1.This Act may be cited as the
Great Teachers for Great Schools Act of
2010
.
2.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.).
3.
(a)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)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.
4.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.
.
5.Title II (20
U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
EBuilding school
capacity for effective teaching
2501.Local school
improvement activities
(a)Subgrants to
local educational agencies
(1)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)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)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)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)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)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)
(1)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)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)
(1)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 effectivenessThe 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)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)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
appropriationsThere 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)For
purposes of this section:
(1)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)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.
.
6.Professional
development definedSection
9101(34) (20 U.S.C. 7801(34)) is amended to read as follows:
(34)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.
.