[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2417 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2417

 To support the preparation and retention of outstanding educators in 
 all fields to ensure a bright future for children and youth in under-
  resourced and underserved communities in the United States, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2023

   Ms. Smith introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To support the preparation and retention of outstanding educators in 
 all fields to ensure a bright future for children and youth in under-
  resourced and underserved communities in the United States, 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 ``Addressing Teacher Shortages Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Currently, there are not enough teachers to meet the 
        demand for teachers in all locations and in all fields, 
        creating a teacher shortage. The teacher shortage is a result 
        of growing student enrollment, shrinking pupil-teacher ratios, 
        declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs, and high 
        levels of attrition from the field. Teacher shortages are 
        particularly acute in rural schools and in certain subject 
        areas, such as the fields of STEM, special education, and 
        English as a second language. Additionally, there is a lack of 
        racial diversity in the teaching workforce.
            (2) Rural schools serve 18 percent of all students in the 
        United States, including over 9,000,000 students in rural 
        public elementary and secondary schools. More than 40 percent 
        of all small, rural local educational agencies in the United 
        States struggle with adequately staffing their schools. These 
        personnel shortages include difficulties both in recruiting and 
        retaining educators. Shortages are especially pronounced in 
        special education and STEM fields, when compared to urban 
        teacher labor markets.
            (3) Rural communities face unique challenges in recruiting 
        and retaining teachers for reasons such as funding, limited 
        teacher supply, and geographic isolation. Rural schools often 
        experience difficulty hiring and high turnover due to 
        inadequate resources, lower salaries, and poor working 
        conditions.
            (4) The demand for teachers is going unmet in some subject 
        areas more so than others. In 2017-2018, 48 States reported 
        shortages in mathematics, 46 in special education, 43 in 
        science, 41 in foreign language, and 31 in English as a second 
        language.
            (5) Although the share of teachers of color has been 
        increasing, there is a gap in racial diversity between teachers 
        of color who comprise 20 percent of the teacher workforce and 
        students of color who account for 50 percent of students.
            (6) Data from the 2015-2016 National Teacher and Principal 
        Survey show that millennial teachers are less likely to be 
        racially diverse than the previous generation of Generation X 
        teachers, suggesting that racial diversity in the teaching 
        workforce could be declining in the future.
            (7) Research shows that better prepared teachers stay 
        longer in the profession and are more effective in improving 
        student achievement. For example, an analysis of the nationally 
        representative Schools and Staffing Survey found that new 
        recruits who had a semester or more of practice teaching prior 
        to employment were more than 3 times less likely to leave 
        teaching after a year than those who had no practice teaching.
            (8) Data from the 2012-2013 Schools and Staffing Survey 
        show that the attrition rate for teachers is approximately 8 
        percent. It was higher for rural teachers, at 8.4 percent, than 
        for suburban and urban teachers, at 7.3 and 7.9 percent, 
        respectively. This high attrition rate is costly for local 
        educational agencies, with the savings of replacing higher-
        earning, more experienced teachers mitigated by replacement 
        costs.
            (9) High-quality mentoring and induction programs can offer 
        support to teacher candidates and novice teachers throughout 
        the teacher preparation and school placement experience, 
        improving the likelihood that they will complete the training 
        and certification process and remain in the profession. 
        Evidence-based mentoring and induction programs have been shown 
        to increase retention, accelerate the professional learning of 
        novice teachers, and improve student achievement.
            (10) Teacher residencies create long-term benefits for 
        local educational agencies, schools, and students. Research 
        suggests that residencies bring greater gender and racial 
        diversity into the teaching workforce and have significantly 
        higher retention rates for graduates than traditional 
        preparation programs.
            (11) Grow Your Own teacher preparation models provide a 
        promising solution for hard-to-staff schools, such as those in 
        rural communities. These models help to recruit graduates of 
        local schools and members of the school's community into the 
        teaching profession.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) General esea definitions.--The terms ``dual or 
        concurrent enrollment program'', ``elementary school'', ``local 
        educational agency'', and ``secondary school'' have the 
        meanings given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) 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 (20 U.S.C. 
        1058), and a 4-year degree-granting institution of higher 
        education in which teacher candidates can begin teacher 
        preparation in the junior or community college and fully 
        transfer their credits to the 4-year institution of higher 
        education, where the students complete their teacher 
        preparation.
            (3) Certified teacher.--The term ``certified teacher'' 
        means an individual who possesses a document certifying that 
        the individual has met the full requirements of a State for 
        employment as a teacher in the public schools of that State.
            (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        local educational agency (including an entity described in 
        subparagraph (B), (C), (D), or (E) of section 8101(30) of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801(30))) or a consortium of such agencies.
            (5) Grow your own program.--The term ``Grow Your Own 
        program'' means a program that works to recruit graduates of 
        local schools and members of the school's community into the 
        teaching profession of a school.
            (6) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        ``historically Black college or university'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``part B institution'' under section 322 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
            (7) Induction program.--The term ``induction program'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 200(14) of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021(14)), except that--
                    (A) the high-quality and structured teacher 
                mentoring component described in subparagraph (A) of 
                such section shall be led by a qualified mentor who 
                teaches in the same or similar field, grade, or subject 
                as the mentee;
                    (B) the opportunities for new teachers described in 
                subparagraph (D) of such section shall include 
                opportunities for observation of, and feedback from, 
                teacher mentors, faculty, and researchers;
                    (C) the faculty included in the program, as 
                described in subparagraph (F) of such section, shall 
                also model personalized instruction;
                    (D) the interdisciplinary collaboration described 
                in subparagraph (G) of such section shall include 
                preparation regarding the development, analysis, and 
                use of formative, interim, and summative assessments;
                    (E) the assistance provided under subparagraph (H) 
                of such section with respect to student achievement 
                data shall also include assistance with understanding 
                classroom engagement data (such as attendance and 
                discipline rates and other measures of school climate), 
                and with understanding the applicability of both types 
                of data to classroom instruction and design; and
                    (F) the observation and evaluation opportunities 
                under subparagraph (I) of such section shall be 
                conducted in order to inform efforts to support new 
                teachers and improve their practice.
            (8) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (9) Qualified mentor teacher.--The term ``qualified mentor 
        teacher'' means an educator who--
                    (A) meets a minimum set of qualification standards 
                based in part on State-determined measures of teacher 
                effectiveness; and
                    (B) is selected by the grantee to--
                            (i) host a teacher candidate mentee during 
                        clinical practice or residency in the classroom 
                        of the educator during a teacher preparation 
                        program, or provide induction support to a 
                        newly certified teacher mentee during the first 
                        2 years of employment after completion of a 
                        teacher preparation program (including clinical 
                        practice);
                            (ii) provide support for a teacher 
                        candidate mentee during clinical practice or a 
                        teacher residency program, or a beginning 
                        teacher mentee during an induction program, 
                        including information on the resources and 
                        support based at the school and the local 
                        educational agency serving the school;
                            (iii) establish a role model relationship 
                        for a mentee;
                            (iv) observe the mentee's teaching methods 
                        in classroom settings and be observed modeling 
                        best practices;
                            (v) provide mentoring to a mentee teaching 
                        in the same field, grade, or subject; and
                            (vi) promote empirically based practice of, 
                        and scientifically valid research on, where 
                        applicable--
                                    (I) teaching and learning;
                                    (II) assessment of student 
                                learning;
                                    (III) the development of teaching 
                                skills through the use of instructional 
                                and behavioral interventions; and
                                    (IV) the improvement of the 
                                capacity of the mentees to create 
                                inclusive learning environments and 
                                measurably advance student learning 
                                among diverse learners.
            (10) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated 
        Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).
            (11) Rural school district.--The term ``rural school 
        district'' means a school district that serves one or more 
        schools located in a rural area.
            (12) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (13) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics.
            (14) Teaching residency program.--The term ``teaching 
        residency program'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021), 
        except that such term shall not include the requirement that 
        the prospective teacher acquire a master's degree prior to 
        completion of the program, but instead shall earn a bachelor's 
        or a master's degree prior to completion of the program.

SEC. 4. ADDRESSING TEACHER SHORTAGES PROGRAM.

    (a) Addressing Teacher Shortages Program Established.--
            (1) Grants authorized.--
                    (A) In general.--From amounts made available to 
                carry out this Act, the Secretary shall establish an 
                Addressing Teacher Shortages Program, through which the 
                Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, 
                to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to 
                carry out activities described in subsection (d) in 
                continuous consultation with the schools served by the 
                eligible entity.
                    (B) Planning grants.--Notwithstanding subparagraph 
                (A), the Secretary may use funds made available under 
                this section, and not required for purposes of 
                subsection (c)(2), to award, on a competitive basis, 1-
                year planning grants to eligible entities that have not 
                received grants under subparagraph (A), to assist with 
                the costs of preparing and submitting an application 
                under subsection (b).
            (2) Duration.--A grant awarded under paragraph (1)(A)--
                    (A) shall be for a period of at least 5 years; and
                    (B) may be renewed if the eligible entity 
                demonstrates sufficient positive outcomes as described 
                in section 5 and evidence of potential for continued 
                success in achieving the goals of the initial grant.
    (b) Application.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under 
        subsection (a)(1)(A) shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    (A) describe the selected activities described in 
                subsection (d) for which assistance under this section 
                is sought;
                    (B) include a description of the evaluation plan 
                required under section 5;
                    (C) provide such additional assurances as the 
                Secretary determines to be essential to ensure 
                compliance with the requirements of this Act; and
                    (D) if seeking support for a teaching residency 
                program, demonstrate that the institution of higher 
                education that is a partner in the eligible entity is 
                approved to prepare candidates for State teaching 
                licensure or certification.
    (c) Award Basis.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall determine the minimum 
        number, and the dollar amount, of grants provided under this 
        section based on the amount made available under section 7.
            (2) Award basis.--In awarding grants under this section, 
        the Secretary shall--
                    (A) reserve 5 percent of the grant funds available 
                to carry out this section for the Secretary of the 
                Interior, to enable the Secretary of the Interior to 
                carry out the purposes of this Act in schools supported 
                by the Bureau of Indian Education; and
                    (B) use, from the amount remaining after the 
                application of subparagraph (A) and to the extent 
                practicable based on the applications received under 
                subsection (b)--
                            (i) not less than 25 percent of the 
                        remaining amount to address teacher shortage 
                        challenges in local educational agencies 
                        serving rural areas;
                            (ii) not less than 25 percent of the 
                        remaining amount to address shortages in high-
                        need subject areas; and
                            (iii) not less than 25 percent of the grant 
                        funds available to diversify the teaching 
                        workforce.
            (3) Priority.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), in 
                evaluating applications for grants under subsection 
                (a)(1)(A), the Secretary shall provide a competitive 
                priority for applications proposing programs that 
                will--
                            (i) address the shortages described in 
                        clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (2)(B); and
                            (ii) include partnerships with minority-
                        serving institutions, such as historically 
                        Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-
                        serving institutions (as defined in section 502 
                        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                        1101a)), or Tribal Colleges and Universities 
                        (as defined in section 316 of such Act (20 
                        U.S.C. 1059c)).
                    (B) Priority for teaching residency and grow your 
                own programs.--In reviewing applications for grants 
                under subsection (a)(1)(A) that propose to cover costs 
                associated with teaching residency programs or Grow 
                Your Own programs, the Secretary shall provide a 
                competitive priority to eligible entities that propose 
                to carry out a program designed to prepare, for 
                teaching licensure or certification, individuals who, 
                as of the date of the individuals' application or 
                acceptance into the program--
                            (i) are employed by a local educational 
                        agency participating in the eligible entity as 
                        a paraprofessional, substitute teacher, or 
                        other employee of the school community; and
                            (ii) have been so employed for not less 
                        than 3 years.
    (d) Use of Funds.--A recipient of a grant under subsection 
(a)(1)(A) shall use grant funds for not less than one of the following 
activities:
            (1) Establishing or expanding teaching residency programs, 
        which may include covering--
                    (A) all or part of a resident's tuition in exchange 
                for a commitment to teach in the community for a 
                minimum of 3 years;
                    (B) resident salaries;
                    (C) mentor teacher incentives;
                    (D) facilities or infrastructure for a distance 
                learning classroom within the school for onsite 
                coursework and practical learning; and
                    (E) any other purpose that the Secretary determines 
                appropriate.
            (2) Establishing or expanding a teacher mentor program, 
        which may include providing a training program or endorsement 
        for school-based mentor teachers.
            (3) Establishing or expanding a Grow Your Own program.
            (4) Establishing or expanding a 2+2 program.
            (5) Establishing or expanding a program at an institution 
        of higher education that encourages students majoring in STEM 
        fields to take courses in education.
            (6) Establishing or expanding teacher preparation pathways 
        in secondary schools.
            (7) Establishing or expanding other evidence-based 
        strategies to increase teacher retention and support teachers, 
        including--
                    (A) increasing access to, and the effective use of, 
                technology for the purpose of providing professional 
                development to educators in rural or remote areas;
                    (B) supporting teachers in fulfilling additional 
                credit requirements needed for a teacher to--
                            (i) become licensed or certified in 
                        additional subject areas;
                            (ii) earn an additional qualification or 
                        licensure or certification endorsement that 
                        meets a specific need of the school in which 
                        the teacher is employed;
                            (iii) earn additional qualifications to 
                        obtain National Board Certification; or
                            (iv) qualify to teach Advanced Placement, 
                        International Baccalaureate, or dual or 
                        concurrent enrollment programs;
                    (C) providing opportunities for career advancement 
                that offer increased pay for teachers who demonstrate 
                expertise and take on additional leadership roles;
                    (D) establishing induction programs for novice 
                teachers during their first 2 years in the profession;
                    (E)(i) providing tuition assistance, a stipend, or 
                a housing allowance during student teaching to student 
                teachers participating in the program who commit to 
                teaching placements that would address any of the 
                shortages described in clause (i) or (ii) of subsection 
                (c)(2)(B); and
                    (ii) if the eligible entity chooses to do so, and 
                only after assisting student teachers under clause (i), 
                providing a stipend or housing allowance to teachers in 
                their first or second year of teaching who commit to 
                teaching placements that would address any of the 
                shortages described in clause (i) or (ii) of subsection 
                (c)(2)(B); or
                    (F) providing professional development for school 
                administrators focusing on teacher leadership or 
                teacher retention.
    (e) Matching Funds.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
        under subsection (a)(1)(A) shall provide, toward the cost of 
        the activities assisted under the grant and from non-Federal 
        sources, an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the 
        grant, subject to paragraph (2).
            (2) Reduction or waiver of matching funds.--If the 
        Secretary determines necessary based on the economic condition 
        of the eligible entity, the Secretary may--
                    (A) determine that a lesser matching amount than 
                described in paragraph (1) is required, based on a 
                sliding scale; or
                    (B) waive the requirements of paragraph (1).
    (f) Designated Personnel for Under-Resourced Applications.--The 
Secretary shall designate not less than 1 employee who, during and 
preceding the application period for a grant under this Act, will 
exclusively support under-resourced eligible entities with the 
preparation of grant applications under subsection (a)(1)(A).

SEC. 5. EVALUATION AND REPORTING.

    (a) Evaluation.--Each entity submitting an application for a grant 
under section 4(a)(1)(A) shall establish, and include in such 
application, an evaluation plan that includes relevant and measurable 
performance objectives. At a minimum, the plan shall include objectives 
and measures for--
            (1) educator retention rates in the first 3 and 5 years for 
        teachers, principals, and other educators participating in the 
        program supported under the grant;
            (2)(A) pass rates and scaled scores for initial State 
        licensure or certification of teachers for participating 
        teachers; or
            (B) pass rates and average scores on valid and reliable 
        teacher performance assessments for participating teachers;
            (3) the number of participating teachers, principals, and 
        other educators who are hired by the high-need local 
        educational agency;
            (4) the percentage of participating teachers, principals, 
        and other educators who are members of underrepresented groups;
            (5) the percentage of participating teachers who teach 
        high-need fields or academic subject areas such as STEM fields, 
        language instruction educational programs for limited English 
        proficient students, and special education; and
            (6) the percentage of participating teachers and other 
        educators who teach in high-need schools, disaggregated by the 
        elementary school and secondary school levels.
    (b) Reporting.--
            (1) Eligible entity reports.--
                    (A) In general.--At the end of the third year and 
                the fifth year of a grant awarded under section 
                4(a)(1)(A), each eligible entity receiving such grant 
                shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a report 
                regarding the program carried out under this Act, 
                including the program's performance with respect to the 
                objectives and measures described in subsection (a).
                    (B) Additional reports.--In the case of an eligible 
                entity whose grant under section 4(a)(1)(A) was renewed 
                or was for an initial period of more than 5 years, the 
                eligible entity shall submit a report described in 
                subparagraph (A) on an annual basis for each year of 
                the renewal or each year after the fifth year of the 
                grant, respectively.
            (2) Secretary reports.--By not later than 2 years after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, 
        the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Health, 
        Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 
        on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives about 
        the strengths and weaknesses of the grant program carried out 
        under section 4.

SEC. 6. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

    It is the sense of the Senate that teaching should be formally 
recognized as a career pathway that is part of career and technical 
education, as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302), allowing early career 
pathway programs in education (especially in STEM education) to be 
eligible for funds available through programs that support career and 
technical education.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such 
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029.
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