[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7122 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7122
To direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible
entities to carry out teacher leadership programs, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 17, 2022
Mr. Gallego introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible
entities to carry out teacher leadership programs, 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 ``Teachers Leading, Educating,
Advancing, and Designing Act of 2022'' or the ``Teachers LEAD Act of
2022''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Decades of research have shown that teachers are the
single most important school-based factor in student
achievement, and an analysis by the Brookings Institution
indicates that a high level of teacher turnover is negatively
associated with student achievement, and is higher in urban
schools and schools with more economically disadvantaged
students.
(2) A report by the National Commission on Teaching and
America's Future estimated that districts spend between $10,000
and $17,000 for each teacher who leaves the district, making
teacher turnover and attrition a costly issue for school
systems.
(3) The United States education system is experiencing an
ongoing teacher recruitment, retention, and shortage crisis.
According to a National Education Association survey in January
of 2022, 55 percent of all teachers, 62 percent of Black
teachers, and 59 percent of Hispanic or Latino educators said
they were more likely to retire early or leave the profession.
(4) In the same survey, 74 percent of teachers report
having to fill in for colleagues or take on other duties due to
staff shortages, while 90 percent of respondents pointed out
that teacher burnout is becoming a very serious issue. As a
Nation, we face the possibilities of vacancies and educator
burnout being exacerbated by educator shortages.
(5) An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute of teacher
turnover data suggests that low salaries, lack of professional
development opportunities, and a difficult school climate,
including lack of teacher input into school policy, are common
factors behind teachers leaving the workforce.
(6) According to a report by Teach Plus and the Education
Trust, teachers of color, who, on average experience higher
turnover rates, report that they have considered leaving the
profession because they lack agency, autonomy in decision
making, and opportunities for leadership.
(7) Studies show that all students benefit from having
racially diverse teachers. These benefits are magnified for
students of color, who experience improved academic
performance, higher graduation rates, and increased interest in
pursuing higher education.
(8) Teachers of color are underrepresented in schools, with
only 20 percent of the teacher workforce identifying as people
of color versus over 50 percent of public school students.
Teachers of color are also more likely to teach in schools that
serve a high proportion of students of color, in schools that
are underresourced, and in schools that have higher overall
teacher turnover rates.
(9) Studies show that there is a positive link between
professional leadership opportunities, job satisfaction, and
retention of classroom teachers, and that compensation for
teachers' added leadership responsibilities increases teacher
retention.
(10) In a Gates Foundation Survey, only 12 percent of all
teachers surveyed reported receiving consistent job-embedded
mentorship and professional development from veteran teachers,
despite multiple studies showing that consistent mentorship
improves student learning.
(11) The New Teacher Project found that only 26 percent of
high-performing teachers agreed that their school leadership
identified opportunities or clear paths for teacher leadership
roles.
(12) According to a report by Teach Plus and the Education
Trust, teachers' investment in their schools and their
likelihood of retention is greater where opportunities exist to
innovate and advocate on behalf of students, especially when a
teacher acts in partnership with school and district
administration to address student and teacher needs.
(13) Structured leadership programs are an effective way to
help combat the nationwide teacher shortage and improve teacher
retention by empowering teachers and establishing formal peer
mentorships between effective and experienced teachers and
those just entering the profession, which also leads to
academic and socio-emotional benefits for students.
(14) Federal policies are needed to encourage and fund the
establishment of structured leadership programs at public
schools, especially in high-need schools and school districts.
SEC. 3. TEACHER LEADERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``educational service agency'',
``elementary school'', ``local educational agency'',
``paraprofessional'', ``school leader'', ``secondary school'',
and ``Secretary'' have the meanings given such terms in section
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Distributed leadership.--The term ``distributed
leadership'' means a range of approaches wherein the school
leadership shares aspects of the traditional set of school
decisions, organization, management, and operations with
teachers in a manner that is coordinated, agreed to, and led by
the teachers and school leadership.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a local educational agency or educational
service agency;
(B) a consortium of local educational agencies or
educational service agencies; or
(C) a partnership between a local educational
agency or educational service agency and--
(i) a nonprofit organization with
demonstrated expertise in teacher leadership
programs, as determined by the Secretary;
(ii) a State educational agency in the same
State as the local educational agency or
educational service agency with demonstrated
capacity in supporting teacher leadership
programs, as determined by the Secretary;
(iii) an institution of higher education
(as defined in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that
awards postsecondary teacher certificates or
degrees and has a demonstrated capacity in
supporting teacher leadership programs or
teacher diversity, as determined by the
Secretary; or
(iv) a Minority-Serving Institution, Tribal
College or University, or Historically Black
College or University.
(4) High-need educational service agency or consortium of
high-need educational service agencies.--The term ``high-need
educational service agency or consortium of high-need
educational service agencies'' means an educational service
agency or consortium of educational service agencies in which
each educational service agency has a census poverty rate of
not less than 20 percent.
(5) High-need local educational agency or consortium of
high-need local educational agencies.--The term ``high-need
local educational agency or consortium of high-need local
educational agencies'' means a local educational agency or
consortium of local educational agencies in which each local
educational agency has a census poverty rate of not less than
20 percent.
(6) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``Minority-
Serving Institution'' means any of the following:
(A) An Alaska Native-serving institution, as that
term is defined in section 317(b) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).
(B) A Native Hawaiian-serving institution, as that
term is defined in section 317(b) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).
(C) A Hispanic-serving institution, as that term is
defined in section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)).
(D) A Predominantly Black institution, as that term
is defined in section 371(c) of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)).
(E) An Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander-serving institution, as that term is defined
in section 320(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)).
(F) A Native American-serving, nontribal
institution, as that term is defined in section 319(b)
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1059f(b)).
(7) Tribal college or university.--The term ``Tribal
College or University'' has the meaning given the term as
defined in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3)).
(8) Historically black college or university.--The term
``Historically Black College or University'' has the meaning
given the term ``part B institution'' in section 322 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
(9) Teacher leader.--The term ``teacher leader'' means a
teacher who is selected to participate in the teacher
leadership program under this section.
(b) Program Authorized.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to eligible entities to carry out teacher
leadership programs.
(2) Reservations.--From the total amount appropriated to
carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary--
(A) shall reserve not less than 5 percent to carry
out subsection (h);
(B) may reserve not more than--
(i) 3 percent to provide technical
assistance to, and support the capacity
building of, the programs assisted under this
section; and
(ii) 0.5 percent to complete required
reporting under this section; and
(C) may reserve not more than 3.5 percent to award
planning grants to eligible entities in order to assist
those eligible entities in developing a program
proposal in accordance with subsection (i).
(3) Grant period.--The Secretary shall make grant awards
for not more than 3 years and may extend grant awards for not
more than 2 additional years if the grantee is making progress
in achieving program objectives.
(c) Application.--
(1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require, including--
(A) the program proposal described in paragraph
(2); and
(B) the data reporting requirement agreement
described in paragraph (3).
(2) Program proposal.--The program proposal required under
this subsection shall include the following:
(A) Program plan.--A plan to establish a teacher
leadership program that includes not less than 1 of the
following:
(i) A description of how the eligible
entity will ensure that the program offers time
and structures for shared decision making,
distributed leadership, common planning, and
collaboration between teacher leaders and
school leaders.
(ii) A description of how the eligible
entity will ensure that the program includes
the participation of teacher leaders in goal
setting, professional learning, or
collaboration with content experts, school
leadership, colleagues, or leadership of an
eligible entity, with respect to--
(I) strategic planning or
development at the school level and the
level of the eligible entity, including
planning and development relating to
school climate, community engagement,
teacher professional development and
mentorship, and student growth; or
(II) implementing practices to
support children's social, emotional,
and cognitive learning, such as--
(aa) planning the design of
and organizing the physical
space, organizational
structure, wraparound services,
and culture of schools to
support positive, healthy, and
developmentally appropriate
relationships among members of
the school and community;
(bb) creating multi-tiered
and integrated systems of
support to address student
academic and non-academic
needs; or
(cc) creating and fostering
safe and inclusive learning
environments that enable
authentic, culturally and
linguistically responsive
learning in identity-safe
settings.
(iii) A description of how the eligible
entity will ensure that teacher leaders receive
training and support to improve skills related
to acting as instructional leaders, coaches,
mentors, or facilitators of professional
learning.
(B) Program requirements.--A description of how the
eligible entity will meet each of the following program
requirements:
(i) Ensuring all teachers with at least 3
years of full-time teaching experience that
maintain their roles as classroom instructors
and are employed by the participating schools
served by the eligible entity may apply to
participate in such program as teacher leaders.
(ii) Providing the selection criteria for
program participation to all eligible teachers
described in clause (i), which will include
selection based on an eligible teacher's
demonstrated ability in carrying out five of
the eight criteria in subsection
(c)(2)(B)(ii)(I-VIII) and a commitment to
growth in other criteria where they do not have
a demonstrated ability--
(I) carrying out leadership
responsibilities while maintaining a
role as a classroom instructor;
(II) focusing on improving or
advancing the vision, goals, and
priorities of the eligible entity that
employs such teacher using evidence-,
research-, and practice-based data;
(III) collecting and analyzing data
of student academic and social-
emotional outcomes or teacher
professional outcomes and taking
actions to improve student outcomes,
teacher outcomes or professional
learning informed by such data;
(IV) facilitating collaborative,
evidence-, research-, and practice-
based, and sustained professional
learning with peers, including
mentorship and instruction leadership,
that lead to improvements in teaching
efficacy, professional outcomes or
student academic achievement and
social-emotional learning;
(V) analyzing socioeconomic,
cultural, and historical contexts of
students, their communities, and the
eligible entity, including existing
pedagogy, school policies, and school-
based outreach to families and
community organizations to create
learning environments that are more
inclusive of and responsive to student
and teacher needs, cultures,
ethnicities, languages, gender and
sexual orientations, and socioeconomic
statuses;
(VI) implementing and evaluating
strategies aimed at addressing areas of
demonstrated need in the school at
which the teacher is employed,
including increasing wraparound
services, academic supports, family
engagement, and community-based
services;
(VII) supporting teachers to
effectively serve students with
disabilities, English learners, and
students who are linguistically,
racially, and culturally diverse,
economically disadvantaged, or
historically underrepresented to
increase their academic achievement or
social-emotional learning; and
(VIII) using, customizing, or
developing lesson materials and
instructional resources to meet the
unique needs of students and the
eligible entity to further students'
academic achievement and social-
emotional learning.
(iii) Ensuring that all teachers and
paraprofessionals employed by the participating
schools served by the eligible entity are
eligible to participate in programming led by a
teacher leader, when applicable.
(iv) Providing monetary compensation to
teacher leaders who participate in such program
for the additional responsibilities that are
directly related to the teacher leadership
program.
(v) Allowing the monetary compensation
described in clause (iv) to be substituted for
paid time off or satisfaction of a contract
requirement--
(I) at the request of the teacher
leader receiving such compensation; and
(II) with the authorization and
agreement of the eligible entity that
serves the elementary or secondary
school at which such teacher leader is
employed.
(vi) Requiring teacher leaders to support
their own development and professional growth
by evaluating themselves and each other using
evidence-, research-, and practice-based
rubrics.
(vii) Consulting with other teachers when
developing and implementing the program as
described in (c)(2)(B).
(C) Supplemental materials.--A description of the
following:
(i) How the eligible entity will develop
and implement the use of evidence-, research-,
or practice-based rubrics that teacher leaders
will be using for the self-evaluations
described in subparagraph (B)(vi).
(ii) How grant funds will be spent,
including if and how other Federal, State,
Tribal, and local funding sources may be used
to supplement grant funds in order to meet the
requirements of the teacher leadership program.
(iii) How the eligible entity will continue
the teacher leadership activities assisted
under the grant after the grant period ends.
(3) Data reporting requirement.--Each eligible entity
applying for a grant under this section shall include in such
application an assurance that the eligible entity will comply
with reporting requirements of the Institute of Education
Sciences relating to the reports required under this section.
(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to--
(1) eligible entities that are or that include--
(A) a high-need educational service agency or
consortium of high-need educational service agencies;
(B) a high-need local educational agency or
consortium of high-need local educational agencies;
(C) local educational agencies that receive basic
support payments under section 7003(b)(1) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C.
7703(b)(1));
(D) Indian Tribes, Tribal educational departments
or agencies, or Tribal educational organizations with a
successful track record in supporting teacher
leadership programs or advancing teacher diversity; or
(E) Native Hawaiian community-based organizations
or Native Hawaiian educational organizations (as those
terms are defined in section 6207 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517)) or
Alaska Native organizations (as defined in section 6306
of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7546));
(2) eligible entities that are or that include local
educational agencies or educational service agencies with a
teacher turnover rate that is above the national average;
(3) eligible entities that are or that include local
educational agencies or educational service agencies that
demonstrate in their program proposal under subsection (b)(2) a
plan to recruit, retain, and train teacher leaders who are
individuals from underrepresented populations in the teaching
profession; and
(4) eligible entities described in subsection (a)(3)(C)
that include a partner who has a successful track record in
supporting teacher leadership programs and advancing teacher
diversity, such as a Historically Black College or University,
a Tribal College or University, or a Minority-Serving
Institution.
(e) Uses of Funds.--
(1) In general.--An eligible entity awarded a grant under
this section shall use--
(A) not more than 5 percent of such grant funds for
administrative expenses; and
(B) not less than 95 percent of such grant funds to
implement the program proposal described in subsection
(c)(2) and, at the eligible entity's option, carry out
activities described in paragraph (2).
(2) Permissive uses of funds.--In addition to implementing
the program proposal under subsection (c)(2), an eligible
entity awarded a grant under this section may use such grant
funds to facilitate--
(A) collaboration between program participants;
(B) instructional materials development; or
(C) the reallocation of work hours for teacher
leaders between classroom responsibilities and
responsibilities as a teacher leader.
(f) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as
may be necessary to carry out this section, including with respect to
the evidence-, research-, and practice-based rubrics and standards
described in subsection (c)(2)(B)(vi).
(g) Reports and Evaluation.--
(1) Reports to the secretary.--Not later than 1 year after
receiving a grant under this section, and annually thereafter
for the duration of the grant period, an eligible entity shall
submit to the Secretary all information necessary for the
evaluation described in paragraph (2).
(2) Evaluation.--Using the information reported by eligible
entities, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the
Institute of Education Sciences shall carry out an independent
evaluation measuring the effectiveness of the activities
carried out under grants awarded under this section, including
information about whether participating eligible entities
experience greater teacher retention than non-participants. The
evaluation shall include the following information,
disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender:
(A) With respect to all teachers employed by a
local educational agency or educational service agency
that is, or is part of, an eligible entity--
(i) the 3-year retention rate,
disaggregated by--
(I) teachers who are in their first
year of teaching; and
(II) teachers who were hired by
such eligible entity in the same school
year as one another;
(ii) the 5-year retention rate,
disaggregated by--
(I) teachers who are in their first
year of teaching; and
(II) teachers who were hired by
such eligible entity in the same school
year as one another; and
(iii) the employment status of teachers who
were hired by such eligible entity, in the same
school year in which such eligible entity
received a grant under this section.
(B) With respect to each teacher leader
participating in a program established using such grant
funds, the following:
(i) The number of years of teaching
experience such teacher leader had at the time
of program participation.
(ii) Whether such teacher leader is
employed by such eligible entity at the time of
the report.
(iii) If such teacher leader is not
employed by such eligible entity, the reason
for leaving.
(iv) The year in which such teacher leader
was first employed as a teacher.
(3) Publication.--The aggregated data submitted under
paragraph (1) and the results of the evaluation under paragraph
(2) shall be made publicly available on the website of the
Department of Education, except that such publicly available
data and results shall not reveal personally identifiable
information.
(4) Reports to congress.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate, the Committee on Education and Labor of the House
of Representatives, and the Committee on Indian Affairs of the
Senate a summary report of the preliminary results and impact
of the teacher leadership program. The Secretary shall submit
to such committees an annual report of the results and impact
of the teacher leadership program for each year of the grant
thereafter.
(h) Bureau of Indian Education Teacher Leadership Programs.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of the Interior, shall--
(A) develop and implement a teacher leadership
program plan for Bureau schools (as defined in section
1141 of the Education Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C.
2021)); and
(B) award grants to Bureau-funded schools described
in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 1141(3) of the
Education Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 2021(3)).
(2) Special rule.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of the Interior and Indian Tribes, may waive any
requirement under this section or prescribe an alternative or
substantially similar requirement if the Secretary finds that
the waiver or alternative requirement is necessary for the
effective delivery and administration of activities under this
section.
(i) Planning Proposal Grants.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may award planning grants to
eligible entities to enable those eligible entities to develop
a program proposal under subsection (c)(2).
(2) Application.--Each eligible entity that desires a
planning grant under this subsection shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(3) Duration.--A planning grant under this subsection shall
be for a period of not more than 1 year.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $400,000,000, for fiscal year
2023, and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
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