[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 441 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 441

    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by 
 establishing a program to provide professional development activities 
                 for educators, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 4, 2013

Mr. Reid (for Mr. Begich) introduced the following bill; which was read 
 twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                                Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by 
 establishing a program to provide professional development activities 
                 for educators, 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 ``Professional Development for 
Educators Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Through careful development, teachers can build their 
        effectiveness over time, thus improving student achievement.
            (2) Ongoing professional development of teachers in the 
        subjects they teach is essential for improved student learning.
            (3) United States teachers generally spend more time 
        instructing students and less time in professional learning 
        opportunities with their peers than teachers in top-performing 
        countries.
            (4) It takes time, resources, and support for teachers to 
        become highly effective in their classrooms. Teachers 
        participating in quality teacher professional development must 
        be given time to implement what they have learned.

SEC. 3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:

            ``PART E--PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS

``SEC. 2501. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Eligible partner.--The term `eligible partner' means 
        an entity that--
                    ``(A) has demonstrated expertise in improving 
                student outcomes or teacher effectiveness; and
                    ``(B) is--
                            ``(i) a State or local government agency;
                            ``(ii) a State or local economic 
                        development agency;
                            ``(iii) a statewide industry organization;
                            ``(iv) a nonprofit organization;
                            ``(v) a philanthropic organization;
                            ``(vi) an institution of higher education;
                            ``(vii) an industry association; or
                            ``(viii) any other organization determined 
                        appropriate by the State or, in the case of 
                        grants awarded under section 2502(d), the 
                        Secretary.
            ``(2) Quality professional development.--The term `quality 
        professional development' shall, for each State and local 
        educational agency in a State, have the meaning given the term 
        by the State in accordance with section 2503(b)(1).

``SEC. 2502. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED; ALLOTMENTS.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--From amounts appropriated to carry out 
this part and not reserved under subsection (b), the Secretary shall 
make allotments in accordance with subsection (c) to States to enable 
the States to award subgrants to local educational agencies for the 
purpose of providing professional development activities to educators.
    ``(b) Reservation.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out this 
part, the Secretary may reserve--
            ``(1) not more than 1 percent for national activities that 
        support the purposes of this part, such as providing technical 
        assistance and the costs of administering this part; and
            ``(2) not more than 1 percent for payments to outlying 
        areas and the Bureau of Indian Education, to be distributed in 
        amounts determined by the Secretary based on relative need, to 
        carry out the activities described in this part to benefit the 
        schools served by the outlying areas and schools operated or 
        funded by the Bureau.
    ``(c) State Allotments.--
            ``(1) Formula determination.--For each fiscal year, the 
        Secretary shall allot, to each State with an approved 
        application, an amount that bears the same relation to the 
        amount appropriated to carry out this part and not reserved 
        under subsection (b) for such fiscal year, as the amount the 
        State received under subpart 2 of part A of title I for the 
        preceding fiscal year bears to the amounts received by all 
        States with approved applications under such subpart for the 
        preceding fiscal year.
            ``(2) Minimum grant amount.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), 
        no State shall receive an allotment under such paragraph for a 
        fiscal year that is less than one-half of 1 percent of the 
        amount appropriated to carry out this part and not reserved 
        under subsection (b) for such fiscal year.
    ``(d) Allotments to Certain Local Educational Agencies.--
            ``(1) In general.--If a State does not submit an approvable 
        application under this part for a fiscal year, the Secretary 
        shall use the State's allotment under subsection (c) for the 
        fiscal year to award an allotment described in paragraph (2) to 
        each local educational agency within the State that submits an 
        approved application.
            ``(2) Amount of allotment.--The allotment to a local 
        educational agency under this subsection for a fiscal year 
        shall be the amount that bears the same relation to the total 
        amount of the State's allotment for such fiscal year as the 
        amount the local educational agency received under subpart 2 of 
        part A of title I for the preceding fiscal year bears to the 
        amount that all local educational agencies with approved 
        applications in the State received under such subpart for such 
        year.
            ``(3) Notification and application process.--The Secretary 
        shall notify local educational agencies in a State described in 
        paragraph (1) of the opportunity to apply for funds under this 
        part and of the application requirements. A local educational 
        agency's application for an allotment under this subsection 
        shall include the information described in paragraphs (1) and 
        (2) of section 2504(b) and shall be submitted at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing such other information as required 
        by the Secretary.
            ``(4) Rules and requirements.--The requirements of 
        subsections (a), (c), and (d) of section 2504 shall apply to a 
        local educational agency receiving an allotment under this 
        subsection in the same manner as such requirements apply to a 
        local educational agency receiving an allocation under such 
        section. A local educational agency receiving an allotment 
        under this subsection shall submit an annual report to the 
        Secretary regarding the progress made under the grant and the 
        activities carried out with grant funds.
    ``(e) Application.--A State desiring an allotment under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require.

``SEC. 2503. STATE USE OF FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--A State that receives an allotment under this 
part shall--
            ``(1) carry out the State activities described in 
        subsection (b), except that the State may not use not more than 
        20 percent of the State's allotment for this purpose; and
            ``(2) use not less than 80 percent of the State's allotment 
        to award subgrants, on a competitive basis or through 
        allocations based on a formula that the State determines will 
        best meet the needs of this part, to local educational agencies 
        under section 2504 to enable the local educational agencies to 
        carry out the activities described in such section.
    ``(b) State Activities.--A State that receives an allotment under 
this part shall use funds described in subsection (a)(1) to carry out 
all of the following:
            ``(1) Develop, in collaboration with the local educational 
        agencies in the State and with the input of teachers and 
        principals employed by the local educational agencies, a 
        definition of, and the criteria for, quality professional 
        development activities, which shall include a requirement that 
        such activities are regularly evaluated for their impact on 
        increasing teacher effectiveness and improving student 
        achievement.
            ``(2) Design and implement methods for evaluating quality 
        professional development activities occurring in the State.
            ``(3) Make recommendations, to the State educational agency 
        and to local educational agencies, to improve quality 
        professional development activities in the State.
            ``(4) Design and maintain a registry that is an electronic 
        and searchable method of storing information regarding quality 
        professional development activities. The registry shall be 
        searchable by relevant criteria, including--
                    ``(A) subject matter;
                    ``(B) grade level;
                    ``(C) location;
                    ``(D) credits, credentials, or certificates that 
                may be earned; and
                    ``(E) entity providing the activity.
            ``(5) Hire regional professional development coordinators 
        to work as liaisons between the State and local educational 
        agencies to assess existing professional development 
        activities, assist in creating new quality professional 
        development activities, provide to the State the quality 
        professional development activities to be included in the 
        registry described in paragraph (4), and carry out other 
        activities to further the purposes of this part.
            ``(6) Evaluate the professional development activities 
        available in the State.
            ``(7) Prepare, and submit to the Secretary, an annual 
        report regarding the progress made under the grant under this 
        part, including the activities carried out by the State 
        educational agency and the local educational agencies in the 
        State with grant funds.

``SEC. 2504. LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY USE OF FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--A local educational agency that receives a 
subgrant under this part shall use subgrant funds to carry out the 
activities described in subsection (c).
    ``(b) Application.--A local educational agency desiring a subgrant 
under this part shall submit an application to the State at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the State may 
reasonably require. Each application shall include--
            ``(1) a description of any eligible partners with which the 
        local educational agency will work to carry out the subgrant 
        activities; and
            ``(2) a description of how the local educational agency 
        will meet the requirement of subsection (c)(1)(B).
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) Mandatory uses of funds.--Each local educational 
        agency receiving a subgrant under this part shall--
                    ``(A) use grant funds to provide information to the 
                State regarding available quality professional 
                development activities for inclusion in the statewide 
                registry described in section 2503(b)(4); and
                    ``(B) dedicate not less than 25 percent of the 
                subgrant funds for quality professional development 
                activities that involve science, technology, 
                engineering, mathematics, and career and technical 
                education.
            ``(2) Permissive uses of funds.--A local educational agency 
        receiving a subgrant under this part may, in addition to the 
        activities described in paragraph (1), use grant funds to--
                    ``(A) carry out quality professional development 
                activities, as defined by the State under section 
                2503(b)(1);
                    ``(B) provide updated information to teachers on 
                changes in curricula, assessments, and educational 
                research;
                    ``(C) provide mentors to teachers or principals;
                    ``(D) provide information on leadership 
                opportunities;
                    ``(E) create local educational agency-wide and 
                school-based quality professional development plans 
                that emphasize multiple grade levels;
                    ``(F) develop new quality professional development 
                activities to meet local and regional needs;
                    ``(G) establish systematic quality professional 
                development training opportunities for teachers and 
                principals;
                    ``(H) evaluate professional development activities;
                    ``(I) evaluate the professional development 
                activities currently being offered in the region; and
                    ``(J) carry out other activities approved by the 
                State.

``SEC. 2505. SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.

    ``Funds made available under this part shall be used to supplement, 
and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds available to 
carry out the activities supported under this part.

``SEC. 2506. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014 and each of the 5 
succeeding fiscal years.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--The table of contents of section 2 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 2441 the following:

            ``Part E--Professional Development for Educators

``Sec. 2501. Definitions.
``Sec. 2502. Program authorized.
``Sec. 2503. State use of funds.
``Sec. 2504. Local educational agency use of funds.
``Sec. 2505. Supplement not supplant.
``Sec. 2506. Authorization of appropriations.''.
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