[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2887 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2887

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to address 
  and take action to combat rural teacher shortages across the United 
                                States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 18, 2019

   Mr. Jones 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 to address 
  and take action to combat rural teacher shortages across the United 
                                States.

    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 ``Classrooms Reflecting Communities 
Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) There are persistent shortages across the Nation of 
        teachers in high-demand fields and subjects. These include 
        science, mathematics, special education, and teachers of 
        English learners.
            (2) More than 40 percent of all small, rural school 
        districts in the United States struggle with adequately 
        staffing their schools. Rural districts in particular face high 
        teacher vacancies in special education and STEM fields and have 
        greater difficulty filling the position of teachers of English 
        learners than urban and suburban districts.
            (3) Research shows that teacher shortages have serious 
        consequences for student achievement, the economic well-being 
        of a school district, and the overall effectiveness of the 
        teaching workforce. Further, a growing body of research reveals 
        a substantial amount of differences schools can make are 
        attributable to teachers.
            (4) Additionally, previous research estimated that 40 
        percent of schools do not have any teachers of color on staff, 
        and more recent data suggest that teachers of color remain more 
        likely to teach in urban schools and schools where a greater 
        percentage of students are eligible for a free or reduced price 
        lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
            (5) Research shows that teachers of color help close 
        achievement gaps and are viewed positively by all students. 
        Research also demonstrates benefits, including improved 
        academic achievement, greater educational attainment, and 
        higher academic aspirations, for students of color who are 
        taught by teachers of color. Likewise, it is important for all 
        students, not just students of color, to have diverse teachers 
        and leaders in their schools.
            (6) Strategies to address teacher shortages are multi-
        faceted and should follow broader efforts to modernize and 
        elevate the teaching profession. For example, efforts to 
        improve recruitment and preparation of teachers will be more 
        effective if implemented in conjunction with policies to 
        improve the working conditions of teachers, elevate the 
        profession through improved selectivity, comprehensive and 
        rigorous preparation, and higher pay, and professional 
        development and other supports.
            (7) Research shows that Grow Your Own Programs can be an 
        effective strategy to recruit diverse, well-qualified 
        candidates to the profession and prepare them with the needs of 
        the community and school district in mind. According to the 
        Learning Policy Institute, Grow Your Own programs have shown 
        positive results in recruiting and retaining diverse teachers 
        in the hardest to staff schools, in part by leveraging 
        participants' existing connections to the community and prior 
        experience working closely with the student population.

SEC. 3. GROWING THE RURAL EDUCATOR WORKFORCE.

    Part B of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7341 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subpart 3 as subpart 4; and
            (2) by inserting after subpart 2 the following:

           ``Subpart 3--Growing the Rural Educator Workforce

``SEC. 5228. GROWING THE RURAL EDUCATOR WORKFORCE.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) 2+2 program.--The term `2+2 program' means a 
        partnership between a junior or community college, as defined 
        in section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and a 4-
        year degree-granting institution of higher education, in which 
        teacher candidates begin teacher preparation in the junior or 
        community college and fully transfer their credits to the 4-
        year degree-granting institution of higher education where the 
        students complete their teacher preparation.
            ``(2) Eligible partnership.--The term `eligible 
        partnership' means a partnership as follows:
                    ``(A) That includes one of the following:
                            ``(i) A school, department, or program of 
                        education within a public or other nonprofit 
                        institution of higher education, including a 
                        graduate level program, that is State-
                        accredited and is eligible to receive Federal 
                        funds under title IV of the Higher Education 
                        Act of 1965, which may include a teacher 
                        preparation program in existence on the date of 
                        enactment of the Classrooms Reflecting 
                        Communities Act of 2019, which may include a 
                        community college in partnership with such an 
                        institution.
                            ``(ii) A local educational agency.
                            ``(iii) A State-accredited nonprofit 
                        educational organization that provides 
                        alternative routes to State certification of 
                        teachers.
                    ``(B) That includes one of the following:
                            ``(i) A rural high-need local educational 
                        agency.
                            ``(ii) A rural high-need school served by a 
                        rural high-need local educational agency, or a 
                        consortium of such schools.
                    ``(C) That may include an optional partner.
            ``(3) Grow your own program.--The term `Grow Your Own 
        Program' means a program that--
                    ``(A) is designed to counteract a local teacher 
                shortage problem or increase teacher diversity;
                    ``(B) collaborates with the local community, 
                schools, and other organizations to identify what the 
                education needs of the community are;
                    ``(C) supports teacher candidates in developing the 
                skills needed to personalize instruction, provide 
                culturally responsive pedagogy, and effectively support 
                students with disabilities and English learners;
                    ``(D) supports the preparation of teachers through 
                extensive clinical experience that is connected to 
                their coursework in schools in the community, including 
                schools in the eligible partnership, as they complete 
                and earn their teaching or school leadership credential 
                and may include a 2+2 program;
                    ``(E) integrates career-focused courses on 
                education topics with school-based learning experience;
                    ``(F) provides a high-quality mentoring program for 
                teacher candidates to support the candidates through 
                their first 2 years of teaching;
                    ``(G) provides support, including financial 
                assistance, to teacher and school leader candidates 
                from the community who are planning to teach in schools 
                in the community, which may include housing subsidies, 
                stipends, and tuition assistance;
                    ``(H) sustains efforts to recruit and incentivize 
                more people to consider entering the teaching 
                profession, especially in high-need fields and 
                underserved schools; and
                    ``(I) works in partnership with members of the 
                eligible partnership to provide academic, counseling, 
                and programmatic supports.
            ``(4) Optional partner.--The term `optional partner' means 
        any of the following entities:
                    ``(A) The Governor of the State.
                    ``(B) A State educational agency.
                    ``(C) The State board of education.
                    ``(D) The State agency for higher education.
                    ``(E) A business or a large employer in the 
                community.
                    ``(F) A teacher organization.
                    ``(G) A charter school (as defined in section 
                4310).
                    ``(H) A community or grassroots organization.
                    ``(I) A nonprofit entity.
            ``(5) Rural high-need local educational agency.--The term 
        `rural high-need local educational agency' means a local 
        educational agency--
                    ``(A) located in a rural county, designated with a 
                locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43, as determined by 
                the Secretary;
                    ``(B) that has persistent teacher vacancies or a 
                significant portion of teachers employed by the agency 
                who are not fully certified or licensed to teach or who 
                are not certified or licensed to teach in the subject 
                area they are assigned; and
                    ``(C) for which not less than 23.5 percent of the 
                children served by the agency are from low-income 
                families, as described in section 1124(c)(1)(A).
            ``(6) Rural high-need school.--The term `rural high-need 
        school' means an elementary school or secondary school--
                    ``(A) located in a rural county;
                    ``(B) that has persistent teacher vacancies or not 
                less than 10 percent of the teachers teaching at such 
                school are not fully certified or licensed to teach or 
                certified or licensed to teach in the subject area they 
                are assigned; and
                    ``(C) that is in the highest quartile of schools in 
                a ranking of all schools served by the local 
                educational agency serving such school, ranked in 
                descending order by percentage of students from low-
                income families enrolled in such schools, as described 
                in section 1124(c)(1)(A).
            ``(7) Teaching skills.--The term `teaching skills' means 
        skills that enable a teacher to--
                    ``(A) increase student learning, achievement, and 
                the ability to apply knowledge;
                    ``(B) effectively convey, explain, and provide 
                opportunities for students to develop the skills 
                aligned with the full depth and breadth of the State 
                challenging academic standards, including the 
                application of academic subject matter;
                    ``(C) effectively teach higher-order analytical, 
                critical thinking, evaluation, problem-solving, and 
                communication skills;
                    ``(D) employ strategies grounded in the disciplines 
                of teaching and learning that--
                            ``(i) are based on empirically based 
                        practice and evidence-based research, where 
                        applicable, related to teaching and learning;
                            ``(ii) are specific to academic subject 
                        matter; and
                            ``(iii) focus on the identification of 
                        students' specific learning needs, particularly 
                        students with disabilities, students who are 
                        English learners, students who are gifted and 
                        talented, and students with low literacy 
                        levels, and the tailoring of academic 
                        instruction to such needs;
                    ``(E) design and conduct an ongoing assessment of 
                student learning, which may include the use of 
                formative assessments, performance-based assessments, 
                project-based assessments, or portfolio assessments, 
                that measure higher-order thinking skills (including 
                application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) and 
                use this information to inform and personalize 
                instruction;
                    ``(F) support the social, emotional, and academic 
                achievement of all students, including effectively 
                creating an inclusive classroom environment, including 
                the ability to implement positive behavioral 
                interventions, trauma-informed care, and other support 
                strategies;
                    ``(G) are culturally responsive and linguistically 
                inclusive;
                    ``(H) communicate and work with parents and involve 
                parents in their children's education; and
                    ``(I) use age-appropriate and developmentally 
                appropriate strategies and practices for students in 
                early childhood education programs and elementary 
                schools and secondary schools.
    ``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
            ``(1) to combat persistent rural teacher shortages, 
        especially in State-identified high-need fields, by providing 
        Federal support to States to develop and run Grow Your Own 
        Programs;
            ``(2) to recruit diverse and well-prepared individuals with 
        the teaching skills and qualifications identified as high need 
        by the community into the teaching profession; and
            ``(3) to increase student engagement in the classroom and 
        student academic outcomes.
    ``(c) Grants.--
            ``(1) Program authorized.--The Secretary shall award 
        grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to 
        enable the eligible partnerships to--
                    ``(A) develop and run a Grow Your Own Program to 
                recruit diverse teacher candidates from the community 
                into the teaching profession and support them through 
                high-quality preparation to full teacher certification 
                or licensure;
                    ``(B) provide support for identifying what the 
                unique needs of the community and school district are 
                in terms of high-need areas and high-need fields;
                    ``(C) support efforts to raise awareness about the 
                teaching profession and enact recruitment drives in 
                high-need communities and high-need fields;
                    ``(D) require candidates to complete all State 
                requirements to become fully certified;
                    ``(E) provide academic and testing supports, 
                including advising and financial assistance, to 
                candidates for admission and completion of education 
                preparation programs as well as State licensure 
                assessments;
                    ``(F) provide a year-long clinical experience or 
                teaching or school leadership residency with a stipend 
                to cover living expenses; and
                    ``(G) provide opportunities for candidates to 
                practice and develop teaching skills and dispositions 
                needed to be effective.
            ``(2) Duration of grant.--A grant awarded under this 
        section shall be for 5 years.
            ``(3) Application.--Each eligible partnership desiring a 
        grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
        require. Each such application shall contain--
                    ``(A) a needs assessment of the community hosting 
                the Grow Your Own Program, demonstrating the existence 
                of--
                            ``(i) persistent teacher shortages;
                            ``(ii) a high percentage of teachers not 
                        fully certified or licensed to teach or not 
                        certified or licensed to teach in the subject 
                        area assigned; or
                            ``(iii) a lack of teacher diversity;
                    ``(B) a description of how the proposed Grow Your 
                Own Program fulfills the criteria described in 
                subsection (a)(3) and how each component of the Program 
                will contribute to combating teacher shortages or lack 
                of teacher diversity;
                    ``(C) a description of how the proposed Grow Your 
                Own Program will prepare prospective teachers to teach 
                in a culturally diverse classroom with pedagogy that 
                reflects the experiences of their students;
                    ``(D) a description of how the proposed Grow Your 
                Own Program will prepare prospective teachers to 
                support students with disabilities and English 
                learners;
                    ``(E) a description of the roles of all partners in 
                the eligible partnership, including what component of 
                the proposed Grow Your Own Program for which each 
                member shall be responsible and how they would support 
                the overall purpose of the Program;
                    ``(F) a description of how the proposed Grow Your 
                Own Program will use grant funds and any other 
                available financial resources to support the Program; 
                and
                    ``(G) a description of how the eligible partnership 
                will collect metrics and accountability measures for 
                the proposed Grow Your Own Program, including efforts 
                to report the data stipulated in the accountability 
                section.
            ``(4) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to eligible partnerships that 
        include an eligible institution, as described in section 371(a) 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
            ``(5) Grow your own programs.--An eligible partnership that 
        receives a grant under this section shall develop and run a 
        Grow Your Own Program that includes--
                    ``(A) targeted recruitment efforts, including 
                promotion of the teaching profession--
                            ``(i) at high schools, minority-serving 
                        institutions, and community centers; and
                            ``(ii) with paraprofessionals, 
                        instructional assistants, district employees 
                        not certified to teach or lead (such as long-
                        term substitute teachers), after school and 
                        summer program staff, parent school volunteers, 
                        retired military personnel, and other career 
                        changers with experience in hard-to-staff areas 
                        who are not currently certified to teach or 
                        lead, with a specific focus on recruiting 
                        individuals who are reflective of the race, 
                        ethnicity, and native language of the existing 
                        community's student population;
                    ``(B) creation of curriculum and coursework with 
                principles of culturally responsive education woven 
                throughout, in addition to a scaffolded sequence of 
                coursework explicitly teaching culturally responsive 
                pedagogy, teaching skills to support students with 
                disabilities, and teaching skills to support English 
                learners;
                    ``(C) at least one year of supervised clinical 
                experience, with a focus on partnering with schools 
                served by rural high-need local educational agencies;
                    ``(D) mentorship and assistance with the teacher 
                licensure and certification process, including test 
                preparation;
                    ``(E) high-quality induction programs;
                    ``(F) direct financial assistance, including 
                reduced tuition and in-kind financial support, such as 
                childcare, especially for teachers being certified or 
                licensed to teach in high-need fields or high-need 
                communities;
                    ``(G) plans to engage in outreach and collaboration 
                efforts with local schools, school districts, 
                institutions of higher education, and community 
                organizations; and
                    ``(H) plans to use data to assess where teachers 
                certified or licensed to teach with assistance from the 
                Program are teaching and how that's impacting teacher 
                shortage numbers.
            ``(6) Accountability and evaluation.--An eligible 
        partnership that receives a grant under this section shall, at 
        the end of each grant year, submit to the Secretary a report on 
        the Grow Your Own Program developed with the grant funds that 
        includes the following information:
                    ``(A) Enrollment information, disaggregated by race 
                and ethnicity and gender except in such instances 
                whereby the number of people in a category is too small 
                that disaggregation would reveal personally 
                identifiable information.
                    ``(B) A description of the activities undertaken by 
                the eligible partnership over the year using grant 
                funding.
                    ``(C) Graduation rates and completion numbers, 
                disaggregated by race and ethnicity and gender except 
                in such instances whereby the number of people in a 
                category is too small that disaggregation would reveal 
                personally identifiable information.
                    ``(D) The percentage and total number of teacher 
                candidates who have been certified or licensed to 
                teach, disaggregated by subject and area of 
                certification or licensure, and by race and ethnicity, 
                and gender except in such instances whereby the number 
                of people in a category is too small that 
                disaggregation would reveal personally identifiable 
                information.
                    ``(E) The 3-year and 5-year teacher retention rate 
                in the same school and local educational agency, within 
                the profession, and in the subjects for which the 
                teachers were trained, disaggregated by race and 
                ethnicity, and gender except in such instances whereby 
                the number of people in a category is too small that 
                disaggregation would reveal personally identifiable 
                information.
                    ``(F) A survey of teachers starting in the second 
                year of the grant to assess and provide feedback on the 
                Program's efforts and whether there should be any 
                modifications to address the community's needs.
                    ``(G) A survey of community members, such as 
                parents, starting in the second year of the grant to 
                assess and provide feedback on the Program's efforts 
                and whether there should be any modifications to 
                address the community's needs.''.
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