[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2174 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2174

     To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for the 
        preparation of career and technical education teachers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 8, 2015

  Mr. Kaine (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Portman, and Mrs. Capito) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for the 
        preparation of career and technical education teachers.

    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 ``Creating Quality Technical Educators 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. PARTNERSHIP GRANTS FOR THE PREPARATION OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL 
              EDUCATION TEACHERS.

    Section 202 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (f) through (k) as 
        subsections (g) through (l), respectively;
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and career and 
                technical education teachers'' after ``early childhood 
                educators''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking ``subsection 
                (f) or (g)'' and inserting ``subsection (g) or (h)'';
            (3) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``a program for 
                the preparation of career and technical education 
                teachers under subsection (f),'' after ``subsection 
                (e),''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``subsection 
                (f)'' and inserting ``subsection (g)''; and
            (4) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
    ``(f) Partnership Grants for the Preparation of Career and 
Technical Education Teachers.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible partnership that receives a 
        grant under this section to carry out a program for the 
        preparation of career and technical education teachers shall 
        establish an effective secondary school career and technical 
        education teacher preparation program that shall be--
                    ``(A) available to mid-career professionals or 
                recent graduates of an institution of higher education, 
                who have expertise in a program area in which a skilled 
                career and technical education teacher shortage has 
                been identified through a needs assessment described in 
                paragraph (2);
                    ``(B) an opportunity for program participants to 
                obtain initial licensure based on State requirements 
                and the basic skills required for entry into the 
                education profession, and the option of earning a 
                bachelor's degree or a master's degree; and
                    ``(C) an opportunity for program participants who 
                are current educators and who do not have subject 
                matter expertise in a career and technical education 
                field identified through the needs assessment under 
                paragraph (2) to receive technical skills training to 
                be able to effectively teach in a classroom setting the 
                career and technical skills identified in such 
                assessment based on industry standards.
            ``(2) Needs assessment.--Each of the partners in an 
        eligible partnership that receives a grant under this section 
        to carry out a program for the preparation of career and 
        technical education teachers shall conduct a needs assessment--
                    ``(A) with respect to the preparation, ongoing 
                training, professional development, and retention of 
                career and technical education teachers in program 
                areas linked to the education and skill needs of the 
                local or regional economy; and
                    ``(B) that takes into account the current needs of 
                a State, local, or regional market, as well as trends 
                identified in section 102(b)(1)(B) of the Workforce 
                Innovation and Opportunity Act.
            ``(3) Participant eligibility, application, and 
        selection.--
                    ``(A) Participant eligibility.--In order to be 
                eligible to participate in a career and technical 
                education teacher preparation program under this 
                subsection, an individual--
                            ``(i) shall--
                                    ``(I) have at least a bachelor's 
                                degree;
                                    ``(II) have an active industry-
                                recognized credential in a technical 
                                profession if the eligible partnership 
                                determines that the program leading to 
                                the credential is of high quality, and 
                                meets the State's minimum requirements 
                                for career and technical education 
                                teachers in the field, based either on 
                                years of related work experience or a 
                                number of specified hours in the field; 
                                or
                                    ``(III) be a former member of the 
                                Armed Forces with a Department of 
                                Defense recognized active technical 
                                credential; and
                            ``(ii) may be a licensed teacher with a 
                        need for technical skills training.
                    ``(B) Application and selection.--
                            ``(i) Application.--Each eligible 
                        individual described in subparagraph (A) who 
                        desires to participate in the career and 
                        technical education teacher preparation program 
                        under this subsection shall submit an 
                        application to the eligible partnership.
                            ``(ii) Selection.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--Each eligible 
                                partnership shall select applicants for 
                                participation in the career and 
                                technical education teacher preparation 
                                program based on the career and 
                                technical education program needs of 
                                any high-need local educational 
                                agencies in the partnership.
                                    ``(II) Requirement for vacant 
                                positions.--Any vacant career and 
                                technical educator positions or 
                                positions with a demonstrated 
                                connection to the needs assessment 
                                described in paragraph (2) within the 
                                high-need local educational agency in 
                                an eligible partnership that receives a 
                                grant under this section to carry out a 
                                program for the preparation of career 
                                and technical education teachers shall 
                                be filled with career and technical 
                                education teacher preparation program 
                                participants.
                            ``(iii) Recruitment.--An eligible 
                        partnership may develop and implement a teacher 
                        recruitment program to invite eligible 
                        individuals to participate in the career and 
                        technical education program.
            ``(4) Required clinical experience components.--Each career 
        and technical education teacher preparation program carried out 
        under this subsection shall include the following program 
        components:
                    ``(A) Training in pedagogy, including classroom 
                management, lesson planning, student learning methods, 
                and academic and career and technical education content 
                integration.
                    ``(B) Training in using empirically based practice 
                and scientifically valid research in classroom 
                instruction.
                    ``(C) Necessary preparation to obtain a teaching 
                license based on State licensing requirements in the 
                State in which the partnership operates, prior to 
                entering the classroom.
                    ``(D) Literacy training for incorporating technical 
                texts into the classroom.
                    ``(E) At least 1 year of clinical experience 
                concurrent with the pre-classroom training program.
                    ``(F) Training to effectively teach technical 
                skills to industry standards in a classroom setting.
                    ``(G) For licensed teachers, technical skills and 
                pedagogical training related to the career and 
                technical education program they are intending to 
                teach.
            ``(5) Required pre-service components.--Each career and 
        technical education teacher preparation program carried out 
        under this subsection shall require--
                    ``(A) program participants, after completing pre-
                classroom training and who have at least State 
                recognized provisional licensure to teach, to be paired 
                with a mentor teacher with expertise in teaching the 
                same or similar content for a period of not less than 2 
                years within the same school or school district, if 
                available, and, if not available, the program shall 
                specify how the program participant will be mentored; 
                and
                    ``(B) continuing professional development 
                coursework for such program participants over the 
                course of 3 years to ensure that such teachers--
                            ``(i) are able to understand and implement 
                        research-based teaching practices in classroom 
                        instruction;
                            ``(ii) have knowledge of student learning 
                        methods;
                            ``(iii) are data literate to continuously, 
                        effectively, and ethically access, interpret, 
                        act on, and communicate multiple types of data 
                        from State, local, classroom, and other sources 
                        to improve outcomes for students in a manner 
                        appropriate to educators' professional roles 
                        and responsibilities;
                            ``(iv) possess skills to analyze student 
                        academic and technical achievement data and 
                        other measures of student learning, and use 
                        such data and measures to improve classroom 
                        instruction;
                            ``(v) possess the skills to develop, 
                        implement, and utilize interim and formative 
                        assessments to improve classroom instruction;
                            ``(vi) possess teaching skills and an 
                        understanding of effective instructional 
                        strategies across the technical and all 
                        applicable academic content areas that enable 
                        such teachers to--
                                    ``(I) meet the specific learning 
                                needs of all students, including 
                                students with disabilities, students 
                                who are limited English proficient, 
                                students who are gifted and talented, 
                                and students with low literacy levels; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) differentiate instruction 
                                for such students;
                            ``(vii) possess strategies for 
                        incorporating content from noncareer and 
                        technical education courses and standards for 
                        college and career into career and technical 
                        education courses;
                            ``(viii) are able to effectively 
                        participate as a member of an individualized 
                        education program team, as defined in section 
                        614(d)(1)(B) of the Individuals with 
                        Disabilities Education Act; and
                            ``(ix) are able to successfully employ 
                        effective strategies for literacy instruction 
                        in technical coursework.
            ``(6) Agreement to serve.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), each career and technical education 
                teacher preparation program carried out under this 
                subsection shall require program participants to serve 
                as a full-time career and technical education teacher 
                in a high-need local educational agency that is a part 
                of the eligible partnership for a total of not less 
                than 3 academic years immediately after successfully 
                completing the pre-classroom training program 
                component.
                    ``(B) Serving local educational agencies outside of 
                the partnership.--If there are no full-time career and 
                technical education teacher positions in a high-need 
                local educational agency that is a part of the eligible 
                partnership, a program participant may fulfill the 
                service requirement under subparagraph (A) through 
                serving as a full-time career and technical education 
                teacher in a high-need local educational agency that is 
                not a part of the eligible partnership.
                    ``(C) Certification of employment.--A program 
                participant under this subsection shall provide the 
                eligible partnership with certification of the 
                employment that is required under this paragraph.
            ``(7) Stipends or salaries; applications; repayments.--
                    ``(A) Stipends or salaries.--A career and technical 
                education teacher preparation program under this 
                subsection shall provide a one-year living stipend or 
                salary to program participants during the pre-classroom 
                training program component.
                    ``(B) Applications for stipends or salaries.--Each 
                career and technical education teacher preparation 
                program participant desiring a stipend or salary during 
                the pre-classroom training program component shall 
                submit an application to the eligible partnership at 
                such time, and containing such information and 
                assurances, as the eligible partnership may require.
                    ``(C) Repayments.--
                            ``(i) In general.--A grantee carrying out a 
                        career and technical education teacher 
                        preparation program under this subsection shall 
                        require a recipient of a stipend or salary 
                        under subparagraph (A) who does not complete, 
                        or who notifies the partnership that the 
                        recipient intends not to complete, the service 
                        obligation required by paragraph (6) to repay 
                        such stipend or salary to the eligible 
                        partnership, together with interest, at a rate 
                        specified by the partnership in the agreement, 
                        and in accordance with such other terms and 
                        conditions specified by the eligible 
                        partnership, as necessary.
                            ``(ii) Other terms and conditions.--Any 
                        other terms and conditions specified by the 
                        eligible partnership may include reasonable 
                        provisions for pro-rata repayment of the 
                        stipend or salary described in subparagraph (A) 
                        or for deferral of a program participant's 
                        service obligation required by paragraph (6), 
                        on grounds of health, incapacitation, inability 
                        to secure employment as a full-time career and 
                        technical education teacher, being called to 
                        active duty in the Armed Forces of the United 
                        States, or other extraordinary circumstances.
                            ``(iii) Use of repayments.--An eligible 
                        partnership shall use any repayment received 
                        under this subparagraph to carry out additional 
                        activities that are consistent with the 
                        purposes of this subsection.
            ``(8) Reports; parents right-to-know; development of 
        performance measures.--
                    ``(A) Annual report.--An eligible partnership that 
                receives a grant under this section to carry out a 
                program for the preparation of career and technical 
                education teachers shall submit to the Secretary and 
                make publicly available, at such time and in such 
                manner as the Secretary may require, an annual report 
                that includes--
                            ``(i) data on the eligible partnership's 
                        progress on the performance measures described 
                        in section 204(a); and
                            ``(ii) a description of the challenges the 
                        eligible partnership has faced in implementing 
                        the grant and how the eligible partnership has 
                        addressed or plans to address such challenges.
                    ``(B) Publicly available.--Each eligible 
                partnership that receives a grant under this section to 
                carry out a program for the preparation of career and 
                technical education teachers shall complete and make 
                publicly available, not later than 90 days after the 
                grant period for such eligible partnership ends, an 
                evaluation based on the evaluation plan described in 
                section 204(a).
                    ``(C) Parents right-to-know.--At the beginning of 
                each school year, a high-need local educational agency 
                that receives funds under this subsection shall--
                            ``(i) notify the parents of each student 
                        attending any school receiving funds under this 
                        subsection that the parents may request, and 
                        the agency will provide the parents on request 
                        (and in a timely manner), the information 
                        described in section 1111(h)(6)(A) of the 
                        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) provide to each such parent the 
                        information and notice described in section 
                        1111(h)(6)(B) of such Act.
                    ``(D) Development of performance measures.--The 
                Secretary shall develop performance measures prior to 
                awarding grants under this section, with input and 
                consultation of schools of education, school 
                administrators, teachers, professional non profit 
                technical and career organizations, and the opportunity 
                for a 60-day public comment period. The Secretary shall 
                ensure that such measures are made available to 
                potential applicants prior to seeking applications for 
                such grants.''.
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