[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2065 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2065

To authorize a study on educator workforce data to advance teaching and 
 learning and a program to support increasing access to well-prepared 
                         and diverse educators.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 21, 2023

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize a study on educator workforce data to advance teaching and 
 learning and a program to support increasing access to well-prepared 
                         and diverse educators.

    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 ``Supporting Teaching and Learning 
through Better Data Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the 
        Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics.
            (2) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (4) State educational agency.--The term ``State educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).

SEC. 3. STUDY ON EDUCATOR WORKFORCE DATA TO ADVANCE TEACHING AND 
              LEARNING.

    (a) Authorization of Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Commissioner shall--
                    (A) beginning not later than 3 months after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, conduct a study on--
                            (i) data collections and data requirements 
                        on the educator workforce in effect on the date 
                        of the study; and
                            (ii) data elements about the educator 
                        workforce that are not collected, but whose 
                        collection would strengthen the understanding 
                        of teacher supply, demand, distribution, and 
                        shortages; and
                    (B) make recommendations through submission of a 
                report under subsection (c) for improvements to data 
                collection, analysis, and dissemination that aid 
                policymakers, practitioners, students, educators, 
                families, and others in improving access to a diverse, 
                well-prepared, and stable educator workforce, 
                including--
                            (i) proposals for a comprehensive system of 
                        data elements that can be integrated and 
                        analyzed to allow for regular tracking and 
                        projections of educator supply, demand, 
                        shortages, and distribution at the national, 
                        regional, and State levels; and
                            (ii) recommendations for improvements in 
                        data quality, timeliness, and availability.
            (2) Completion.--The Commissioner shall complete the study 
        required under paragraph (1) not later than 30 months after the 
        date of enactment of this Act.
    (b) Content of Study.--
            (1) Existing educator workforce data collections and data 
        requirements.--The study conducted under subsection (a) shall 
        examine educator workforce data collections and data 
        requirements in effect on the date of the study to ascertain 
        how such collections and requirements contribute, or may 
        contribute, to a data system that meets the goals outlined in 
        subsection (a)(1)(B), as well as where there are limitations or 
        redundancies. The study shall examine--
                    (A) the Nationwide Teacher Shortage Areas Listing 
                of the Department of Education;
                    (B) the plan requirements for State educational 
                agencies and local educational agencies under sections 
                1111(g)(1)(B) and 1112(b)(2) of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                6311(g)(1)(B) and 6312(b)(2)) that are designed to 
                ensure that low-income and minority children are not 
                served at disproportionate rates by ineffective, out-
                of-field, or inexperienced teachers;
                    (C) the requirements under paragraphs (1)(C)(ix), 
                (2), and (5) of section 1111(h) of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)) 
                related to the professional qualifications of teachers 
                and leaders included in annual reports;
                    (D) the personnel requirements for related service 
                personnel, paraprofessionals, and special education 
                teachers under section 612(a)(14) of the Individuals 
                with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
                1412(a)(14));
                    (E) the requirement under section 3122(b)(5) of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 6843(b)(5)) related to the number of certified 
                or licensed educators working in language instruction 
                and educating English learners and the estimate of the 
                number of educators that will be needed over the next 5 
                fiscal years;
                    (F) the requirement under section 2104(a)(4) of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 6614(a)(4)) related to the annual retention 
                rates of teachers, principals, and school leaders 
                included in reports;
                    (G) educator certification, experience, retention, 
                presentism, and other educator information in the Civil 
                Rights Data Collection of the Department of Education;
                    (H) educator workforce information gathered under 
                the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 
                9501 et seq.), including section 153(a)(1)(F) of such 
                Act (20 U.S.C. 9543(a)(1)(F)), the National Teacher and 
                Principal Survey of the Department of Education, and 
                the School Pulse Panel of the Department of Education;
                    (I) educator supply information, including--
                            (i) educator preparation program enrollment 
                        and clinical experience information required 
                        under section 205(b)(1)(G) of the Higher 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                        1022d(b)(1)(G));
                            (ii) information on completers of education 
                        preparation programs required under section 
                        205(b)(1)(H) of the Higher Education Act of 
                        1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022d(b)(1)(H)); and
                            (iii) other enrollment and completion data 
                        that includes demographic and diversity 
                        enrollment and completion information of 
                        educator preparation programs;
                    (J) educators in training and in-service educators' 
                access to and completion of Federal service scholarship 
                and loan forgiveness programs, including--
                            (i) the TEACH Grants program subpart 9 of 
                        part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act 
                        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070g et seq.);
                            (ii) teacher loan forgiveness or 
                        cancellation programs under sections 428J and 
                        460 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                        U.S.C. 1078-10 and 1087j);
                            (iii) the public service loan forgiveness 
                        program under section 455(m) of the Higher 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)); and
                            (iv) educators accessing educational awards 
                        under subtitle D of title I of the National and 
                        Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601 
                        et seq.); and
                    (K) data pertaining to the educator workforce 
                collected under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
                Economic Security Act (or the ``CARES Act'') (Public 
                Law 116-136), the Coronavirus Response and Relief 
                Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-
                260), and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public 
                Law 117-2).
            (2) Identifying gaps and recommendations for closing 
        gaps.--The study conducted under subsection (a) shall examine 
        whether there are gaps in information about the educator 
        workforce that impacts educator supply, demand, distribution, 
        and shortages and make recommendations for closing such gaps, 
        which contribute to meeting the goals outlined in subsection 
        (a)(1)(B). The study shall consider information concerning--
                    (A) the types of pathways through which educators 
                enter the profession, including the length and quality 
                of coursework and clinical experience before a 
                prospective educator is the educator of record;
                    (B) the recruitment, supply, retention, 
                demographics, geographic regions, subject areas taught, 
                diversity, qualifications and credentials, satisfaction 
                and attitudes, and working conditions, of the educator 
                workforce;
                    (C) induction, mentoring, early career supports, 
                and access to teacher leadership opportunities;
                    (D) compensation information, including pre-service 
                (stipends, apprenticeship support, other compensation), 
                starting, mid-career, and late-career salaries and 
                benefits of teachers;
                    (E) the number and percentage of in-service 
                educators who have received a Federal Pell Grant under 
                subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.) or a loan made, 
                insured, or guaranteed under title IV of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.); and
                    (F) whether there are, and any recommendations for, 
                standard definitions for key educator workforce terms 
                across State educational agencies, local educational 
                agencies, Federal law, and federally funded research.
    (c) Report.--The Commissioner shall publish and widely disseminate 
a report on the study conducted under subsection (a), which shall 
include--
            (1) publishing the report to the website of the Department 
        of Education and the website of the Institute of Education 
        Sciences;
            (2) sending the report to, and briefing, the Committee on 
        Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the 
        Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of 
        Representatives, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
        Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate, and the Subcommittee on Labor, 
        Health and Human Services, Education of the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
            (3) presenting and disseminating the report to education 
        stakeholders, including students, families, educators, 
        administrators, civil rights organizations, educator 
        organizations, and more.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM TO SUPPORT INCREASING ACCESS TO WELL-PREPARED AND 
              DIVERSE EDUCATORS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary--
            (1) shall provide technical assistance to State educational 
        agencies and local educational agencies to support such 
        agencies in increasing access to well-prepared and diverse 
        educators; and
            (2) may reserve not more than 20 percent of funds available 
        to carry out this section to award grants to State educational 
        agencies to--
                    (A) provide technical assistance to local 
                educational agencies to increase access to well-
                prepared and diverse educators; and
                    (B) improve State educator workforce data 
                collection and analysis.
    (b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance to State educational agencies and local educational agencies 
on the following educator quality requirements and data collections:
            (1) Meeting and making progress on the plan requirements 
        for State educational agencies and local educational agencies 
        under sections 1111(g)(1)(B) and 1112(b)(2) of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(g)(1)(B) 
        and 6312(b)(2)) that are designed to ensure that low-income and 
        minority children are not served at disproportionate rates by 
        ineffective, out-of-field, or inexperienced teachers.
            (2) Meeting and making progress on the personnel 
        requirements for related service personnel, paraprofessionals, 
        and special education teachers under section 612(a)(14) of the 
        Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
        1412(a)(14)).
            (3) Educator workforce information collected under the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
        et seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 
        U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Education Sciences Reform Act (20 
        U.S.C. 9501 et seq.), the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), the Civil Rights Data Collection, and 
        other State and Federal educator workforce data collection 
        requirements.
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