[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2348 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2348

 To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 regarding 
the rigorous standard of quality applicable to paraprofessionals hired 
 before the date of enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 5, 2003

  Mr. Duncan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 regarding 
the rigorous standard of quality applicable to paraprofessionals hired 
 before the date of enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 
                        and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``American ParaProfessional Learning 
Equity Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. RIGOROUS STANDARD OF QUALITY FOR EXISTING PARAPROFESSIONALS.

    Subsection (d) of section 1119 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6319) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(d) Existing Paraprofessionals.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each local educational agency receiving 
        assistance under this part shall ensure that by not later than 
        January 8, 2006, all paraprofessionals hired before January 8, 
        2002, and working in a program supported with funds under this 
        part, shall have--
                    ``(A) satisfied paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection 
                (c); or
                    ``(B) met a rigorous standard of quality as 
                demonstrated through an evaluation (conducted in 
                accordance with procedures and criteria developed under 
                paragraph (2)) of each such paraprofessional's--
                            ``(i) performance of job duties that occur 
                        in the presence of students; and
                            ``(ii) knowledge of, and ability to assist 
                        in, instructing reading, writing, and 
                        mathematics (or reading readiness, writing 
                        readiness, and mathematics readiness, as 
                        applicable) at the grade level of the students 
                        to be instructed.
            ``(2) Procedures and criteria.--Not later than January 8, 
        2005, each State educational agency receiving assistance under 
        this part shall develop procedures and criteria for an 
        evaluation described in paragraph (1)(B). Such procedures and 
        criteria shall include the following:
                    ``(A) Each evaluation of a paraprofessional working 
                in a local educational agency must be conducted by an 
                employee of a different local educational agency or of 
                the State educational agency.
                    ``(B) Each employee who conducts an evaluation must 
                be trained or approved by the State educational 
                agency.''.
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