1.This Act may be cited as the
Innovation in Education Act of
2011
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)The United States
could greatly benefit by investing in education research and development. In
fact, ample evidence shows that scientifically validated innovations in
teaching and learning can result in significant improvements in student
achievement and success.
(2)When understood as
systematic innovation, research and development can spur education improvement
in scalable and sustainable ways.
(3)Education research
and development should be part of a strategy for innovation and ongoing
improvement within individual classrooms, schools, and other learning
environments, as well as within specialized research and development
units.
(4)The active
involvement of teachers, principals, local educational agency administrators,
and State school officers in knowledge and innovation activities is essential
to the effective application of research-based knowledge to policy and
practice.
(5)More instructional
activities and practices supported by scientifically valid research need to be
developed to meet the current and expected demands of educators in
schools.
(6)National
leadership is needed to provide targeted initiatives, collaboration, and
coordination of innovative best practices in teaching and learning to ensure
that classroom educators have access to, and effectively use practices
supported by, scientifically valid research.
3.National
Education Innovation NetworkThe Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 2422,
the following:
2423.National
Education Innovation Network
(a)It is the purpose of this section to
establish the National Education Innovation Network to support the
dissemination of promising educational systems, practices, and products to
teachers and administrators, and identify the best available evidence for such
systems, practices, and products.
(b)Establishment of
a National Education Innovation Network
(1)From the amounts appropriated under
subsection (e), the Secretary shall, in
coordination with education research and assistance entities, establish and
maintain a National Education Innovation Network (in this section referred to
as the Network).
(2)The Network shall be designed as an efficient system
of professional exchange for educators and administrators to—
(A)assist teachers
and other individuals with the identification, transfer, and implementation of
successful educational systems, practices, and products;
(B)incorporate Web
2.0 technologies to enhance creativity, information sharing, disseminations,
and collaboration among educators within Web-based communities;
(C)develop and
maintain resource-rich, easily accessible databases, and a rigorous, on-going
vetting process for ensuring the quality and integrity of entries provided by
the Network; and
(D)develop a system
to market the availability of the Network to teachers, educators, school
administrators, State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and
other interested parties to ensure that the information is broadly and well
disseminated.
(c)
(1)Categories of
InformationThe Network shall
provide 3 categories of vetted information with respect to the most promising
practices and strategies that may provide solutions to the most persistent
problems of practice in improving student achievement on State assessments and
academic progress, and turning around low-performing schools. Such categories
of information are as follows:
(A)Unrestricted.
(B)Restricted.
(C)Special
Topics.
(2)Dissemination of
InformationIn establishing
and maintaining the Network, the Secretary shall carry out the
following:
(A)Most promising
practices and strategiesThe
Secretary shall disseminate, through searchable databases or Internet Web sites
(including the Internet Web site of the Department of Education entitled
Doing What Works) available under the Network, the restricted and
special topic information with respect to the most promising practices and
strategies described paragraph (1). The databases or Internet Web sites shall
include, with respect to each such practice or strategy—
(i)a detailed description of the elements of
instruction or administration the practice or strategy is designed to improve,
including a detailed description of the core or essential elements of the
practice or strategy in a manner comprehensible to, and by—
(I)educators in
elementary schools or secondary schools; or
(II)local educational
agencies;
(ii)information
showing how the practice or strategy has been—
(I)developed from the
results of educational research; and
(II)thoroughly
assessed by a research-based evaluation processes;
(iii)the contact
information of a knowledgeable individual whom an educator or administrator may
contact for more information on the practice or strategy; and
(iv)Internet links to
similar or complementary practices and strategies available in the database or
Internet Web site that educators and administrators may wish to
consider.
(B)Complementary
combinations of best practices and strategiesThe Secretary shall
disseminate through the searchable databases or Internet Web sites described in
subparagraph (A), complementary combinations of best practices and strategies,
that shall include—
(i)the core elements
of instruction or administration the best practices or strategies are designed
to improve;
(ii)a detailed description of the best
practices or strategies in a manner comprehensible to, and by—
(I)educators in
elementary schools or secondary schools; or
(II)local educational
agencies;
(iii)a list of the
promising practices and strategies included in the databases or Internet Web
site and how such practices and strategies interact and complement each other;
and
(iv)Internet links to
each of the individual practices and strategies included in the innovation
collaborative in order to assist educators in learning learn more information
about the component parts.
(C)The Secretary shall,
under the searchable databases or Internet Web sites described in subparagraph
(A), establish a system or forum through which educators and administrators
may—
(i)nominate new
practices and strategies for inclusion in the databases or Internet Web
sites;
(ii)recommend
improvements and refinements to practices and strategies already included in
the Network; and
(iii)freely exchange
ideas for practices and strategies with fellow educators and
administrators.
(d)Notification and
technical supportThe Secretary shall—
(1)notify educators
and administrators in schools and local educational agencies of the Network,
and the databases and Internet Web sites available under the Network;
and
(2)in collaboration with the regional
educational laboratories established under section 174 of the Education
Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564), the Comprehensive Centers
established under section 203 of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of
2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602), provide technical assistance to educators and
administrators to assist the educators and administrators in accessing the
Network and the databases and Internet Web sites available under the
Network.
(e)Authorization of
AppropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $25,000,000 for fiscal
year 2012 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the succeeding fiscal
years.
(f)In this section:
(1)Education
research and assistance entityThe term education research
and assistance entity means an entity knowledgeable about education
research, including—
(A)a national education, research, and
development center;
(B)a regional educational laboratory;
and
(C)a comprehensive
assistance center.
(2)The term low
performing school means a school that—
(A)is receiving funds under part A of title I
and undergoing school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under
section 1116, and is among the lowest-achieving schools receiving funds under
such part that is undergoing such school improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring; or
(B)is eligible for,
but does not receive, funds under part A of title I and is among the
lowest-achieving schools in the State eligible for, but not receiving, funds
under such part.
(3)The term unrestricted information means
a category of information that—
(A)covers information
with respect to new, high potential, and relatively untested practices or
strategies that have limited formal evidence of statistically significant
improvement of student achievement; and
(B)is shared by
teachers, administrators, officials of State educational agencies; relevant
educational organizations; and existing education databases.
(4)The term restricted information means a
category of information that—
(A)covers information
with stronger evidence of statistically significant improvement on student
achievement than the unrestricted information category; and
(B)is shared by
teachers, administrators, officials of State educational agencies, relevant
educational organizations, and existing education databases.
(5)The term special topics means a category of
information—
(A)that covers
information that is consistent with evidence validated under the Internet Web
site of the Department of Education entitled the What Works Clearinghouse;
and
(B)includes online
materials and support systems that teachers and others may use to improve
educational practices available under the Internet Web site of the Department
of Education entitled Doing What Works.
(6)The term Web 2.0 technologies means
commonly used Web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing,
interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web
by allowing its users to interact with other users or to change site content,
in contrast to non-interactive sites where users are limited to the passive
viewing of information that is provided to them. Such technologies include
Web-based communities, hosted services, Web applications, social-networking
sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, and
blogs.
.
4.National
Education Innovation CorpsPart A of title VI of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7301 et seq.) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
5National Education
Innovation Corps
6171.National
Education Innovation Corps
(a)From the amounts appropriated under
subsection (e), the Secretary shall, in
coordination with education research and assistance entities, establish the
National Education Innovation Corps.
(b)The
purpose of the National Education Innovation Corps (in this section referred to
as the Corps) is to enable State educational agencies to work in
collaboration with education research entities to address the critical problems
of practice in chronically low-performing schools. Under the Corps, a corps of
knowledge brokers and practice experts will connect educators and
administrators with high quality, evidence-based, relevant solutions for the
most critical problems of practice in local educational agencies and
chronically low-performing schools.
(c)Establishment of
the National Education Innovation Corps
(1)Activities of
the SecretaryFrom the amounts appropriated under
subsection (e), the Secretary shall, in
coordination with education research and assistance entities, where
appropriate—
(A)coordinate with
State educational agencies in participating States to establish the Corps in
such States; and
(B)provide the
necessary technical assistance to such agencies.
(2)Activities of
State educational agenciesA State educational agency in a
participating State shall coordinate the activity of knowledge brokers and
practice experts within the State to accommodate and ensure alignment with the
State educational agency’s reforms, standards, and assessment systems, in
addition to Federal requirements, with respect to education.
(3)Activities of
Knowledge BrokersUnder the Corps, a knowledge broker shall carry
out activities that include—
(A)identifying local
educational agency needs and research-based solutions relevant to such
needs;
(B)developing
effective induction and ongoing professional development experiences for
teachers;
(C)supporting
innovations in elementary school and secondary school curricula;
(D)fostering the
effective use of technology-based applications in classrooms; and
(E)building
professional performance assessment systems that—
(i)focus on the most
important competencies for student success; and
(ii)provide useful
feedback to facilitate instructional improvements.
(4)Activities of
Practice ExpertsUnder the Corps, a practice expert shall carry
out activities that include—
(A)helping teachers
use multiple forms of assessment, including formative and summative tests, to
guide instructional decision making;
(B)assisting teachers
in efforts to improve student achievement in, and across content areas, such as
math, science, social studies, and English language arts;
(C)training teachers
to use data that is based on scientifically valid research to improve
instruction;
(D)developing and
implementing differentiated instruction to serve the needs of the full range of
learners; and
(E)employing best
practices in engaging teachers and other education staff to change school
cultures to serve all students across all core academic subjects; and
(F)support the
support described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) by phone, online, and
in-person.
(d)Allocations to
participating State educational agencies
(1)From the amounts
appropriated under
subsection (e), the Secretary shall award
grants to State educational agencies to establish the Corps in the States of
such agencies.
(2)For
each fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate such grants among State
educational agencies in proportion to the funds received by the State
educational agencies under part A of title I for the fiscal year.
(3)If
a State educational agency chooses not to apply to receive the amount allocated
to such agency under paragraph (2), or if such agency’s application under
paragraph (5) is disapproved by the Secretary, the Secretary shall reallocate
such amount to other State educational agencies in the same proportion funds
are allocated under paragraph (2).
(4)A grant under this subsection may be awarded for a
period of 3 years.
(5)A
State educational agency desiring to receive a grant under this subsection
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing the information the Secretary may require, which shall
include—
(A)a list of the
lowest-performing schools targeted for support under the Corps to be
established in such State;
(B)a description of
how knowledge brokers and practice experts will be recruited, selected, and
trained under the Corps;
(C)a description of
the nature of services to be provided in the schools designated for support
under the Corps (such as through the combining of resources into school support
teams or by providing on-line ask the expert advice); and
(D)how the State
educational agency will evaluate the effectiveness of the services
provided.
(6)A State educational agency receiving a
grant under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary a report on the use
of such funds, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
(7)For purposes of this section the Bureau of Indian Affairs
shall be treated as a State educational agency.
(e)Authorization of
AppropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $80,000,000 for fiscal
year 2012 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the succeeding fiscal
years.
(f)In this section:
(1)Chronically
low-performing schoolThe term chronically low-performing
school has the meaning given the term low-performing school
in section 2423(f).
(2)Education
research and assistance entityThe term education research
and assistance entity has the meaning given such term in section
2423(f).
(3)The term
knowledge broker means a professional who has—
(A)prior experience
in a school, local educational agency, or State educational agency
setting;
(B)research
experience and an advanced degree with a concentration in research analysis or
research design;
(C)a strong
background in quantitative analysis;
(D)expertise and
experience in the process of implementation of innovations; and
(E)extensive
experience in managing activities similar to the activities carried out under
this section.
(4)The term participating State means a State
that elects to establish the Corps in such State.
(5)The term
practice expert means a professional who has—
(A)previous teaching
experience with a proven track record of success in raising student achievement
in core academic subjects where there is a need to improve student achievement
or student growth; and
(B)previous teaching
experience and has demonstrated proficiency in at least one core academic
subject.
.
5.The table of
contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is
amended—
(1)by inserting after
the item related to section 2422, the following:
Sec. 2423. National Education Innovation
Network.
;
and(2)by inserting after
the item related to section 6164, the following:
Subpart 5—National Education Innovation
Corps
Sec. 6171. National Education Innovation
Corps.
.