[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2496 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2496

To amend title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
   to enhance teaching standards and provide for license portability.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 18, 2007

 Mr. Bingaman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
   to enhance teaching standards and provide for license portability.

    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 ``Enhancing Teaching Standards and 
License Portability Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. TEACHING STANDARDS AND LICENSE PORTABILITY.

    Part C of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6671 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

        ``Subpart 6--Teaching Standards and License Portability

``SEC. 2371. PURPOSES.

    ``The purposes of this subpart are the following:
            ``(1) To support the development of rigorous kindergarten 
        through grade 12 teaching standards that incorporate 21st 
        century learning skills.
            ``(2) To create incentives for States to adopt, pilot, and 
        implement such rigorous kindergarten through grade 12 teaching 
        standards.
            ``(3) To create incentives for States to align the States' 
        teacher licensing systems to such rigorous kindergarten through 
        grade 12 teaching standards.
            ``(4) To create incentives for States to develop policies 
        to facilitate teacher license portability across States in 
        order to improve the capacity of States to collaboratively 
        address teacher shortages.

``SEC. 2372. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subpart:
            ``(1) Core teaching standards.--The term `core teaching 
        standards' means standards that all beginning teachers should 
        know and be able to teach in order to practice responsibly, 
        regardless of the subject matter or grade level being taught.
            ``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means an 
        organization representing administrators of State educational 
        agencies in partnership with 1 or more independent professional 
        organizations with expertise in the following areas:
                    ``(A) Teacher preparation and licensure.
                    ``(B) Assessment of teacher knowledge, skills, and 
                competencies.
            ``(3) 21st century learning skills.--The term `21st century 
        learning skills' means the skills, knowledge, and competencies 
        that students should master to succeed in postsecondary 
        education and the workforce of the 21st century, including 
        creativity and innovation skills, critical thinking and 
        problem-solving skills, communication and collaboration skills, 
        information and technology literacy, civic and health literacy, 
        adaptability, social and cross-cultural skills, and leadership 
        skills.

``SEC. 2373. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to award a 
competitive grant to an eligible entity to enable such entity to carry 
out the following:
            ``(1) The development or updating of core teaching 
        standards and content-specific kindergarten through grade 12 
        teaching standards that are rigorous and incorporate 21st 
        century learning skills and recent research and expert 
        knowledge on teaching practices.
            ``(2) The development of teacher assessments linked to the 
        kindergarten through grade 12 teaching standards that can be 
        used for licensing, are valid and reliable, and are 
        performance-based.
            ``(3) The awarding of subgrants as described in subsection 
        (b)(2) to State educational agencies.
            ``(4) The provision of technical assistance to States in 
        the adoption, pilot testing, and implementation of kindergarten 
        through grade 12 teaching standards and teacher assessments as 
        described in paragraph (2).
            ``(5) The provision of technical assistance to States to 
        facilitate teacher license portability across States through 
        changes in relevant State policies or the creation of new 
        policies for such purpose.
    ``(b) Uses of Funds.--
            ``(1) Direct activities.--
                    ``(A) First and second years.--An eligible entity 
                that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall use 
                100 percent of the funds made available through the 
                grant for the first and second fiscal years--
                            ``(i) to develop or update the core 
                        teaching standards and content-specific 
                        kindergarten through grade 12 teaching 
                        standards; and
                            ``(ii) to develop and pilot test teacher 
                        performance assessments that can be used to 
                        supplement or supplant current State licensing 
                        exams.
                    ``(B) Third year and beyond.--An eligible entity 
                that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall use 
                not more than 40 percent of the funds made available 
                through the grant for the third fiscal year, not more 
                than 30 percent of the funds made available through the 
                grant for the fourth fiscal year, and not more than 20 
                percent of the funds made available through the grant 
                for the fifth fiscal year--
                            ``(i) to continue pilot testing and 
                        validating the teacher performance assessments;
                            ``(ii) to disseminate the kindergarten 
                        through grade 12 teaching standards, 
                        assessments, and any other materials that 
                        States may need to properly evaluate and adopt 
                        such standards, assessments, and materials;
                            ``(iii) to provide technical assistance to 
                        States in--
                                    ``(I) adopting the kindergarten 
                                through grade 12 teaching standards;
                                    ``(II) pilot testing the teacher 
                                assessments; and
                                    ``(III) reliably and accurately 
                                administering and interpreting the 
                                teacher assessments; and
                            ``(iv) to fund research activities that 
                        further the development of kindergarten through 
                        grade 12 teaching standards and assessments.
            ``(2) Subgrants.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
        under subsection (a) shall use not less than 60 percent of the 
        funds made available through the grant for the third fiscal 
        year, not less than 70 percent of the funds made available 
        through the grant for the fourth fiscal year, and not less than 
        80 percent of the funds made available through the grant for 
        the fifth fiscal year to award subgrants to State educational 
        agencies to pay the Federal share of the costs of carrying out 
        the following activities in the States:
                    ``(A) To adopt the core teaching standards and 
                content-specific kindergarten through grade 12 teaching 
                standards developed or updated by the eligible entity.
                    ``(B) To align the States' teacher licensing 
                systems to such standards, which may include the pilot 
                testing and use of teacher assessments developed by the 
                eligible entity under paragraph (1)(A)(ii).
                    ``(C) To change relevant policies or introduce new 
                policies to facilitate teacher license portability 
                across the States.

``SEC. 2374. APPLICATIONS.

    ``(a) Grant Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity that desires a grant 
        under this subpart shall submit to the Secretary an application 
        at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
        information as the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Contents.--In an application submitted under 
        paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall include, at a minimum, 
        a description of the capability of the entity to carry out 
        section 2373(b).
    ``(b) Subgrant Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--A State educational agency that desires 
        a subgrant under this subpart shall submit an application to 
        the eligible entity at such time, in such manner, and 
        accompanied by such information as the eligible entity may 
        require.
            ``(2) Contents.--In an application submitted under 
        paragraph (1), a State educational agency shall include, at a 
        minimum, a description of how the agency plans to carry out the 
        activities described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of 
        section 2373(b)(2).

``SEC. 2375. FEDERAL SHARE.

    ``(a) Federal Share.--For State educational agencies receiving a 
subgrant under section 2371(b)(2), the Federal share of the cost of 
carrying out the activities described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and 
(C) of section 2371(b)(2) shall be 50 percent.
    ``(b) Payment of Non-Federal Share.--The non-Federal share may be 
paid in cash or in kind (fairly evaluated).

``SEC. 2376. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    ``Not later than 2 years after the date funds are first made 
available to carry out this subpart, and again 2 years thereafter, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress a report regarding activities 
assisted under this subpart.

``SEC. 2377. SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.

    ``Funds made available to carry out this subpart shall be used to 
supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds 
available to carry out the [purposes described in section 2371].

``SEC. 2378. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
subpart--
            ``(1) $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009; 
        and
            ``(2) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 
        2012.''.
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