[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 137 (Friday, October 19, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1710-E1711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HIGHLY QUALIFIED PROVISION ATTACHED TO H.J. RES. 117, CONTINUING 
                   APPROPRIATIONS RESOLUTION OF 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 19, 2012

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I, along with Representative Hinojosa 
submit the following:
  Educational success depends on well-prepared, qualified, and 
effective teachers, leaders and other support professionals. We believe 
that establishing and continuing to improve programs that train, 
develop, and support these professions must be integral in elementary 
and secondary education.
  Unfortunately, we know that in too many states and districts across 
the country, students with the greatest needs are being taught by 
teachers with little or no training, including those enrolled in 
alternative route teacher preparation programs. That is why we are glad 
H.J. Res. 117 requires the Department of Education to provide to 
Congress--and the Nation--comprehensive information on the extent to 
which our highest-need students, including students with disabilities, 
English learners, students from rural communities, and low-income 
students, are being taught by teachers-in-training who are enrolled in 
alternative route programs, disaggregated by state and district, as 
well as by student subgroups. The data that will be included in this 
report should be made public and disseminated to parents and other 
interested parties so that it is understandable and actionable.
  Specifically, the provision requires the Secretary of Education to 
submit a report to Congress by 12/31/13 that provides a comprehensive 
picture, with state-level and LEA data, on the extent to which the 
following categories of

[[Page E1711]]

students are taught by alternative route teachers-in-training who are 
deemed ``highly qualified'' pursuant to 34 CFR 200.56(a)(2)(ii): 
students with disabilities; English learners; students in rural areas; 
and students from low-income families.
  34 CFR 200.56(a)(2)(ii) is the regulation that allows individuals 
participating in alternative route programs but who have not yet 
completed their full state certification to be labeled ``highly 
qualified.'' This regulation was struck down by the Ninth Circuit in 
the Renee v. Duncan lawsuit but written into statute in the December 
2010 CR.
  To produce the report required by this legislation, states and LEAs 
will be required to compile the data that they are already required to 
have under Section 1111(h)(6)(A) of NCLB regarding the professional 
qualifications of all their teachers, including: whether the teacher 
has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels 
and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction; whether 
the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status 
through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been 
waived; and the baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other 
graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of 
discipline of the certification or degree.
  This data will provide essential information to parents, to educators 
and to policy makers so that informed decisions can be made to 
strengthen one of our Nation's most valuable assets, our public 
schools. We will be in a much better position to look at our neediest 
students and our neediest rural and urban school districts and 
determine the extent to which well-prepared teachers are or are not 
equitably distributed. Mr. Speaker, we look forward to receiving this 
important report from the Secretary on December 31, 2013.

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