HR 2902 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

1st SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

H. R. 2902CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To establish a grant program to ensure that students in high-need schools have equal access to a quality education delivered by an effective, diverse workforce.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

September 13, 2011CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Ms. CHU introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the WorkforceCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To establish a grant program to ensure that students in high-need schools have equal access to a quality education delivered by an effective, diverse workforce.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Equal Access to Quality Education Act of 2011’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. EQUAL ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) In General- The Secretary of Education shall make grants on a competitive basis to eligible partnerships in high-need areas to develop and strengthen high-quality pathways for the teaching and education leadership professions, to create professional induction programs for the teaching profession, and to provide a stable and collaborative learning environment for educators and students.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Purposes- The purposes of the grant program established under this section shall be to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) increase the percentage of highly qualified teachers in a State, including teachers from under-represented minority groups;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) close the achievement gap for students within subgroups that are not showing expected performance;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) decrease shortages of highly qualified teachers in poor urban and rural areas;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) decrease high turnover rates for educators in high-need schools;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) increase the number of highly qualified teachers in shortage areas, including special education, bilingual education, and education for English language learners, and in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) increase opportunities for enhanced and ongoing professional development that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) improves the academic content knowledge of teachers in the subject areas in which teachers are certified or licensed to teach or in which the teachers are working toward certification or licensure to teach;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) promotes strong teaching skills, including instructional strategies that address diverse needs, the use of data to inform instruction, and strategies to improve student achievement; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) provides time for teachers to share their knowledge and innovation; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) provide all educators with the knowledge base and professional skills to meet the needs of diverse learners, including English language learners and students with disabilities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Use of Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) REQUIRED USES- A partnership that receives a grant under this section shall use the funds to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) establish or support a teacher preparation program that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) requires participants in the program to complete at least one year of residency at a high-need school in the local educational agency participating in the eligible partnership;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) requires participants in the program to teach in a high-need school in such local educational agency for at least 3 years after completing residency; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) awards a teaching credential, an undergraduate degree, or a Masters degree that meets State requirements for a teaching license or certification upon completion of the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) establish or support a teacher induction and retention program that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) provides high-quality professional development to teachers to assist them in improving their knowledge, skills, and teaching practices in order to help students to improve their achievement and meet State academic standards;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) provides teachers with updated information on developments in curricula, assessments, and educational research, including the manner in which the research and data can be used to improve teaching skills and practice;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) provides a mentor teacher and other support for new teachers; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iv) provides leadership opportunities for teachers, including access to career ladders and roles as curriculum and instructional leaders, mentors, and coaches; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) otherwise fulfill the purposes described in subsection (b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) AUTHORIZED USES- In addition to the activities described in paragraph (1), a partnership that receives a grant under this section may use the funds for any of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) Providing support to each mentor teacher working with new teachers.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) Providing preparation in effective, evidence-based instructional assessment practices and classroom management strategies for general education teachers serving students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) Enabling teachers to engage in study groups, professional learning communities, and other collaborative activities and collegial interactions regarding instruction assessment.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) Paying for release time and substitute teachers in order to enable teachers to participate in professional development and mentoring activities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) Creating libraries of professional material, catalogues of expert instruction, and education technology.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) Providing high-quality professional development for other instructional staff, such as paraprofessionals, librarians, and counselors.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) Developing partnerships with businesses and community-based organizations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(H) Providing tuition assistance, scholarships, or student loan repayment to teachers.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(I) Providing stipends to participants in the teacher preparation program under paragraph (1)(A).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(J) Providing support for home visitation, parenting education, and family engagement, especially for parents who have limited English proficiency.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Priority- In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible partnerships that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) demonstrate a plan to recruit teachers from among minority and local candidates and from individuals with disabilities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) demonstrate the use of a valid and reliable teacher performance assessment; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) an institution of higher education that is an ‘eligible institution’ for purposes of the TEACH Grant program under subpart 9 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070g et seq.);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) a Tribal College or University, as defined in section 316(b)(3) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3));CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, as defined in section 320(a) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059g(a));CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) a Hispanic-serving institution, as defined in section 502(a)(5) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)); orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) a historically Black college and university, as defined in section 631(a)(5) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1132(a)).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Matching Requirements-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) FEDERAL SHARE- The Federal share of the cost of any activities funded by a grant received under this section shall not exceed 75 percent.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) PAYMENT OF NON-FEDERAL SHARE- The non-Federal share may be paid in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including services.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(f) Definitions- In this section:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP- The term ‘eligible partnership’ means a partnership--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) between a high-need local educational agency and an institution of higher education; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) that may include a teacher organization or a nonprofit educational organization.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) FAMILY ENGAGEMENT- The term ‘family engagement’ means a shared responsibility of families and schools for student success, in which schools and community-based organizations are committed to reaching out to engage families, especially parents of non-Native English speakers, in meaningful ways that encourage the families to actively support their children’s learning and development, as well as the learning and development of other children. The shared responsibility is continuous from birth through young adulthood and reinforces learning that takes place in the home, school, and community.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY- The term ‘high-need local educational agency’ means a local educational agency--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A)(i) that serves not fewer than 10,000 low-income children;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) for which not less than 20 percent of the children served by the agency are low-income children; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) that has a percentage of low-income children that is above the highest quartile among such agencies in the State; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B)(i) for which one or more schools served by the agency has a high percentage of teachers who are not highly qualified; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) for which one or more schools served by the agency has a high teacher turnover rate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) HIGHLY QUALIFIED- The term ‘highly qualified’ has the meaning given the term in section 9101(23) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 7801(23)). The definition given the term ‘highly qualified teacher’ in section 163 of Public Law 111-242 shall not apply with respect to this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION- The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) LOW-INCOME CHILDREN- The term ‘low-income children’ means--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) children from families with incomes below the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981) applicable to a family of the size involved; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) children who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) MENTOR TEACHER- The term ‘mentor teacher’ means a teacher who--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) is highly qualified;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) has a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) is recommended by the principal and other current master and mentor teachers on the basis of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) instructional excellence through observations and other evidence of classroom practice, including standards-based evaluations, such as certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) an ability, as demonstrated by evidence of student learning in high-need schools, to increase student learning; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) excellent instruction and communication with an understanding of how to facilitate growth in other teachers, including new teachers.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) TEACHER PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT- The term ‘teacher performance assessment’ means a program, based on State or national professional teaching standards, that will measure teachers’ curriculum planning, instruction, and assessment of students, including appropriate plans and adaptations for English language learners and students with disabilities, and multiple sources of evidence about student learning. Such assessment will be validated against professional assessment standards and reliably scored by trained external evaluators with appropriate auditing of scoring to ensure consistency.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) TEACHING CREDENTIAL- The term ‘teaching credential’ means a program of instruction for individuals who have completed a baccalaureate degree, that does not lead to a graduate degree, and that consists of courses required by a State for a teacher candidate to receive a professional certification or license that is required for employment as a teacher in an elementary school or secondary school in that State.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink