[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 22 (Thursday, February 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1514-S1517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED:
  S. 373. A bill to provide for the professional development of 
elementary and secondary school educators; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Professional 
Development Reform Act to strengthen and improve professional 
development opportunities for teachers and administrators.
  I have long worked to improve the quality of teaching in America's 
classrooms for the simple reason that well-trained and well-prepared 
teachers and principals are central to improving the academic 
performance and achievement of students. In the 105th Congress, I 
introduced the TEACH Act to reform the way our prospective teachers are 
trained, and I was pleased that this legislation was included in the 
Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998.
  As Congress turns to the reauthorization of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act, ESEA, the focus shifts to increasing support 
for both new and veteran classroom teachers, as well as school 
principals.
  Research shows that professional development programs, however, too 
often consist of fragmented, one-shot workshops, at which teachers 
passively listen to experts, and lack significant opportunity for 
teacher interaction. The Department of Education recently evaluated the 
Eisenhower Professional Development program and found that the vast 
majority of professional development opportunities are not of 
sufficient duration or intensity to generate significant improvements 
in teaching. Other studies support that finding and show that such 
professional development fails to improve or even impact teaching 
practice.
  We do not expect students to learn their ``ABCs'' after one day of 
lessons, and we should not expect a one-day professional development 
workshop to yield the desired results. Indeed, the Department of 
Education found that teaching would improve if teachers experienced 
consistent, high-quality professional development.
  Moreover, a recent survey of teachers found that professional 
development is too short-term and lacks intensity. In fact, recent 
studies indicated that the majority of teachers participated in

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professional development activities from one to eight hours, or for no 
more than one day a year.
  As a consequence, only about 1 in 5 teachers felt very well prepared 
for addressing the needs of students with limited English proficiency, 
those from culturally diverse backgrounds, and those with disabilities, 
or integrating educational technology into the curriculum.
  There is also widespread agreement that a good principal is the 
keystone of a good school. However, there is great concern that the 
supply of quality principals may not meet the increasing demand for 
quality school leadership. Unfortunately, the depth and quality of 
support and development programs for both new and veteran principals 
varies widely, which creates another gap in our education system.
  I am introducing legislation today which would reform professional 
development for teachers and principals.
  There is broad consensus among experts about the elements that truly 
constitute an effective professional development program. Research 
shows that effective professional development approaches are sustained, 
intensive activities that focus on deepening teachers knowledge of 
content; allow teachers to work collaboratively; provide opportunities 
for teachers to practice and reflect upon their teaching; are aligned 
with standards and embedded in the daily work of the school; and 
involve parents and other community members.
  Such high-quality professional development improves student 
achievement. Indeed, a 1998 study in California found that the more 
teachers were engaged in ongoing, curriculum-centered professional 
development, the higher their students scored on mathematics 
achievement on the state's assessment. Further, Community School 
District 2 in New York City has seen its investment in sustained, 
intensive professional development pay off with significant increases 
in student achievement. Professional development in District 2 is 
delivered in schools and classrooms and focused on system-wide 
instructional improvement, with intensive activities such as 
observation of exemplary teachers and classrooms both inside and 
outside the district, supervised practice, peer networks, and offsite 
training opportunities. I have visited District 2 and have seen this 
outstanding professional development first hand.
  My legislation builds on these successful models and the research on 
effective professional development to create a new formula program for 
high-quality professional development that is sustained, collaborative, 
content-centered, embedded in the daily work of the school, and aligned 
with standards and school reform efforts.
  To achieve this enhanced professional development, my legislation 
funds the following activities: mentoring; peer observation and 
coaching; curriculum-based content training; dedicated time for 
collaborative lesson planning; opportunities for teachers to visit 
other classrooms to model effective teaching practice; training on 
integrating technology into the curriculum, addressing the specific 
needs of diverse students, and involving parents; professional 
development networks to provide a forum for interaction and exchange of 
information among teachers and administrators; as well as release time 
and compensation for mentors and substitute teachers to make these 
activities possible.
  The Professional Development Reform Act also requires partnerships 
between elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher 
education for providing training opportunities, including advanced 
content area courses and training to address teacher shortages. In 
fact, Department of Education data show that the Eisenhower 
Professional Development program activities are most effective when 
they are sponsored by institutions of higher education.
  My legislation will also provide funding for leadership training to 
encourage highly qualified individuals to become principals, and to 
develop and enhance leadership, management, parental involvement, and 
mentoring skills for principals and superintendents. Indeed, ensuring 
that our principals have the training and support to serve as 
instructional leaders is critical. Further, my legislation will provide 
funding for programs to encourage highly qualified and effective 
teachers to become mentoring teachers.
  We know that our schools with the highest percentage of poverty have 
the greatest need for professional development improvement and 
resources, and that is why my bill targets funding to these schools.
  Importantly, the Professional Development Reform Act offers resources 
but it demands results. The bill's strong accountability provisions 
require that school districts and schools which receive funding 
actually improve student performance and increase participation in 
sustained professional development in three years in order to secure 
additional funding.
  In sum, my legislation seeks to ensure that new teachers and 
principals have the support they need to be successful educators, that 
all teachers have access to high quality professional development 
regardless of the content areas they teach, and that professional 
development does not isolate teachers, but rather brings teachers 
together as part of a coordinated and comprehensive strategy aligned 
with standards.
  The time for action is now because schools must hire an estimated 2.2 
million new teachers over the next decade due to increasing 
enrollments, the retirement of approximately half of our current 
teaching force, and high attrition rates. Ensuring that teachers and 
principals have the training, assistance, and support to increase 
student achievement and sustain them throughout their careers is a 
great challenge. But we must meet and overcome this challenge if we are 
to reform education and prepare our children for the 21st Century. The 
Professional Development Reform Act, by increasing our professional 
development investment and focusing it on the kind of activities and 
opportunities for teachers and administrators that research shows is 
effective, is critical to this effort.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in this essential endeavor by 
cosponsoring this legislation and working for its inclusion in the 
reauthorization of the ESEA.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this 
legislation be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 373

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Professional Development Reform Act''.
       (b) Amendments.--Title II of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating part E as part F; and
       (2) by inserting after part D the following:

                   ``PART E--PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

     ``SEC. 2351. PURPOSES.

       ``The purposes of this part are as follows:
       ``(1) To improve the academic achievement of students by 
     providing every student with a well-prepared teacher and 
     every school with an effective principal.
       ``(2) To provide every beginning teacher with structured 
     support, including a qualified and trained mentor teacher, to 
     facilitate the transition into successful teaching.
       ``(3) To ensure that every teacher is given the assistance, 
     tools, and professional development opportunities, throughout 
     the teacher's career, to help the teacher teach to the 
     highest academic standards and help students succeed.
       ``(4) To provide training to prepare and support principals 
     to serve as instructional leaders and to work with teachers 
     to create a school climate that fosters excellence in 
     teaching and learning.
       ``(5) To transform, strengthen, and improve professional 
     development from a fragmented, one-shot approach to 
     sustained, high quality, and intensive activities that--
       ``(A) are collaborative, content-centered, standards-based, 
     results-driven, and embedded in the daily work of the school;
       ``(B) allow teachers regular opportunities to practice and 
     reflect upon their teaching and learning; and
       ``(C) are responsive to teacher needs.

     ``SEC. 2352. DEFINITIONS.

       ``In this part:
       ``(1) Professional development.--The term `professional 
     development' means effective professional development that--
       ``(A) is sustained, high quality, intensive, and 
     comprehensive;
       ``(B) is content-centered, collaborative, school-embedded, 
     tied to practice, focused on student work, supported by 
     research, and aligned with and designed to help elementary 
     school or secondary school students

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     meet challenging State content standards and challenging 
     State student performance standards;
       ``(C) includes sustained in-service activities to improve 
     elementary school or secondary school teaching in the core 
     academic subjects;
       ``(D) includes sustained activities to encourage and 
     provide instruction on how to work with and involve parents 
     to foster student achievement, to address the specific needs 
     of diverse students, including limited English proficient 
     students, individuals with disabilities, and economically 
     disadvantaged individuals, to integrate technology into the 
     curriculum, to improve understanding and the use of student 
     assessments, and to improve classroom management skills; and
       ``(E) includes sustained onsite training opportunities that 
     provide active learning and observational opportunities for 
     elementary school or secondary school teachers to model 
     effective practice.
       ``(2) Administrator.--The term `administrator' means a 
     school principal or superintendent.
       ``(3) Beginning teacher.--The term `beginning teacher' 
     means an elementary school or secondary school teacher who 
     has taught for 3 years or less.
       ``(4) Mentoring.--The term `mentoring' means structured 
     guidance and induction activities that provide ongoing and 
     regular support to beginning teachers.

     ``SEC. 2353. STATE ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS.

       ``From the amount appropriated under section 2361 that is 
     not reserved under section 2360 for a fiscal year, the 
     Secretary shall make an allotment to each State educational 
     agency having an application approved under section 2354 in 
     an amount that bears the same relation to the amount 
     appropriated under section 2361 that is not reserved under 
     section 2360 for the fiscal year as the amount the State 
     educational agency received under part A of title I for the 
     fiscal year bears to the amount received under such part by 
     all States having applications so approved for the fiscal 
     year.

     ``SEC. 2354. STATE APPLICATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY PROVISIONS.

       ``Each State educational agency desiring an allotment under 
     section 2353 for a fiscal year shall submit to the Secretary 
     an application at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
     by such information as the Secretary may require. The 
     application shall include--
       ``(1) a description of the strategy to be used to implement 
     State activities described in section 2355;
       ``(2) a description of how the State educational agency 
     will assist local educational agencies in transforming, 
     strengthening, and improving professional development;
       ``(3) a description of how the activities described in 
     section 2355 and the assistance described in paragraph (2) 
     will assist the State in achieving the State's goals for 
     comprehensive education reform, will help all students meet 
     challenging State content standards and challenging State 
     student performance standards, and will help all teachers 
     meet State standards for teaching excellence;
       ``(4) a description of the manner in which the State 
     educational agency will ensure, consistent with the State's 
     comprehensive education reform plan policies, or statutes, 
     that funds provided under this part will be effectively 
     coordinated with all Federal and State professional 
     development funds and activities, including funds and 
     activities under this title, titles I, III, VI, and VII of 
     this Act, title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 
     section 307 of the Department of Education Appropriations 
     Act, 1999, and the Goals 2000: Educate America Act; and
       ``(5) a description of--
       ``(A) how the State educational agency will collect and 
     utilize data for evaluation of the activities carried out by 
     local educational agencies under this part, including 
     collecting baseline data in order to measure changes in the 
     professional development opportunities provided to teachers 
     and measure improvements in teaching practice and student 
     performance; and
       ``(B) the specific performance measures the State 
     educational agency will use to determine the need for 
     technical assistance described in section 2355(3) and to make 
     a continuation of funding determination under section 2358.

     ``SEC. 2355. STATE ACTIVITIES.

       ``From the amount allotted to a State educational agency 
     under section 2353 for a fiscal year, the State educational 
     agency--
       ``(1) shall reserve not more than 5 percent to support, 
     through grants made on a competitive basis to local 
     educational agencies or consortia of local educational 
     agencies, or through contracts with entities that are 
     educational nonprofit organizations, professional 
     associations of administrators, institutions of higher 
     education, or other groups or institutions that are 
     responsive to the needs of administrators, or partnerships of 
     those entities, programs that provide effective leadership 
     training--
       ``(A) to encourage highly qualified individuals to become 
     administrators; and
       ``(B) to develop and enhance instructional leadership, 
     school management, parent involvement, mentoring, and staff 
     evaluation skills of administrators;
       ``(2) shall reserve 3 percent to support, through grants 
     made on a competitive basis to local educational agencies or 
     consortia of local educational agencies, or through contracts 
     with entities that are educational nonprofit organizations, 
     institutions of higher education, or other groups or 
     institutions that are responsive to the needs of teachers, or 
     partnerships of those entities, programs that provide 
     effective leadership and mentor training--
       ``(A) to encourage highly qualified and effective teachers 
     to become mentor teachers; and
       ``(B) to develop and enhance the mentoring and peer 
     coaching skills of such qualified and effective teachers;
       ``(3) may reserve not more than 2.5 percent for providing 
     technical assistance and dissemination of information to 
     schools and local educational agencies to help the schools 
     and local educational agencies implement effective 
     professional development activities that are aligned with 
     challenging State content standards, challenging State 
     student performance standards, and State standards for 
     teaching excellence; and
       ``(4) may reserve not more than 2.5 percent for evaluating 
     the effectiveness of the professional development provided by 
     schools and local educational agencies under this part in 
     improving teaching practice, increasing the academic 
     achievement of students, and helping students meet 
     challenging State content standards and challenging State 
     student performance standards, and for administrative costs.

     ``SEC. 2356. LOCAL PROVISIONS.

       ``(a) Allocations to Local Educational Agencies.--Each 
     State educational agency receiving an allotment under section 
     2353 for a fiscal year shall make an allocation from the 
     allotted funds that are not reserved under section 2355 for 
     the fiscal year to each local educational agency in the State 
     that is eligible to receive assistance under part A of title 
     I for the fiscal year in an amount that bears the same 
     relation to the allotted funds that are not reserved under 
     section 2355 as the amount such local educational agency 
     received under such part for the fiscal year bears to the 
     amount all such local educational agencies in the State 
     received under such part for the fiscal year.
       ``(b) Application and Accountability Provisions.--Each 
     local educational agency desiring a grant under this part 
     shall submit an application to the State educational agency 
     at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
     information as the State educational agency may require. The 
     application shall include--
       ``(1) a description of how the local educational agency 
     plans--
       ``(A) to work with schools served by the local educational 
     agency that are described in section 2357 to carry out the 
     local activities described in section 2357; and
       ``(B) to meet the purposes described in section 2351;
       ``(2) a description of the manner in which the local 
     educational agency will ensure that--
       ``(A) the grant funds will be used--
       ``(i) to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills 
     necessary, including subject matter and teaching methods, to 
     teach students to meet the proficient or advanced level of 
     performance on challenging State content standards and 
     challenging State student performance standards, and to carry 
     out any local education reform plans or policies; and
       ``(ii) to help teachers meet standards for teaching 
     excellence; and
       ``(B) funds provided under this part will be effectively 
     coordinated with all Federal, State, and local professional 
     development funds and activities;
       ``(3) a description of how the professional development and 
     mentoring activities to be carried out through the grant will 
     address the ongoing professional development and mentoring of 
     teachers and administrators;
       ``(4) a description of the local educational agency's 
     strategy for--
       ``(A) selecting and training highly qualified mentor 
     teachers (utilizing teachers certified by the National Board 
     for Professional Teaching Standards and teachers granted 
     advanced certification as a master or mentor teacher by the 
     State, where possible), for matching such mentor teachers 
     (from the beginning teachers' teaching disciplines) with the 
     beginning teachers; and
       ``(B) providing release time for the teachers (utilizing 
     highly qualified substitute teachers and high quality retired 
     teachers, where possible);
       ``(5) a description of how the local educational agency 
     will provide training to enable the teachers to address the 
     needs of students with disabilities, students with limited 
     English proficiency, and other students with special needs;
       ``(6) a description of how the professional development and 
     mentoring activities will have a substantial, measurable, and 
     positive impact on student achievement and how the activities 
     will be used as part of a broader strategy to eliminate the 
     achievement gap that separates low-income and minority 
     students from other students;
       ``(7) a description of how the local educational agency 
     will provide training to teachers to enable the teachers to 
     work with parents, involve parents in their child's 
     education, and encourage parents to become collaborators with 
     schools in promoting their child's education;
       ``(8) a description of how the local educational agency 
     will collect and analyze data on the quality and impact of 
     activities carried out in schools under this part, and the 
     specific performance measures the local educational agency 
     will use in the local educational agency's evaluation 
     process;

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       ``(9) a description of the local educational agency's plan 
     to develop and carry out the activities described in section 
     2357 with the extensive participation of administrators, 
     teachers, parents, and the partnering institution described 
     in section 2357(4); and
       ``(10) a description of the local educational agency's 
     strategy to ensure that there is schoolwide participation in 
     the schools to be served.

     ``SEC. 2357. LOCAL ACTIVITIES.

       ``Each local educational agency receiving an allocation 
     under this part shall use the allocation to carry out 
     professional development activities in schools served by the 
     local educational agency that have the highest percentages of 
     students living in poverty, as measured in accordance with 
     section 1113(a)(5), including--
       ``(1) mentoring, team teaching, and peer observation and 
     coaching;
       ``(2) dedicated time for collaborative lesson planning and 
     curriculum development meetings;
       ``(3) consultation with exemplary teachers and short-term 
     and long-term visits to other classrooms and schools;
       ``(4) partnering with institutions of higher education and, 
     where appropriate, educational nonprofit organizations, for 
     joint efforts in designing the sustained professional 
     development opportunities, for providing advanced content 
     area courses and other assistance to improve the content 
     knowledge and pedagogical practices of teachers, and 
     providing training to address areas of teacher and 
     administrator shortages, as appropriate;
       ``(5) providing release time (including compensation for 
     mentor teachers and substitute teachers as necessary) for 
     activities described in this section; and
       ``(6) developing professional development networks, through 
     Internet links, where available, that--
       ``(A) provide a forum for interaction among teachers and 
     administrators; and
       ``(B) allow the exchange of information regarding advances 
     in content and pedagogy.

     ``SEC. 2358. CONTINUATION OF FUNDING.

       ``Each local educational agency or school that receives 
     funding under this part shall be eligible to continue to 
     receive the funding after the third year the local 
     educational agency or school receives the funding if the 
     local educational agency or school demonstrates that the 
     local educational agency or school has--
       ``(1) improved student performance;
       ``(2) increased participation in sustained professional 
     development and mentoring programs;
       ``(3) reduced the number of out-of-field placements and the 
     number of teachers who are not certified or licensed;
       ``(4) reduced the beginning teacher attrition rate for the 
     local educational agency or school; and
       ``(5) increased partnerships and linkages with institutions 
     of higher education.

     ``SEC. 2359. SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.

       ``Funds made available under this part shall be used to 
     supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, and local 
     funds expended to carry out activities relating to teacher 
     programs or professional development.

     ``SEC. 2360. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

       ``(a) Reservation.--The Secretary shall reserve not more 
     than 5 percent of the amount appropriated under section 2361 
     for each fiscal year for the national evaluation described in 
     subsection (b) and the dissemination activities described in 
     subsection (c).
       ``(b) National Evaluation.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide for an 
     annual, independent, national evaluation of the activities 
     assisted under this part not later than 3 years after the 
     date of enactment of the Professional Development Reform Act. 
     The evaluation shall include information on the impact of the 
     activities assisted under this part on student performance.
       ``(2) State reports.--Each State receiving an allotment 
     under this part shall submit to the Secretary the results of 
     the evaluation described under section 2355(4).
       ``(3) Report to congress.--The Secretary annually shall 
     submit to Congress a report that describes the information in 
     the national evaluation and the State reports.
       ``(c) Dissemination.--The Secretary shall collect and 
     broadly disseminate information (including creating and 
     maintaining a national database or clearinghouse) to help 
     States, local educational agencies, schools, teachers, and 
     institutions of higher education learn about effective 
     professional development policies, practices, and programs, 
     data projections of teacher and administrator supply and 
     demand, and available teaching and administrator 
     opportunities.

     ``SEC. 2361. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     part $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may 
     be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 
     2006.''.
                                 ______