[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2428 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2428
To establish a grant program for innovative partnerships among teacher
preparation programs, local educational agencies, and community-based
organizations to expand access to high-quality tutoring in hard-to-
staff schools and high-need schools, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 20, 2023
Mr. Booker (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Wicker)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a grant program for innovative partnerships among teacher
preparation programs, local educational agencies, and community-based
organizations to expand access to high-quality tutoring in hard-to-
staff schools and high-need schools, 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 ``Partnering Aspiring Teachers with
High-need Schools to Tutor Act of 2023'' or the ``PATHS to Tutor Act of
2023''.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR HIGH-QUALITY TUTORING.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Educational service agency.--The term ``educational
service agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Educator preparation program.--The term ``educator
preparation program'' means a State-accredited program at a
public or nonprofit institution of higher education or other
nonprofit provider that prepares individuals to serve as
educators.
(3) Hard-to-staff school.--The term ``hard-to-staff
school'' means a high-need school that has a high rate of
teacher turnover or a large concentration of teachers in their
first or second year of teaching.
(4) High-need school.--The term ``high-need school'' has
the meaning given the term in section 2211 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6631).
(5) High-quality tutoring.--The term ``high-quality
tutoring'' means tutoring--
(A) that is provided by a tutor;
(B) that is one-on-one or in a small group not to
exceed a ratio of 1 tutor to 4 students, or a small
group ratio based on evidence determined sufficient by
the State educational agency in the State in which the
tutoring takes place;
(C) that includes plans and time for tutors to
collaborate;
(D) that--
(i) includes multiple sessions each week
that are of sufficient length, such as the
length of a regularly scheduled class or
period; and
(ii) is--
(I) embedded in the school
schedule, preferably during the regular
school day or tightly integrated to the
regular school day and provided before
or after school; or
(II) during school vacations;
(E) in which content and grade-specific tutors are
matched with students;
(F) that is aligned to local standards and
curriculum;
(G) that includes high-quality pre-service training
and ongoing professional support;
(H) that a local consortium facilitates by--
(i) the local educational agency and
schools in the local consortium supporting
tutors through direct supervision and feedback;
and
(ii) the faculty or staff of the educator
preparation program in the local consortium
providing additional capacity; and
(I) where tutors are adequately compensated for
their work.
(6) Local consortium.--The term ``local consortium'' means
a consortium consisting of community partners as follows:
(A) The consortium shall include the following
entities, one or both of which shall serve as the lead
entity of the consortium:
(i) A local educational agency, an
individual school, or an educational service
agency.
(ii) An educator preparation program.
(B) The consortium may include a community partner,
such as--
(i) a community-based organization;
(ii) a child- and youth-serving
organization or agency;
(iii) an institution of higher education,
as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a));
(iv) a foundation;
(v) an educator organization;
(vi) an organization representing education
professionals;
(vii) a local government, including a
government agency serving children and youth,
such as a child welfare and juvenile justice
agency;
(viii) an organization representing
students; or
(ix) an organization representing parents.
(7) 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).
(8) Mentor.--The term ``mentor'' means an experienced
educator, including a teacher-educator at an educator
preparation program, dedicated to advising a tutor or
administering the tutoring program.
(9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(10) Tutor.--The term ``tutor'' means--
(A) a postsecondary student, including one who is
enrolled in an educator preparation program;
(B) a recent graduate of an educator preparation
program;
(C) an individual serving as an education
paraprofessional or teaching aide; or
(D) a fully certified and licensed educator (such
as a recently retired educator, an educator
experiencing a gap in employment due to COVID-induced
budget cuts, or an educator providing tutoring before
or after school or during the summer).
(b) Demonstration Competitive Grant Program.--The Secretary shall
award grants, on a competitive basis, to local consortia to enable the
local consortia to carry out high-quality tutoring, especially at hard-
to-staff schools or high-need schools.
(c) Application.--A local consortium that desires to receive a
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary
at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as
the Secretary may require, including the following:
(1) A description of the local consortium, including which
public or nonprofit entity participating in the local
consortium shall serve as the fiscal agent for the local
consortium.
(2) A description of the strategy for recruitment, careful
selection, and matching of tutors with hard-to-staff schools
and high-need schools.
(3) A description of the pre-service training and ongoing
professional support for tutors.
(4) A list of hard-to-staff schools and high-need schools,
and the grades that will be supported in each school,
identified by the local consortium to receive a comprehensive,
coordinated continuum of services and support.
(5) A description of how the high-quality tutoring program
plans to accelerate student learning.
(6) A description of how the local consortium will ensure
that the high-quality tutoring provided under such program does
not result in the tracking or negative labeling of students, or
remediation.
(7) A description of the duration of the high-quality
tutoring, including the duration of sessions, the number of
days a week tutoring will occur, and the length in weeks the
tutoring will occur.
(8) An assurance that the local consortium will align high-
quality tutoring to the local curriculum and standards of the
local educational agency and school and will be designed to
support student success in the classroom.
(9) A description of materials and supports and how they
are aligned with the local curriculum and standards of the
local educational agency and school.
(10) A description of how the high-quality tutoring program
will build school capacity in the schools in which the tutors
will serve.
(11) An assurance that the local consortium will leverage
tutors to supplement, not supplant, existing staff.
(12) A description of how tutors will be adequately
compensated.
(13) An assurance that the local consortium will use funds
to supplement and not supplant funds otherwise available to
carry out high-quality tutoring and will not use any funds to
replace teaching positions with tutoring positions.
(14) A description of how the tutoring program will
incorporate research-based social-emotional learning practices,
trauma-informed learning practices, and culturally and
linguistically responsive practices.
(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to local consortia that plan to support high-need
schools in building student learning capacity by using tutors who--
(1) are postsecondary students who are enrolled in educator
preparation programs; or
(2) are enrolled in a historically Black college or
university (defined as a part B institution under section 322
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061)) or
another minority-serving institution (defined as an eligible
institution under section 371(a) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1067q(a))).
(e) Use of Funds.--A local consortium that receives a grant under
this section may use the grant funds for the following:
(1) Matching, training, and placing tutors with schools to
deliver high-quality tutoring.
(2) Supporting tutors to work with small groups of students
attending high-need schools wherein tutors are providing
supervision and instruction, and providing the tutors with time
for collaboration with mentors.
(3) Matching tutors in the high-quality tutoring program
with mentors.
(4) Providing stipends to such tutors and mentors.
(5) Purchasing instructional materials and connectivity
resources, including internet access and accessible devices.
(6) Providing transportation for students attending the
high-quality tutoring program.
(7) Providing meals and snacks for students attending the
high-quality tutoring program.
(8) Providing facilities for conducting the high-quality
tutoring program.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $500,000,000.
(2) Allocation.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out
this section--
(A) not less than 85 percent shall be used for
directly supporting students, including providing
stipends to tutors and mentors in the high-quality
tutoring program, providing transportation, meals, and
snacks, and purchasing instructional materials and
connectivity resources for students; and
(B) not more than 15 percent shall be used for
other uses in carrying out this section.
SEC. 3. COORDINATION WITH THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY
SERVICE.
(a) Interagency Agreement.--The Secretary of Education shall enter
into an interagency agreement with the Corporation for National and
Community Service under section 121(b) of the National and Community
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(b)) under which the Corporation
shall approve tutor positions under a program funded under section 2,
as approved national service positions (as defined in section 101 of
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511)). Such
interagency agreement shall specify how a degree or certificate of
completion for a term of service as a provider of high-quality tutoring
will be submitted to the Corporation.
(b) Special Rule.--Notwithstanding section 148 of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12604), the Secretary and the
Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community
Service shall develop a program under which national service
educational awards may be disbursed to tutors upon completion of
service under a program funded under section 2.
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