II 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3707 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 19, 2008 Mrs. Clinton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To recruit, train, and support principals for high-need schools who are effective in improving student academic achievement.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the National Principal Recruitment Act.

2.

National principal recruitment program

(a)

Program authorization

Part A of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 6

National Principal Recruitment Program

2161.

National principal recruitment program

(a)

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to recruit, train, and support principals for high-need schools who are effective in improving student academic achievement. (b)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Eligible grantee

The term eligible grantee means a partnership— (A)consisting of a nonprofit organization working with a research organization and local educational agencies in States and regions across the Nation, that has a track record of selecting, training, and supporting principals; (B)that has the capacity to engage in world-class research and evaluation with access to student-level data in all local educational agencies in the partnership needed to— (i)do value-add analysis of academic achievement; and (ii)correlate academic achievement gains with principal skills and characteristics; and (C)that may work with institutions of higher education. (2)

High-need school

The term high-need school means a public elementary school or public secondary school (including a charter school) in which not less than 40 percent of the students enrolled are eligible to receive a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.). (3)

Principal

The term principal includes an assistant principal. (c)

Multiyear grant program

(1)

In general

(A)

Establishment of program

The Secretary shall establish a multiyear national principal recruitment grant program to enable not more than 3 eligible grantees to carry out the activities described in paragraph (3). (B)

Priority

In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to at least one eligible grantee focused on urban schools and at least one eligible grantee focused on rural schools. (2)

Application

To receive a grant under this section, an eligible grantee shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (3)

Activities

(A)

In general

Each eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section shall use grant funds provided under this section for the following: (i)To recruit, select, train, and support, up to the capacity of the eligible grantee, new principals for high-need schools through— (I)a year-long preservice residency; and (II)ongoing support and professional development. (ii)To rigorously research, evaluate, and report on the activities described in this paragraph in order to create— (I)a national research and knowledge base to inform the recruitment, selection, and training of principals for high-need schools; and (II)a model of a performance-based program under which Federal funding to maintain and expand activities will be contingent on a rigorous demonstration of impact on student academic achievement. (B)

Specific activities

The activities described in subparagraph (A)(i) shall include the following: (i)Recruiting, selecting, and providing preservice training to individuals who— (I)aspire to be principals in high-need schools; (II)share the belief that all students, regardless of background, can achieve at high levels; (III)have knowledge of effective instruction and adult leadership, and a focus on goals and results; and (IV)agree to sign a compact committing to serve high-need schools and to work toward substantial improvement in student academic achievement in the schools they will lead within approximately 5 to 6 years of their becoming principals. (ii)Providing training during the year-long preservice residency to selected aspiring principals that includes coaching from an effective principal, hands-on instructional leadership experience, and a curriculum that includes topics such as— (I)creating and maintaining a data-driven, professional learning community within the new principal’s school; (II)providing a climate conducive to the professional development of teachers, with a focus on improving student academic achievement; (III)using data to effectively evaluate teacher instruction and drive teacher and student learning; (IV)managing resources and school time to improve student academic achievement; and (V)engaging community members, including parents, the local educational agency, and other community leaders, to leverage additional resources to improve student academic achievement. (iii)Providing additional professional development and training to the individuals described in clauses (i) and (ii) after the individuals commence work as principals of high-need schools, including a focus on— (I)teaching and learning; (II)school culture; and (III)management and operations. (iv)Developing and delivering high-quality, differentiated, school-level support services to meet the specific needs of high-need schools led by individuals described in clause (iii), which may include— (I)support for data-driven design of school-wide improvement plans; (II)support in conducting successful school-wide assessments; and (III)other assistance from— (aa)content expert coaches to support professional development; and (bb)data and assessment specialists. (v)Developing and maintaining the organizational capacity needed to drive the long-term success of the efforts described in this paragraph at scale. (4)

Matching requirement; supplement, not supplant

(A)

Matching requirement

To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible grantee shall contribute to the activities assisted under such grant matching funds in an amount equal to not less than 100 percent of the amount of the grant. Such matching requirement may be met by contributions that are in cash or in kind. Partner local educational agencies whose support contributes to the matching requirement may choose to use funds from any private source or local educational agency-determined allocation of public funding. (B)

Waiver

The Secretary may waive part of the matching requirement described in subparagraph (A) if— (i)the eligible grantee demonstrates a commitment to provide an amount equal to not less than 75 percent of the amount of the grant and provides a plan for providing the remainder of the 25 percent; or (ii)the Secretary determines that applying the matching requirement would result in serious hardship or an inability to carry out the activities described in paragraph (3). (C)

Supplement, not supplant

Grant funds provided under this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal or State funds otherwise available to carry out the activities described in paragraph (3). (5)

Performance-based triggers of funding decisions

(A)

In general

(i)

Research, evaluation, and reporting program

The Secretary shall work with each eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section (including the partner research organization) to develop a reporting schedule for a research and evaluation plan that is approved by the Secretary. (ii)

Specific activities

The research and evaluation plan described in clause (i) shall accomplish the following: (I)Assess the impact of the eligible grantee’s program, including examining student academic achievement on the State academic assessments and other student-level achievement data, to make possible a value-added analysis of academic achievement gains in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by principals who have received training, development, coaching, and support from the eligible grantee with funds made available under the grant, as compared to other schools. The assessment may include an examination of retention rates of high-performing educators in high-need schools, student attendance, and secondary school graduation rates. (II)Identify factors that foster or hinder the successful implementation of the eligible grantee’s program. (III)Develop understanding of the internal and external factors, including principal characteristics and skills, that need to be aligned in order to improve student learning, including an analysis of the impact of increased principal autonomy and accountability. (IV)Rigorously evaluate the school-level support provided through the eligible grantee. (V)Utilize the data described in subclauses (I) through (IV) to analyze progress and drive continuous program improvement. (VI)Generate and disseminate information for the field about what types of principal recruitment, selection, training, and supports correlate to student academic achievement gains. (B)

Performance-based increase

Beginning after the end of the third full school year in which a grant is implemented by an eligible grantee awarded a grant under this section, the Secretary shall provide an increase of 50 percent of the original grant amount for such eligible grantee if— (i)the activities carried out by the eligible grantee described in subparagraph (A) demonstrate that students in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by principals who have received training, development, coaching, and support from a program carried out with funds from such grant are making more gains in academic achievement than comparable students elsewhere, as determined by the research and evaluation plan approved by the Secretary under subparagraph (A)(i); and (ii)the eligible grantee has the capacity to scale up the services of the eligible grantee. (C)

Grant termination

By the end of the fourth full school year in which a grant is implemented by an eligible grantee awarded a grant under this section, the Secretary shall terminate such grant if students in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by principals who have received training, development, coaching, and support from a program carried out with funds from such grant are not making more gains in academic achievement than comparable students elsewhere, as determined by the research and evaluation plan approved by the Secretary under subparagraph (A)(i). (D)

Report to Congress

The Secretary shall submit an annual report to Congress on— (i)the lessons learned through the performance-based approach to Federal funding described in this paragraph; and (ii)the implications for ensuring a performance orientation in other Federal education programs. (6)

Annual report

An eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section shall provide to Congress and the Secretary an annual report that includes— (A)data on the number and characteristics of the aspiring principals trained to lead high-need schools through the grant under this section; and (B)levels of academic achievement growth for students in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by principals who have received training, development, coaching, and support from a program carried out with funds from such grant.

. (b)

Conforming amendments

Section 2103 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6603) is amended— (1)in subsection (a), by striking (other than subpart 5) and inserting (other than subparts 5 and 6); and (2)by adding at the end the following: (c)

National principal recruitment program

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out subpart 6 such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal year 2009 through 2013. . (c)

Table of contents

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 2151 the following: Subpart 6—National Principal Recruitment Program Sec. 2161. National Principal Recruitment Program. .