1.Short
title; table of contents
(a)This Act may be cited
as the Growing Education Achievement
Training Academies for Teachers and Principals Act
or the
GREAT Teachers and Principals
Act
.
(b)The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of
contents.
Sec. 2. Purpose.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. State grants.
Sec. 5. Subgrants to teacher or principal preparation
academies.
Sec. 6. Coordination with the Corporation for National and
Community Service.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.
2.The purpose of this Act is to encourage
innovation in the field of teacher and principal preparation by creating and
expanding teacher or principal preparation academies that will increase the
number of effective teachers and principals serving in high-needs schools and
hard-to-staff subjects.
3.In this Act:
(1)Principal
preparation academyThe term principal preparation
academy means a public or other nonprofit institution for preparing
principals that—
(A)enters into a
charter with a State authorizer that specifies the goals and outcomes expected
of the principal preparation academy and the obligations of the State
authorizer, including—
(i)a
requirement that—
(I)principal
candidates, or principals serving on alternative certificates, licenses, or
credentials, who are enrolled in the principal preparation academy receive a
significant part of their training through clinical preparation that partners
the principal candidate with a mentor principal; and
(II)the academy will
provide instruction to the principal candidate that links to the clinical
preparation experience;
(ii)the number of
principals the principal preparation academy will produce and the minimum
number and percentage of effective principals with a demonstrated track record
of success in getting a school's students on track to being career and college
ready;
(iii)a
requirement that a certificate of completion (or degree, if the principal
preparation academy is, or is affiliated with, an institution of higher
education) will be conferred upon a graduate from the principal preparation
academy only after the graduate demonstrates a track record of success in
getting a school's students on track to being college and career ready;
(iv)a
requirement that the principal preparation academy survey the academy's alumni
not less than once every 3 years to track the number of alumni employed as
principals and in education; and
(v)timelines for
producing cohorts of graduates and conferring certificates of completion (or
degrees, if the principal preparation academy is, or is affiliated with, an
institution of higher education) from the principal preparation academy;
(B)shall not have
unnecessary restrictions on the methods the principal preparation academy will
use to train principal candidates, including restrictions or
requirements—
(i)obligating the
faculty of the principal preparation academy faculty to hold advanced
degrees;
(ii)obligating such
faculty to conduct academic research;
(iii)related to the
physical infrastructure of the principal preparation academy; or
(iv)related to the
number of course credits required as part of the program of study; and
(C)limits admission
to its program to candidates who demonstrate strong potential to be effective
principals, based on a rigorous, competency-based selection process that
reviews a candidate's prior academic achievement or record of professional
accomplishment.
(2)The term State authorizer means an entity
designated by the State to recognize teacher or principal preparation academies
within the State that—
(A)may be a
nonprofit organization, State educational agency, or other public entity, or
consortium of such entities (including a consortium of States); and
(B)does not renew a
teacher or principal preparation academy’s charter if the academy fails to
produce the minimum number or percentage of effective teachers or principals,
respectively, identified in the academy's charter.
(3)Teacher
preparation academyThe term teacher preparation
academy means a public or other nonprofit institution for preparing
teachers that—
(A)enters into a
charter with a State authorizer that specifies the goals and outcomes expected
of the teacher preparation academy and the obligations of the State authorizer,
including—
(i)a
requirement that—
(I)teacher
candidates, or teachers teaching on alternative certificates, licenses, or
credentials, who are enrolled in the teacher preparation academy receive a
significant part of their training through clinical preparation that partners
teacher candidates with mentor teachers with a demonstrated track record of
success in improving academic achievement in the classroom; and
(II)the academy will
provide instruction to teacher candidates that links to the clinical
preparation experience;
(ii)the number of
teachers the teacher preparation academy will produce and the minimum number
and percentage of effective teachers with a demonstrated track record of
success in getting students on track to being college and career ready, based
on multiple measures of student achievement;
(iii)a
requirement that a teacher preparation academy will only award a certificate of
completion (or degree, if the teacher preparation academy is, or is affiliated
with, an institution of higher education) after the graduate demonstrates the
track record of success described in clause (ii), either as a student teacher
or teacher-of-record on an alternative certificate, license, or
credential;
(iv)a
requirement that the teacher preparation academy survey the academy's alumni
not less than once every 3 years to track the number of alumni employed as
teachers and in education; and
(v)timelines for
producing cohorts of graduates and conferring certificates of completion (or
degrees, if the teacher preparation academy is, or is affiliated with, an
institution of higher education) from the teacher preparation academy;
(B)shall not have
unnecessary restrictions on the methods or inputs the teacher preparation
academy will use to train teacher candidates or teachers teaching on
alternative certificates, licenses, or credentials, including restrictions or
requirements—
(i)obligating the
faculty of the teacher preparation academy to hold advanced degrees;
(ii)obligating such
faculty to conduct academic research;
(iii)related to the
physical infrastructure of the teacher preparation academy;
(iv)related to the
number of course credits required as part of the program of study;
(v)related to the
undergraduate coursework completed by teachers teaching on alternative
certificates, licenses, or credentials, as long as such teachers have
successfully passed all relevant State-approved content area examinations;
or
(vi)related to
obtaining additional accreditation from a national accrediting body; and
(C)limits admission
to its program to candidates who demonstrate strong potential to be effective
teachers, based on a rigorous selection process that reviews a candidate's
prior academic achievement or record of professional accomplishment.
(4)Teacher or
principal preparation academyThe term teacher or principal
preparation academy means a teacher preparation academy or a principal
preparation academy.
4.
(a)The Secretary is authorized to award grants to States
having applications approved under subsection (b) to enable such States to
create or expand teacher or principal preparation academies.
(b)Each
State that desires a grant under this Act shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may reasonably require. The application shall include—
(1)an assurance that
the State does not have in place legal, statutory, or regulatory barriers to
the creation or operation of teacher or principal preparation academies;
(2)a description of
how the State will promote the creation and expansion of teacher or principal
preparation academies;
(3)a description of
how the authorization and approval of teacher or principal preparation
academies is separate and distinct from the requirements otherwise established
by the State for approval of other teacher or principal preparation
programs;
(4)a description of
the process the State authorizer will use to authorize and approve a teacher or
principal preparation academy that—
(A)enables
participants in the academy to be eligible for State financial aid to the same
extent as participants in other State-approved teacher or principal preparation
programs, including alternative certification, licensure, or credential
programs;
(B)enables teachers
who are teaching on alternative certificates, licenses, or credentials to teach
in the State while enrolled in a teacher preparation academy; and
(C)enables graduates
from teacher preparation academies to be eligible to teach in such State and
graduates from principal preparation academies to be eligible to be a principal
in a school in such State;
(5)a description of
the process the State authorizer will use to monitor the success of—
(A)a teacher
preparation academy in—
(i)producing
effective teachers that demonstrate a track record of success in getting
students on track to being college and career ready, based on multiple measures
of student achievement; and
(ii)preparing
teachers to teach in high-needs schools or hard-to-staff subjects; and
(B)a principal
preparation academy in—
(i)producing
effective principals that demonstrate a track record of success in getting
students in a school on track to being career and college ready; and
(ii)preparing
principals to serve in high-needs schools or hard-to-staff subjects;
(6)the criteria the
State authorizer will apply in renewing or denying a teacher or principal
preparation academy’s charter, including the minimum number and percentage of
effective teachers or principals such academy must produce in order to renew
its charter; and
(7)an assurance that
the State will recognize a certificate of completion (from a teacher or
principal preparation academy that is not, or is unaffiliated with, an
institution of higher education), as at least the equivalent of a master’s
degree in education for the purposes of teacher or principal hiring, retention,
compensation, and promotion in the State.
(c)A State receiving a grant under this Act shall use grant
funds to—
(1)implement a
process by which to—
(A)create or
designate State authorizers; and
(B)create or approve
teacher or principal preparation academies;
(2)support, directly
or through a nonprofit intermediary organization, the establishment and
operation of teacher or principal preparation academies by assisting entities
with the planning, program design, and implementation of such programs;
and
(3)award subgrants
to teacher or principal preparation academies in the State in accordance with
section 5.
5.Subgrants to
teacher or principal preparation academies
(a)From the amounts made available under section 4(c)(3), a
State shall award subgrants to nonprofit entities to carry out activities
described in subsection (d).
(b)Each
nonprofit entity desiring a subgrant under this section from a State shall
submit an application to a State authorizer designated by the State to receive
such applications. The application shall include, at a minimum—
(1)a description of
the teacher or principal preparation academy's proposed curriculum, training of
teacher or principal candidates (including clinical training), and approach to
teacher or principal development;
(2)the student
achievement outcomes the entity will require of academy graduates before
conferring a degree or certificate of completion from the program, with
timelines for obtaining such outcomes;
(3)a multi-year
financial and operating model for the entity;
(4)the
qualifications of the entity’s chief executive officer or organization leader;
and
(5)a description of
how the teacher or principal preparation academy is designed to prepare
teachers or principals to serve in high-need areas (including rural areas and
Native American communities), or hard-to-staff subjects.
(c)In
awarding subgrants under this section, a State shall give a priority to
entities proposing to expand previously existing teacher or principal
preparation programs, as of the date of application, with a demonstrated track
record of success in getting students on track to being college and career
ready.
(d)An entity that receives a subgrant under this section shall
use its subgrant—
(1)to establish a
teacher or principal preparation academy;
(2)to expand the
capacity of a teacher or principal preparation academy;
(3)to measure the
effectiveness of a teacher or principal preparation academy in improving
student academic achievement, as demonstrated by getting students on track to
be college and career ready; or
(4)to recruit
candidates for a teacher or principal preparation academy who have demonstrated
strong potential to be effective teachers or principals, based on a rigorous,
competency-based selection process that reviews a candidate's prior academic
achievement or record of professional accomplishment.
6.Coordination
with the Corporation for National and Community Service
(a)The Secretary shall enter into an interagency agreement
with the Corporation for National and Community Service under section 121(b) of
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(b)) under which
the Corporation shall approve positions, for candidates at each teacher or
principal preparation academy that receives financial assistance under this
Act, as approved national service positions, as defined in section 101 of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511). Such interagency
agreement shall specify how a degree or certificate of completion for a term of
service as a participant at a teacher or principal preparation academy will be
submitted to the Corporation.
(b)Notwithstanding section 148 of the National and Community
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12604), the Secretary and the Chief Executive
Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service shall develop a
program under which national service educational awards may be disbursed to a
teacher or principal preparation academy to cover or reimburse the costs of
attending the academy.
7.Authorization of
appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such sums as may be
necessary for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016.