[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5218 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5218

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide 
   for school improvement and professional development for teachers, 
  principals, instructional staff, and other school leaders, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2010

   Mr. Polis of Colorado (for himself, Mr. Berman, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. 
 Conyers, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Grijalva, Mrs. Kirkpatrick of 
Arizona, Ms. Norton, and Ms. Richardson) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide 
   for school improvement and professional development for teachers, 
  principals, instructional staff, and other school leaders, 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 ``Great Teachers for Great Schools Act 
of 2010''.

SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

    Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an 
amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal 
of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to 
be made to a section or other provision of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.).

SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Teacher quality is the single most important factor 
        influencing student learning and achievement.
            (2) Studies have found that 40 to 90 percent of the 
        difference in student test scores can be attributed to teacher 
        quality.
            (3) Principal leadership is second only to classroom 
        instruction in terms of school-related factors which affect 
        student learning, especially in high-needs schools.
            (4) Available experimental studies indicate that there is a 
        direct correlation between professional development and student 
        performance. A set of programs that offered substantial 
        professional development, ranging from 30 to 100 hours in 
        total, spread over six to 12 months, showed a positive and 
        significant effect on student achievement gains. According to 
        the research, the intensive professional development efforts 
        that offered an average of 49 hours in a year boosted student 
        performance by approximately 21 percentile points.
            (5) Studies that benchmark United States academic 
        performance against that of other developed nations have 
        stressed the importance of and need for improved professional 
        development, for example as follows:
                    (A) For professional development, Finland relies on 
                a system wherein students are trained from a young age 
                in the skills required for classroom success. These 
                skills are bolstered in the workplace through an 
                organizational structure that promotes 
                entrepreneurship, daily learning, and continual 
                professional development.
                    (B) Japan's focus on continually building content 
                knowledge, intrinsic capabilities, and pedagogical 
                knowledge--especially amongst young teachers--has 
                yielded massive educational success for the country. 
                They implement a nationally practiced system of 
                ``guidance teachers'' and ``trainee teachers'' which 
                encourage one-on-one coaching and an intense commitment 
                to professional development.
                    (C) After experiencing unsatisfactory progress in 
                literacy and mathematics for nearly 50 years, England 
                pursued a national teacher training program that 
                employed best practice techniques. After three years, 
                England increased the number of students meeting the 
                target standards in literacy from 63 percent to 75 
                percent.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to build the capacity of 
teachers and principals in our Nation's schools through systematic, 
sustained, coherent school and team-based, job-embedded professional 
development.

SEC. 4. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.

    Section 1003(g)(5) (20 U.S.C. 6303(g)(5)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) permitted to be used to supplement the 
                activities required under section 2501.''.

SEC. 5. LOCAL SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.

    Title II (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:

       ``PART E--BUILDING SCHOOL CAPACITY FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING

``SEC. 2501. LOCAL SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES.

    ``(a) Subgrants to Local Educational Agencies.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall allot the amount 
        made available to carry out this part for a fiscal year among 
        the State educational agencies in proportion to the amounts 
        received by the States under title I for such year.
            ``(2) Use of allotment.--A State educational agency that 
        receives an allotment under this part shall--
                    ``(A) reserve 95 percent of the fund to make 
                subgrants to local educational agencies; and
                    ``(B) use the remainder of the funds for 
                administrative activities in carrying out this part.
            ``(3) Proportionality.--To the extent practicable, the 
        Secretary shall ensure that subgrants awarded under this part 
        are equitably distributed among local educational agencies and 
        serving urban and rural areas.
    ``(b) First Award.--In awarding subgrants under this part, a State 
educational agency shall first award grants to local educational 
agencies--
            ``(1) that demonstrate the greatest need for district and 
        school improvement subgrant funds;
            ``(2) in which the average graduation rates are less than 
        65 percent, if applicable; and
            ``(3) in which children eligible for free and reduced 
        priced lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School 
        Lunch Act constitute not less than 40 percent of the total 
        population of children aged 5 to 17 served by the agency.
    ``(c) Local Educational Agency Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a subgrant 
        under this part, a local educational agency shall submit an 
        application to the State educational agency at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing such information as the State 
        educational agency may reasonably require.
            ``(2) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) shall include--
                    ``(A) a description of how the local educational 
                agency will assist schools identified under section 
                1116(b), and low-achieving secondary schools with 
                graduation rates less than 65 percent, in--
                            ``(i) implementing high-impact professional 
                        development;
                            ``(ii) providing protected release time for 
                        high-impact professional development that 
                        occurs not less than multiple times per week; 
                        and
                            ``(iii) using teaching standards, formative 
                        assessments, teacher portfolio processes, 
                        evidence-based instructional practices, and 
                        teacher development protocols; and
                    ``(B) a description of how the local educational 
                agency will--
                            ``(i) evaluate the effectiveness of the 
                        programs and assistance provided under 
                        subsection (d) and pursuant to subsection (e);
                            ``(ii) prepare, support, and utilize 
                        internal teacher leaders, coaches, or content 
                        experts to facilitate school-based professional 
                        development; and
                            ``(iii) ensure that the professional 
                        development required under subsection (d) is 
                        integrated and aligned with the State's school 
                        improvement efforts under sections 1116 and 
                        1117.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--A local educational agency that receives 
        a subgrant under this part shall use the subgrant funds to 
        improve teacher, principal, and other instructional staff 
        quality through a comprehensive system of professional 
        development (as defined in section 9101(34))--
                    ``(A) to increase principals', coaches', and 
                teacher leaders' knowledge and skills in--
                            ``(i) assisting the school to--
                                    ``(I) clarify school improvement 
                                goals;
                                    ``(II) train educators in analyzing 
                                school and student data to inform 
                                decisionmaking and improvement efforts;
                                    ``(III) develop and implement 
                                professional development aligned with 
                                student achievement needs and educator 
                                learning goals;
                                    ``(IV) allocate teacher and 
                                principal professional development 
                                resources and help develop the revised 
                                plan as related to the professional 
                                development required under section 
                                1116(b);
                                    ``(V) select and implement 
                                strategies and interventions to improve 
                                student achievement, increase teacher 
                                and school leader effectiveness, 
                                increase graduation rates, and ensure 
                                students graduate prepared for success 
                                in college and careers;
                                    ``(VI) make available opportunities 
                                for individual and team learning 
                                activities that focus on increasing 
                                pedagogical and content knowledge in 
                                academic subjects that are aligned to 
                                student learning goals; and
                                    ``(VII) design, create, and 
                                evaluate the results of curriculum-
                                based diagnostic and performance 
                                assessments; and
                            ``(ii) utilizing internal teacher leaders, 
                        coaches, or content experts to--
                                    ``(I) support classroom learning; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) facilitate effective 
                                collaboration skills across learning 
                                communities and transfer knowledge from 
                                peers teaching and leading at high-
                                performing schools;
                    ``(B) to increase principals' knowledge and skills 
                necessary for leading effective professional learning, 
                including--
                            ``(i) establishing a shared vision of 
                        school success among all school stakeholders, 
                        including teachers, parents, community 
                        organizations and related stakeholders by--
                                    ``(I) seeking leadership 
                                contributions from parents, community 
                                organizations, and other school 
                                stakeholders;
                                    ``(II) actively engaging the 
                                community to create shared 
                                responsibility for student and school 
                                success; and
                                    ``(III) engaging in partnerships 
                                between elementary schools, secondary 
                                schools, and institutes of higher 
                                education to ensure the vertical 
                                alignment of student learning outcomes;
                            ``(ii) establishing the school as a 
                        professional learning community in which--
                                    ``(I) there is a culture of 
                                continuous learning for adults that is 
                                tied to student learning and school 
                                goals;
                                    ``(II) there is time for team 
                                collaboration focused on evaluating and 
                                improving instructional practice;
                                    ``(III) educators are able to 
                                analyze and use data to drive 
                                instruction;
                                    ``(IV) professional development is 
                                evaluated and connected to all of the 
                                school learning goals; and
                                    ``(V) members of the faculty engage 
                                in leadership roles that contribute to 
                                school improvement efforts; and
                            ``(iii) promoting the effective use of data 
                        by educators, including--
                                    ``(I) the use of multiple data 
                                sources as diagnostic tools to identify 
                                barriers to student success and drive 
                                instructional improvement;
                                    ``(II) the review and analysis of 
                                student work to determine whether 
                                students are being taught to State 
                                academic content and achievement 
                                standards; and
                                    ``(III) the use of classroom 
                                observations to ensure that all 
                                students are provided meaningful 
                                learning opportunities that promote 
                                active engagement; and
                                    ``(IV) supporting a standards-
                                aligned academic instructional program 
                                that sets rigorous goals for each 
                                student, and a school culture that 
                                allows for and encourages students to 
                                reach those goals through ensuring that 
                                learning is aligned to established 
                                State academic standards by--
                                            ``(aa) ensuring that State 
                                        academic content standards 
                                        serve as the basis for the 
                                        creation of curriculum and 
                                        instruction; and
                                            ``(bb) monitoring and 
                                        adjusting the alignment of 
                                        standards, curriculum, 
                                        assessments, and instruction; 
                                        and
                    ``(C) for coaches, principals, and administrators 
                that--
                            ``(i) supports coaches in responding to 
                        developmental and contextual needs and promotes 
                        the ongoing examination of classroom practice;
                            ``(ii) assists coaches in the collection 
                        and sharing of observation data to help 
                        teachers improve their practice;
                            ``(iii) provides coaches with strategies 
                        for helping teachers identify student needs, 
                        plan for differentiated instruction, and ensure 
                        equitable learning outcomes;
                            ``(iv) supports the coaches in coaching 
                        strategically and finding solutions to 
                        challenging situations; and
                            ``(v) helps coaches bring teachers together 
                        for meaningful and responsive team-based 
                        learning.
            ``(2) Special rule.--A local educational agency that 
        receives a subgrant under this part shall use not less than 10 
        percent of the subgrant funds for professional development for 
        principals.
    ``(e) Evaluation.--
            ``(1) In general.--The professional development program 
        required under subsection (d) shall include a formal evaluation 
        system to determine the effectiveness of the program on not 
        less than--
                    ``(A) teacher instructional practice;
                    ``(B) student learning gains;
                    ``(C) teacher retention;
                    ``(D) student graduation and college readiness 
                rates, as applicable;
                    ``(E) student attendance rates; and
                    ``(F) teacher efficacy.
            ``(2) Local educational agency and school effectiveness.--
        The formal evaluation system described in paragraph (1) shall 
        also measure the local educational agency's and school's 
        effectiveness in--
                    ``(A) ensuring that school protected release time 
                for professional development occurs not less than 
                multiple times per week;
                    ``(B) implementing on-going, research-based 
                professional development for coaches, principals, and 
                administrators;
                    ``(C) ensuring that coaches, teachers, and schools 
                are using data to inform instructional practices; and
                    ``(D) ensuring that the professional development 
                required under subsection (d) is integrated and aligned 
                with the State's school improvement efforts under 
                sections 1116 and 1117.
            ``(3) Conduct of evaluation.--The evaluation described in 
        subsection (e)(1) shall be conducted by the State, local 
        educational agencies, institutions of higher education, or an 
        external agency that is experienced in conducting qualitative 
        research, and shall be developed in collaboration with groups 
        such as--
                    ``(A) experienced educators with track records of 
                success in the classroom;
                    ``(B) institutions of higher education involved 
                with teacher induction and professional development 
                located within the State; and
                    ``(C) local teacher organizations.
    ``(f) Eligible Entities.--The assistance required to be provided 
under subsection (d) may be provided--
            ``(1) by the local educational agency; or
            ``(2) by the local educational agency, in collaboration 
        with the State educational agency, an institution of higher 
        education, a nonprofit organization, a teacher organization, an 
        educational service agency, a teaching residency program, or 
        another for profit or nonprofit with experience in helping 
        schools improve student achievement.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for fiscal year 
2010 and such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.
    ``(h) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Graduation rate.--The term `graduation rate' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(vi), as 
        clarified in section 200.19(b)(1) of title 34, Code of Federal 
        Regulations.
            ``(2) Local educational agency.--The term `local 
        educational agency'--
                    ``(A) shall have the meaning given such term in 
                section 9101;
                    ``(B) shall include any public charter school that 
                constitutes a local educational agency under State law; 
                and
                    ``(C) shall include a consortium of local 
                educational agencies acting together.''.

SEC. 6. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEFINED.

    Section 9101(34) (20 U.S.C. 7801(34)) is amended to read as 
follows:
            ``(34) Professional development.--The term `professional 
        development' means a comprehensive, sustained, and intensive 
        approach to improving teachers' and principals' effectiveness 
        in raising student achievement that--
                    ``(A) fosters collective responsibility for 
                improved student performance;
                    ``(B) is comprised of professional learning that--
                            ``(i) is aligned with rigorous State 
                        student academic achievement standards as well 
                        as related local educational agency and school 
                        improvement goals;
                            ``(ii) is conducted among educators at the 
                        school and facilitated by well-prepared school 
                        principals and school-based professional 
                        development coaches, mentors, master teachers, 
                        or other teacher leaders; and
                            ``(iii) primarily occurs several times per 
                        week among established teams of teachers, 
                        principals, and other instructional staff 
                        members where the teams of educators engage in 
                        a continuous cycle of improvement that--
                                    ``(I) evaluates student, teacher, 
                                and school learning needs through a 
                                thorough review of data on teacher and 
                                student performance;
                                    ``(II) defines a clear set of 
                                educator learning goals based on the 
                                rigorous analysis of the data;
                                    ``(III) achieves the educator 
                                learning goals based identified in 
                                subclause (II) by implementing 
                                coherent, sustained, and evidence-based 
                                learning strategies, such as lesson 
                                study and the development of formative 
                                assessments, that improve instructional 
                                effectiveness and student achievement;
                                    ``(IV) provides job-embedded 
                                coaching or other forms of assistance 
                                to support the transfer of new 
                                knowledge and skills to the classroom;
                                    ``(V) regularly assesses the 
                                effectiveness of the professional 
                                development in achieving identified 
                                learning goals, improving teaching, and 
                                assisting all students in meeting 
                                challenging State academic achievement 
                                standards;
                                    ``(VI) informs ongoing improvements 
                                in teaching and student learning; and
                                    ``(VII) may be supported by 
                                external assistance; and
                    ``(C) may be supported by activities such as 
                courses, workshops, institutes, networks, and 
                conferences that--
                            ``(i) address the learning goals and 
                        objectives established for professional 
                        development by educators at the school level;
                            ``(ii) advance the ongoing school-based 
                        professional development; and
                            ``(iii) are provided for by for-profit and 
                        non-profit entities outside the school such as 
                        universities, education service agencies, 
                        technical assistance providers, networks of 
                        content-area specialists, and other education 
                        organizations and associations.''.
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