve student achievement.

(g)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.

(h)

Definitions

For purposes of this section:

(1)

Graduation rate

The term graduation rate has the meaning given the term in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(vi), as clarified in section 200.19(b)(1) of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations.

(2)

Local educational agency

The term local educational agency—

(A)

shall have the meaning given such term in section 9101;

(B)

shall include any public charter school that constitutes a local educational agency under State law; and

(C)

shall include a consortium of local educational agencies acting together.

Professional development defined

Section 9101(34) (20 U.S.C. 7801(34)) is amended to read as follows:

(34)

Professional development

The term professional development means a comprehensive, sustained, and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement that—

(A)

fosters collective responsibility for improved student performance;

(B)

is comprised of professional learning that—

(i)

is aligned with rigorous State student academic achievement standards as well as related local educational agency and school improvement goals;

(ii)

is conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by well-prepared school principals and school-based professional development coaches, mentors, master teachers, or other teacher leaders; and

(iii)

primarily occurs several times per week among established teams of teachers, principals, and other instructional staff members where the teams of educators engage in a continuous cycle of improvement that—

(I)

evaluates student, teacher, and school learning needs through a thorough review of data on teacher and student performance;

(II)

defines a clear set of educator learning goals based on the rigorous analysis of the data;

(III)

achieves the educator learning goals based identified in subclause (II) by implementing coherent, sustained, and evidence-based learning strategies, such as lesson study and the development of formative assessments, that improve instructional effectiveness and student achievement;

(IV)

provides job-embedded coaching or other forms of assistance to support the transfer of new knowledge and skills to the classroom;

(V)

regularly assesses the effectiveness of the professional development in achieving identified learning goals, improving teaching, and assisting all students in meeting challenging State academic achievement standards;

(VI)

informs ongoing improvements in teaching and student learning; and

(VII)

may be supported by external assistance; and

(C)

may be supported by activities such as courses, workshops, institutes, networks, and conferences that—

(i)

address the learning goals and objectives established for professional development by educators at the school level;

(ii)

advance the ongoing school-based professional development; and

(iii)

are provided for by for-profit and non-profit entities outside the school such as universities, education service agencies, technical assistance providers, networks of content-area specialists, and other education organizations and associations.