Findings

The Congress makes the following findings: (1)The United States faces an increasing need for high-quality educators. (2)Approximately one-third of teachers leave the profession within 3 years of being hired because of poor working conditions, low pay, low morale, or lack of a pathway for professional advancement. In some schools, the five-year attrition rate reaches 50 percent. (3)Effective teacher retention programs to address this problem are already at work in local educational agencies around the country, and many more innovative programs could be advanced if additional resources were available. (4)Efforts to address the teacher shortage demands a national strategy to support the development and implementation of innovative teacher retention programs. (5)The Department of Education can play an important role in facilitating the identification of the most promising teacher retention approaches and disseminating information about them to State educational agencies and local educational agencies.

Grants for innovative teacher retention programs

Section 2151 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6651) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(g)

Teacher retention activities

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall establish and carry out a teacher retention program to— (A)assist State educational agencies and local educational agencies in developing and implementing innovative teacher retention programs, and support the development of model programs and best practices in retaining quality teachers in the classroom; and (B)facilitate the dissemination of innovative teacher retention programs to State educational agencies and local educational agencies. (2)

Grants

The Secretary shall carry out paragraph (1)(A) by making grants to eligible entities to develop and implement innovative teacher retention programs, including activities such as— (A)professional development programs; (B)teacher mentoring programs; (C)advanced certification or advanced credentialing; (D)research, travel, or fellowship opportunities; and (E)pairing of teachers with professionals in research or industry. (3)

Eligible entities

In this subsection, the term eligible entity includes— (A)local educational agencies; (B)State educational agencies; and (C)partnerships of local educational agencies, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education. (4)

Grant terms

Grants under this subsection shall be awarded for periods of not more than 5 years and on a competitive basis. Grants awarded under this subsection may be renewed. (5)

Secretary’s duty to identify most promising teacher retention approaches

In carrying out paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall— (A)identify the most promising teacher retention approaches, including the approaches already working and the approaches developed through grants funded under this subsection, and make information about such approaches publicly available and easily accessible to State educational agencies and local educational agencies; and (B)not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter, transmit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report that describes— (i)the methodology by which the most promising teacher retention programs are identified under subparagraph (A); and (ii)the Secretary’s efforts to disseminate information regarding such programs to State educational agencies and local educational agencies.