119 S2481 IS: Pay Teachers Act
U.S. Senate
2025-07-28
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EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of contents(a)This Act may be cited as the Pay Teachers Act
.(b)The table of contents of this Act is as follows:Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.Sec. 2. Purposes.Sec. 3. Findings.Sec. 4. Definitions.Sec. 5. Regulations; special rule.TITLE I—Increasing Federal investments in our Nation’s public schoolsSec. 101. Mandatory appropriations for part A of title I of the ESEA.Sec. 102. Mandatory appropriations for rural education.Sec. 103. Mandatory appropriations for impact aid.Sec. 104. Mandatory appropriations for Bureau of Indian Education.TITLE II—Supporting our Nation’s educatorsPART A—Ensuring teachers are paid a livable and competitive wageSec. 201. Definitions.Sec. 202. State Teacher Pay Plan Addendum.Sec. 203. Paying teachers livable and competitive salaries and wages.Sec. 204. Collective bargaining and related rules.PART B—Modernizing the teaching profession To improve student learningSec. 211. Definitions.Sec. 212. State commissions to advance the teaching profession.Sec. 213. Advancing the teaching profession grants.Sec. 214. Pay Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Act.Sec. 215. Rules.PART C—Technical assistance; reporting; administration; studySec. 221. Annual State report to the Secretary.Sec. 222. Promoting the equitable distribution of in-field, experienced, and effective teachers.Sec. 223. Improving resource equity.Sec. 224. Strengthening per-pupil expenditure reporting.Sec. 225. State administration.Sec. 226. National Academies study to improve ESEA’s resource equity requirements.TITLE III—Investing in educator preparation and the teaching pipelineSec. 301. Mandatory appropriations for the Teacher Quality Partnerships and Grow Your Own programs.Sec. 302. Mandatory appropriations for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program.Sec. 303. Mandatory appropriations for personnel development to improve services and results for children with disabilities under part D of IDEA.Sec. 304. Mandatory appropriations for the Supporting Effective Educator Development program.Sec. 305. Mandatory appropriations for the Teacher and School Leader Incentive program to support continued teacher growth and contributions to student learning.2.The purposes of this Act are to—(1)ensure public elementary and secondary school teachers earn a livable salary and are compensated with a career-based competitive salary that—(A)includes a starting annual base salary of not less than $60,000; and(B)increases regularly throughout a teacher’s career;(2)ensure paraprofessionals and education support staff are paid a living wage of not less than $45,000 per year or $30.00 an hour;(3)increase Federal investments in public schools, and call upon States and local governments to increase investments in public education in order to promote educational equity, including by ensuring that every public school student is taught by a qualified teacher; and(4)invest in a diverse teacher workforce, by strengthening the educator pipeline and supporting career development and advancement through expanded teacher leadership and professional advancement opportunities.3.Congress finds the following:(1)Public school teachers in the United States have one of the toughest, most demanding, and most under-appreciated jobs in the United States.(2)In the majority of States, public elementary and secondary school teachers do not earn a livable and competitive salary. According to the 2024 report by the Economic Policy Institute, on average, teachers in 2023 earned 5.1 percent less than teachers did in 1996, while during the same time period, the wages for other similarly-educated professionals increased by 30 percent.(3)Many teachers across the country are working multiple jobs and have to rely on public assistance programs just to make ends meet. According to the Southern Regional Education Board, in 36 States, the average teacher salary is low enough that mid-career teachers who are the head of household for a family of 4 qualify for government benefits. According to a University of California, Berkeley study, between 2014 and 2016, 21 percent of elementary and middle school teachers were part of families enrolled in at least one of the following public assistance programs:(A)The Earned Income Tax Credit under section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.(B)The Medicaid program.(C)The Children’s Health Insurance program.(D)The supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).(E)The program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families established under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).(4)One estimate shows that in school year 2020–2021, 17 percent of public school teachers worked multiple jobs during the school year, such as working in restaurants or driving for ride-share platforms.(5)The reality for paraprofessionals and education support staff is even more troubling. In school year 2022–23, full-time workers earned on average $33,756, with 38 percent of workers earning less than $25,000 and 12.5 percent earning less than $15,000. This is no way to treat the critical school staff who manage our school grounds, keep our students safe, drive them to school, and work in our Nation’s classrooms.(6)According to the National Education Association, the average starting teacher salary in the United States was $44,530 in the 2022–2023 school year. This is an increase of 3.9 percent over the previous school year. 28.6 percent of school districts pay their starting teachers less than $40,000, and those districts employ 17.9 percent of teachers nationwide. Only 12.9 percent of starting teachers nationwide earn a salary of $60,000 or more. Nationwide, 38 percent of teachers earn less than $60,000.(7)According to a 2022 study from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, the most recent national data shows that nearly 200,000 teaching positions were either vacant or held by underqualified teachers. This study, and others, consistently demonstrate that teacher shortages disproportionately impact schools serving the most students of color and from low-income backgrounds.(8)Nearly 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), required the provision of public education to all people on equal terms,
children of color, children with disabilities, and children in low-income communities are routinely denied a high-quality education. The Civil Rights Data Collection of the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education shows that schools with high enrollment of students of color are 4 times as likely to employ uncertified teachers compared to schools with low enrollment of students of color. Additional studies show that teachers with less than 3 years of experience are concentrated in schools serving a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds and students of color.(9)Research, including a study by the Economic Policy Institute, has found that raising teacher salaries helps attract youth into teaching, encourages teachers to teach in underserved schools, improves teacher retention and morale, and bolsters student academic outcomes. According to the Learning Policy Institute, controlling for other factors, teachers employed by local educational agencies with the highest salary schedules are 31 percent less likely to leave than teachers employed by local educational agencies with lower pay scales.(10)According to the Consortium for Policy Research in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, teachers who enter the profession through comprehensive and high-quality pathways are 2 to 3 times more likely to remain in the profession than underprepared teachers who enter through less than comprehensive pathways.(11)Several studies have shown the many benefits of providing opportunities for teacher leadership, which include improving instructional practice, increasing academic and other positive outcomes for students, and increasing teacher retention.(12)Teachers in the United States are systemically underpaid compared to their similarly educated peers. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, teachers in the United States are paid 64 percent what similarly-educated professionals earn, which is a much more extreme pay gap than in other industrialized nations.(13)Raising teacher salaries to at least $60,000 a year, ensuring competitive pay throughout the lifetime of the teaching career, and empowering teachers are some of the most important steps the United States can take to address the teacher shortage crisis and ensure all students have access to qualified teachers and educational opportunity. Paying teachers as the professionals they are is critical in order to honor the work of educators, restore respect to the teaching profession, and create a high-quality public education system that serves the needs of students, families, and teachers.(14)Most paraprofessionals and education support staff are employed to work only 36 to 38 hours per week and are laid off during the summer.4.In this Act:(1)Annual adjustment percentageThe term annual adjustment percentage, with respect to appropriations made under this Act for a fiscal year, means a percentage equal to the estimated percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the Secretary of Education, for the most recent calendar year ending prior to the beginning of such fiscal year.(2)The term Consumer Price Index has the meaning given the term in section 478(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087rr(f)).(3)The term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.5.Regulations; special rule(a)Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue final regulations related to the implementation of this Act and the amendments made by this Act, including the provisions of subsection (i) of section 1111, section 2253, and 2254 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311), as added by this Act.(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may take such steps as the Secretary determines are reasonably necessary to implement the provisions of this Act and the amendments made by this Act.<enum>I</enum><header>Increasing Federal investments in our Nation’s public schools</header><section id="ide8c2a48a087a491e837faee3d06cf366"><enum>101.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for part A of title I of the ESEA</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to carry out part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="id663041bca26948a99e8c06274a8ad91e"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $36,813,604,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id3d436ccadb404387b176a10d3423ce7a"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this section for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></section><section id="id404cd1968c14458e86a210fb4e6b31d9"><enum>102.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for rural education</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to carry out part B of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/7341">20 U.S.C. 7341 et seq.</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="id2b44ba1086844135900793f48c9ea966"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $440,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id520591335a5848a8a2b2269b32ad530d"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this section for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></section><section id="idece02312c08341c1889e4195a119ab76"><enum>103.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for impact aid</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to provide payments for eligible federally connected children under section 7003(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/7703">20 U.S.C. 7703(b)</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="id30cef1c86a70423795cd3acebd0f22b3"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $1,474,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id24f4a0249a964322aa44b00a44eba9f1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this section for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></section><section id="id555A683EF9D64032B0B26931E1B4781F"><enum>104.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for Bureau of Indian Education</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Bureau to be allocated by the Director of the Bureau for programs or activities operated or funded by the Bureau for Bureau-funded schools—</text><paragraph id="id4f9411cd325446b1a9a5d5cf7a88086a"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $1,131,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idec9ec0e035d245c990de6c23307ebac9"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this section for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></section><enum>II</enum><header>Supporting our Nation’s educators</header><part id="id3f27c0faffa346489d10359452a97751"><enum>A</enum><header>Ensuring teachers are paid a livable and competitive wage</header><section id="id93806c7846c34a968653dbadabafc93a"><enum>201.</enum><header>Definitions</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id577a8ea42f33464093a2c7648ba8d27e"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subpart 1 of part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcbd554c668a44f34870037ecb0e6188a"><section id="id14e703aad7154548b9d4e84c76a3eb78"><enum>1120.</enum><header>Definitions relating to teacher salaries</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaa00a4c725b7415e8f812073a6d4ddd2"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>In this subpart:</text><paragraph id="idf9e3eba5a5b34a32918e40a3bf5b9824"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Annual adjustment percentage</header><text>The term <term>annual adjustment percentage</term>, with respect to a fiscal year, means a percentage equal to the estimated percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the Secretary, for the most recent calendar year ending prior to the beginning of such fiscal year.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id18848eb19a51451490f3e2de302d1042"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Annual base salary</header><text>The term <term>annual base salary</term>—</text><subparagraph id="id950932b94ad14618be958fed98813566"><enum>(A)</enum><text>means the base salary, calculated as an annual rate of pay, of a full-time teacher; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idabda215981f34962b4bfd42dd9eff8df"><enum>(B)</enum><text>excludes—</text><clause id="id3ee78927546f42d7b67fa7f1dc9a5921"><enum>(i)</enum><text>any additional compensation earned by the teacher for taking on additional responsibilities (such as coaching or teaching during the summer or after school); and</text></clause><clause id="id6bdc371ff35149a981bb38a290fe450d"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>bonuses, stipends, and awards.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id6e156bbf8e7540a59fce2f7a15f61f96"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Consumer price index</header><text>The term <term>Consumer Price Index</term> has the meaning given the term in section 478(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ida8b13536c91b4f5c8b2e3c18ccba6908" commented="no"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Minimum salary for teachers</header><text>The term <term>minimum salary for teachers</term> means an amount, determined by the State, that all full-time teachers employed by a local educational agency are, at a minimum, required by the State to be compensated by such agency as their annual base salary, and which—</text><subparagraph id="iddd7fe3db5d7e4351a44cf3f17a9b5918" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><text>for teachers in their first year of teaching, shall be an annual rate of pay that is not less than the amount described in subsection (b); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1a8cdce4e0554fe79cdcd515319942c7" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>for teachers with more than 2 years of experience, shall be an annual rate of pay that—</text><clause id="ide790d58d5e5e482c80f0b7ec2a1d9118" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>is greater than the amount described in subsection (b); and</text></clause><clause id="idaf91a45567384b798b7242815181810e" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>increases as the experience of a teacher increases.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id77dcda8097994515b67fd26f0a138352"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Teacher</header><text>The term <term>teacher</term> means—</text><subparagraph id="id6df263f69fb044fb99ed9569e71f2c08"><enum>(A)</enum><text>an employee of a local educational agency—</text><clause id="id98137b7ffe8b4796a8c8df966ed25e33"><enum>(i)</enum><text>with a primary duty of teaching and who is employed and engaged in teaching in a public elementary school or secondary school served by such agency and is not a substitute teacher;</text></clause><clause id="id3df3d877be5f465eaa5524aa7fa95b3d"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>who fully meets all applicable public elementary school or secondary school teacher certification and licensure requirements of the State in which the school is located; and</text></clause><clause id="idb46eba00482e44a4995f33fe09e37e8b"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>if the teacher is a special education teacher, who meets the qualifications described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idbc0f7893b53643b4a337a58648d16049"><enum>(B)</enum><text>other full-time public elementary school or secondary school personnel employed by a local educational agency whose annual base salary is determined in accordance with such agency’s salary schedule or system for a full-time teacher.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id9582ad9975744fe0bda891b27109c659"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Special rule</header><paragraph id="idfbb0979c76604da895761054285723c5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For each fiscal year, the amount described in subsection (a)(4)(A) shall be determined under this subsection.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id84e937e938c141309be798240214cb8a"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Fiscal years 2026 through 2030</header><text>For each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, the amount described in subsection (a)(4)(A) is $60,000.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idcf38c372689d42349d714c019c192087"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Fiscal years 2031 and after</header><subparagraph id="id7e3ee0be2f324b59afd101a746895b73"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For the fiscal year period 2031 through 2035 and for each subsequent 5 fiscal year period, the amount described in subsection (a)(4)(A) shall be adjusted for inflation as described in subparagraph (B).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9edfad1eeb8d4a58b929c0e696008a14"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Determination</header><text>The amount shall be equal to the amount applicable for the previous 5 fiscal year period, increased by the greater of—</text><clause id="iddf9c57943139401cb8cf7f540c21ddaa"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the aggregate annual adjustment percentage over the previous 5 fiscal years; or</text></clause><clause id="id45d493f5b8b8474f841ea0af07f1e639"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>2 percent of the amount applicable under this subsection for the previous 5 fiscal year period.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id686b2bccf8d4416199664227ebd87c93"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Table of contents</header><text>The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1119 the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc1326f81261f42d0ad51ef88df0fa9f5"><toc><toc-entry level="section" bold="off">Sec. 1120. Definitions.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section id="id408409fa2bf74114b9fe34037cbdf407"><enum>202.</enum><header>State Teacher Pay Plan Addendum</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 1111(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311(g)</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1e9098768fee4ca0a609f64b8db4586d"><paragraph id="id1c125212a7cf4862a9047a6224b1cadf"><enum>(5)</enum><header>State Teacher Pay Plan Addendum</header><text>Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary issues final rules related to the implementation of the Pay Teachers Act in accordance with section 5 of such Act, a State that receives assistance under this part shall submit the State’s Teacher Pay Plan Addendum to the Secretary in accordance with the procedures and requirements determined by the Secretary. The State’s Teacher Pay Plan Addendum shall include each of the following:</text><subparagraph id="id46e952d9b6344f51bea579bb1b53cce1"><enum>(A)</enum><text>A description of the State’s plan to provide a competitive salary regularly throughout the career of public elementary school and secondary school teachers, including an assurance that the State will—</text><clause id="iddf5c60d5965e473787b7ab4e3f45c952" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>under the timeline specified in subsection (i)(2), comply with subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (i)(2); or</text></clause><clause id="id348bb98454fd42d58da53b6a8003728a"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>not later than 1 year after the date the Secretary issues final rules in accordance with section 5 of the <short-title>Pay Teachers Act</short-title>, submit a request to the Secretary to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway and for an extended timeline to comply with the teacher salary requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (i)(1), if the State meets the eligibility criteria described in subsection (i)(3).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9d5180d0d49a447594ec69ff93364ea4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>A description of the State’s plan to increase the State’s per-pupil expenditures or the aggregate expenditures of the State with respect to the provision of free public education in the State, in a manner that—</text><clause id="id49964ae6035c4d6e9ec4e6b7fd13137f"><enum>(i)</enum><text>supports local educational agencies in increasing salaries or wages for teachers, paraprofessionals, specialized instructional support personnel, classified school employees, principals, other school leaders, school librarians, school bus drivers, and other staff across their careers, including through providing increased resources to local educational agencies; and</text></clause><clause id="ida1aa919084ea44699b8beee3950df9a6"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>does not—</text><subclause id="id7948a9e2a0c34c94b2429dbe1e436c5d"><enum>(I)</enum><text>increase average class sizes or student to full-time equivalent teacher ratios at the State, local educational agency, or school level;</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7d48a871773748efa39455d99403aac3"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">reduce planning time; or </text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0ad8f1fa248241b8892f2787c6486a82"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">require teachers to teach additional classes.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id08c9b05460b640cea2c19063d29935e3"><enum>(C)</enum><text>An identification, with respect to the average teacher salary baselines (as such term is defined in subsection (i)(3)(A)(i)) in the most recent fiscal year, of the statewide average and the average in each local educational agency in the State.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9fb40bfffc524fd796ce5acea9ef7ce3"><enum>(D)</enum><text>An identification of the number and percentage of teachers employed by local educational agencies in the State who earn a salary of less than $60,000 annually, disaggregated by each period of service specified in subsection (i)(3)(A)(i), across the State and in each such local educational agency.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7c637e17df6f42e885580ea3e07fa285"><enum>(E)</enum><text>A description of the State’s plan to comply with the equitable distribution of teachers requirement under paragraph (1)(B).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="id6e8aeeb856324756b1968908ddafc2ba"><enum>203.</enum><header>Paying teachers livable and competitive salaries and wages</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="id37B024AEE5EC47D79C1EEB0CA26FC4AB" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating subsections (i), (j), (k), and (l), as subsections (k), (l), (m), and (n), respectively; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idAC5EFD84146049328F28FED1838F8F1C"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by inserting after subsection (h) the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id654e964bf8244a128e39e3ec34a95590"><subsection id="id539d4ae5971544f29c80048bc95b026c"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Improving teacher salaries</header><paragraph id="id003d8ec560534e3b994942c755fbb67d"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Improving teacher salaries</header><subparagraph id="id026a8acaa39a44d7ba0f5ae0d321068b"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Minimum salary for teachers</header><clause id="id8fba77d364f042a5a3710c3778f0d158"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a State that receives assistance under this part shall ensure that the annual base salary of a full-time teacher employed by a local educational agency in the State is not less than the minimum salary for teachers determined by such State.</text></clause><clause id="idadf4a0262ceb4b8baf2370f2c73c8bb2"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Compliance</header><text>To comply with clause (i), a State shall adopt one or more of the following laws or policies, to guarantee no full-time teacher shall receive an annual base salary that is less than the minimum salary for teachers:</text><subclause id="id9d0546c69a3e4b228d64ad000c0aa09b"><enum>(I)</enum><text>A statewide minimum annual base salary schedule for teachers that increases as the experience of a teacher increases.</text></subclause><subclause id="idb43b7770ffba48f281dddae7ff6492ea"><enum>(II)</enum><text>A statewide minimum annual base salary for teachers who are in their first year of teaching.</text></subclause><subclause id="id846c04c34c6a47968cd6d0e510a49d44"><enum>(III)</enum><text>A State law to increase salaries for teachers. </text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id445c4fba7938474290f4bc80daef56ac"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Livable and competitive salaries for
teachers</header><text>Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a State that receives assistance under this part shall demonstrate that all teachers employed by local educational agencies in the State are compensated with a livable and competitive salary for teachers, which shall be an amount that—</text><clause id="id289a1a08ff8d43779b2ef9ebba808d88"><enum>(i)</enum><text>is at least the minimum salary for teachers;</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfb8a3660e13d41f386ad37f03a18af20"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">increases throughout each teacher's career; and</text></clause><clause id="idbd163e800dc942eb8aca461275cf4906"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>is at least commensurate with annual salaries for college-educated and experienced professionals in the region in which such agencies are located, as determined in accordance with procedures and requirements established by the Secretary.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id2b8021e63a1141519e34f52d32be4a79"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Timing</header><subparagraph id="id9c00409450eb45c99d01647b42fc36b8"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall ensure that, not later than 4 years after the date of implementation of the final regulations issued in accordance with section 5 of the <short-title>Pay Teachers Act</short-title>, each State that receives assistance under this part meets the teacher salary requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id09eb783aed6a4c159551a77e85781f73"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Exception</header><text>A State, if eligible, may request and be approved by the Secretary to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway described in paragraph (3) that provides an extended timeline to comply with the teacher salary requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idabed41dd48c9460db6348236e143f778"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Teacher Salary Improvement pathway</header><subparagraph id="id28215e7eeb7f40ac92593955bf75e7c5"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this paragraph:</text><clause id="id7d9dba770563412cb7faaafa38797692"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Average teacher salary baselines</header><text>The term <term>average teacher salary baselines</term> means, for each of the following years of service as teachers, the average annual base salaries of all full-time teachers employed by local educational agencies in the State:</text><subclause id="id43c939610e224945ab61f061e2afc519"><enum>(I)</enum><text>0 years, or starting teacher salaries.</text></subclause><subclause id="id624e330c26f04d83a7b76db53cd9764a"><enum>(II)</enum><text>3 years.</text></subclause><subclause id="idff771bbad58e48f484067cb19f5b4257"><enum>(III)</enum><text>5 years.</text></subclause><subclause id="id71d7fe0f1d4d4c2c96e0da6d79faa0eb"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>10 years.</text></subclause><subclause id="id6c62927aab01455291bfd3bce7832205"><enum>(V)</enum><text>15 years.</text></subclause><subclause id="id007a6c008d994a7ea289d166a4e04211"><enum>(VI)</enum><text>20 years.</text></subclause><subclause id="id87ce014885104b5397cea469515852e8"><enum>(VII)</enum><text>25 years.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id99b5e0c1500c4694b1934afa30c1317b"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Eligible improvement State</header><text>The term <term>eligible improvement State</term> means a State— </text><subclause id="idb7e737d33fe543a7a21881e3df340691"><enum>(I)</enum><text>that had an annual starting statewide teacher salary average that was less than $45,000 in fiscal year 2025;</text></subclause><subclause id="id58263a3783c943b180ec5e80fdbee1f7"><enum>(II)</enum><text>in which 50 percent or more of the teachers employed by local educational agencies in the State did not receive an annual base salary of $60,000 or more in fiscal year 2025; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id720a462cd9de45daacaad292940767f6"><enum>(III)</enum><text>that demonstrates to the Secretary substantial need for the extended timeline to comply with the teacher salary requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1), and with respect to which the Secretary determines that providing such State with an extended timeline would be equitable due to—</text><item id="id1451152b75cb422d93e037b6891b8743"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a natural disaster or a change in the organizational structure of the State; or</text></item><item id="id4b8175aff8c64c4fb876a0ced9f18f6c"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>a precipitous decline in the financial resources of the State.</text></item></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id38d19ac98d7c4db3b16c193c20bca211"><enum>(B)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A State educational agency, on behalf of an eligible improvement State, that desires to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway and needs an extended timeline to comply with the teacher salary requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) shall submit a request to the Secretary to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway, which shall include a plan to increase teacher salaries that, at a minimum, includes each of the following:</text><clause id="id85e2fe293a164d96b5102f45507af7e8"><enum>(i)</enum><text>An identification, with respect to the average teacher salary baselines, of the statewide average and the average in each local educational agency in the State, and an assurance that the State will—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4bcdb1429feb4c34a20954a68102f3ab"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">make such information publicly available on the State educational agency’s website; and </text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9636c7c056ef4c759437cf8c9214944c"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">update that information on an annual basis.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id0a6d811fb47d47c78d632cdea6b60ebb"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>A timeline, consistent with the goals required under clause (iii), to ensure that, not later than 6 years after the receipt of approval to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway under this paragraph—</text><subclause id="idff630b21df484ee5aeb627c80b5d31f9"><enum>(I)</enum><text>all teachers employed by local educational agencies operating in the State are paid not less than the minimum salary for teachers; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id51eda0fe45964215b3a6efcaa775ddbb"><enum>(II)</enum><text>all teachers employed by local educational agencies operating in the State are compensated with a livable and competitive salary, in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (1)(B).</text></subclause></clause><clause id="idc1071627d04f49f285fd68182be3908b"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>For each fiscal year in the timeline specified in clause (ii), statewide annual goals for increasing average teacher salary baselines in a manner that—</text><subclause id="id3794df151030497f9d3216ffc6c4ca70"><enum>(I)</enum><text>annually proposes a percentage increase in the average teacher salary baselines, disaggregated by each period of service described in subparagraph (A)(i);</text></subclause><subclause id="id6d815ba7a373474682c8c8e5f6e71d3e"><enum>(II)</enum><text>provides for the first increase to occur not later than 2 fiscal years after the receipt of approval to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id60ffd7f9363c4950913810f8e85d2f32"><enum>(III)</enum><text>makes significant progress toward ensuring that teachers are paid an annual base salary in accordance with the requirements specified in subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (ii) by the end of the timeline described in such clause.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="idf697949574084ffaa3f0afb2d5625262"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>A description of the State’s plan to require all local educational agencies in the State, for any fiscal year in which an agency does not pay their teachers the minimum salary for teachers, to—</text><subclause id="id2bc14491c7674b59b7b582cde081f0d5"><enum>(I)</enum><text>at a minimum, increase the salaries of the teachers employed by such agency in accordance with the statewide annual goals established in clause (iii) for that fiscal year; and</text></subclause><subclause id="idc23e5274169e4cf58e2d38ad62f93bce"><enum>(II)</enum><text>ensure those increases in salaries required under subclause (I) are aligned with the livable and competitive salary requirements described in paragraph (1)(B).</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id9911b37422894876a972515a5daa0e37"><enum>(v)</enum><text>An identification of the number of teachers employed by local educational agencies in the State who earn less than the minimum salary for teachers, disaggregated by each period of service described in subparagraph (A)(i), across the State and employed by each local educational agency.</text></clause><clause id="id7f8c13b346c64d2684918e4e74a576ca" commented="no"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>A description of the State's plan to support local educational agencies in increasing salaries or wages for teachers, paraprofessionals, specialized instructional support personnel, classified school employees, principals, other school leaders, school librarians, school bus drivers, and other staff across their careers, including through providing increased resources to local educational agencies.</text></clause><clause id="idc2e48b9f46ae418ab49e513f4f56c24b" commented="no"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>A description of how the State will meet the requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) without—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7a9a2f0c05ee4a05b8a0d07945645a7f"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">increasing the average class sizes or student to full-time equivalent teacher ratios;</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6c9176bef6004b96bf834bab4fb3220f"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">reducing planning time; or</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc3877c2d07df454a97dc7cbd4cd84687"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">requiring teachers to teach additional classes at the State, local educational agency, or school level.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id34734e5b6ef2455ba40254db1b87bd81"><enum>(viii)</enum><text>A description of how the State will meet the equitable distribution requirement under subsection (g)(1)(B) during the period of the State's participation in the Teacher Salary Pay Improvement pathway and after the State exits the pathway.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id97a587b38ab4409d928a1512d7c9725a"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Public comment</header><text>A State educational agency that submits an extension request to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway under this paragraph shall—</text><clause id="id1abec0b960034ddfa704787b10110af9"><enum>(i)</enum><text>provide the public and any interested local educational agency in the State with notice and a reasonable and easily accessible opportunity to comment and provide input on the request;</text></clause><clause id="id85854fa721ef4718b1bac8a85971c84d"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>submit a summary of the comments to the Secretary, with a description of how the State addressed the comments, and make such summary with description publicly available on the website of the State educational agency; and</text></clause><clause id="idbfb474cac71849adb5a97c21ca490096"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>provide notice and a reasonable time to comment to the public and local educational agencies.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id8d7c499aec9f4ad0a8f882f66a197d70"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Duration and repeat requests to participate in the
teacher salary improvement pathway</header><clause id="id5a521bdc3040435aa71b37ee371a583d"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A request approved by the Secretary under this paragraph may be for a period of not more than 6 years.</text></clause><clause id="ide76a89e945c04091ba495374eec1f73a"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Revising goals</header><text>If a State demonstrates to the Secretary that such State is making substantial progress in meeting its statewide annual goals described in subparagraph (B)(iii) and demonstrates the need for additional flexibility to revise such goals to continue to make substantial progress in reaching the requirements described in subclauses (I) and (II) of subparagraph (B)(ii), such State may, not earlier than 3 years after such State’s request to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway was approved by the Secretary, revise their statewide annual goals described in subparagraph (B)(iii) if the Secretary determines such revisions will help the State continue to make significant progress in meeting such requirements.</text></clause><clause id="id0eeb6bc34d564018b14ab411c3e37a68"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Subsequent requests to participate in the
teacher salary improvement pathway</header><text>A State educational agency that wishes to receive an additional approval to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway under this paragraph shall submit a new request, in accordance with the requirements of subparagraphs (B) and (C), if the State demonstrates that the initial request has been effective in enabling the State to increase teacher salaries in a manner that made significant progress in reaching the requirements described in subclauses (I) and (II) of subparagraph (B)(ii).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idc515b30e26094b3d830c5fefd11a1e26"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Determinations and Revision</header><clause id="idf6dc55b0c383481eb7e05e73fe197f86"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Determinations</header><text>The Secretary shall issue a written determination regarding the initial approval or disapproval of a request to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway not more than 60 days after the date on which such request is submitted. Initial disapproval of such request shall be based on the determination of the Secretary that—</text><subclause id="id538e0894b755490b904abeb76be4a35c"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the request does not meet the requirements of this paragraph; or</text></subclause><subclause id="id5c920449695b47e8a72a1510f282c5d2"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the State’s plan to increase teacher salaries under subparagraph (B) is not designed to make significant progress within a reasonable timeline to ensure that—</text><item id="id1cfb0e1b3e6f40838184abb321476ead"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>all teachers employed by local educational agencies in the State are paid not less than the minimum salary for teachers; and</text></item><item id="id87adb4ac7cd443ddb701d2b50314b87f"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>all teachers employed by local educational agencies in the State are compensated with a livable and competitive salary, in accordance with the requirements in paragraph (1)(B).</text></item></subclause></clause><clause id="id3d24e5ba5cd0457197136262ca3fe9d4"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Revision and disapproval</header><text>The Secretary shall act on requests to participate in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway under this paragraph in a manner that is similar to the actions of the Secretary for waiver revision and disapproval under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 8401(b)(4).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id8db9537e49074740b07b76dad0cf3e61"><enum>(F)</enum><header>Reports</header><text>For each fiscal year for which a State educational agency participates in the Teacher Salary Improvement pathway under this paragraph, such agency shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary, which shall include—</text><clause id="id3d7e4ca226ad4394b525be1b6af098d4"><enum>(i)</enum><text>updated average teacher salary baselines for that fiscal year, disaggregated by the statewide average and the average in each local educational agency in the State;</text></clause><clause id="id9f8607ca9538408ba3fabb86be8c14ca"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>a description of how the State and local educational agencies in the State increased the average teacher salary baselines in a manner consistent with the statewide annual goals for the corresponding fiscal year, as described in subparagraph (B)(iii);</text></clause><clause id="idc15ca9dbfeba4607a1fe4ab7adf98848"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>a description that includes—</text><subclause id="id02e08ded4d7f48f7a76e7c04e8082b1f"><enum>(I)</enum><text>updated data on the number of teachers employed by local educational agencies in the State who earn less than the minimum salary for teachers, disaggregated by each period of service described in subparagraph (A)(i), across the State and employed by each local educational agency;</text></subclause><subclause id="id9fa5e4fc390f477c97e15bd792ac1e12"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the identification of local educational agencies that have increased the number of teachers who earn less than the minimum salary for teachers; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id515a729b27d34a1489d7102c60c691e8"><enum>(III)</enum><text>the actions the State educational agency will take in the next fiscal year to support local educational agencies described in subclause (II) in decreasing the number of teachers employed by such agencies who earn less than the minimum salary for teachers;</text></subclause></clause><clause id="idda725fb2b6c6497389b023cfd0a85cf3"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>a description of actions taken by the State to increase the State’s per-pupil expenditures or the aggregate expenditures of the State with respect to the provision of free public education in the State, in a manner that—</text><subclause id="id5238541143784f779049c0e776112aa6"><enum>(I)</enum><text>supports local educational agencies in increasing salaries or wages for teachers, paraprofessionals, specialized instructional support personnel, classified school employees, principals, other school leaders, school librarians, school bus drivers, and other staff across their careers, including through providing increased resources to local educational agencies; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id4fc3c638b2ae4e6c9d2811a734dd762c"><enum>(II)</enum><text>does not—</text><item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id564094e0a65e455b812c24394c507595"><enum>(aa)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">increase average class sizes or student to full-time equivalent teacher ratios at the State, local educational agency, or school level;</text></item><item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id476086fa9c74450abe7aab4465cb042c"><enum>(bb)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">reduce planning time; or </text></item><item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide7a85f9f0edc4cfcb2a2599b3e8bc823"><enum>(cc)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">require teachers to teach additional classes; and</text></item></subclause></clause><clause id="idfe7a5012332e44f08d64b5c437c6d8b7"><enum>(v)</enum><text>a description of how the State improved the equitable distribution of teachers in such fiscal year, as required under subsection (g)(1)(B).</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section><section id="id8ff5f44bc31a4c8e926ea5073424501f"><enum>204.</enum><header>Collective bargaining and related rules</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311</external-xref>), as amended by section 203, is further amended by inserting after subsection (i) the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id22ca4bacdde04b23a0fa26233b4f7e8d"><subsection id="id038fa31864b44feaac05139e303e7fa7"><enum>(j)</enum><header>Rules</header><paragraph id="id1ad116db845441d8933866c17d4148eb"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Rule of construction for collective bargaining</header><subparagraph id="id471fffca9ef94765a1f6aee9beb5b51b"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subject to subparagraph (B), nothing in subsection (i) shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded to school or local educational agency employees under Federal, State, or local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements between such employers and their employees.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id24a8325e32444e83bbfdd119a35c3754"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Compliance</header><text>Subparagraph (A) shall not be construed to exempt a State, local educational agency, or school from complying with subsection (i) or from negotiating in compliance with State labor laws to comply with subsection (i).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idb316a2b817e741308307f287099a84cc" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Rule of construction for additional pay or other salary
augmenting systems</header><text>Nothing in subsection (i) shall be construed to prevent States or local educational agencies from supplementing the annual base salary of teachers or other staff employed by such agencies—</text><subparagraph id="idec0c93b3cb9e42468d92bcc2ec0ff9da" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><text>for additional skills, knowledge, duties, and responsibilities;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id20dd6e5c5615404996bb82b9d6301c4d" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by salary systems that increase teachers’ compensation through supplemental pay that is not part of an annual base salary; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id0630c8f737814ea1996524f71b1f5673" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><text>through the provision of bonuses, stipends, or awards.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbb393696a1fb40739316159efc5abb6e"><enum>(3)</enum><header>No waiver authority</header><text>Section 8401 shall not apply to subsection (i).</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section></part><part id="id53a6001bc0c143d7af536d94da34ce28"><enum>B</enum><header>Modernizing the teaching profession To improve student learning</header><section id="id6e802c6bf7a645e38b22d1430a674b25" commented="no"><enum>211.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Subpart 4 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id287b5b559da74f77ba7ef5ea13d22fc5"><subpart id="id789c9b4f1c0d4333b5568ba4c9d47cdf"><enum>5</enum><header>Modernizing the teaching profession</header><section id="id37a127f9c9c041859f1bdccc7415b0d6"><enum>2251.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this subpart:</text><paragraph id="id7ae8ccf03f70424990397b3dd0529b55"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The definitions of <term>annual base salary</term> and <term>teacher</term> in section 1120(a) shall apply.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idff9416f9c2094960b7e4dfe1d6c013e0"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Career ladder</header><subparagraph id="id79bff0b8088646208230a8ad73276488"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>career ladder</term> means a staffing system that advances the teaching profession by providing teachers with opportunities for additional responsibilities, adjusted roles, and corresponding salary increases and that—</text><clause id="idf882042aac8b4837939b0da60026f476"><enum>(i)</enum><text>enables teachers, principals, other school leaders, paraprofessionals, and education support staff to experience distributed leadership, shared accountability, and collaborative professional learning;</text></clause><clause id="id0d2526493628443bb6e4a24af1b9705e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>promotes professional learning, expertise, and retention by differentiating roles in schools based on teachers’ skills, expertise, and interests; and</text></clause><clause id="id2d2a6ab0b3f84dda855bb03d36dad539"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>provides for professional advancement and other recognition based on teacher impact on improving teaching and learning.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4f27072ac7c7404e9e8d537ac6536df8"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Implementation</header><text>For the purpose of section 2253, the system described in subparagraph (A) is composed of levels defined in the State’s plan described in section 2253(f) where salary increases are associated with levels of the State’s career ladder.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id4e748b11794c42b9b7cbe5d6d0e7b592"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Subgroup of students</header><text>The term <term>subgroup of students</term> means each subgroup of students described in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(ii).</text></paragraph></section></subpart><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="id59d61dcb73c94a9796ab78417563da69"><enum>212.</enum><header>State commissions to advance the teaching profession</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Subpart 5 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.</external-xref>), as added by section 211, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcddfa1573b3e43278ede4908b9546a31"><section id="ide90bfa501c98432b99572e2d89ad422f"><enum>2252.</enum><header>State commissions to advance the teaching profession</header><subsection id="idfb674238645c40ffbd9dcd5d5c2d3973"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Purpose</header><text>The purpose of this section is to support States in developing recommendations about policy and the use of resources described in subsection (b)(4) to modernize and advance the teaching profession, in order to—</text><paragraph id="idd5370dd415424f478bd1e1c9cb4c74fe"><enum>(1)</enum><text>ensure that all students in the United States have access to experienced and qualified teachers who will help those students succeed at the same rates as students in the world’s highest-performing education systems;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idedf3473a5537497da434f2e8c291a00f"><enum>(2)</enum><text>address structural and organizational deficiencies in the teaching profession, in order to—</text><subparagraph id="idadf6a5ed180f498ba47500965d0c39c6"><enum>(A)</enum><text>raise the standards, status, and salaries of the teaching profession; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id630f7a0a6d244ac8a66fbb74a7d75fde"><enum>(B)</enum><text>attract and retain promising and talented young people to teaching; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id2dcc052b8237464ca57297d5c3f9bb3a"><enum>(3)</enum><text>identify and reform policies and practices at the State, local educational agency, and school-level to promote excellent teaching for all students, particularly subgroups of students.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id37093b0d241c44578427933f097e8327"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Authorization of grants</header><paragraph id="id57f3538faec446ae8b8b7b52a1590bfe"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>From the amounts appropriated under subsection (g), after making the reservations described in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to States (such as a State educational agency, a Governor, an entity designated by the Governor, or a consortium of State agencies) that have submitted applications described in subsection (d) to develop and operate State commissions to develop recommendations about policy and the use of resources described in subsection (b)(4) to modernize and advance the teaching profession, in accordance with this section.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id66cda8b9d7514c7782c07a9080d2f733"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Reservations</header><text>From the total amount appropriated under subsection (g) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve—</text><subparagraph id="id2298147f5dce49e7a0e6a4714c62f245"><enum>(A)</enum><text>1 percent to inform students, parents, teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, education system leaders, policymakers, and researchers about the recommendations made by States supported under this section and related findings to modernize and advance the teaching profession;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ide60507deaacc4f5e9f1d8ed1ad2cb252"><enum>(B)</enum><text>2 percent for technical assistance and program administration; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idebb00f797ce5497cbf3be406319d444d"><enum>(C)</enum><text>3 percent to provide grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to regional educational laboratories (established under section 174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/9564">20 U.S.C. 9564</external-xref>)) or qualified nonprofit organizations with demonstrated experience in research and practice related to teaching and learning to assist States that receive grants under this section in—</text><clause id="ide6ec17dd92434e5bb19b8d6e1c9b46d4"><enum>(i)</enum><text>conducting applied research and data analysis;</text></clause><clause id="id3765d238a5a54cbb80a4d45cc02fbdcc"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>summarizing and reporting on policies and practices from the world’s highest-performing school systems; and</text></clause><clause id="idf9fe5e2877b8467c877d0bf7ff5e6e78"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>implementing recommendations to modernize and advance the teaching profession, improve instruction, and improve students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ide4d03ecde535489c83badc9a9dfee09e"><enum>(3)</enum><header>State grants</header><subparagraph id="idf6ad04c87c614958b472a7a5b6829093"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A State receiving a grant under paragraph (1) shall use not less than 75 percent of the grant funds to develop and operate a State commission that meets the requirements of this paragraph (referred to in this section as the <quote>State Commission</quote>).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7927bb1612084cada5ce8532aa3cd061"><enum>(B)</enum><header>State reservations</header><text>A State receiving a grant under paragraph (1) may reserve not more than 25 percent of the total grant amount received by the State for technical assistance, administrative purposes, and public information efforts related to the activities and recommendations of the State Commission.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ideba56372e11342bfa763e8dac109a423"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Membership</header><text>A State that receives a grant to operate a State Commission under this section shall ensure that—</text><clause id="id20fd4538937049589c1b2b1eb575f360"><enum>(i)</enum><text>not less than half of the members of the State Commission are current or former teachers, and that, collectively, such members—</text><subclause id="id964a50e907c8471a8c86705d2d882f91"><enum>(I)</enum><text>have diverse life experiences and backgrounds;</text></subclause><subclause id="id490550ff33c3498aa4df5cbe47f8bc80"><enum>(II)</enum><text>serve students from urban, suburban, and rural communities across the State; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id591f9da45e5849a48338e4d17ccead38"><enum>(III)</enum><text>include teachers at different stages in their careers, including novice, mid-career, veteran, and retired teachers; and</text></subclause></clause><clause id="idad3d569f6b6349ac8c7d155c4c300ca6"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the State Commission includes not less than 1 representative from each of the following categories, to the greatest extent practicable:</text><subclause id="idebc25a83d08e42faaca410bed211a16e"><enum>(I)</enum><text>The Governor or a designated representative.</text></subclause><subclause id="id1e0240f272a04f71a75f8cfc6d6c1961"><enum>(II)</enum><text>The State educational agency and the State teacher licensing or credentialing agency.</text></subclause><subclause id="id76f8202f6cd746dca3b7c95dc27a090e"><enum>(III)</enum><text>State legislators.</text></subclause><subclause id="id8e7f8750a1a940d7b4430ec16afc15f9"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>Current teachers.</text></subclause><subclause id="ide91697f57a8244f38240b65b3fb61ef7"><enum>(V)</enum><text>Principals and other school leaders, including superintendents.</text></subclause><subclause id="id2daf24aa25ae4b619636682e03fe4671"><enum>(VI)</enum><text>State and local school board members.</text></subclause><subclause id="id19e0b277f69a482ab5113c713e81ee20"><enum>(VII)</enum><text>Labor organizations that represent teachers, paraprofessionals, and school support staff.</text></subclause><subclause id="id2039af5d37c3417a9b3f7f654057f172"><enum>(VIII)</enum><text>Civil rights organizations.</text></subclause><subclause id="id68768f568b69429e91c03d36655a88c5"><enum>(IX)</enum><text>Institutions of higher education, including deans of education schools or programs operated by such institutions.</text></subclause><subclause id="id0c693bb8d44244c8b751c5e3ba46ff8b"><enum>(X)</enum><text>State boards, local boards, or other representatives of in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the State (as those terms are defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/29/3102">29 U.S.C. 3102</external-xref>)).</text></subclause><subclause id="id7dd48faf03a6414199646195f42240f8"><enum>(XI)</enum><text>The State labor agency.</text></subclause><subclause id="id598be34e11ca463eb38f48db602cb901"><enum>(XII)</enum><text>Parents of students enrolled in public schools in the State, including parent teacher associations, if applicable.</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5a64f96fb1744da9b2d06fb5798a708b"><enum>(XIII)</enum><text>Representatives with expertise in school finance.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idcca3b604eb0e4d79b2f4b0b87591f96e"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Resources</header><text>In developing recommendations about policy and the use of resources to modernize and advance the teaching profession, a State Commission shall analyze the use and distribution of Federal, State, and local resources, including in-kind resources, donations, and grant opportunities, such as from philanthropic organizations, and findings from resource inequity reviews described in section 1111(d).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id848125c9b3b94f9f87eb80cd76c95599"><enum>(c)</enum><header>State application</header><text>In order to receive a grant under this section, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and including such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. Such application shall include each of the following:</text><paragraph id="id0e01cf4fa37e43fa900354c1f87d6a2c"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The State’s plan to develop and implement the State Commission, which may be updated by the State as necessary.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idfb323bcbf0c94a54b99a161d4c7e5fdf"><enum>(2)</enum><text>A description of the State’s efforts to regularly engage students, parents, teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, education system leaders, policymakers, and researchers in activities of the State Commission.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id06b101bfcd9c4d8688fa2f9a6efb9a33"><enum>(3)</enum><text>An assurance that the State will develop a final report that meets the reporting requirements in subsection (e).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id1eb33a63346f47fb93e11a207810befd"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Uses of funds</header><paragraph id="id35db855c67b740b98ec1c299eaffe5af"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A State Commission supported under this section shall—</text><subparagraph id="ide1f8593b817c41ce8b1f7e4584488e3e"><enum>(A)</enum><text>review findings and research from high-performing and rapidly improving international educational systems regarding policies to recruit, retain, develop, and promote experienced and qualified teachers that may be adaptable to the State’s educational context and challenges, such as—</text><clause id="id7cb926b6e8d641aa9e77aa5befae4be1"><enum>(i)</enum><text>incentivizing talented and motivated students to pursue teaching careers;</text></clause><clause id="id6b1844df9a93437da9c57acac6ff2047"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>supporting effective pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs, as described in section 202(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, including paid clinical experiences or practicums under the supervision of expert mentor teachers to ensure that novice teachers have mastered the curricula and subject they plan to teach;</text></clause><clause id="id29a28ca3213b425f8c535d0adbce3de9"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>advancing the teaching profession through career ladders that provide skilled teachers with additional responsibilities, adjusted roles, and increased compensation; and</text></clause><clause id="iddd5a9987ef754b68ac5cb801230dbea7"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>developing the conditions for teachers, principals, and school leaders to collaborate, utilize research methods, and utilize differentiated teaching roles to continuously improve and adapt instruction to improve students’ educational opportunities and academic outcomes, which may include examining how States and local educational agencies organize schools and the school day to foster opportunities for greater collaboration and improved student belonging;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id44e3927807df41d0961b17f7d587059a"><enum>(B)</enum><text>develop policy and resource use recommendations to modernize and advance the teaching profession, in order to—</text><clause id="id21e0510ca3394548a29a50e6e76cb62c"><enum>(i)</enum><text>ensure all students in the State are taught by experienced and qualified teachers to improve student outcomes, including academic achievement and access to high-quality educational opportunities;</text></clause><clause id="idad892f0d46a34418b3c055863b70423a"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>address structural and organizational deficiencies in the teaching profession, informed by activities described in subparagraph (A); and</text></clause><clause id="id00ccc5b7957147e3b7ebb15da5ef72de"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>identify and reform policies and practices at the State, local educational agency, and school-level to promote excellent teaching for all students, particularly subgroups of students;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idd51ba950431340f7a6c4c3e13c0ce774"><enum>(C)</enum><text>examine students’ access to in-field, experienced, and qualified teachers in the State, including any discrepancies in such access for all students in the State and for students in the State disaggregated by—</text><clause id="id4bb2da349a714e23a7058df6af8c4832"><enum>(i)</enum><text>each subgroup of students; and</text></clause><clause id="id1d07b8f5265944a889faf51a853fff76"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>students enrolled in urban, suburban, and rural schools served by local educational agencies;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5f338f55419f4fda9c20c2efcc01ebd3"><enum>(D)</enum><text>examine short and long-term trends in the State’s teaching workforce, such as—</text><clause id="id4dc5cb285dc54eb39c53f1bf543f3687"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the number of positions filled by teachers who are not fully certified or licensed for the subject or subjects they are teaching;</text></clause><clause id="id506ecfa3f4924e499b5150c256fbefdb"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the number of teaching positions left vacant;</text></clause><clause id="ida4a7b1bc9d3b4d529e27b6f2c126928c"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>teacher retention and turnover;</text></clause><clause id="id3db6e0e65dae4b9186744ef25571b8db"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>teacher perceptions of learning conditions, such as teacher burnout and high stress rates;</text></clause><clause id="id5840d9862d984cee85639408c64bd568"><enum>(v)</enum><text>the availability of teacher wellness supports;</text></clause><clause id="idbeb779e316344157abf5fce7671dd913"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>interest among students in pursuing teaching careers and the number of teacher candidates in the State; and</text></clause><clause id="id64635248a6b54315bd35e7a1116b75b9"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>occupational prestige and on-the-job satisfaction;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idee3757851ee7433eb1d881f133ff0fea"><enum>(E)</enum><text>examine whether teachers, paraprofessionals, and education support staff are paid a livable and competitive salary or wage that is at least commensurate with annual salaries for similarly-educated and experienced professionals in the region in which the local educational agencies they are employed by are located;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id06730c52efc44fb3946c5c984701dd6f"><enum>(F)</enum><text>conduct educator workplace surveys or studies to receive input from teachers, paraprofessionals, and education support staff in the activities of the Commission; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idcff3a53a403c4b74843fb8781a14bf71"><enum>(G)</enum><text>regularly engage and inform the public about such Commission’s activities and findings.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id653760f6589c49c99aafbd207457da41"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Additional activities</header><text>A State commission supported under this section may—</text><subparagraph id="id0b05c564452a4986bfdfd143467c5cbb"><enum>(A)</enum><text>examine the quality, affordability, and rigor of the State’s teacher certification or licensure pathways, such as—</text><clause id="id9fb108d30f0a4836a6098c9c4ef7dc10"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs that serve the State, including alignment with the State’s standards and evidence-based instructional practices and development of teacher subject expertise; and</text></clause><clause id="id0be48fa818f8447baf94b83873852e72"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the percentage of teachers whose preparation includes paid clinical experiences or practicums;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9a630c219d994a0fa76d3a46b17e9e3b"><enum>(B)</enum><text>examine the career trajectory and experiences of—</text><clause id="idf965f2f8db1043d387759c3c150ba745"><enum>(i)</enum><text>novice teachers, including—</text><subclause id="idc118be73a82146668b8f7d62a51dea81"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the number of local educational agencies that operate formal induction and mentoring structures that provide novice teachers additional support from experienced and qualified veteran teachers in the same subject or area;</text></subclause><subclause id="id689f45ae13ab4e169cc92fa22ccb3759"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the prevalence of novice teachers that do not fully meet applicable State certification and licensure requirements in the area such teachers are assigned to teach, including examining whether subgroups of students are disproportionately taught by such teachers; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id153e6af4d6a64060a5b75374c052052a"><enum>(III)</enum><text>retention rates, such as identifying promising schools or local educational agencies with high retention rates;</text></subclause></clause><clause id="ide37489662df54853bde94f6e0606bdb8"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>mid-career teachers, including—</text><subclause id="id54cc2e81ecbe4277919914173b81c49f"><enum>(I)</enum><text>whether teachers have had opportunities for professional advancement, such as—</text><item id="id91b14212b81d4c0997007b82756ce3cf"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>additional responsibilities, adjusted roles, and increased compensation;</text></item><item id="idb2754a69d6ca4cfc852f17e74adfd0fa"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>incentives for teachers to continuously improve their practice and skills; and</text></item><item id="id66c536682a5645dd8ee8c6101ae47d8f"><enum>(cc)</enum><text>structured professional learning activities;</text></item></subclause><subclause id="ide3264b7dfc7b4197bbd1c737f04c52fe" commented="no"><enum>(II)</enum><text>whether the school day provides teachers with structured time to collaborate, conduct research and measure innovative teaching practices, and tutor students to improve students’ educational opportunities and academic outcomes;</text></subclause><subclause id="id7c5f7e76465c4729aa596476d1a617b4" commented="no"><enum>(III)</enum><text>teacher retention and mobility rates across schools and local educational agencies; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id07a8b9620b4043f2b72764e0d917375c" commented="no"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>professional satisfaction and participation in teacher feedback or appraisal systems to improve teaching performance for all staff; and</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id32cf636716d743b4954b66c7cd70dd46"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>veteran teachers, including—</text><subclause id="id91b72598280549588bc3f80f0c7d6627"><enum>(I)</enum><text>whether teachers have the opportunity to mentor staff, support school decisionmaking, and direct professional learning to improve teaching and learning;</text></subclause><subclause id="id4661a3550def4a5cb7467c518e3fa149"><enum>(II)</enum><text>identification of practices that retain and reward experienced and qualified teachers; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id7b1e3cf72f9e441699076a097d3fee1b"><enum>(III)</enum><text>interviews or research on effective teacher retention strategies and why such teachers have remained in their classrooms or profession;</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id6907545a5bcb4fada735525fb08428e6"><enum>(C)</enum><text>examine whether State and local policies promote aligned and evidence-based decisionmaking, including whether teachers receive the subject-specific professional learning, collaboration time, appraisal and feedback opportunities, and high-quality instructional materials necessary for their students to succeed; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id68b1fd46e1d04838a94df489b4f75ad1"><enum>(D)</enum><text>develop and identify innovative practices to improve teacher retention, satisfaction, and instructional quality.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id0f6c5c811c554c339bbe098a537d2d0f"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Reporting requirements</header><text>Not later than 5 years after receiving a grant under this section, a State Commission supported under this section shall—</text><paragraph id="ida6b1b8cd823f4961bae1aaebfa08e47d"><enum>(1)</enum><text>publish a report to the public detailing the activities of such Commission and the recommendations about policy and the use of resources described in subsection (b)(4) within the State to modernize and advance the teaching profession;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id383cc2558f2540bcb2a1a70cd6eb3fb5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>submit such report to the Governor, the State educational agency, the State legislature, including to the greatest extent practicable, the State legislature committee with jurisdiction over education matters, and relevant public agencies or associations within the State; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idca8c09848d9e493ca9a5ee3a44088c3d"><enum>(3)</enum><text>submit such report to the Secretary.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idb98c51c7fd894c06a16303a9e5373822"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Supplement not supplant</header><text>Federal funds provided under this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, or local funds available to carry out the activities described in this section.</text></subsection><subsection id="idb70e135c6f264ab7a402767f4a0d5bfe"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There are authorized to be appropriated and there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="id1b4031fdbadf4d3fa043dd984e719ff0"><enum>213.</enum><header>Advancing the teaching profession grants</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Subpart 5 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as added by section 211 and amended by section 212, is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block id="ida95279e624b0441ebd85389d64530ca4" display-inline="no-display-inline" style="OLC"><section id="id4f049c041aca48948c4a06e4aad6a2c9"><enum>2253.</enum><header>Advancing the teaching profession grants</header><subsection id="id39b774afd568484095ae64b780d324b6"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Purpose and sense of Congress</header><paragraph id="id2e8cbaa94ad74cef8d83ea832a102c72"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Purpose</header><text>The purpose of this section is to expand students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers and to improve working conditions in schools by—</text><subparagraph id="id3782d51ae263498eb9e3408afbe521c3"><enum>(A)</enum><text>supporting States in implementing a teacher career ladder that—</text><clause id="idd3e1e3bc3bd3441cbb5bc6b9d9d9c452"><enum>(i)</enum><text>incentivizes experienced and qualified teachers to take additional responsibilities and adjusted roles; and</text></clause><clause id="id58d5530acada49838e63b225d20735e5"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>rewards such teachers with additional compensation; and </text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5a912d5f025e4ac08a20e106e1e2a03d"><enum>(B)</enum><text>ensuring every public school teacher in the United States has the school supplies, equipment, and instructional materials for their students to succeed.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id87bdd14f617d49589b14cdc9d8703e60"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that in the richest country in the history of the world—</text><subparagraph id="id9c850c1522674c53b079d8f89a098c5d"><enum>(A)</enum><text>America’s teachers, just like in the world’s highest-performing education systems, should receive professional advancement opportunities, including additional responsibilities, differentiated roles, and increased compensation to improve teaching and learning; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idd89939ac4ef045ffb031f67172214b14"><enum>(B)</enum><text>no teacher should be stressed or distracted from teaching due to a lack of classroom resources.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id490abcf11af44f36a5d6d30f045f783a"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="id611a1adcf114476f9be47030e8102699"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Award year</header><text>The term <term>award year</term> means the period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the subsequent year.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id270f75546bbb4dd593df889683221e32"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Career ladder award</header><text>The term <term>career ladder award</term> means the amount that is equal to the amount determined by the State for each individual level in the State’s career ladder, as described in the State’s application under subsection (f).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaee1ee73a59a442aad366e03c220666c"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Eligible high-need public school</header><text>The term <term>eligible high-need public school</term> means an eligible public school that enrolls a high number or high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds in a given school year, as defined by the State pursuant to subsection (f)(1)(D), which shall include, at a minimum, any eligible public school that received funding under part A of title I, in either of the previous 2 school years.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idec7a43097f3e4b7f950d50f4c12e114a"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Eligible public school</header><text>The term <term>eligible public school</term> means an elementary school or secondary school served by a local educational agency in a State with an approved application under subsection (f).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ida235da3d7873487fab2fc8227206a333"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Eligible teacher</header><text>The term <term>eligible teacher</term> means a full-time equivalent teacher who instructs students in an eligible public school.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc473ed96e7134e209593bfdd7ba582f5"><enum>(6)</enum><header>State</header><text>The term <term>State</term> means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id30c7fc5a2aea4f03a817c59a35ba4c2f"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Teacher</header><text>The term <term>teacher</term> has the meaning given the term in section 1120.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id2652f412fe974c74bf37ef2aafaeab82"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Program authorized</header><paragraph id="id7168d749a35e45bfa38c8f220bc423a5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Grants authorized</header><text>From amounts appropriated under subsection (h) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, from allotments under subsection (d), to States having applications approved under subsection (f) to—</text><subparagraph id="id6770424638f640d9b88205acfa4513a9"><enum>(A)</enum><text>subsidize the development and implementation of career ladders that advance the teaching profession by incentivizing teachers to take on additional responsibilities and adjusted roles with increased compensation; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idef1a0ee0fa464da79182c7a48345ca8a"><enum>(B)</enum><text>provide teachers with annual flexible awards to support their classrooms and improve their students’ educational opportunities and academic outcomes, which shall be in an amount that is not less than—</text><clause id="id84d64eee80534430a80ade5701eb7137"><enum>(i)</enum><text>$1,200 per school year for such teachers serving students in eligible high-need public schools; and</text></clause><clause id="ida4aa0bf615234e3e98b30563de599f2e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>$1,000 per school year for such teachers serving students in eligible public schools not described in clause (i).</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idb9722bb0b22b4ee08bb13d91fe8f875a"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Non-Federal share requirement</header><text>A State that receives a grant under this section shall provide a non-Federal share of funds for an award year from non-Federal sources in an amount that is equal to 25 percent of the amount required to make awards to all eligible teachers during the award year.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id47776072d12c45dc8d0cd23a436a0eb5"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Determination of allotment</header><paragraph id="idbd6f39d814304a8abcd90fab09ed9553"><enum>(1)</enum><header>First award year of the program</header><text>The Secretary shall allot, to each eligible State that submits its first application under subsection (f) for a grant under subsection (c) for the first award year of the program under this section, an amount that is equal to the product of—</text><subparagraph id="id39cc74a08fe540de9ceffc7510adb440"><enum>(A)</enum><text>$1,000; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4e8998ebbd574557be0d0659c4e211d6"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the number of eligible teachers in such State (as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent reliable data, such as administrative data or data collected through sampling methodologies).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id9c5c72a49b7d4911962528b8bbede2e8"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Subsequent award years</header><subparagraph id="id03a872b31c7a437bae48cf94f3bf3f42"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary shall allot to each eligible State submitting an approved application under subsection (f) for a grant under subsection (c) for a second or subsequent award year, an amount equal to the sum of—</text><clause id="idbda16d5e177a4d5cbe418db2c2f2b99e"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the amount described in subparagraph (B) for career ladder awards; and</text></clause><clause id="id78f1f2f5e16548daa2199b88121520cb"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the amount described in subparagraph (C) for classroom awards.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id0e6f7b2e2af64c3cb5ecdca01fdc5849" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Career ladder award amounts</header><text>In a second or subsequent award year, the amount that shall be allotted to States in accordance with subparagraph (A)(i) shall be equal to the sum of the products, per each individual level submitted under subsection (f)(1)(A)(i), of—</text><clause id="id6925e4f8026645eb95a4acf0642ddab5" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the estimated number of eligible teachers who have attained a given individual level on the career ladder, as submitted under subsection (f)(1)(A)(vi), during the award year; and</text></clause><clause id="id1b70438c67f442a7a1a0890df34018ab" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the amount of the minimum salary increase associated with such level, as submitted under subsection (f)(1)(A)(ii).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida1016d0ead3e48cea178189ee2540a8c"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Classroom awards amounts</header><text>In a second or subsequent award year, the amount that shall be allotted to States in accordance with subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be equal to the sum of—</text><clause id="idd0b6150f021c4e1191f6dabe4df1697e"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the product of the estimated number of eligible teachers serving students in eligible high-need public schools during the award year (based on the data submitted as part of such State’s application) and $1,200; and</text></clause><clause id="idc71711aaba684375be53c5639088da48"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the product of the estimated number of eligible teachers serving students in eligible public schools not described in clause (i) during the award year (based on the data submitted as part of such State’s application) and $1,000.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id6dae716710ba467393bf44ec321609c0"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Actual teacher counts</header><subparagraph id="idac2018a97d954c33a1cc91108673fb45"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>By not later than November 1 of the second award year for which a State receives an allotment under paragraph (2) and each subsequent award year, such State shall report to the Secretary—</text><clause id="id118f5b63649246f5a9f4b6af2ccdea11"><enum>(i)</enum><text>per each individual level submitted under subsection (f), its actual head count of the teachers who has attained a given individual level on the career ladder for the preceding award year; and</text></clause><clause id="id3688d60a2d6642b0bece9485fc72a140"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the actual head count of eligible teachers and how many of such teachers served students in eligible high-need public schools for the preceding award year.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id92070bc8aea345c19ca42d9c063a4b37"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Adjustments</header><text>If the actual counts for the preceding award year reported under subparagraph (A)—</text><clause id="id720502b8ba7f47a0a86c274f0a36040e"><enum>(i)</enum><text>exceeds the number of teachers that was used for determining the allotment for such preceding award year, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the allotment for the subsequent award year in which the November 1 date falls for the State shall be increased to reflect such actual count of teachers; or </text></clause><clause id="idb51016fd679a422b9fed45d9c9b39d26"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>is less than the number of teachers that was used for determining the allotment for such preceding award year, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the allotment for the subsequent award year in which the November 1 date falls for the State shall be decreased to reflect such actual count of teachers. </text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idd5fb6191898940a8ad39763d5a04d731"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Requirements</header><text>In order to be eligible to receive an allotment under this section for a second or subsequent award year, as described in subsection (d)(2), a State shall comply with the following, as applicable:</text><paragraph id="ida201b4e93afb454fbd90a74e654d5a75"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Career Ladder Award Program</header><subparagraph id="idee303469072d481e938e8c34b8741572"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Each State that receives a grant under this section shall develop a program that supports local educational agencies in developing and implementing locally-driven career ladders to expand students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id46f2de15b08f4b51be3afde0327f859d"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Levels</header><text>The State’s career ladder program described in subparagraph (A) shall, at a minimum—</text><clause id="id4725d7f72f9d4f4cb554599cf8bf8075"><enum>(i)</enum><text>be composed of levels (as described under subsection (f)(1)(A)(i) of the State plan) under which—</text><subclause id="idbe33071aff9941af82a86a076aa587a8"><enum>(I)</enum><text>eligible teachers may progress and earn additional responsibilities and roles; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id096b73124f564e6eb8e73ed3b1d221cf"><enum>(II)</enum><text>States may include flexible descriptions of additional roles or responsibilities assigned to such levels that are subsequently adapted by local educational agencies' locally-driven career ladders with additional specifications; and</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id4bdc005acc7241e8898dc9488c7b6e69"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>for each level described in clause (i), assign a minimum salary increase (as described under subsection (f)(1)(A)(ii)) for each eligible teacher who attains such a level.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id03c8d39dc21c422dbb6043845e4a0a32"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Career ladder levels</header><clause id="id7bc1ba2add884160bdf1a95ae4b04d3b"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Development</header><text>A State shall engage and coordinate with local educational agencies and public schools in developing and implementing levels described in subparagraph (B)(i), including in determining the additional responsibilities, roles, and salary increase (as described in subparagraph (B)) associated with each level.</text></clause><clause id="id0661f8a7eba5485c99b68dbd37f746aa"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Examples of level</header><text>A State may define the following levels:</text><subclause id="iddde6e0d9d60b42d79ba29c8f84d7cae4"><enum>(I)</enum><text>A mentor eligible teacher who is responsible for supporting teacher induction programs, mentoring novice teachers, or who supervises teacher candidates, including students participating in clinical experiences or practicums as part of their teacher preparation pathway.</text></subclause><subclause id="id1045b5d5ac1b49f1911afd3cbbf9ae3a"><enum>(II)</enum><text>An eligible teacher with coaching responsibilities (such as literacy coaching) or leading teacher collaboratives.</text></subclause><subclause id="id270b7921c50e404796cf7e841e69b031"><enum>(III)</enum><text>An eligible teacher who earns or maintains a national certification that requires the demonstration of advanced teaching skills (such as the National Board Certification) or a master's degree in a critical subject or specialty shortage.</text></subclause><subclause id="id0e765b15038647e09cdcfd65ffc44d7c"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>An eligible teacher who supports collaboration to systematically improve instruction, curricula, and job-embedded professional learning, such as teacher appraisal opportunities and feedback to improve teaching and learning.</text></subclause><subclause id="idd259cde19f6b4a3bbf8f43755fb4179e"><enum>(V)</enum><text>An eligible teacher who is on a teacher leadership track to become a principal or other school leader.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id71cdf8502f1348d9aeca84cfa6e10a06"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Specifications</header><text>For each level in a State’s career ladder program, a local educational agency in the State may place additional reasonable specifications to align the level to such agency’s locally driven career ladder, in accordance with subparagraph (D).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id76df4d07751f4507aff6d2fc549fe4d8"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Local implementation</header><clause id="id52140ab2358d439bb3ca564848b7a2b7"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Each State that receives a grant under this section shall ensure that local educational agencies in the State receive the technical assistance and resources necessary to participate in the State’s career ladder program described in this paragraph and develop and implement a locally-driven career ladder to expand students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers.</text></clause><clause id="id524accd9d4814424a839f06d9934e2be"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Local implementation</header><text>A local educational agency, in accordance with the State’s requirements for the State’s career ladder program described in this paragraph, shall—</text><subclause id="ida2a9098c8d4e4ebda31a5522b8786000"><enum>(I)</enum><text>develop a locally-driven career ladder that adapts each level and the minimum salary increases in the State’s career ladder program described in subparagraph (B) to align with such local educational agency’s goals, strategies, and local context;</text></subclause><subclause id="id27f733403c4e49399d2ad03d8a7a806a"><enum>(II)</enum><text>provide opportunities for eligible teachers employed by such local educational agency to progress levels and earn additional responsibilities, roles, and agency;</text></subclause><subclause id="id848065942bea4cd598339709bb857ed8"><enum>(III)</enum><text>ensure that principals, other school leaders, superintendents, and other staff receive the training and professional learning necessary to support local adaptation and effective implementation of such agency’s locally-driven career ladder; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddb13724d5c584e8eb13462de197c0ad7"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>develop a locally-driven career ladder in a manner that does not alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, or procedures afforded to school or local educational agency employees under Federal, State, or local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements between such employers and their employees.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idd83dd055d7dc4e79a4a6f5ce3f8bcbbe"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Classroom award program</header><text>A State that receives a grant under this section shall develop and operate a streamlined and transparent program that—</text><subparagraph id="idf9941151fcdb4143b9d4b1ab154f000f"><enum>(A)</enum><text>enables all eligible teachers in the State to apply for and access classroom awards under this section, especially eligible teachers in eligible high-need public schools;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idd961a8df15824c088b28d17b41844c20"><enum>(B)</enum><text>is minimally burdensome to teachers, principals, other school leaders, superintendents, other staff, eligible public schools, and local educational agencies;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id850cf27941c14b3497cbe1c6b83e1990" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><text>enables eligible teachers to exercise their professional judgement to purchase classroom supplies, supplemental high-quality instructional materials, and other resources to improve the educational experience of their students;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ide569a2922e10403f8fc6f6d0d7828c96"><enum>(D)</enum><text>enables eligible teachers to decide to pool classroom awards to better serve students; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id46fd44a5fcde4a2c89c64d8caa17a34d"><enum>(E)</enum><text>may be implemented—</text><clause id="id24c0a3da8fa04b1da38cd8a65343c815"><enum>(i)</enum><text>as a stipend or bonus provided to eligible teachers prior to the start of the school year during the award year; or</text></clause><clause id="id9f3f4f9964b54fe3a911e12e9b6901ce"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>under a reimbursement model where eligible teachers submit applicable forms, receipts, or invoices to principals, other school leaders, or school administrators.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ida9fd54fa01234a198a01a7a98933f929"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Engagement</header><text>In carrying out requirements under this subsection, a State that receives a grant under this section shall, to the greatest extent practicable, engage students, families, teachers, principals, other school leaders, educator labor organizations, and researchers in developing and operating programs supported by this section.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id17c506ec32b141d49c56575c73891697"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Application requirements</header><paragraph id="idff8924671e5546cabc58ba23e2def73e"><enum>(1)</enum><header>State application</header><text>Subject to paragraph (4), for each award year for which a State desires a grant under this section, the State shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require, including—</text><subparagraph id="idf2cfc0ce1f5449e982420e8647193fad"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the State’s plan to develop and operate a career ladder award program that meets the requirements described in subsection (e)(1), including—</text><clause id="id666b5318a95245e28609872b744292c7"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a description of each individual level in the State’s career ladder;</text></clause><clause id="id9bb5cc1e16a748f9840c7a5780e54c55"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>per level—</text><subclause id="id0843e792701b4e609f79ffaea8e33e15"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the amount of the minimum salary increase that eligible teachers who attain each individual level described in clause (i) will receive during such award year, which may include variations to account for regional variance in the cost of living;</text></subclause><subclause id="id2a3e76cf4bba4033822606483020883b"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the factors the State considered in determining such amount; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id75299ae262c14df893ff08a8a5e92b2c"><enum>(III)</enum><text>an assurance that the State will adjust such amount by inflation;</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id59257fcd7bf347fb92aba5be420dc158"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>an assurance that in developing each individual level described in clause (i), the State will include a level that describes eligible teachers who serve students in eligible high-need public schools and will provide such teachers with not less than a $10,000 minimum salary increase;</text></clause><clause id="id5d56c884962c4afd8e0624fa7db3b0e6"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>a description of the State’s efforts to support local educational agencies in adopting and adapting a career ladder to advance the teaching profession and improve teaching and learning;</text></clause><clause id="ida12abcc253e949faaf4545758ea86bdb"><enum>(v)</enum><text>a description of how the State will distribute career ladder awards to each eligible teacher who attains each individual level, in accordance with the requirements under subsection (e)(1);</text></clause><clause id="id847c723dcec342a09894185c2edf6dbd"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>per level, the estimated number of eligible teachers who have attained each individual level described in clause (i) during the award year and an assurance that the State will submit actual teacher counts, in accordance with paragraph (2); and</text></clause><clause id="idbaa50944a01a467988b7101f02e20e48"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>an assurance that the State will develop and operate such a career ladder program in a manner that does not alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, or procedures afforded to school or local educational agency employees under Federal, State, or local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements between such employers and their employees, such as contractual requirements for employers to provide basic supplies to teachers;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id34ebb6b4c53945acad46abedfd821f71"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the State’s plan to develop and operate a classroom award program that meets the requirements described in subsection (e)(2), including—</text><clause id="id6bd892f25b4840a7aceb86edf62db26c"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a description of how the State will annually identify eligible teachers, eligible public schools, and eligible high-need public schools;</text></clause><clause id="id0c1e3f27bd65452f91114437c2243f38"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the plan to distribute classroom awards to eligible teachers, which may include methods described in subsection (e)(2)(D);</text></clause><clause id="idbea89556ea86416985bfaac3fe26f62b"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the plan to promote teacher autonomy and decision-making in using classroom awards to support their students’ learning;</text></clause><clause id="idf90dfffaacc8485085ea29cf4943d157"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>the plan to support school leaders, local educational agencies, and the public in implementing the classroom awards program to reduce burden and minimize waste, fraud, and abuse;</text></clause><clause id="id26780188cb9b470b8e3053409b92486e"><enum>(v)</enum><text>the plan to monitor public schools and local educational agencies to prevent schools from supplanting local or State funding, in accordance with section 2255(d); and</text></clause><clause id="id3e3d032a67194a0aba4772a5d561ca2c"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>the plan to examine resource inequities among schools to ensure that schools and local educational agencies have the resources and instructional materials necessary for students to meet challenging State academic standards, in a manner that does not require teachers to pay for such materials out of pocket;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id13574d343af343c3b96d498ff7201a86"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the estimated number of eligible teachers serving students in eligible high-need public schools during the award year and an assurance that the State will submit actual teacher counts, in accordance with paragraph (2); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id29da2b1354214dce8d0e9ea47ce87f9f"><enum>(D)</enum><text>the State’s definition for eligible high-need public school, including—</text><clause id="idb6725e7cab504e9391ed5ecfc38eebcd"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the State-determined threshold for the number or percentage of students from low-income backgrounds; and</text></clause><clause id="id159a3edf589e4f41b1247856380f9c34"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the number of public schools that meet such threshold.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idbbf79d2a1d614e78bc1c04cdb6e5d753"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Submission of actual teacher counts</header><text>Each State that submits an application described in paragraph (1) shall submit additional data described in subsection (d)(3) to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8aa070e6c93842109f0c893b42fe157f" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><header>First award year</header><subparagraph id="id94b96cb688f3448f9c217f81cf673e1e" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall adapt application requirements for a State that submits its first application under subsection (f) for a grant under subsection (c) for the first award year of the program under this section.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id0bc67379d7b8420e86b9f58d72eb9e1f" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Contents</header><text>States shall submit an application described in subparagraph (A) to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id480ca7deb00148f8bada01792cd74d60" commented="no"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Monitoring</header><text>The Secretary shall monitor and enforce requirements under this section, including the requirements described in subsection (e)(1)(D)(ii)(IV) and subsection (f)(1)(A)(vii). The Secretary shall develop an appeals process to resolve any potential non-compliance under such provisions.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idbb4aa71a2d1e4517b0f783f74d64869a"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Uses of funds</header><paragraph id="id2564ed39931c4440bde1662bf1db5d06"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Reservation</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0cacaa143d5c46b19dc277cc3fdd0d4b"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Each State that receives a grant under this section may reserve not more than 5 percent of the grant funds, and the non-Federal share funds required under subsection (c)(2), for activities described in subparagraph (B).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id522dd312bd6a4d588809a39134e14c45"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Activities</header><text>A State shall use any funds reserved under subparagraph (A)—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb3a9d907edab43e7b2fb445946c2c635"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to implement data-driven strategies to mitigate inequities in students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers, such as identifying and providing targeted support to public schools, local educational agencies, and regions with high rates of teacher vacancies or of teachers who are not fully licensed certified;</text></clause><clause id="ide4a623faea6a486da38e5b09ca4f7730"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>to produce actionable insights for students, teacher candidates, and institutions of higher education regarding educator labor market demand, particularly in high-need subject areas, grade levels, and geographic locations;</text></clause><clause id="idafa20beb5abd42d5bfa4f58698bddf1f"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>to provide local educational agencies and institutions of higher education with models or predictions of future teacher demand, shortages in specific subject, grades, or credentials, and student enrollment shifts to support planning; </text></clause><clause id="idec950d35a27148cbaa818b125f73c6f8"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>to support applied research, development, data analysis, and synthesis of research to improve teaching and learning (such as through research-practice partnership) that—</text><subclause id="id97e3b3291b9549e88e5668fadc9b7f7a"><enum>(I)</enum><text>addresses research questions raised by teachers, principals, and other school leaders;</text></subclause><subclause id="idb638068297fd4513b45c6b269953bd8d"><enum>(II)</enum><text>is responsive to the urgent challenges facing students, teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, administrators, and other staffs; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id1626bc9beaac4a45880f69d210ee9f4d"><enum>(III)</enum><text>promotes evidence use in teaching and learning, including through—</text><item id="id4e2a122f26734d58a5d35318e924f223"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>coaching, mentoring, and professional development, and technical assistance in identifying, selecting, implementing, and adapting evidence-based practices in heterogeneous local educational contexts;</text></item><item id="id7e711c688fb0413f96a136af353173c3"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>supporting engagement among researchers, practitioners, education system leaders, and policymakers to strengthen public education; and</text></item><item id="id208e9d6ebaa74bec860b96bddb2d9b20"><enum>(cc)</enum><text>promoting the status and expertise of teachers, principals, and other school leaders in improving practice and policy; and </text></item></subclause></clause><clause id="id01e94354aa864533aea8cee87959292d"><enum>(v)</enum><text>for technical assistance, data collection, and program administration.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id0d0794519aed41a6aa330cdff5602712"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Career ladder awards and classroom awards</header><text>After making the reservation described in paragraph (1), each State that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds and the non-Federal share funds required under subsection (c)(2), as applicable, to—</text><subparagraph id="id424e1d42534c456cb20b7602df185f07"><enum>(A)</enum><text>develop and operate a career ladder award program that meets the requirements described in subsection (e)(1); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id2911d1f12dd94d46a570e3fae7e1c3c9"><enum>(B)</enum><text>develop and operate a classroom award program that meets the requirements described in subsection (e)(2).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idd447267ff5254270b813b1e14a3e240d" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Authorization; appropriations</header><text>In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are authorized to be appropriated and there are appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Department of Education, such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026 and each succeeding fiscal year to carry out this section.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="idca3e481201c9461992fc26b27ed261e2"><enum>214.</enum><header>Pay Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Act</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Subpart 5 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as added by section 211 and amended by sections 212 and 213, is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block id="id5dee5f2873984e31bb2e698c43869bf8" display-inline="no-display-inline" style="OLC"><section id="id295790d6ba6f4ed78c748d1c90a2ddfd"><enum>2254.</enum><header>Pay Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Act</header><subsection id="idbe55512de6574340b95a38c23339768f"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="id8913ec144eb249b19a4316342695af56"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Annual adjustment percentage</header><text>The term <term>annual adjustment percentage</term> has the meaning given the term in section 1120(a). </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4f917185c8be47ccb08f7d6998063a6c"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Minimum salary for paraprofessional and education
support staff</header><subparagraph id="id67de7124e323408eacdd15f1abc15371"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>minimum salary for paraprofessional and education support staff</term> means an amount, determined by the State, that all full-time equivalent employees employed by a local educational agency are required by the State to be compensated by such agency as their annual base salary, and which—</text><clause id="idc1140f1b79a443cf9d3419cfdfc10f33"><enum>(i)</enum><text>is greater than the amount described in subparagraph (B); and</text></clause><clause id="id839561cdb74a40578860d3212a0ab7ce" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>increases as the experience of such school staff increases. </text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida097d2316a9c4db291b91e9b59d6a3a6" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Indexing salary growth to inflation</header><clause id="id92be4188b89046a38c3335c738f99d5d" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Fiscal years 2026 through 2030</header><text>For each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, the amount described in this subparagraph is $45,000.</text></clause><clause id="id8f3c367ffe9d456dac7f1a0b2a7388d9" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Fiscal years 2031 and after</header><text>For each fiscal year in the fiscal year period 2031 through 2035 and in each subsequent 5 fiscal year period, the amount described this subparagraph shall be equal to the amount applicable for each fiscal year in the previous 5 fiscal year period, increased by the greater of—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4ea88c3f391044e2953ffacab6028981"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the aggregate annual adjustment percentage over the previous 5 fiscal years; or</text></subclause><subclause id="idade4b587f3974f65b04e83854a3d546e" commented="no"><enum>(II)</enum><text>2 percent of the amount applicable under this subsection for the previous 5 fiscal year period.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id93a65b0af9084d24a19a714f70b04f90"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Minimum wage for paraprofessional and education support
staff</header><subparagraph id="id2896ebdc8f214f0a80637f90ca0a2b25"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>minimum wage for paraprofessional and education support staff</term> means an amount, determined by the State, that all part-time equivalent staff employed by a local educational agency are required by the State to be paid by such agency, and which—</text><clause id="id73ef4b04df2e473281519826e551c41b"><enum>(i)</enum><text>is greater than the amount described in subparagraph (B); and</text></clause><clause id="id788af7cce4ca4816b682629fd00b18c8" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>increases as the experience of such school staff increases.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida5fd073fe0844a55916db153cc3eac0d" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Indexing salary growth to inflation</header><clause id="id0c8793c1883f4cf78712c82b0a4256a1" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Fiscal years 2026 through 2030</header><text>For each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, the amount described in this subparagraph is $30.00 an hour. </text></clause><clause id="id939e14a4e24e40acb7bc37b114bda1bf" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Fiscal years 2031 and after</header><text>For each fiscal year in the fiscal year period 2031 through 2035 and in each subsequent 5 fiscal year period, the amount described this subparagraph shall be equal to the amount applicable for each fiscal year in the previous 5 fiscal year period, increased by the greater of—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd0b3d26d976740d1b0593d40a770716c"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the aggregate annual adjustment percentage over the previous 5 fiscal years; or</text></subclause><subclause id="id6d060447be2f4768abfe67dfe4827c97" commented="no"><enum>(II)</enum><text>2 percent of the amount applicable under this subsection for the previous 5 fiscal year period.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idc1d4f790c3e24606a0a2efff82cb1864"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Purpose</header><text>The purpose of this section is to ensure that paraprofessionals and education support staff, who are the backbone of our Nation’s public education system, are—</text><paragraph id="id7426e5ebb7894601ac4207dc2f44877d"><enum>(1)</enum><text>paid a living wage, which means—</text><subparagraph id="id675aaf9f93ec4b94a62f971e335062d1"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a minimum salary for paraprofessional and education support staff; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id651a111ce73a4ebabd01e48a35203938"><enum>(B)</enum><text>a minimum wage for paraprofessional and education support staff;</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id1924a602d9f144ffa05b62711c04a80f"><enum>(2)</enum><text>compensated in a manner that recognizes some regions may have higher costs of living and therefore necessitate higher minimum salaries or wages;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id92b0f6a2c07f4753ac180248071719cf"><enum>(3)</enum><text>recognized as public servants who provide essential services that keep our Nation’s public schools running and our students thriving; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8765f21105524ccd96743d4f77532902"><enum>(4)</enum><text>provided safe working conditions and treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id52525d9082bd48be93bc2ddda1e5b448"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Authorization and appropriations</header><text>In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are authorized to be appropriated and there are appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Department of Education, to carry this section—</text><paragraph id="idbdd10346efd34f6abae1b28937c2ae26"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $25,000,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc59a731bca1d4f4395b435ac9221df1f"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this section for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id7e01be116dde42d69a72124f23b2f47c"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of grants</header><paragraph id="id46533b3058f44a05b380fa8d6ea33057"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Reservations</header><text>From the total amount appropriated under subsection (c) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve not more than—</text><subparagraph id="id188d013216974068b196bb433cb56257"><enum>(A)</enum><text>1 percent to provide grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to regional educational laboratories (established under section 174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002) or qualified nonprofit organizations to assist States that receive grants under this section carry out applied research or evaluations in providing paraprofessionals and education support staff with opportunities for personnel preparation, professional development, credentials, or certifications, such as to assist in the provision of special education and related services or to serve English learners; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id75a1cb5b96ce47ec974bea3d1ac0ba1a"><enum>(B)</enum><text>1 percent for technical assistance and program administration of this section and section 2253.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idabb06a4967ac485f8c8e8a4c70abe9ab"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Grants</header><text>The Secretary shall award grants to States from allotments under paragraph (3) to ensure that all local educational agencies have the resources necessary to pay paraprofessionals and education support staff a living wage, which means—</text><subparagraph id="ida8a145da7bdd4086b26df2e8fcd68530"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the minimum salary for paraprofessional and education support staff; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idf6b79b1409ea40a483b82b5909601bbf"><enum>(B)</enum><text>a minimum wage for paraprofessional and education support staff.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idc1402a12a3b64066a443a74f39342902"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Allotments</header><text>From the amounts appropriated under subsection (b) that are remaining after making the reservations described in paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each State that has submitted an approved application under subsection (d), an amount that bears the same relationship to the remainder as the amount the State received under part A of title I for the preceding fiscal year bears to the amount all States received under that subpart for the preceding fiscal year.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id1608954ce3444c00a35de49b693933eb"><enum>(e)</enum><header>State application</header><text>In order to receive a grant under this section, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and including such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including the following:</text><paragraph id="id872ee0cdec3e4a07ac1acc6371cf6e49"><enum>(1)</enum><text>A timeline, consistent with the goals required under paragraph (2), to ensure that, not later than 4 years after the receipt of a grant under this section—</text><subparagraph id="id66b6e4b129904e179f99f0883421d9f2"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the annual base salary of a full-time equivalent employee employed by a local educational agency in the State is not less than the minimum salary for paraprofessional and education support staff, as determined by the State; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idfd1bc87a8157450d8d7affa152fd01cd"><enum>(B)</enum><text>all part-time equivalent staff employed by a local educational agency in the State are paid not less than the minimum wage for paraprofessional and education support staff, as determined by the State.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id8600161095974545b23392aee2a3e11d"><enum>(2)</enum><text>For each fiscal year in the timeline specified in paragraph (1), statewide annual goals for increasing average salary or wage baselines of paraprofessionals and education support staff in a manner that—</text><subparagraph id="id7bd14b2e1b32400583ba16df02cdaeb0"><enum>(A)</enum><text>annually proposes a percentage increase in the average wage or salary of paraprofessionals and education support staff;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id270cde994312465fa36eae808c95ea9b"><enum>(B)</enum><text>provides for the first increase to occur not later than the second fiscal year a State receives a grant under this section; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idcf8796c7fd604df2ba3412e75cc92944"><enum>(C)</enum><text>makes significant progress toward ensuring that, by the end of the timeline described in subparagraph (A)—</text><clause id="idd7a29356730d403995c94de054a70018"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the annual base salary of a full-time equivalent employee employed by a local educational agency in the State is not less than the minimum salary for paraprofessional and education support staff, as determined by the State; and</text></clause><clause id="idecd4f25bf30a4e6e98c2504e0254201e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>all part-time equivalent staff employed by a local educational agency in the State are paid not less than the minimum wage for paraprofessional and education support staff, as determined by the State.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ida8f4f40aec684843b8f9b6328bca5862"><enum>(3)</enum><text>The State’s proposed formula to subgrant funds to local educational agencies as described in subsection (g) in a manner that ensures—</text><subparagraph id="id912855ef1de949c5b36363aa61590ca3"><enum>(A)</enum><text>local educational agencies that serve a high number or percentage of students from low-income backgrounds receive substantial subgrant allocations that enable such agencies to meet the requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) not later than 2 years after the receipt of a subgrant; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id71991288e4ee47a191891ce5435cbae1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>all remaining local educational agencies in the State meet the State’s requirements in the timeline described in paragraph (1).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id3e24eebd90c24d2bbf459d34b4e9ae4f"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Improving paraprofessional and school staff wages and
salaries</header><paragraph id="id2877009870094671bf7752db532c4835"><enum>(1)</enum><header>State reservation</header><text>A State that receives a grant under this section may reserve not more than 2 percent of the total grant amount received by the State for technical assistance, administrative purposes, and statewide efforts to provide paraprofessionals and education support staff with opportunities for personnel preparation, professional development, credentials, or certifications, such as to assist in the provision of special education and related services or to serve English learners.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idce8b3f87567149c990e13732b3b90922"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Improving wages and salaries</header><subparagraph id="idd8a576007ed143edb565eb814785fed0"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subject to subparagraph (B), a State that receives a grant under this section shall ensure that, within a timeline determined by the State under subsection (e)(1) and approved by the Secretary—</text><clause id="id70faabcf597a414983e2aa1d9978d119"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the annual base salary of a full-time equivalent employee employed by a local educational agency in the State is not less than the minimum salary for paraprofessional and education support staff, as determined by the State; and</text></clause><clause id="id10da8ac583fe448f9e101a55c7531bf1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>all part-time equivalent staff employed by a local educational agency in the State are paid not less than the minimum wage for paraprofessional and education support staff, as determined by the State.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id048362babc0e4d638d7ea910efcd83f7"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Timing</header><text>The Secretary shall ensure that, by not later than 4 years after the date of implementation of the final regulations issued in accordance with section 5 of the Pay Teachers Act, each State that receives a grant under this section meets the salary and wage requirements specified in subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id63c11481aa884e278a89ccd0b9eaffc0"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Subgrants to local educational agencies</header><paragraph id="id54045b3f58674840a688cb7a5321e6b6"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Allocation</header><text>Each State shall allocate not less than 98 percent of the grant funds awarded to the State under this section as subgrants to local educational agencies (including charter schools that are local educational agencies) in the State under the formula determined by the State under subsection (e)(3) and approved by the Secretary.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idfe79abe2c5414d5c9570a011f7366820"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Uses of subgrant funds</header><text>A local educational agency that receives a subgrant under paragraph (1)—</text><subparagraph id="id6ffe07757f8747a18c8892ca0951af5e"><enum>(A)</enum><text>shall use the subgrant funds to comply with the State’s requirements in accordance with subsection (e) guaranteeing that no full-time equivalent employee of the agency is paid less than the minimum salary for paraprofessional and education support staff and no part-time equivalent employee of the agency is paid less than the minimum wage for paraprofessional and education support staff; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id82a6571a235242a28b2fcc17dc5a35a9"><enum>(B)</enum><text>may use subgrant funds—</text><clause id="id268535ad357e4537bc58f7733b90e86f"><enum>(i)</enum><text>to increase salaries or wages for teachers, paraprofessionals, specialized instructional support personnel, classified school employees, principals, other school leaders, school librarians, school bus drivers, and other staff across their careers; and</text></clause><clause id="id83286dd8462a4a3196b72bcf03ddb2a0"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>to provide paraprofessionals and education support staff with opportunities for personnel preparation, professional development, credentials, or certifications, such as to assist in the provision of special education and related services or to serve English learners.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ida05b85e890b648be9eaee7a4a517905b"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Contracted staff</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7d0e2d88a57242f69658755f68c462e6"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A local educational agency that receives a subgrant under this section shall ensure that staff employed by such agency or in any contract such agency enters into, are paid an amount not less than the minimum salary for paraprofessionals and education support staff or the minimum wage for paraprofessionals and education support staff in the State. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id50adeeb8f89540d298ad06cd0923b01d"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Monitoring</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A State that receives a grant under this section shall monitor local educational agencies for compliance with subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="idd392e66c4a3044d9bd94da096c7ce249" commented="no"><enum>215.</enum><header>Rules</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id16456358cfe340cfa6a6595220cb736a"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subpart 5 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.</external-xref>), as added by section 211 and amended by sections 212, 213, and 214, is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id54e6a5dffd0241e38d0b3fbe85ca8d52"><section id="id6277d60ecc5c4b2ab99f9f15b169404d"><enum>2255.</enum><header>Rules</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7fa59e9239ca4bb1be8e88738e80e3ef"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Rule of construction for collective bargaining</header><paragraph id="idc97dda4b977342ec8a17463a05d0804f"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subject to paragraph (2), nothing in section 2253 or 2254 shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded to school or local educational agency employees under Federal, State, or local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements between such employers and their employees.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id64cce130278949d39ae0d7e692e1bf01"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Compliance</header><text>Paragraph (1) shall not be construed to exempt a State, local educational agency, or school from complying with salary or wage requirements in sections 2253 or 2254 or from negotiating in compliance with State labor laws to comply with sections 2253 or 2254.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id68f093661acc4555a037c17725bd2126"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Rule of construction for additional pay or other salary
augmenting systems</header><text>Nothing in sections 2253 or 2254 shall be construed to prevent States or local educational agencies from supplementing the annual base salary of teachers, paraprofessionals, education support staff, or other staff employed by such agencies—</text><paragraph id="id91a297b4aebd49c78645f9ae9240ad59"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for additional skills, knowledge, duties, and responsibilities;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id7974f4998c3a406e8d838ad23b5617c7"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by salary systems that increase teachers’ compensation through supplemental pay that is not part of an annual base salary; or</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id452c3dd3136b42c1abbc927d9a6b1192"><enum>(3)</enum><text>through the provision of bonuses, stipends, or awards.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id45955367cff94c2fa778fb85b2c5685c"><enum>(c)</enum><header>No waiver authority</header><text>Section 8401 shall not apply to this subpart.</text></subsection><subsection id="id2e2da43efd5f405b983a7cce924e92d5"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Supplement not supplant</header><paragraph id="ide95c6ce1325742b5b401a79405a57b6a"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A State shall use Federal funds received under sections 2253 or 2254 only to supplement the funds that would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be made available from State and local sources for elementary and secondary education, and not to supplant State and local funds.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4ec3199cdcb84086ad886dcd0c5e68a5"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Compliance</header><text>The Secretary shall use funds described in section 2254(d)(1)(B) to administer programs authorized under this subpart and to issue technical assistance to States and to monitor and enforce the requirements under such programs.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8a4e0bdd0c2447dfb8a34f8db4d4260f"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Table of contents</header><text>The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 2245 the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="id86b7f4f0-b452-48ca-9429-15ac47568467"><toc><toc-entry level="subpart" idref="id789c9b4f1c0d4333b5568ba4c9d47cdf">SUBPART 5—Modernizing
the teaching profession </toc-entry><toc-entry level="section" idref="id37a127f9c9c041859f1bdccc7415b0d6">Sec. 2251.
Definitions. </toc-entry><toc-entry level="section" idref="ide90bfa501c98432b99572e2d89ad422f">Sec. 2252. State
commissions to advance the teaching profession. </toc-entry><toc-entry level="section" idref="id4f049c041aca48948c4a06e4aad6a2c9">Sec. 2253. Advancing
the teaching profession grants. </toc-entry><toc-entry level="section" idref="id295790d6ba6f4ed78c748d1c90a2ddfd">Sec. 2254. Pay
Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Act. </toc-entry><toc-entry level="section" idref="id6277d60ecc5c4b2ab99f9f15b169404d">Sec. 2255.
Rules.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section></part><part id="id19cf4a1735ac4004b6c7d4f538698c24"><enum>C</enum><header>Technical assistance; reporting; administration; study</header><section id="id6c008782b50f4008b4b4a1700d114bbc" commented="no"><enum>221.</enum><header>Annual State report to the Secretary</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 1111(h)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311(h)(5)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id072da3ee3d7340098687b6c6652dbefd"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking <quote>and</quote> after the semicolon;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id90bd532a2942486395996bca3da275f2"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (G); and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id87551734ec104054bc6d13c0ffb245b6"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:</text><quoted-block id="id3D0DC7B0F1AC4B1784ECCC8126040B35" display-inline="no-display-inline" style="OLC"><subparagraph id="id47d4444aea394874b58977b039190fcb"><enum>(D)</enum><text>data that demonstrates the State met the requirements specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (i)(1), or an assurance that the State submitted the annual report described in subsection (i)(3)(F); </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idecb4345874d84edc8abc617da956ffc7"><enum>(E)</enum><text>a description of the evidenced-based strategies the State implemented to—</text><clause id="id9570bb76d2ee400a81cffc4a90ea8ef8"><enum>(i)</enum><text>reduce the number and percentage of teachers and paraprofessionals teaching without full certification and licensure, overall and in schools served by local educational agencies that serve high numbers or percentages of students who are from low-income backgrounds, students who are racial and ethnic minorities, children with disabilities, or English learners; and</text></clause><clause id="idde92e68a9ab5428d8fde15ff7baedcd0" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>meet the equitable distribution of teachers requirements specified in subsection (g)(1)(B);</text></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section><section id="id15270C24A808438A9C6E29ECB14BB95F"><enum>222.</enum><header>Promoting the equitable distribution of in-field, experienced, and
effective teachers</header><subsection id="idE913EE92023C4530B9570ADB6D7A7B73"><enum>(a)</enum><header>State plans</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="id0C483D307021425AA2B5958978C76EE3"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (g)—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf135a1a2afc74ff0ab1af122bfa56cdc"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (1)(B)—</text><clause id="id6f5c97c0ff7340c5878f1f6171c27516"><enum>(i)</enum><text>by striking <quote>low-income and minority children</quote> and inserting <quote>students who are from low-income backgrounds, students who are racial and ethnic minorities, children with disabilities, or English learners</quote>; and</text></clause><clause id="id0e27bdccfb8149d79b479258d0e8563a"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>by striking <quote>enrolled in schools assisted under this part</quote> and inserting <quote>enrolled in schools served by local educational agencies operating in the State</quote>; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id61f9c1941a5e424d89b69fa0cb2a9582"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in paragraph (2)(J), by striking <quote>, including any requirements for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification</quote> and inserting <quote>and the State educational agency will implement evidenced-based strategies to reduce the number and percentage of teachers and paraprofessionals teaching without full certification and licensure overall and in schools served by local educational agencies that serve high numbers or percentages of students who are from low-income backgrounds, students who are racial and ethnic minorities, children with disabilities, or English learners</quote>; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id153FDF35117046818F6FDB0ED865BBE3"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (h)—</text><subparagraph id="iddfa594c857d042ada79c7bcfd4f273d9"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in paragraph (1)(C)(ix)—</text><clause id="id623ef63f9fe84dc6a3a514bf5beb8262"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in subclause (I), by inserting <quote>(meaning with less than 2 years of service)</quote> after <quote>inexperienced</quote>;</text></clause><clause id="id156bb7d52c394bddbd36e764e664ec8b"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in subclause (II), by striking <quote>and</quote> after the semicolon;</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb87a3efb09104b299c2bb94f465dbe15"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subclause (III), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idce44ce0d730a4a35b297222eab433c6e"><enum>(iv)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idF12CB65DF40C4D8EBDD079F8E644A595"><subclause id="ide2b49e84b58d433fb58cdc60d3f2bd39"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>teachers providing language instruction to English learners who meet the criteria described in subclauses (I) through (III), disaggregated by such criteria.</text></subclause><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id6298b155af704eb0b2586c123f85b94e"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in paragraph (5)(G), as redesignated by section 221—</text><clause id="id3eac9bbad57f46a2bfd4ea0c49ddf1b2"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in clause (i), by inserting <quote>(meaning teachers with less than 2 years of service)</quote> after <quote>Inexperienced teachers</quote>; and</text></clause><clause id="id6fac31d19aee43548f12186a7b0e2af5"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>by inserting after clause (iii) the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idD3E362A232D740EBABFBA64EC20FE5DE"><clause id="id6af5aa14cdb341e9b2f1656267770448" commented="no"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>Teachers who—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida843ca8b13e14aa8a9f77876b13afaff"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">provide language instruction to English learners; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id974a7a1f066c405783468cbb18cf68c7"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">meet the criteria described in clauses (i) through (iii), disaggregated by such criteria.</text></subclause></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id8a62161ee8b24ff98aa777ad129e2977"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Local educational agency plans</header><text>Section 1112 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6312">20 U.S.C. 6312</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="id9cc1c24d62894c299b43d90f674544cc"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subsection (b)(2), by striking <quote>low-income students and minority students</quote> and inserting <quote>students who are from low-income backgrounds, students who are racial and ethnic minorities, children with disabilities, or English learners</quote>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idfa9032183c7945619738015814770f1e"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subsection (c)(6), by striking <quote>, including any requirements for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification</quote> and inserting <quote>and that the local educational agency will implement evidenced-based and research-based strategies to reduce the number and percentage of teachers and paraprofessionals teaching without full certification and licensure overall and in schools served by local educational agencies that serve high numbers or percentages of students who are from low-income backgrounds, students who are racial and ethnic minorities, children with disabilities, or English learners</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idebda0a51d2ae46a2876e6a8626771903"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in subsection (e)(1)(A)(i)(I), by inserting <quote>the full</quote> after <quote>has met</quote>.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id691AE05BBBC64389BACD3A192A1603B5"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Technical assistance To support the equitable distribution of
teachers</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2760a193869f49e7bab985beef2dc95c"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/7901">20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9cb2acfe235a4944a59a3b9471ec40ad"><section id="id71bea4d3c8e543efae303a858f409b0f"><enum>8549D.</enum><header>Technical assistance to support the equitable
distribution of teachers</header><subsection id="id47492404a70e4e1892c5cb92d51594aa"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>To ensure that students who are racial and ethnic minorities, students from low-income backgrounds, students who are children with disabilities, and English learners are not served at disproportionate rates by out-of-field, inexperienced, and ineffective teachers, including ensuring that teachers have the adequate supports they need to be effective, the Secretary shall—</text><paragraph id="idbd50875b6df341e2be5a4f0491b6e25d"><enum>(1)</enum><text>provide technical assistance to—</text><subparagraph id="id4880576440734d05bbeecdaa5f444ab5"><enum>(A)</enum><text>increase support to States and local educational agencies for such purposes; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id59fd3a562ddb4c8ebaec451440719c7d"><enum>(B)</enum><text>monitor the progress of States and local educational agencies in meeting equitable distribution of teachers requirements specified in subsection (g)(1)(B) of section 1111 and monitoring reporting required under subsection (h)(1)(C)(ix) of such section; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ida9e1efbb13a24fe488d8116782ce91c3"><enum>(2)</enum><text>award grants under this section to support State educational agencies and local educational agencies in improving their data systems to effectively collect and analyze information related to educator quality.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id65b820bd6a7d44a4ba41e857f78ec32e"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Report to Congress</header><text>Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Pay Teachers Act, and each subsequent second fiscal year, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives a report regarding—</text><paragraph id="idfb80bfb032584ed3923dfebfef5f5115"><enum>(1)</enum><text>State and local educational agency efforts and progress toward meeting the equitable distribution requirements under subsection (g)(1)(B) of section 1111 and ensuring compliance with reporting required under subsection (h)(1)(C)(ix) of such section; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="iddaa8f8a8d6e1472385e1deb34000a0ab"><enum>(2)</enum><text>actions taken by the Secretary to monitor compliance in accordance with subsection (a)(2).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idddb57f22016a446b92a3abe2fc84d4b2"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations</header><text>In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to provide technical assistance described in subsection (a) and carry out reporting requirements in subsection (b)—</text><paragraph id="id7faf7c3e20604f6b8d795d3adc579dfa"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $3,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idcdc2394002d649efa3bd1ca7ead4f476"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this subsection for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idce577199d1524007aa19f1d3b23d0833"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="ide20a37b5903a4028affa0e602d948f93"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Annual adjustment percentage</header><text>The term <term>annual adjustment percentage</term>, with respect to appropriations made under this section for a fiscal year, means a percentage equal to the estimated percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the Secretary, for the most recent calendar year ending prior to the beginning of such fiscal year.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2b7f2310bd6242e0933c82f6ac4f0fb3"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Consumer Price Index</header><text>The term <term>Consumer Price Index</term> has the meaning given the term in section 478(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="idbd751d3810f54ca5b7ae6bd11881c905"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Table of contents</header><text>The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8549C the following new item:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="id35f4191c-3461-4d8a-9ad8-4d020d849f24"><toc><toc-entry level="section">Sec. 8549D. Technical assistance to
support the equitable distribution of teachers.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id313f6bf12324494ab781f9a695c3857f"><enum>223.</enum><header>Improving resource equity</header><subsection id="ide578d7955e4a48beac90e31c17db07b7"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Purpose</header><text>It is the purpose of the amendments made under this section to help ensure that sufficient funds are available to meet the requirements of this Act, including the amendments made by this Act.</text></subsection><subsection id="id9471cedc0f71458dbf81f8e80b9c057b"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Resource inequity reviews</header><text>Section 1111(d) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311(d)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="idba9d1d20652542ad9265c6ac1a2fc4dc"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in paragraph (1)(B)(iv), by striking <quote>resource inequities, which may</quote> and inserting <quote>and proposes a plan to mitigate resource inequities and to increase educational opportunities, including the equitable access to qualified teachers as described in paragraphs (1)(B) and (2)(J) of subsection (g), and section 1112(b)(2), for students enrolled in such school, which shall</quote>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id61d769cc7aa04047967c5818c7fddbd3"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in paragraph (2)—</text><subparagraph id="id799d8753369845ea93648beb0e2ad6d8"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B)—</text><clause id="id61d414df2d6a4aafbcd46cb827c44151"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in clause (iv), by striking <quote>and</quote> after the semicolon;</text></clause><clause id="id2c86996c9b9c4ce9b966172d8d9c43c7"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>; and</text></clause><clause id="idce29f6b18d12452caa4b81d6c082da34"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfa72cb4572044883b6d7e9b08856aa33"><clause id="idef75bbb09f204b41af024ac6a459c07a"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>identifies and proposes a plan to mitigate resource inequities and to increase educational opportunities, including the equitable access to qualified teachers as described in paragraphs (1)(B) and (2)(J) of subsection (g), and section 1112(b)(2), for students enrolled in such school, which shall include a review of local educational agency and school-level budgeting, to be addressed through implementation of such targeted support and improvement plan.</text></clause><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida3e81a6691c34fc9aef67c5d15280229" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subparagraph (C), by striking <quote>may</quote> and inserting <quote>shall</quote>; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id5c872a1826294f40a0b78c788d053bee"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in paragraph (3)(A)(ii), by inserting <quote>, including the equitable access to qualified teachers as described in paragraphs (1)(B) and (2)(J) of subsection (g) and section 1112(b)(2),</quote> after <quote>periodically review resource allocation</quote>.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id445d8f030c2f4c32af4cdd2376c7b3c5" commented="no"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Resource inequity reviews</header><text>Section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311(d)</external-xref>), as amended by sections 203 and 204, is further amended by inserting after subsection (k) the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4c58054f58594d14b1c691025704fb7d"><subsection id="id864a720c30fc4045918681f8c15a93c6" commented="no"><enum>(l)</enum><header>Disparities in per-Pupil expenditures</header><text>Not less frequently than every 5 years, a State that receives assistance under this part shall examine and address fiscal inequities among schools and local educational agencies in the State, including by working with the Governor, members of the State legislature and State board of education (if the State has a State board of education), local educational agencies that serve schools in the quartile described in paragraph (1), and the public, to—</text><paragraph id="id70bbde3898aa4e58ae14b774e011fd10" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text>identify the quartile of schools serving the greatest number and percentage of students from low-income backgrounds;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id58f0b5a0f5714203a554732a874f67b1" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><text>identify the average per-pupil expenditure of the quartile of local educational agencies with the greatest per-pupil expenditures in the State; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id144df5cada2543b79cf04f83f3c185ba" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><text>implement State and local actions to increase per-pupil expenditures at schools described in paragraph (1) to an amount that is not less than the average per-pupil expenditure described in paragraph (2).</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section id="id76d8cf591473426080ce7963441ab2f3"><enum>224.</enum><header>Strengthening per-pupil expenditure reporting</header><subsection id="idd8bea2d097ef41e79de162f2524db4a5"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Purpose</header><text>It is the purpose of the amendments made under this section to help ensure sufficient funds are available to meet the requirements of this Act, including the amendments made by this Act.</text></subsection><subsection id="id4c7edf45295f40e8b88b632c1efdb223"><enum>(b)</enum><header>State reports</header><text>Section 1111(h)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311(h)(5)</external-xref>) is amended by inserting after subparagraph (E), as redesignated by section 221, the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id05223123d10340daaf5505004c610455"><subparagraph id="id14f647f915e34514933b79e4e1fe211d"><enum>(F)</enum><text>the per-pupil expenditures of Federal, State, and local funds, including actual personnel expenditures and actual nonpersonnel expenditures of Federal, State, and local funds, disaggregated by source of funds, for each local educational agency and each school in the State for the preceding fiscal year, in accordance with paragraph (1)(C)(x); and</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id15200dfa899b4138b44f419af89b911b"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Local educational agency plans</header><text>Section 1112(e)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6312">20 U.S.C. 6312(e)(1)</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida71643918f1f4c9d8e4e77ea7ea4527d"><subparagraph id="id66f7454d17554e4b852b57f99b74465b"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Additional resource equity information</header><text>Schools served by a local educational agency that receives assistance under this part shall provide to each individual parent of a child who is a student in such school information on resource equity, including—</text><clause id="id4a03bbfd45c14b43bda551aab61b3f79"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the per-pupil expenditures of Federal, State, and local funds, in both the school in which such parent’s child is enrolled and in the local educational agency that serves such school, in accordance with section 1111(h)(1)(C)(x); and</text></clause><clause id="id4c9bb3f79f65463aa775ca4a69fc9a7d"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>whether the school-level per-pupil expenditures of the school in which such parent’s child is enrolled and the local educational agency that serves such school are below the average of the local educational agency and State, respectively.</text></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section id="idd5cd56945e784200b94c10f87968ef09"><enum>225.</enum><header>State administration</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 1004 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6304">20 U.S.C. 6304</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="id4c963860c849401982711770a1a8188d" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subsection (a)—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id85145a09eabc42b89f1bf080c58ce742"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking <quote>subsection (b)</quote> and inserting <quote>subsections (b) and (c)</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idc83adc8cb63f4591ba2fa2aeb52f29b3" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in paragraph (2), by striking <quote>$400,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$1,200,000</quote>; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id04797f22febc4575b4af7b15ddeca410"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3700fc775c4c476f9dac90f2f09d5fa4"><subsection id="id8dafdd6694ba4f8698d2640bf3926e3b"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Reservation for State fiscal and resource adequacy and equity</header><text>In addition to any amounts reserved under subsection (a), each State receiving assistance under part A shall reserve not more than 0.5 percent of funds received under such part to carry out 1 or more of the following activities:</text><paragraph id="id69221c6251cc4f099b05546d97db78e7"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Monitor implementation of section 1111(i).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idddd50126e56645a4aaf80174cf1ac84a"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Support State public school funding and resource adequacy and equity commissions, or comprehensive reviews of State public school finance systems, that—</text><subparagraph id="idd8150755c9a04e6ab29e08910753fe9c"><enum>(A)</enum><text>are carried out with significant and meaningful family and community engagement, including with—</text><clause id="id7ecf0613592b46d693d80c09d3c635d9"><enum>(i)</enum><text>organizations representing the interests of students from low-income backgrounds, students who are racial and ethnic minorities, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children and youth in the foster care system, and other vulnerable and underserved children;</text></clause><clause id="idc27c2e15d80f40aa96b1dc537cd31f72"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>teachers, classified school employees, principals, and other school leaders;</text></clause><clause id="id9b087a39a7e7450d921484be16dbb4e5"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>local educational agencies;</text></clause><clause id="idba3be608a40a4eeda18fe33fa075df70"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>parents and families;</text></clause><clause id="idb0860c966d644669a292d405a810851c"><enum>(v)</enum><text>civil rights organizations in the State; and</text></clause><clause id="idb005972606404d89934148859b54a1ba"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>school finance experts, which may include researchers from institutions of higher education;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id78730f88393a4476a916074689d5c892"><enum>(B)</enum><text>identify State and local funding and educational opportunity gaps in fiscal and resource adequacy and equity—</text><clause id="id5a9296f9b7804cb3af895df75fb21bfd"><enum>(i)</enum><text>among all local educational agencies in the State; and</text></clause><clause id="idf99194335ce54a258bd68d2bdd9f1080"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>for each local educational agency in the State, across all schools served by such agency; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idf66947045df24f19b60089e9b55d79a9"><enum>(C)</enum><text>develop action plans to address existing gaps in fiscal and resource adequacy and equity identified under subparagraph (B), with involvement from the stakeholders described in clauses (i) through (vi) of subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id8966df4c6cbd4acbb4c1df596628993a"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Support the provision of technical assistance, which may be provided by school finance experts, regarding the public school finance systems, including developing and implementing more adequate and equitable approaches to State education funding and resource allocation.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id16938a211b64413e8559eef606e53170"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Support and expand public transparency about public school finance systems.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section><section id="id78992fa975b444c3a5f70c84a3b78906"><enum>226.</enum><header>National Academies study to improve ESEA’s resource equity
requirements</header><subsection id="idd6179c0fecbf43a6a066495cd8185d84"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 240 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to—</text><paragraph id="id044f71860f9e4bbfb01039c4ee12cf08"><enum>(1)</enum><text>conduct a study of how to improve Federal requirements designed to ensure that public schools and local educational agencies that serve a high number or percentage of underserved groups of students, including students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in the foster care system, receive an adequate and equitable share of State and local funds; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id65aba121b8124595ba61249310e8f492"><enum>(2)</enum><text>make the report described in subsection (c) publicly available.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id14b89a3da3044a058e6a768eda3e23ea"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Elements</header><text>The study described in subsection (a) shall—</text><paragraph id="id5bb6e8b49a0e4110af55fbcf30acc2e9"><enum>(1)</enum><text>examine disparities in per-pupil expenditures (from State and local funding) and in full-time equivalent staff between public schools receiving support under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6311">20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.</external-xref>) and public schools not receiving support under such part;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id3083a1e2811443b9b52f0ae99d28814e"><enum>(2)</enum><text>identify options for improving the fiscal requirements for purposes of comparability as described in section 1118(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6321">20 U.S.C. 6321(c)</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id85fe96dcf31c43abbc10a398d1733ca9"><enum>(3)</enum><text>identify options for improving the supplement, not supplant requirements under section 1118(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6321">20 U.S.C. 6321(b)</external-xref>); and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id7d8dbd3f89a24fb08e9aab5e1814c72d"><enum>(4)</enum><text>include recommendations for effective or evidence-based Federal and State policies designed to ensure that public schools and local educational agencies that serve a high number or percentage of underserved groups of students receive an equitable share of funds, including recommendations relating to the equitable and adequate distribution of funds at the State and local levels.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id8afd7e639dec47eeba9596038b9aefb2"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Not later than 3 years after the date of the agreement entered into under subsection (a), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives a report of the study required under such subsection.</text></subsection><subsection id="id182ec61a4a4e4f8dbe3b841b264a4304"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations</header><text>In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $1,500,000 to the Secretary to carry out this section for fiscal year 2026.</text></subsection></section></part><enum>III</enum><header>Investing in educator preparation and the teaching pipeline</header><section id="id16ec5d6a168140caa756a31754c733f2"><enum>301.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for the Teacher Quality Partnerships and Grow Your
Own programs</header><subsection id="idafb1b0b5278a4a1b9a2d38a305c9d9d5"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Teacher quality partnerships program appropriated</header><text>In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to carry out part A of title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1022">20 U.S.C. 1022 et seq.</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="id51e920f45c5f484195bc8fd785c90da6"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $550,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id7b35b6fc87504ed8a2409466a94a1287"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this subsection for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb9c9319fac6e4f95ac7b1fa8674db950"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Priority</header><text>In carrying out part A of title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1022">20 U.S.C. 1022 et seq.</external-xref>) with funds provided under subsection (a), the Secretary shall prioritize the use of funds to establish or expand high-quality teacher residencies or Grow Your Own programs as described in subsection (e) or (f) of section 202 of such Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1022a">20 U.S.C. 1022a</external-xref>).</text></subsection><subsection id="id8915a50a12324aafac29a8cdc161f453"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Grow your own programs authorized</header><text>Section 202 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1022a">20 U.S.C. 1022a</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="idc4a1d717ba224e9d9b043a3cbebf8038"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subsection (b)(6)—</text><subparagraph id="id1f3a00b5e08644dcb34741bb8b8af95f"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B), by striking <quote>subsection (d) or (e)</quote> and inserting <quote>subsection (d), (e), or (f)</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id469e73f2f6634edeb9899a59efc6b963"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subparagraph (C), by striking <quote>subsection (f) or (g)</quote> and inserting <quote>subsection (g) or (h)</quote>;</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id274d5b22d3d64ac19ead63ec2b37d1d0"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subsection (c)—</text><subparagraph id="idd4dc6672e7a4406e923f85204a883d9a"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in paragraph (1), by striking <quote>, or a combination of such programs</quote> and inserting <quote>or a Grow Your Own program under subsection (f), or a combination of the programs described in this paragraph</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5333bb2abad14e01aceac12f39d90ea3"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in paragraph (2), by striking <quote>subsection (f)</quote> and inserting <quote>subsection (g)</quote>;</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id542c6660b4bd409a85cfac932c8e07de"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by redesignating subsections (f) through (k) as subsections (g) through (l), respectively;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8302a7b1d16c42b182ad8d3fb83db13e"><enum>(4)</enum><text>by inserting after subsection (e) the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idef720162f9774727b5b52c0880b0d8c1"><subsection id="id8995f12bcfc04371b093aaab69cc90b9"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Partnership grants for the establishment of Grow Your Own programs</header><paragraph id="id199b17d5ea7a4c06a584b5a77b07c9fe"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>An eligible partnership that receives a grant to carry out a Grow Your Own program shall carry out an effective Grow Your Own program to address shortages of teachers in high-need subjects, fields, schools, and geographic areas, or shortages of school leaders in high-need schools, and to increase the diversity of qualified individuals entering the teacher, principal, or other school leader workforce.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idae5f184d965848d99920af5bb67d0801"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Requirements of a Grow Your Own program</header><text>In addition to carrying out each of the activities described in paragraphs (1) through (6) of subsection (d), an eligible partnership carrying out a Grow Your Own program under this subsection shall—</text><subparagraph id="id77b23a34d92c4e8cb564aff8e3f0d3bb"><enum>(A)</enum><text>provide opportunities for candidates to practice and develop teaching or school leadership skills that integrate knowledge from education coursework through, at a minimum, a year-long, school-based, paid clinical experience in which candidates teach or lead alongside an expert mentor teacher or school leader, who is the teacher or school leader of record, in the same local educational agency in which the candidates expect to work;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id3bd1b5149ec74b90b901be1052bd8a81"><enum>(B)</enum><text>provide academic and nonacademic wrap-around supports and services, including advising, tutoring, test preparation, and financial assistance (which may include scholarships or stipends), to candidates as they—</text><clause id="idc02720176de94da0b2dbc83d6891bd73"><enum>(i)</enum><text>complete an associate degree program (if such program is in furtherance of a baccalaureate degree), baccalaureate degree program, or master’s degree program, as applicable;</text></clause><clause id="id30cd3ca02e8147fa85868b843ca53145"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>enter and complete teacher or school leadership preparation programs;</text></clause><clause id="ida52d4f7f4d024938b4f006ea30ebd4f2"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>access and complete State licensure or certification examinations; and</text></clause><clause id="ide8262ba1884e4e42977d33df8bd5f5da"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>engage in school-based clinical placements described in subparagraph (A);</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id0927bca05c584d3a9c64c20abdb3da7d"><enum>(C)</enum><text>include efforts to recruit individuals with experience in high-need subjects or fields who are not certified to teach or lead, with a specific focus on recruiting individuals—</text><clause id="id3c3b8371d77e401ba21c4001fad9b754"><enum>(i)</enum><text>who are other staff employed by local educational agencies, including paraprofessionals;</text></clause><clause id="id16b696550ca442a8a082080a878bed4e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>who are enrolled in dual or concurrent enrollment programs or early college high school programs and studying to become teachers;</text></clause><clause id="ide6e7bb21817d46819b3392ea20c9bd79"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>from groups or populations that are underrepresented; and</text></clause><clause id="idebd195edd1c448e98ae0493533c326e9"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>who live in and come from the communities the schools serve; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id13204de556e74867bc0f64a95b4c2b6b"><enum>(D)</enum><text>require candidates to complete all State requirements to become fully certified or licensed.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="id00571a75d6d84b86b6394f041817607a"><enum>(5)</enum><text>in subsection (h), as redesignated by paragraph (3), by striking <quote>the activities described in subsection (d) or (e), or both</quote> and inserting <quote>activities described in subsection (d), (e), or (f)</quote>.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id24c0e13168af4af5a790be8f74dd25ea"><enum>302.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence
program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to carry out the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program authorized under section 242 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1033a">20 U.S.C. 1033a</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="id67b2546b578d4cc8bbd13e9b2219deff"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $150,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ida436cc67a2fb4153826b81020734d38c"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this section for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></section><section id="id6041325054534789850d0d997bee214e"><enum>303.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for personnel development to improve services and
results for children with disabilities under part D of IDEA</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to carry out the program authorized under section 662 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1462">20 U.S.C. 1462</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="idce3446018c834f4ebf7a9b91f98e2507"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $300,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4e72fde309a74573b3eac03af070841b"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this section for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></section><section id="id5f2647fe00e14dc09c328beea7e991c4"><enum>304.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for the Supporting Effective Educator Development
program</header><subsection id="id90f72c177a7c46dfa6a1be8b6cb159e8"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Appropriation</header><text>In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to carry out the Supporting Effective Educator Development program authorized under section 2242 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6672">20 U.S.C. 6672</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="id09cdfd7630974419bb26dd12fde9d1d4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $100,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idf50ecf625ecb41d7be2c64aa60a6d6d2"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this subsection for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idcdb44b4950824dc588d2e512fedff19c"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Priority</header><text>In awarding grants under the Supporting Effective Educator Development program authorized under section 2242 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6672">20 U.S.C. 6672</external-xref>) with funds made available under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—</text><paragraph id="id4335503735cc4a6b9f05b99a142f71b9"><enum>(1)</enum><text>are partnerships that include—</text><subparagraph id="idddf33c7c3af34c96b52014ff3dca334f" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id8cf96360d4b44ea182bd6570b279d8d1"><enum>(i)</enum><text>1 or more institutions of higher education described in section 2242(f)(1) of such Act; or</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id550ddca2bab147fa81e6ee6d3f4c8ac3" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">1 or more national nonprofit entities described in section 2242(f)(2) of such Act; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idaaad8419feab41b09cef32c93c8c7f33" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="idd6e56319be8449fea8be49aa603497e2"><enum>(i)</enum><text>1 or more State educational agencies; or</text></clause><clause commented="no" indent="up1" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide06ba2cf4d3840838d295d210529017e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">1 or more local educational agencies; and</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id99741a629d4646209d70c06d627b38f8"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the application submitted under section 2242(d) of such Act, describe how such funds will be used to develop teacher leadership and professional expertise by providing teachers, principals, or other school leaders with opportunities to—</text><subparagraph id="id1bd1808e00e2439dac1b6d2737782653"><enum>(A)</enum><text>earn additional in-demand certifications and credentials, including National Board certification and certifications or credentials in high-need subjects and fields, such as special education, bilingual education, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and career and technical education;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id08c2be6a75aa45d78fd0fdf15c787c29"><enum>(B)</enum><text>serve as mentors;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida76f64a79fec4b488051e70bddf717e7"><enum>(C)</enum><text>participate in distributed leadership or school-based clinical models; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idb5316b3f74c3446abecb0c18126debbc"><enum>(D)</enum><text>learn and teach other teachers how to conduct student inquiries, including through action research and the effective use of student data to strengthen teaching and learning.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcf3c245f12654f37bfeb75f943241147"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Conforming amendment</header><text>Section 2242(f)(4) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6672">20 U.S.C. 6672(f)(4)</external-xref>) is amended by striking <quote>entity</quote> and inserting <quote>entity, a State educational agency, a local educational agency, or a consortium of State educational agencies or local educational agencies</quote>.</text></subsection></section><section id="id8e3ced00874d4d8d86e5b4ac14d7e095"><enum>305.</enum><header>Mandatory appropriations for the Teacher and School Leader Incentive program
to support continued teacher growth and contributions to student
learning</header><subsection id="id8e15cb4ae3244fb9a4bc13576320f754"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Appropriation</header><text>In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Secretary to carry out the Teacher and School Leader Incentive program authorized under subpart 1 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6631">20 U.S.C. 6631 et seq.</external-xref>)—</text><paragraph id="idab2d6e53b46648fb96419398b4ad061f"><enum>(1)</enum><text>for fiscal year 2026, $200,000,000; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idf3c0b4b287134cce8e33e528efbbaacb"><enum>(2)</enum><text>for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this subsection for the preceding fiscal year, increased by the annual adjustment percentage.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ida0805a9b266144488aa8d92559f81e89" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Special requirement</header><text>For purposes of any grants awarded under subpart 1 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6631">20 U.S.C. 6631 et seq.</external-xref>) with funds made available under subsection (a), the Secretary shall deem the term <term>performance-based compensation system</term> to only mean a system of compensation for teachers, principals, or other school leaders that recognizes skills and knowledge in the manner described in section 2211(b)(4)(B)(ii) of such Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/6631">20 U.S.C. 6631(b)(4)(B)(ii)</external-xref>).</text></subsection></section>