Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to: (1) award grants to encourage the establishment and operation of Teachers Institutes; and (2) provide technical assistance, all or some of which may be provided through the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs) in establishing and operating Teachers Institutes.
Sets forth selection criteria, including consideration of the extent to which the proposed Institute will serve schools that have a significant low-income population.
Defines a Teachers Institute as a partnership or joint venture between one or more IHEs and one or more LEAs serving one or more schools with significant low-income populations that is established to improve the quality of teaching and learning through collaborative seminars.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1240 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1240
To support the establishment and operation of Teachers Professional
Development Institutes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 21 (legislative day, June 16), 2011
Mr. Lieberman (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support the establishment and operation of Teachers Professional
Development Institutes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES.
(a) In General.--Part A of title II of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``Subpart 6--Teachers Professional Development Institutes
``SEC. 2161. SHORT TITLE.
``This subpart may be cited as the `Teachers Professional
Development Institutes Act'.
``SEC. 2162. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
``(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
``(1) Teaching is central to the educational process and
the ongoing professional development of teachers in the
subjects they teach is essential for improved student learning.
``(2) Attaining the goal of the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001 (Public Law 107-110)--having a classroom teacher who is
highly effective in every academic subject the teacher
teaches--will require innovative approaches to improve the
effectiveness of teachers in the classroom.
``(3) The Teachers Institute Model focuses on the
continuing academic preparation of schoolteachers and the
application of what the teachers study to their classrooms and
potentially to the classrooms of other teachers.
``(4) The Teachers Institute Model was developed initially
by the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute and has successfully
operated in New Haven, Connecticut, for more than 30 years.
``(5) The Teachers Institute Model has also been
successfully implemented in cities larger than New Haven.
``(6) In the spring of 2009, a report entitled `An
Evaluation of Teachers Institute Experiences' concluded that--
``(A) Teachers Institutes enhance precisely those
teacher qualities known to improve student achievement;
``(B) Teachers Institutes exemplify the crucial
characteristics of high-quality teacher professional
development; and
``(C) Teachers Institute participation is strongly
related to teacher retention in high-poverty schools.
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this subpart is to provide Federal
assistance to support the establishment and operation of Teachers
Institutes for local educational agencies that serve significant low-
income student populations in States throughout the Nation, in order
to--
``(1) improve student learning; and
``(2) enhance the quality and effectiveness of teaching and
strengthen the subject matter mastery and the pedagogical
skills of current teachers through continuing teacher
preparation.
``SEC. 2163. DEFINITIONS.
``In this subpart:
``(1) Significant low-income student population.--The term
`significant low-income student population' means a student
population of which not less than 40 percent of the students
included are eligible for free or reduced price lunches under
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
``(2) Teachers institute.--The term `Teachers Institute'
means a partnership or joint venture--
``(A) between or among--
``(i) 1 or more institutions of higher
education; and
``(ii) 1 or more local educational agencies
that serve 1 or more schools with significant
low-income student populations; and
``(B) that improves the effectiveness of teachers
in the classroom, and the quality of teaching and
learning, through collaborative seminars designed to
enhance both the subject matter and the pedagogical
resources of the seminar participants.
``SEC. 2164. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants
under this subpart in order to encourage the establishment and
operation of Teachers Institutes.
``(b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may reserve not more
than 50 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this subpart to
provide technical assistance to facilitate the establishment and
operation of Teachers Institutes. The Secretary may contract with the
Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute to provide all or part of the
technical assistance under this subsection.
``(c) Selection Criteria.--In selecting Teachers Institutes to
support through grants under this subpart, the Secretary shall
consider--
``(1) the extent to which a proposed Teachers Institute
will serve schools that have significant low-income student
populations;
``(2) the extent to which a proposed Teachers Institute
will follow the understandings and necessary procedures
described in section 2166;
``(3) the extent to which each local educational agency
participating in the Teachers Institute has a high percentage
of teachers who are unprepared or underprepared to teach the
core academic subjects the teachers are assigned to teach; and
``(4) the extent to which a proposed Teachers Institute
will receive a level of support from the community and other
sources that will ensure the requisite long-term commitment for
the success of a Teachers Institute.
``(d) Consultation.--
``(1) In general.--In evaluating applications using the
criteria under subsection (c), the Secretary may request the
advice and assistance of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
or other Teachers Institutes.
``(2) State agencies.--If the Secretary receives 2 or more
applications for grants under this subpart from local
educational agencies within the same State, the Secretary shall
consult with the State educational agency regarding the
applications.
``(e) Fiscal Agent.--The fiscal agent for the receipt of grant
funds under this subpart shall be an institution of higher education
participating in the partnership or joint venture, as described in
section 2163(2)(A), that is establishing or operating the Teachers
Institute.
``(f) Limitations.--A grant under this subpart--
``(1) shall provide grant funds for a period of not more
than 5 years; and
``(2) shall be in an amount that is not more than 50
percent of the total costs of the eligible activities supported
under the grant, as determined by the Secretary.
``SEC. 2165. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
``Grant funds under this subpart may be used--
``(1) for the planning, development, establishment, and
operation of a Teachers Institute;
``(2) for additional assistance to an established Teachers
Institute for its further development and for its support of
the planning, development, establishment, and operation of a
Teachers Institute under paragraph (1);
``(3) for the salary and necessary expenses of a full-time
director for a Teachers Institute to plan and manage the
Teachers Institute and to act as a liaison between all local
educational agencies and institutions of higher education
participating in the Teachers Institute;
``(4) to provide suitable office space, staff, equipment,
and supplies, and to pay other operating expenses, for the
Teachers Institute;
``(5) to provide a stipend for teachers participating in
the collaborative seminars conducted by the Institute in the
sciences and humanities and to provide remuneration for members
of the faculty of the participating institution of higher
education leading the seminars; and
``(6) to provide for the dissemination, through print and
electronic means, of curriculum units prepared in the seminars
conducted by the Teachers Institute.
``SEC. 2166. UNDERSTANDINGS AND PROCEDURES.
``A grantee receiving a grant under this subpart shall abide by the
following understandings and procedures:
``(1) Partnership.--The essential relationship of a
Teachers Institute is a partnership between a local educational
agency and an institution of higher education. A grantee shall
demonstrate a long-term commitment on behalf of the
participating local educational agency and institution of
higher education to the support, including the financial
support, of the work of the Teachers Institute.
``(2) Seminars.--A Teachers Institute sponsors seminars led
by faculty of the institution of higher education partner and
attended by teachers from the local educational agency partner.
A grantee shall provide participating teachers the ability to
play an essential role in planning, organizing, conducting, and
evaluating the seminars and in encouraging the future
participation of other teachers.
``(3) Curriculum unit.--A seminar described in paragraph
(2) uses a collaborative process, in a collegial environment,
to develop a curriculum unit for use by participating teachers
that sets forth the subject matter to be presented and the
pedagogical strategies to be employed. A grantee shall enable
participating teachers to develop a curriculum unit, based on
the subject matter presented, for use in the teachers'
classrooms.
``(4) Eligibility and remuneration.--Seminars are open to
all partnership teachers with teaching assignments relevant to
the seminar topics. Seminar leaders receive remuneration for
their work and participating teachers receive an honorarium or
stipend upon the successful completion of the seminar. A
grantee shall provide seminar leaders and participating
teachers with remuneration to allow them to participate in the
Teachers Institute.
``(5) Direction.--The operations of a Teachers Institute
are managed by a full-time director who reports to both
partners but is accountable to the institution of higher
education partner. A grantee shall appoint a director to manage
and coordinate the work of the Teachers Institute.
``(6) Evaluation.--A grantee shall annually review the
activities of the Teachers Institute and disseminate the
results to members of the Teachers Institute's partnership
community.
``SEC. 2167. APPLICATION, APPROVAL, AND AGREEMENT.
``(a) In General.--To receive a grant under this subpart, a
Teachers Institute, or a partnership or joint venture described in
section 2163(2)(A) that is proposing to establish a Teachers Institute,
shall submit an application to the Secretary that--
``(1) meets the requirement of this subpart and any
regulations under this subpart;
``(2) includes a description of how the applicant intends
to use funds provided under the grant;
``(3) includes such information as the Secretary may
require to apply the criteria described in section 2164(c);
``(4) includes measurable objectives for the use of the
funds provided under the grant; and
``(5) contains such other information and assurances as the
Secretary may require.
``(b) Approval.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) promptly evaluate an application received for a grant
under this subpart; and
``(2) notify the applicant, within 90 days of the receipt
of a completed application, of the Secretary's determination.
``(c) Agreement.--Upon approval of an application, the Secretary
and the applicant shall enter into a comprehensive agreement covering
the entire period of the grant.
``SEC. 2168. REPORTS AND EVALUATIONS.
``(a) Report.--Each grantee under this subpart shall report
annually to the Secretary on the progress of the Teachers Institute in
achieving the purpose of this subpart.
``(b) Evaluation and Dissemination.--The Secretary shall evaluate
the activities funded under this subpart and submit an annual report
regarding the activities assisted under this subpart to the Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the
Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of
Representatives. The Secretary shall broadly disseminate successful
practices developed by Teachers Institutes.
``(c) Revocation.--If the Secretary determines that a grantee is
not making substantial progress in meeting the purposes of the grant by
the end of the second year of the grant under this subpart, the
Secretary may take appropriate action, including revocation of further
payments under the grant, to ensure that the funds available under this
subpart are used in the most effective manner.
``SEC. 2169. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated, for grants (including
planning grants) and technical assistance under this subpart, such sums
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012 and each of the 4 succeeding
fiscal years.''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 2151 the following:
``subpart 6--teachers professional development institutes
``Sec. 2161. Short title.
``Sec. 2162. Findings and purpose.
``Sec. 2163. Definitions.
``Sec. 2164. Program authorized.
``Sec. 2165. Eligible activities.
``Sec. 2166. Understandings and procedures.
``Sec. 2167. Application, approval, and agreement.
``Sec. 2168. Reports and evaluations.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3972-3973)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3973-3974)
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