Findings and purpose

(a)

Findings

The Congress finds the following: (1)Teacher quality is the single most important school factor influencing student learning and achievement. (2)Principal leadership is second only to classroom instruction in terms of school-related factors which affect student learning, especially in high-needs schools. (3)Available experimental studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between professional learning and student performance. A set of programs that offered substantial professional learning, 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 learning efforts that offered an average of 49 hours in a year boosted student performance by approximately 21 percentile points. (4)In a study of policies in States performing above national averages on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) conducted by the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education for Learning Forward, the authors found that State policies and systems that ensure accountability and monitor professional development are critical factors in implementing effective professional learning. (5)In order to maximize educator effectiveness on a large scale, high-performing education systems implement a comprehensive human capital management system that addresses 3 purposes—individualized growth, schoolwide improvement, and program implementation. (6)In a 2007, study of California high schools that consistently outperformed schools with similar demographics and risk-factors, authors identified teacher support and training or collaborative professional learning as a consistent strategy implemented in schools that beat the odds. (7)In a five-year University of California, Los Angeles study of schools receiving funding under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), serving more than 14,000 students, the team documented the significant contribution of teacher learning teams as part of the school improvement model evaluated. Achievement rose by 41 percent overall, and 54 percent for Hispanic students. (8)Studies that benchmark United States academic performance against that of other developed nations that are outperforming the United States have stressed the importance of and need for improved professional learning for teachers, principals, and other school instructional leaders. (b)

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to build the capacity of educators, particularly teachers and principals in our Nation’s schools through systematic, sustained, coherent school and team-based, job-embedded professional learning.

Local school improvement

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

Building school and system capacity for effective teaching

2501.

Local school improvement activities

(a)

Allocations to State educational agencies

(1)

Program authorized

From the amounts appropriated under subsection (h) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate funds to State educational agencies in proportion to the funds received by the State educational agencies for the fiscal year under title I to enable the State educational agencies to provide subgrants to local educational agencies for the purpose of providing for a system of professional development in schools, as defined in section 9101(34). (2)

Reallocations

If a State educational agency does not receive funds under this subsection, the Secretary shall reallocate such funds to other States in the same proportion funds are allocated under paragraph (1). (3)

Use of grants

A State educational agency that receives an allocation under this subsection shall— (A)reserve 95 percent of the funds to make subgrants to local educational agencies; and (B)use the remainder of the funds for administrative activities in carrying out this part. (b)

Priority and proportionality

(1)

Priority

In awarding subgrants under this part, a State educational agency shall— (A)give priority to local educational agencies that demonstrate the greatest need for subgrant funds, by demonstrating that— (i)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; (ii)the agency serves a school identified for school improvement under section 1116(b)(1) that fails to make adequate yearly progress, as defined by the State under section 1111(b)(2), by the end of the second full school year after the identification and is identified for corrective action under section 1116(b)(7); and (iii)the agency serves schools with an average graduation rate that is less than 65 percent; and (B)to the extent practicable, ensure that subgrants awarded under this subsection are equitably distributed among local educational agencies serving urban and rural areas. (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 for corrective action under section 1116(b)(7), and low-achieving secondary schools with graduation rates of less than 65 percent, in— (i)providing for a system of professional development to continuously improve educator effectiveness, student achievement, and overall school and system performance; (ii)providing protected release time for educators to engage in collaborative team-based learning multiple times per week or several hours per week; and (iii)leveraging resources such as teaching standards, formative assessments, teacher portfolio processes, evidence-based instructional practices, and teacher development protocols to guide educator learning; and (B)a description of how the local educational agency will— (i)include educator input, including that of teachers and principals, in the development and implementation of the system of professional learning; (ii)evaluate under subsection (e) the effectiveness of the system of professional learning described in subsection (d) carried out with the subgrant received under this part; (iii)prepare, support, and utilize internal teacher leaders, coaches, or content experts to facilitate school-based professional learning; and (iv)ensure that the professional learning carried out with the subgrant received under this part is integrated and aligned with the State’s school improvement efforts under sections 1116 and 1117, and individualized professional development informed by educator evaluations. (d)

Use of funds

(1)

In general

A local educational agency that receives a subgrant under this part shall use the subgrant funds for the following purposes: (A)To improve teacher, principal, and other instructional staff quality through professional development. (B)To increase principals’, coaches’, and teacher leaders’ knowledge and skills in— (i)assisting the school to— (I)provide professional learning for educators in analyzing student, school, and teacher performance data to inform decision making and improvement efforts; (II)analyze student, school, and teacher performance data; (III)clarify school improvement goals; (IV)develop and implement a system of professional learning aligned with student achievement needs and educator learning goals; (V)allocate resources for school-based educators to develop and implement an effective system of educator professional learning aligned with the school’s revised improvement plan required under section 1116(b); (VI)make available opportunities for team-learning activities that focus on increasing pedagogical and content knowledge in academic subjects that are aligned to student learning goals; (VII)select and implement strategies and interventions to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness, particularly to increase teacher and school leader effectiveness, increase graduation rates, and ensure students graduate prepared for success in college and careers; and (VIII)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; (II)facilitate effective collaboration skills across learning communities and transfer knowledge from peers teaching and leading at high-performing classrooms and schools; and (III)support the implementation of instructional strategies through structured mentoring and coaching; (C)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)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 professional learning and evaluating and improving instructional practice; (III)educators are able to analyze and use data to drive instruction; (IV)professional learning is evaluated and connected to all of the school academic achievement 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 achieving 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)support for 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 (D)To support coaches, principals, and administrators to— (i)respond to developmental and contextual needs and promote the ongoing examination of classroom practice; (ii)collect and share observation data to help teachers improve their practice; (iii)assist teachers with strategies to identify student needs, plan for differentiated instruction, and ensure equitable learning outcomes; (iv)identify strategic solutions to challenging situations; and (v)facilitate and convene teachers 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 learning for principals. (e)

Evaluation

(1)

In general

Each local educational agency carrying out the system of professional learning described in subsection (d) using a subgrant received under this part shall include, as part of such system, 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 effectiveness of each local educational agency receiving a subgrant under this part and each school receiving assistance from the agency under this part, in— (A)ensuring that school protected release time for professional learning occurs multiple times per week or the equivalent of several hours; (B)implementing on-going, research-based professional learning for teacher leaders, coaches, principals, and administrators; (C)ensuring that coaches, teachers, and schools are using data to inform instructional practices; and (D)ensuring that the system of professional learning described in subsection (d) that is carried out using subgrant funds received under this part is integrated and aligned with the State’s school improvement efforts under sections 1116 and 1117. (3)

Conduct of evaluation

The evaluation of a local educational agency under the formal evaluation system described in paragraph (1) shall be conducted by the agency. In conducting the evaluation, the local educational agency may request and use subgrant funds received under this part to receive assistance from the State, an institution of higher education, or an external agency that is experienced in conducting qualitative research. Such evaluation shall be developed in collaboration with groups, such as— (A)teacher leaders 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)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2012 and such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year. (g)

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)has the meaning given such term in section 9101; (B)includes any public charter school that constitutes a local educational agency under State law; and (C)includes a consortium of local educational agencies acting together.

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 system of professional learning to increase educator effectiveness in improving student learning and achievement means 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, or the equivalent of several hours 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 by educators at the school level; (ii)advance the ongoing school-based professional learning; 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.