[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2065 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2065
To authorize a study on educator workforce data to advance teaching and
learning and a program to support increasing access to well-prepared
and diverse educators.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 21, 2023
Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Reed) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize a study on educator workforce data to advance teaching and
learning and a program to support increasing access to well-prepared
and diverse educators.
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 ``Supporting Teaching and Learning
through Better Data Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the
Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics.
(2) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(4) State educational agency.--The term ``State educational
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
SEC. 3. STUDY ON EDUCATOR WORKFORCE DATA TO ADVANCE TEACHING AND
LEARNING.
(a) Authorization of Study.--
(1) In general.--The Commissioner shall--
(A) beginning not later than 3 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, conduct a study on--
(i) data collections and data requirements
on the educator workforce in effect on the date
of the study; and
(ii) data elements about the educator
workforce that are not collected, but whose
collection would strengthen the understanding
of teacher supply, demand, distribution, and
shortages; and
(B) make recommendations through submission of a
report under subsection (c) for improvements to data
collection, analysis, and dissemination that aid
policymakers, practitioners, students, educators,
families, and others in improving access to a diverse,
well-prepared, and stable educator workforce,
including--
(i) proposals for a comprehensive system of
data elements that can be integrated and
analyzed to allow for regular tracking and
projections of educator supply, demand,
shortages, and distribution at the national,
regional, and State levels; and
(ii) recommendations for improvements in
data quality, timeliness, and availability.
(2) Completion.--The Commissioner shall complete the study
required under paragraph (1) not later than 30 months after the
date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Content of Study.--
(1) Existing educator workforce data collections and data
requirements.--The study conducted under subsection (a) shall
examine educator workforce data collections and data
requirements in effect on the date of the study to ascertain
how such collections and requirements contribute, or may
contribute, to a data system that meets the goals outlined in
subsection (a)(1)(B), as well as where there are limitations or
redundancies. The study shall examine--
(A) the Nationwide Teacher Shortage Areas Listing
of the Department of Education;
(B) the plan requirements for State educational
agencies and local educational agencies under sections
1111(g)(1)(B) and 1112(b)(2) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311(g)(1)(B) and 6312(b)(2)) that are designed to
ensure that low-income and minority children are not
served at disproportionate rates by ineffective, out-
of-field, or inexperienced teachers;
(C) the requirements under paragraphs (1)(C)(ix),
(2), and (5) of section 1111(h) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h))
related to the professional qualifications of teachers
and leaders included in annual reports;
(D) the personnel requirements for related service
personnel, paraprofessionals, and special education
teachers under section 612(a)(14) of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1412(a)(14));
(E) the requirement under section 3122(b)(5) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6843(b)(5)) related to the number of certified
or licensed educators working in language instruction
and educating English learners and the estimate of the
number of educators that will be needed over the next 5
fiscal years;
(F) the requirement under section 2104(a)(4) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6614(a)(4)) related to the annual retention
rates of teachers, principals, and school leaders
included in reports;
(G) educator certification, experience, retention,
presentism, and other educator information in the Civil
Rights Data Collection of the Department of Education;
(H) educator workforce information gathered under
the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C.
9501 et seq.), including section 153(a)(1)(F) of such
Act (20 U.S.C. 9543(a)(1)(F)), the National Teacher and
Principal Survey of the Department of Education, and
the School Pulse Panel of the Department of Education;
(I) educator supply information, including--
(i) educator preparation program enrollment
and clinical experience information required
under section 205(b)(1)(G) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1022d(b)(1)(G));
(ii) information on completers of education
preparation programs required under section
205(b)(1)(H) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022d(b)(1)(H)); and
(iii) other enrollment and completion data
that includes demographic and diversity
enrollment and completion information of
educator preparation programs;
(J) educators in training and in-service educators'
access to and completion of Federal service scholarship
and loan forgiveness programs, including--
(i) the TEACH Grants program subpart 9 of
part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070g et seq.);
(ii) teacher loan forgiveness or
cancellation programs under sections 428J and
460 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1078-10 and 1087j);
(iii) the public service loan forgiveness
program under section 455(m) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)); and
(iv) educators accessing educational awards
under subtitle D of title I of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601
et seq.); and
(K) data pertaining to the educator workforce
collected under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security Act (or the ``CARES Act'') (Public
Law 116-136), the Coronavirus Response and Relief
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-
260), and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public
Law 117-2).
(2) Identifying gaps and recommendations for closing
gaps.--The study conducted under subsection (a) shall examine
whether there are gaps in information about the educator
workforce that impacts educator supply, demand, distribution,
and shortages and make recommendations for closing such gaps,
which contribute to meeting the goals outlined in subsection
(a)(1)(B). The study shall consider information concerning--
(A) the types of pathways through which educators
enter the profession, including the length and quality
of coursework and clinical experience before a
prospective educator is the educator of record;
(B) the recruitment, supply, retention,
demographics, geographic regions, subject areas taught,
diversity, qualifications and credentials, satisfaction
and attitudes, and working conditions, of the educator
workforce;
(C) induction, mentoring, early career supports,
and access to teacher leadership opportunities;
(D) compensation information, including pre-service
(stipends, apprenticeship support, other compensation),
starting, mid-career, and late-career salaries and
benefits of teachers;
(E) the number and percentage of in-service
educators who have received a Federal Pell Grant under
subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.) or a loan made,
insured, or guaranteed under title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.); and
(F) whether there are, and any recommendations for,
standard definitions for key educator workforce terms
across State educational agencies, local educational
agencies, Federal law, and federally funded research.
(c) Report.--The Commissioner shall publish and widely disseminate
a report on the study conducted under subsection (a), which shall
include--
(1) publishing the report to the website of the Department
of Education and the website of the Institute of Education
Sciences;
(2) sending the report to, and briefing, the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the
Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of
Representatives, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate, and the Subcommittee on Labor,
Health and Human Services, Education of the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(3) presenting and disseminating the report to education
stakeholders, including students, families, educators,
administrators, civil rights organizations, educator
organizations, and more.
SEC. 4. PROGRAM TO SUPPORT INCREASING ACCESS TO WELL-PREPARED AND
DIVERSE EDUCATORS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary--
(1) shall provide technical assistance to State educational
agencies and local educational agencies to support such
agencies in increasing access to well-prepared and diverse
educators; and
(2) may reserve not more than 20 percent of funds available
to carry out this section to award grants to State educational
agencies to--
(A) provide technical assistance to local
educational agencies to increase access to well-
prepared and diverse educators; and
(B) improve State educator workforce data
collection and analysis.
(b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical
assistance to State educational agencies and local educational agencies
on the following educator quality requirements and data collections:
(1) Meeting and making progress on the plan requirements
for State educational agencies and local educational agencies
under sections 1111(g)(1)(B) and 1112(b)(2) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(g)(1)(B)
and 6312(b)(2)) that are designed to ensure that low-income and
minority children are not served at disproportionate rates by
ineffective, out-of-field, or inexperienced teachers.
(2) Meeting and making progress on the personnel
requirements for related service personnel, paraprofessionals,
and special education teachers under section 612(a)(14) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1412(a)(14)).
(3) Educator workforce information collected under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301
et seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20
U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Education Sciences Reform Act (20
U.S.C. 9501 et seq.), the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), the Civil Rights Data Collection, and
other State and Federal educator workforce data collection
requirements.
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