Title II Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High-Quality Teacher, Principals, or Other School Leaders

TITLE I: IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED

TITLE I: IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED

TITLE II: PREPARING, TRAINING, AND RECRUITING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, OR OTHER SCHOOL LEADERS

TITLE II: PREPARING, TRAINING, AND RECRUITING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, OR OTHER SCHOOL LEADERS

SEC. 2001. [20 U.S.C. 6601] PURPOSE.

The purpose of this title is to provide grants to State educational agencies and subgrants to local educational agencies to—

1. increase student achievement consistent with the challenging State academic standards;
2. improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders;
3. increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools; and
4. provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders.

SEC. 2002. [20 U.S.C. 6602] DEFINITIONS.

In this title:

1. SCHOOL LEADER RESIDENCY PROGRAM.—The term ”school leader residency program” means a school-based principal or other school leader preparation program in which a prospective principal or other school leader—
  1. for 1 academic year, engages in sustained and rigorous clinical learning with substantial leadership responsibilities and an opportunity to practice and be evaluated in an authentic school setting; and
  2. during that academic year—
    1. participates in evidence-based coursework, to the extent the State (in consultation with local educational agencies in the State) determines that such evidence is reasonably available, that is integrated with the clinical residency experience; and
    2. receives ongoing support from a mentor principal or other school leader, who is effective.
2. STATE.—The term ”State” means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
3. STATE AUTHORIZER.—The term ”State authorizer” means an entity designated by the Governor of a State to recognize teacher, principal, or other school leader preparation academies within the State that—
  1. enters into an agreement with a teacher, principal, or other school leader preparation academy that specifies the goals expected of the academy, as described in paragraph (4)(A)(i);
  2. may be a nonprofit organization, State educational agency, or other public entity, or consortium of such entities (including a consortium of States); and
  3. does not reauthorize a teacher, principal, or other school leader preparation academy if the academy fails to produce the minimum number or percentage of effective teachers or principals or other school leaders, respectively (as determined by the State), identified in the academy’s authorizing agreement.
4. TEACHER, PRINCIPAL, OR OTHER SCHOOL LEADER PREPARATION ACADEMY.—The term ”teacher, principal, or other school leader preparation academy” means a public or other nonprofit entity, which may be an institution of higher education or an organization affiliated with an institution of higher education, that establishes an academy that will prepare teachers, principals, or other school leaders to serve in high-needs schools, and that—
  1. enters into an agreement with a State authorizer that specifies the goals expected of the academy, including—
    1. a requirement that prospective teachers, principals, or other school leaders who are enrolled in the academy receive a significant part of their training through clinical preparation that partners the prospective candidate with an effective teacher, principal, or other school leader, as determined by the State, respectively, with a demonstrated record of increasing student academic achievement, including for the subgroups of students defined in section 1111(c)(2), while also receiving concurrent instruction from the academy in the content area (or areas) in which the prospective teacher, principal, or other school leader will become certified or licensed that links to the clinical preparation experience;
    2. the number of effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders, respectively, who will demonstrate success in increasing student academic achievement that the academy will prepare; and
    3. a requirement that the academy will award a certificate of completion (or degree, if the academy is, or is affiliated with, an institution of higher education) to a teacher only after the teacher demonstrates that the teacher is an effective teacher, as determined by the State, with a demonstrated record of increasing student academic achievement either as a student teacher or teacher-of-record on an alternative certificate, license, or credential;
    4. a requirement that the academy will award a certificate of completion (or degree, if the academy is, or is affiliated with, an institution of higher education) to a principal or other school leader only after the principal or other school leader demonstrates a record of success in improving student performance; and
    5. timelines for producing cohorts of graduates and conferring certificates of completion (or degrees, if the academy is, or is affiliated with, an institution of higher education) from the academy;
  2. does not have unnecessary restrictions on the methods the academy will use to train prospective teacher, principal, or other school leader candidates, including—
    1. obligating (or prohibiting) the academy’s faculty to hold advanced degrees or conduct academic research;
    2. restrictions related to the academy’s physical infrastructure;
    3. restrictions related to the number of course credits required as part of the program of study;
    4. restrictions related to the undergraduate coursework completed by teachers teaching or working on alternative certificates, licenses, or credentials, as long as such teachers have successfully passed all relevant State-approved content area examinations; or
    5. restrictions related to obtaining accreditation from an accrediting body for purposes of becoming an academy;
  3. limits admission to its program to prospective teacher, principal, or other school leader candidates who demonstrate strong potential to improve student academic achievement, based on a rigorous selection process that reviews a candidate’s prior academic achievement or record of professional accomplishment; and
  4. results in a certificate of completion or degree that the State may, after reviewing the academy’s results in producing effective teachers, or principals, or other school leaders, respectively (as determined by the State) recognize as at least the equivalent of a master’s degree in education for the purposes of hiring, retention, compensation, and promotion in the State.
5. TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM.—The term ”teacher residency program” means a school-based teacher preparation program in which a prospective teacher—
  1. for not less than 1 academic year, teaches alongside an effective teacher, as determined by the State or local educational agency, who is the teacher of record for the classroom;
  2. receives concurrent instruction during the year described in subparagraph (A)—
    1. through courses that may be taught by local educational agency personnel or by faculty of the teacher preparation program; and
    2. in the teaching of the content area in which the teacher will become certified or licensed; and
  3. acquires effective teaching skills, as demonstrated through completion of a residency program, or other measure determined by the State, which may include a teacher performance assessment.

SEC. 2003. [20 U.S.C. 6603] AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

GRANTS TO STATES AND LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.— For the purpose of carrying out part A, there are authorized to be appropriated $2,295,830,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2020.
NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—For the purpose of carrying out part B, there are authorized to be appropriated—
1. $468,880,575 for each of fiscal years 2017 and 2018;
2. $469,168,000 for fiscal year 2019; and
3. $489,168,000 for fiscal year 2020.

PART A—SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION

SEC. 2101. [20 U.S.C. 6611] FORMULA GRANTS TO STATES.

RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—From the total amount appropriated under section 2003(a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve—
1. one-half of 1 percent for allotments for the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, to be distributed among those outlying areas on the basis of their relative need, as determined by the Secretary, in accordance with the purpose of this title; and
2. one-half of 1 percent for the Secretary of the Interior for programs under this part in schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education.
STATE ALLOTMENTS.—
1. HOLD HARMLESS.—
  1. FISCAL YEARS 2017 THROUGH 2022.—For each of fiscal years 2017 through 2022, subject to paragraph (2) and subparagraph (C), from the funds appropriated under section 2003(a) for a fiscal year that remain after the Secretary makes the reservations under subsection (a), the Secretary shall allot to each State an amount equal to the total amount that such State received for fiscal year 2001 under—
    1. section 2202(b) of this Act (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001); and
    2. section 306 of the Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2001 (as enacted into law by section 1(a)(1) of Public Law 106–554).
  2. RATABLE REDUCTION.—If the funds described in subparagraph (A) are insufficient to pay the full amounts that all States are eligible to receive under subparagraph (A) for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall ratably reduce those amounts for the fiscal year.
    
    (C) PERCENTAGE REDUCTION.—For each of fiscal years 2017 through 2022, the amount in subparagraph (A) shall be reduced by a percentage equal to the product of 14.29 percent and the number of years between the fiscal year for which the determination is being made and fiscal year 2016.
2. ALLOTMENT OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—
  1. IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), for any fiscal year for which the funds appropriated under section 2003(a) and not reserved under subsection (a) exceed the total amount required to make allotments under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall allot to each State the sum of—
    1. for fiscal year 2017—
      1. an amount that bears the same relationship to 35 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 in the State, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in all such States, as so determined; and
      2. an amount that bears the same relationship to 65 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 from families with incomes below the poverty line in the State, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in all such States, as so determined;
    2. for fiscal year 2018—
      1. an amount that bears the same relationship to 30 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 in the State, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in all such States, as so determined; and
      2. an amount that bears the same relationship to 70 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 from families with incomes below the poverty line in the State, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in all such States, as so determined;
    3. for fiscal year 2019—
      1. an amount that bears the same relationship to 25 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 in the State, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in all such States, as so determined; and
      2. an amount that bears the same relationship to 75 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 from families with incomes below the poverty line in the State, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in all such States, as so determined; and
    4. for fiscal year 2020—
      1. an amount that bears the same relationship to 20 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 in the State, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in all such States, as so determined; and
      2. an amount that bears the same relationship to 80 percent of the excess amount as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 from families with incomes below the poverty line in the State, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in all such States, as so determined.
  2. EXCEPTION.—No State receiving an allotment under subparagraph (A) may receive less than one-half of 1 percent of the total excess amount allotted under such subparagraph for a fiscal year.
3. FISCAL YEAR 2021 AND SUCCEEDING FISCAL YEARS.—For fiscal year 2021 and each of the succeeding fiscal years—
  1. the Secretary shall allot funds appropriated under section 2003(a) and not reserved under subsection (a) to each State in accordance with paragraph (2)(A)(iv); and
  2. the amount appropriated but not reserved shall be treated as the excess amount.
4. REALLOTMENT.—If any State does not apply for an allotment under this subsection for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall reallot the amount of the allotment to the remaining States in accordance with this subsection.
STATE USES OF FUNDS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—Except as provided under paragraph (3), each State that receives an allotment under subsection (b) for a fiscal year shall reserve not less than 95 percent of such allotment to make subgrants to local educational agencies for such fiscal year, as described in section 2102.
2. STATE ADMINISTRATION.—A State educational agency may use not more than 1 percent of the amount allotted to such State under subsection (b) for the administrative costs of carrying out such State educational agency’s responsibilities under this part.
3. PRINCIPALS OR OTHER SCHOOL LEADERS.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1) and in addition to funds otherwise available for activities under paragraph (4), a State educational agency may reserve not more than 3 percent of the amount reserved for subgrants to local educational agencies under paragraph (1) for one or more of the activities for principals or other school leaders that are described in paragraph (4).
4. STATE ACTIVITIES.—
  1. IN GENERAL.—The State educational agency for a State that receives an allotment under subsection (b) may use funds not reserved under paragraph (1) to carry out 1 or more of the activities described in subparagraph (B), which may be implemented in conjunction with a State agency of higher education (if such agencies are separate) and carried out through a grant or contract with a for-profit or nonprofit entity, including an institution of higher education.
  2. TYPES OF STATE ACTIVITIES.—The activities described in this subparagraph are the following:
    1. Reforming teacher, principal, or other school leader certification, recertification, licensing, or tenure systems or preparation program standards and approval processes to ensure that—
      1. teachers have the necessary subject-matter knowledge and teaching skills, as demonstrated through measures determined by the State, which may include teacher performance assessments, in the academic subjects that the teachers teach to help students meet challenging State academic standards;
      2. principals or other school leaders have the instructional leadership skills to help teachers teach and to help students meet such challenging State academic standards; and
      3. teacher certification or licensing requirements are aligned with such challenging State academic standards.
    2. Developing, improving, or providing assistance to local educational agencies to support the design and implementation of teacher, principal, or other school leader evaluation and support systems that are based in part on evidence of student academic achievement, which may include student growth, and shall include multiple measures of educator performance and provide clear, timely, and useful feedback to teachers, principals, or other school leaders, such as by—
      1. developing and disseminating high-quality evaluation tools, such as classroom observation rubrics, and methods, including training and auditing, for ensuring inter-rater reliability of evaluation results;
      2. developing and providing training to principals, other school leaders, coaches, mentors, and evaluators on how to accurately differentiate performance, provide useful and timely feedback, and use evaluation results to inform decisionmaking about professional development, improvement strategies, and personnel decisions; and
      3. developing a system for auditing the quality of evaluation and support systems.
    3. Improving equitable access to effective teachers
    4. Carrying out programs that establish, expand,
      
      or improve alternative routes for State certification of teachers (especially for teachers of children with disabilities, English learners, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or other areas where the State experiences a shortage of educators), principals, or other school leaders, for—
      1. individuals with a baccalaureate or master’s degree, or other advanced degree;
      2. mid-career professionals from other occupations;
      3. paraprofessionals;
      4. former military personnel; and
      5. recent graduates of institutions of higher education with records of academic distinction who demonstrate the potential to become effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders.
    5. Developing, improving, and implementing mechanisms to assist local educational agencies and schools in effectively recruiting and retaining teachers, principals, or other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement, including effective teachers from underrepresented minority groups and teachers with disabilities, such as through—
      1. opportunities for effective teachers to lead evidence-based (to the extent the State determines that such evidence is reasonably available) professional development for the peers of such effective teachers; and
      2. providing training and support for teacher leaders and principals or other school leaders who are recruited as part of instructional leadership teams.
    6. Fulfilling the State educational agency’s responsibilities concerning proper and efficient administration and monitoring of the programs carried out under this part, including provision of technical assistance to local educational agencies.
    7. Developing, or assisting local educational agencies in developing—
      1. career opportunities and advancement initiatives that promote professional growth and emphasize multiple career paths, such as instructional coaching and mentoring (including hybrid roles that allow instructional coaching and mentoring while remaining in the classroom), school leadership, and involvement with school improvement and support;
      2. strategies that provide differential pay, or other incentives, to recruit and retain teachers in high-need academic subjects and teachers, principals, or other school leaders, in low-income schools and school districts, which may include performance-based pay systems; and
      3. new teacher, principal, or other school leader induction and mentoring programs that are, to the extent the State determines that such evidence is reasonably available, evidence-based, and designed to—
        
        (aa) improve classroom instruction and student learning and achievement, including through improving school leadership programs; and
        
        (bb) increase the retention of effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders.
    8. Providing assistance to local educational agencies for the development and implementation of high-quality professional development programs for principals that enable the principals to be effective and prepare all students to meet the challenging State academic standards.
    9. Supporting efforts to train teachers, principals, or other school leaders to effectively integrate technology into curricula and instruction, which may include training to assist teachers in implementing blended learning (as defined in section 4102(1)) projects.
    10. Providing training, technical assistance, and capacity-building to local educational agencies that receive a subgrant under this part.
    11. Reforming or improving teacher, principal, or other school leader preparation programs, such as through establishing teacher residency programs and school leader residency programs.
    12. Establishing or expanding teacher, principal, or other school leader preparation academies, with an amount of the funds described in subparagraph (A) that is not more than 2 percent of the State’s allotment, if—
      1. allowable under State law;
      2. the State enables candidates attending a teacher, principal, or other school leader preparation academy to be eligible for State financial aid to the same extent as participants in other State-approved teacher or principal preparation programs, including alternative certification, licensure, or credential programs; and
      3. the State enables teachers, principals, or other school leaders who are teaching or working while on alternative certificates, licenses, or credentials to teach or work in the State while enrolled in a teacher, principal, or other school leader preparation academy.
    13. Supporting the instructional services provided by effective school library programs.
    14. Developing, or assisting local educational agencies in developing, strategies that provide teachers, principals, or other school leaders with the skills, credentials, or certifications needed to educate all students in postsecondary education coursework through early college high school or dual or concurrent enrollment programs.
    15. Providing training for all school personnel, including teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, and paraprofessionals, regarding how to prevent and recognize child sexual abuse.
    16. Supporting opportunities for principals, other school leaders, teachers, paraprofessionals, early childhood education program directors, and other early childhood education program providers to participate in joint efforts to address the transition to elementary school, including issues related to school readiness.
    17. Developing and providing professional development and other comprehensive systems of support for teachers, principals, or other school leaders to promote high-quality instruction and instructional leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects, including computer science.
    18. Supporting the professional development and improving the instructional strategies of teachers, principals, or other school leaders to integrate career and technical education content into academic instructional practices, which may include training on best practices to understand State and regional workforce needs and transitions to postsecondary education and the workforce.
    19. Enabling States, as a consortium, to voluntarily develop a process that allows teachers who are licensed or certified in a participating State to teach in other participating States without completing additional licensure or certification requirements, except that nothing in this clause shall be construed to allow the Secretary to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over State teacher licensing or certification requirements.
    20. Supporting and developing efforts to train teachers on the appropriate use of student data to ensure that individual student privacy is protected as required by section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (commonly known as the ”Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974”) (20 U.S.C. 1232g) and in accordance with State student privacy laws and local educational agency student privacy and technology use policies.
    21. Supporting other activities identified by the State that are, to the extent the State determines that such evidence is reasonably available, evidence-based and that meet the purpose of this title.
STATE APPLICATION.—
1. IN GENERAL.—In order to receive an allotment under this section for any fiscal year, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require.
2. CONTENTS.—Each application described under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
  1. A description of how the State educational agency will use funds received under this title for State-level activities described in subsection (c).
  2. A description of the State’s system of certification and licensing of teachers, principals, or other school leaders.
  3. A description of how activities under this part are aligned with challenging State academic standards.
  4. A description of how the activities carried out with funds under this part are expected to improve student achievement.
  5. If a State educational agency plans to use funds under this part to improve equitable access to effective teachers, consistent with section 1111(g)(1)(B), a description of how such funds will be used for such purpose.
  6. If applicable, a description of how the State educational agency will work with local educational agencies in the State to develop or implement State or local teacher, principal, or other school leader evaluation and support systems that meet the requirements of subsection (c)(4)(B)(ii).
  7. An assurance that the State educational agency will monitor the implementation of activities under this part and provide technical assistance to local educational agencies in carrying out such activities.
  8. An assurance that the State educational agency will work in consultation with the entity responsible for teacher, principal, or other school leader professional standards, certification, and licensing for the State, and encourage collaboration between educator preparation programs, the State, and local educational agencies to promote the readiness of new educators entering the profession.
  9. An assurance that the State educational agency will comply with section 8501 (regarding participation by private school children and teachers).
  10. A description of how the State educational agency will improve the skills of teachers, principals, or other school leaders in order to enable them to identify students with specific learning needs, particularly children with disabilities, English learners, students who are gifted and talented, and students with low literacy levels, and provide instruction based on the needs of such students.
  11. A description of how the State will use data and ongoing consultation as described in paragraph (3) to continually update and improve the activities supported under this part.
  12. A description of how the State educational agency will encourage opportunities for increased autonomy and flexibility for teachers, principals, or other school leaders, such as by establishing innovation schools that have a high degree of autonomy over budget and operations, are transparent and accountable to the public, and lead to improved academic outcomes for students.
  13. A description of actions the State may take to improve preparation programs and strengthen support for teachers, principals, or other school leaders based on the needs of the State, as identified by the State educational agency.
3. CONSULTATION.—In developing the State application under this subsection, a State shall—
  1. meaningfully consult with teachers, principals, other school leaders, paraprofessionals (including organizations representing such individuals), specialized instructional support personnel, charter school leaders (in a State that has charter schools), parents, community partners, and other organizations or partners with relevant and demonstrated expertise in programs and activities designed to meet the purpose of this title;
  2. seek advice from the individuals, organizations, or partners described in subparagraph (A) regarding how best to improve the State’s activities to meet the purpose of this title; and
  3. coordinate the State’s activities under this part with other related strategies, programs, and activities being conducted in the State.
4. LIMITATION.—Consultation required under paragraph (3) shall not interfere with the timely submission of the application required under this section.
PROHIBITION.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the Secretary or any other officer or employee of the Federal Government to mandate, direct, or control any of the following:
1. The development, improvement, or implementation of elements of any teacher, principal, or other school leader evaluation system.
2. Any State or local educational agency’s definition of teacher, principal, or other school leader effectiveness.
3. Any teacher, principal, or other school leader professional standards, certification, or licensing.

SEC. 2102. [20 U.S.C. 6612] SUBGRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.

ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.—
1. IN GENERAL.—From funds reserved by a State under section 2101(c)(1) for a fiscal year, the State, acting through the State educational agency, shall award subgrants to eligible local educational agencies from allocations described in paragraph (2).
2. ALLOCATION FORMULA.—From the funds described in paragraph (1), the State educational agency shall allocate to each of the eligible local educational agencies in the State for a fiscal year the sum of—
  1. an amount that bears the same relationship to 20 percent of such funds for such fiscal year as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 in the geographic area served by the agency, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in the geographic areas served by all eligible local educational agencies in the State, as so determined; and
  2. an amount that bears the same relationship to 80 percent of the funds for such fiscal year as the number of individuals aged 5 through 17 from families with incomes below the poverty line in the geographic area served by the agency, as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data, bears to the number of those individuals in the geographic areas served by all the eligible local educational agencies in the State, as so determined.
3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a consortium of local educational agencies that are designated with a locale code of 41, 42, or 43, or such local educational agencies designated with a locale code of 41, 42, or 43 that work in cooperation with an educational service agency, from voluntarily combining allocations received under this part for the collective use of funding by the consortium for activities under this section.
LOCAL APPLICATIONS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a subgrant under this section, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State educational agency may reasonably require.
2. CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
  1. A description of the activities to be carried out by the local educational agency under this section and how these activities will be aligned with challenging State academic standards.
  2. A description of the local educational agency’s systems of professional growth and improvement, such as induction for teachers, principals, or other school leaders and opportunities for building the capacity of teachers and opportunities to develop meaningful teacher leadership.
  3. A description of how the local educational agency will prioritize funds to schools served by the agency that are implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities and targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d) and have the highest percentage of children counted under section 1124(c).
  4. A description of how the local educational agency will use data and ongoing consultation described in paragraph (3) to continually update and improve activities supported under this part.
  5. An assurance that the local educational agency will comply with section 8501 (regarding participation by private school children and teachers).
  6. An assurance that the local educational agency will coordinate professional development activities authorized under this part with professional development activities provided through other Federal, State, and local programs.
3. CONSULTATION.—In developing the application described in paragraph (2), a local educational agency shall—
  1. meaningfully consult with teachers, principals, other school leaders, paraprofessionals (including organizations representing such individuals), specialized instructional support personnel, charter school leaders (in a local educational agency that has charter schools), parents, community partners, and other organizations or partners with relevant and demonstrated expertise in programs and activities designed to meet the purpose of this title;
  2. seek advice from the individuals and organizations described in subparagraph (A) regarding how best to improve the local educational agency’s activities to meet the purpose of this title; and
  3. coordinate the local educational agency’s activities under this part with other related strategies, programs, and activities being conducted in the community.
4. LIMITATION.—Consultation required under paragraph (3) shall not interfere with the timely submission of the application required under this section.

SEC. 2103. [20 U.S.C. 6613] LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.

IN GENERAL.—A local educational agency that receives a subgrant under section 2102 shall use the funds made available through the subgrant to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities described in subsection (b), which may be carried out—
1. through a grant or contract with a for-profit or nonprofit entity; or
2. in partnership with an institution of higher education or an Indian tribe or tribal organization (as such terms are defined under section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)).
TYPES OF ACTIVITIES.—The programs and activities described in this subsection—
1. shall be in accordance with the purpose of this title;
2. shall address the learning needs of all students, including children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted and talented students; and
3. may include, among other programs and activities—
  1. developing or improving a rigorous, transparent, and fair evaluation and support system for teachers, principals, or other school leaders that—
    1. is based in part on evidence of student achievement, which may include student growth; and
    2. shall include multiple measures of educator performance and provide clear, timely, and useful feedback to teachers, principals, or other school leaders;
  2. developing and implementing initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining effective teachers, particularly in low-income schools with high percentages of ineffective teachers and high percentages of students who do not meet the challenging State academic standards, to improve within-district equity in the distribution of teachers, consistent with section 1111(g)(1)(B), such as initiatives that provide—
    1. expert help in screening candidates and enabling early hiring;
    2. differential and incentive pay for teachers, principals, or other school leaders in high-need academic subject areas and specialty areas, which may include performance-based pay systems;
    3. teacher, paraprofessional, principal, or other school leader advancement and professional growth, and an emphasis on leadership opportunities, multiple career paths, and pay differentiation;
    4. new teacher, principal, or other school leader induction and mentoring programs that are designed to—
      1. improve classroom instruction and student learning and achievement; and
      2. increase the retention of effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders;
    5. the development and provision of training for school leaders, coaches, mentors, and evaluators on how accurately to differentiate performance, provide useful feedback, and use evaluation results to inform decisionmaking about professional development, improvement strategies, and personnel decisions; and
    6. a system for auditing the quality of evaluation and support systems;
  3. recruiting qualified individuals from other fields to become teachers, principals, or other school leaders, including mid-career professionals from other occupations, former military personnel, and recent graduates of institutions of higher education with records of academic distinction who demonstrate potential to become effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders;
  4. reducing class size to a level that is evidence-based, to the extent the State (in consultation with local educational agencies in the State) determines that such evidence is reasonably available, to improve student achievement through the recruiting and hiring of additional effective teachers;
  5. providing high-quality, personalized professional development that is evidence-based, to the extent the State (in consultation with local educational agencies in the State) determines that such evidence is reasonably available, for teachers, instructional leadership teams, principals, or other school leaders, that is focused on improving teaching and student learning and achievement, including supporting efforts to train teachers, principals, or other school leaders to—
    1. effectively integrate technology into curricula and instruction (including education about the harms of copyright piracy);
    2. use data to improve student achievement and understand how to ensure individual student privacy is protected, as required under section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (commonly known as the ”Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974”) (20 U.S.C. 1232g) and State and local policies and laws in the use of such data;
    3. effectively engage parents, families, and community partners, and coordinate services between school and community;
    4. help all students develop the skills essential for learning readiness and academic success;
    5. develop policy with school, local educational agency, community, or State leaders; and
    6. participate in opportunities for experiential learning through observation;
  6. developing programs and activities that increase the ability of teachers to effectively teach children with disabilities, including children with significant cognitive disabilities, and English learners, which may include the use of multi-tier systems of support and positive behavioral intervention and supports, so that such children with disabilities and English learners can meet the challenging State academic standards;
  7. providing programs and activities to increase—
    1. the knowledge base of teachers, principals, or other school leaders on instruction in the early grades and on strategies to measure whether young children are progressing; and
    2. the ability of principals or other school leaders to support teachers, teacher leaders, early childhood educators, and other professionals to meet the needs of students through age 8, which may include providing joint professional learning and planning activities for school staff and educators in preschool programs that address the transition to elementary school;
  8. providing training, technical assistance, and capacity-building in local educational agencies to assist teachers, principals, or other school leaders with selecting and implementing formative assessments, designing classroom-based assessments, and using data from such assessments to improve instruction and student academic achievement, which may include providing additional time for teachers to review student data and respond, as appropriate;
  9. carrying out in-service training for school personnel in—
    1. the techniques and supports needed to help educators understand when and how to refer students affected by trauma, and children with, or at risk of, mental illness;
    2. the use of referral mechanisms that effectively link such children to appropriate treatment and intervention services in the school and in the community, where appropriate;
    3. forming partnerships between school-based mental health programs and public or private mental health organizations; and
    4. addressing issues related to school conditions for student learning, such as safety, peer interaction, drug and alcohol abuse, and chronic absenteeism;
  10. providing training to support the identification of students who are gifted and talented, including high-ability students who have not been formally identified for gifted education services, and implementing instructional practices that support the education of such students, such as—
    1. early entrance to kindergarten;
    2. enrichment, acceleration, and curriculum compacting activities; and
    3. dual or concurrent enrollment programs in secondary school and postsecondary education;
  11. supporting the instructional services provided by effective school library programs;
  12. providing training for all school personnel, including teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, and paraprofessionals, regarding how to prevent and recognize child sexual abuse;
  13. developing and providing professional development and other comprehensive systems of support for teachers, principals, or other school leaders to promote high-quality instruction and instructional leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects, including computer science;
  14. developing feedback mechanisms to improve school working conditions, including through periodically and publicly reporting results of educator support and working conditions feedback;
  15. providing high-quality professional development for teachers, principals, or other school leaders on effective strategies to integrate rigorous academic content, career and technical education, and work-based learning (if appropriate), which may include providing common planning time, to help prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce; and
  16. carrying out other activities that are evidence-based, to the extent the State (in consultation with local educational agencies in the State) determines that such evidence is reasonably available, and identified by the local educational agency that meet the purpose of this title.

SEC. 2104. [20 U.S.C. 6614] REPORTING.

STATE REPORT.—Each State educational agency receiving funds under this part shall annually submit to the Secretary a report that provides—
1. a description of how the State is using grant funds received under this part to meet the purpose of this title, and how such chosen activities improved teacher, principal, or other school leader effectiveness, as determined by the State or local educational agency;
2. if funds are used under this part to improve equitable access to teachers for low-income and minority students, consistent with section 1111(g)(1)(B), a description of how funds have been used to improve such access;
3. for a State that implements a teacher, principal, or other school leader evaluation and support system, consistent with section 2101(c)(4)(B)(ii), using funds under this part, the evaluation results of teachers, principals, or other school leaders, except that such information shall not provide personally identifiable information on individual teachers, principals, or other school leaders; and
4. where available, the annual retention rates of effective and ineffective teachers, principals, or other school leaders, using any methods or criteria the State has or develops under section 1111(g)(2)(A), except that nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require any State educational agency or local educational agency to collect and report any data the State educational agency or local educational agency is not collecting or reporting as of the day before the date of enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY REPORT.—Each local educational agency receiving funds under this part shall submit to the State educational agency such information as the State requires, which shall include the information described in subsection (a) for the local educational agency.
AVAILABILITY.—The reports and information provided under subsections (a) and (b) shall be made readily available to the public.
LIMITATION.—The reports and information provided under subsections (a) and (b) shall not reveal personally identifiable information about any individual.

PART B—NATIONAL ACTIVITIES

SEC. 2201. [20 U.S.C. 6621] RESERVATIONS.

From the amounts appropriated under section 2003(b) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve—
1. to carry out activities authorized under subpart 1—
  1. 49.1 percent for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2019; and
  2. 47 percent for fiscal year 2020;
2. to carry out activities authorized under subpart 2—
  1. 34.1 percent for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2019; and
  2. 36.8 percent for fiscal year 2020;
3. to carry out activities authorized under subpart 3, 1.4 percent for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2020; and
4. to carry out activities authorized under subpart 4—
  1. 15.4 percent for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2019; and
  2. 14.8 percent for fiscal year 2020.

Subpart 1—Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program

SEC. 2211. [20 U.S.C. 6631] PURPOSES; DEFINITIONS.

PURPOSES.—The purposes of this subpart are—
1. to assist States, local educational agencies, and nonprofit organizations to develop, implement, improve, or expand comprehensive performance-based compensation systems or human capital management systems for teachers, principals, or other school leaders (especially for teachers, principals, or other school leaders in high-need schools) who raise student academic achievement and close the achievement gap between high and low-performing students; and
2. to study and review performance-based compensation systems or human capital management systems for teachers, principals, or other school leaders to evaluate the effectiveness, fairness, quality, consistency, and reliability of the systems.
DEFINITIONS.—In this subpart:
1. ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ”eligible entity” means—
  1. a local educational agency, including a charter school that is a local educational agency, or a consortium of local educational agencies;
  2. a State educational agency or other State agency designated by the chief executive of a State to participate under this subpart;
  3. the Bureau of Indian Education; or
  4. a partnership consisting of—
    1. 1 or more agencies described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C); and
    2. at least 1 nonprofit or for-profit entity.
2. HIGH–NEED SCHOOL.—The term ”high-need school” means a public elementary school or secondary school that is located in an area in which the percentage of students from families with incomes below the poverty line is 30 percent or more.
3. HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.—The term ”human capital management system” means a system—
  1. by which a local educational agency makes and implements human capital decisions, such as decisions on preparation, recruitment, hiring, placement, retention, dismissal, compensation, professional development, tenure, and promotion; and
  2. that includes a performance-based compensation system.
4. PERFORMANCE–BASED COMPENSATION SYSTEM.—The term ”performance-based compensation system” means a system of compensation for teachers, principals, or other school leaders—
  1. that differentiates levels of compensation based in part on measurable increases in student academic achievement; and
  2. which may include—
    1. differentiated levels of compensation, which may include bonus pay, on the basis of the employment responsibilities and success of effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders in hard-to-staff schools or high-need subject areas; and
    2. recognition of the skills and knowledge of teachers, principals, or other school leaders as demonstrated through—
      1. successful fulfillment of additional responsibilities or job functions, such as teacher leadership roles; and
      2. evidence of professional achievement and mastery of content knowledge and superior teaching and leadership skills.

SEC. 2212. [20 U.S.C. 6632] TEACHER AND SCHOOL LEADER INCENTIVE FUND GRANTS.

GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—From the amounts reserved by the Secretary under section 2201(1), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to develop, implement, improve, or expand performance-based compensation systems or human capital management systems, in schools served by the eligible entity.
DURATION OF GRANTS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded under this subpart shall be for a period of not more than 3 years.
2. RENEWAL.—The Secretary may renew a grant awarded under this subpart for a period of not more than 2 years if the grantee demonstrates to the Secretary that the grantee is effectively using funds. Such renewal may include allowing the grantee to scale up or replicate the successful program.
3. LIMITATION.—A local educational agency may receive (whether individually or as part of a consortium or partnership) a grant under this subpart, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, only twice.
APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity desiring a grant under this subpart shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require. The application shall include—
1. a description of the performance-based compensation system or human capital management system that the eligible entity proposes to develop, implement, improve, or expand through the grant;
2. a description of the most significant gaps or insufficiencies in student access to effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders in high-need schools, including gaps or inequities in how effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders are distributed across the local educational agency, as identified using factors such as data on school resources, staffing patterns, school environment, educator support systems, and other school-level factors;
3. a description and evidence of the support and commitment from teachers, principals, or other school leaders, which may include charter school leaders, in the school (including organizations representing teachers, principals, or other school leaders), the community, and the local educational agency to the activities proposed under the grant;
4. a description of how the eligible entity will develop and implement a fair, rigorous, valid, reliable, and objective process to evaluate teacher, principal, or other school leader performance under the system that is based in part on measures of student academic achievement, including the baseline performance against which evaluations of improved performance will be made;
5. a description of the local educational agencies or schools to be served under the grant, including such student academic achievement, demographic, and socioeconomic information as the Secretary may request;
6. a description of the effectiveness of teachers, principals, or other school leaders in the local educational agency and the schools to be served under the grant and the extent to which the system will increase the effectiveness of teachers, principals, or other school leaders in such schools;
7. a description of how the eligible entity will use grant funds under this subpart in each year of the grant, including a timeline for implementation of such activities;
8. a description of how the eligible entity will continue the activities assisted under the grant after the grant period ends;
9. a description of the State, local, or other public or private funds that will be used to supplement the grant, including funds under part A, and sustain the activities assisted under the grant after the end of the grant period;
10. a description of—
  1. the rationale for the project;
  2. how the proposed activities are evidence-based; and
  3. if applicable, the prior experience of the eligible
    
    entity in developing and implementing such activities; and
11. a description of how activities funded under this subpart will be evaluated, monitored, and publically reported.
AWARD BASIS.—
1. PRIORITY.—In awarding a grant under this subpart, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity that concentrates the activities proposed to be assisted under the grant on teachers, principals, or other school leaders serving in high-need schools.
2. EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure an equitable geographic distribution of grants under this subpart, including the distribution of such grants between rural and urban areas.
USE OF FUNDS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that receives a grant under this subpart shall use the grant funds to develop, implement, improve, or expand, in collaboration with teachers, principals, other school leaders, and members of the public, a performance-based compensation system or human capital management system consistent with this subpart.
2. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Grant funds under this subpart may be used for one or more of the following:
  1. Developing or improving an evaluation and support system, including as part of a human capital management system as applicable, that—
    1. reflects clear and fair measures of teacher, principal, or other school leader performance, based in part on demonstrated improvement in student academic achievement; and
    2. provides teachers, principals, or other school leaders with ongoing, differentiated, targeted, and personalized support and feedback for improvement, including professional development opportunities designed to increase effectiveness.
  2. Conducting outreach within a local educational agency or a State to gain input on how to construct an evaluation and support system described in subparagraph (B) and to develop support for the evaluation and support system, including by training appropriate personnel in how to observe and evaluate teachers, principals, or other school leaders.
  3. Providing principals or other school leaders with—
    1. balanced autonomy to make budgeting, scheduling, and other school-level decisions in a manner that meets the needs of the school without compromising the intent or essential components of the policies of the local educational agency or State; and
    2. authority to make staffing decisions that meet the needs of the school, such as building an instructional leadership team that includes teacher leaders or offering opportunities for teams or pairs of effective teachers or candidates to teach or start teaching in high-need schools together.
  4. Implementing, as part of a comprehensive performance-based compensation system, a differentiated salary structure, which may include bonuses and stipends, to—
    1. teachers who—
      1. teach in—
        
        (aa) high-need schools; or
        
        (bb) high-need subjects;
      2. raise student academic achievement; or
      3. take on additional leadership responsibilities; or
    2. principals or other school leaders who serve in high-need schools and raise student academic achievement in the schools.
  5. Improving the local educational agency’s system and process for the recruitment, selection, placement, and retention of effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders in high-need schools, such as by improving local educational agency policies and procedures to ensure that high-need schools are competitive and timely in—
    1. attracting, hiring, and retaining effective educators;
    2. offering bonuses or higher salaries to effective educators; or
    3. establishing or strengthening school leader residency programs and teacher residency programs.
  6. Instituting career advancement opportunities characterized by increased responsibility and pay that reward and recognize effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders in high-need schools and enable them to expand their leadership and results, such as through teacher-led professional development, mentoring, coaching, hybrid roles, administrative duties, and career ladders.
MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this subpart shall provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount of the grant (which may be provided in cash or in kind) to carry out the activities supported by the grant.
SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Grant funds provided under this subpart shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other Federal or State funds available to carry out activities described in this subpart.

SEC. 2213. [20 U.S.C. 6633] REPORTS.

ACTIVITIES SUMMARY.—Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this subpart shall provide to the Secretary a summary of the activities assisted under the grant.
REPORT.—The Secretary shall provide to Congress an annual report on the implementation of the program carried out under this subpart, including—
1. information on eligible entities that received grant funds under this subpart, including—
  1. information provided by eligible entities to the Secretary in the applications submitted under section 2212(c);
  2. the summaries received under subsection (a); and
  3. grant award amounts; and
2. student academic achievement and, as applicable, growth data from the schools participating in the programs supported under the grant.
EVALUATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—
1. RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Of the total amount reserved for this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve for such fiscal year not more than 1 percent for the cost of the evaluation under paragraph (2) and for technical assistance in carrying out this subpart.
2. EVALUATION.—From amounts reserved under paragraph (1), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, shall carry out an independent evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the program assisted under this subpart.
3. CONTENTS.—The evaluation under paragraph (2) shall measure—
  1. the effectiveness of the program in improving student academic achievement;
  2. the satisfaction of the participating teachers, principals, or other school leaders; and
  3. the extent to which the program assisted the eligible entities in recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers, principals, or other school leaders, especially in high-need subject areas.

Subpart 2—Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation

SEC. 2221. [20 U.S.C. 6641] PURPOSES; DEFINITIONS.

PURPOSES.—The purposes of this subpart are—
1. to improve student academic achievement in reading and writing by providing Federal support to States to develop, revise, or update comprehensive literacy instruction plans that, when implemented, ensure high-quality instruction and effective strategies in reading and writing from early education through grade 12; and
2. for States to provide targeted subgrants to early childhood education programs and local educational agencies and their public or private partners to implement evidence-based programs that ensure high-quality comprehensive literacy instruction for students most in need.
DEFINITIONS.—In this subpart:
1. COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY INSTRUCTION.—The term ”comprehensive literacy instruction” means instruction that—
  1. includes developmentally appropriate, contextually explicit, and systematic instruction, and frequent practice, in reading and writing across content areas;
  2. includes age-appropriate, explicit, systematic, and intentional instruction in phonological awareness, phonic decoding, vocabulary, language structure, reading fluency, and reading comprehension;
  3. includes age-appropriate, explicit instruction in writing, including opportunities for children to write with
    
    clear purposes, with critical reasoning appropriate to the topic and purpose, and with specific instruction and feedback from instructional staff;
  4. makes available and uses diverse, high-quality print materials that reflect the reading and development levels, and interests, of children;
  5. uses differentiated instructional approaches, including individual and small group instruction and discussion;
  6. provides opportunities for children to use language with peers and adults in order to develop language skills, including developing vocabulary;
  7. includes frequent practice of reading and writing strategies;
  8. uses age-appropriate, valid, and reliable screening assessments, diagnostic assessments, formative assessment processes, and summative assessments to identify a child’s learning needs, to inform instruction, and to monitor the child’s progress and the effects of instruction;
  9. uses strategies to enhance children’s motivation to read and write and children’s engagement in self-directed learning;
  10. incorporates the principles of universal design for learning;
  11. depends on teachers’ collaboration in planning, instruction, and assessing a child’s progress and on continuous professional learning; and
  12. links literacy instruction to the challenging State academic standards, including the ability to navigate, understand, and write about, complex print and digital subject matter.
2. ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ”eligible entity” means an entity that consists of—
  1. one or more local educational agencies that serve a high percentage of high-need schools and—
    1. have the highest number or proportion of children who are counted under section 1124(c), in comparison to other local educational agencies in the State;
    2. are among the local educational agencies in the State with the highest number or percentages of children reading or writing below grade level, based on the most currently available State academic assessment data under section 1111(b)(2); or
    3. serve a significant number or percentage of schools that are implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities and targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d);
  2. one or more early childhood education programs serving low-income or otherwise disadvantaged children, which may include home-based literacy programs for preschool-aged children, that have a demonstrated record of providing comprehensive literacy instruction for the age group such program proposes to serve; or
  3. a local educational agency, described in subparagraph (A), or consortium of such local educational agencies, or an early childhood education program, which may include home-based literacy programs for preschool-aged children, acting in partnership with 1 or more public or private nonprofit organizations or agencies (which may include early childhood education programs) that have a demonstrated record of effectiveness in—
    1. improving literacy achievement of children, consistent with the purposes of participation under this subpart, from birth through grade 12; and
    2. providing professional development in comprehensive literacy instruction.
3. HIGH–NEED SCHOOL.—
  1. IN GENERAL.—The term ”high-need school” means—
    1. an elementary school or middle school in which not less than 50 percent of the enrolled students are children from low-income families; or
    2. a high school in which not less than 40 percent of the enrolled students are children from low-income families, which may be calculated using comparable data from the schools that feed into the high school.
  2. LOW–INCOME FAMILY.—For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term ”low-income family” means a family—
    1. in which the children are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
    2. receiving assistance under the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families established under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); or
    3. in which the children are eligible to receive medical assistance under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).

SEC. 2222. [20 U.S.C. 6642] COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY STATE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.

GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—From the amounts reserved by the Secretary under section 2201(2) and not reserved under subsection (b), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to State educational agencies to enable the State educational agencies to—
1. provide subgrants to eligible entities serving a diversity of geographic areas, giving priority to entities serving greater numbers or percentages of children from low-income families; and
2. develop or enhance comprehensive literacy instruction plans that ensure high-quality instruction and effective strategies in reading and writing for children from early childhood education through grade 12, including English learners and children with disabilities.
RESERVATION.—From the amounts reserved to carry out this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve—
1. not more than a total of 5 percent for national activities, including a national evaluation, technical assistance and training, data collection, and reporting;
2. one half of 1 percent for the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a program described in this subpart at schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education; and
3. one half of 1 percent for the outlying areas to carry out a program under this subpart.
DURATION OF GRANTS.—A grant awarded under this subpart shall be for a period of not more than 5 years total. Such grant may be renewed for an additional 2-year period upon the termination of the initial period of the grant if the grant recipient demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that—
1. the State has made adequate progress; and
2. renewing the grant for an additional 2-year period is necessary to carry out the objectives of the grant described in subsection (d).
STATE APPLICATIONS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency desiring a grant under this subpart shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. The State educational agency shall collaborate with the State agency responsible for administering early childhood education programs and the State agency responsible for administering child care programs in the State in writing and implementing the early childhood education portion of the grant application under this subsection.
2. CONTENTS.—An application described in paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, the following:
  1. A needs assessment that analyzes literacy needs across the State and in high-need schools and local educational agencies that serve high-need schools, including identifying the most significant gaps in literacy proficiency and inequities in student access to effective teachers of literacy, considering each of the subgroups of students, as defined in section 1111(c)(2).
  2. A description of how the State educational agency, in collaboration with the State literacy team, if applicable, will develop a State comprehensive literacy instruction plan or will revise and update an already existing State comprehensive literacy instruction plan.
  3. An implementation plan that includes a description of how the State educational agency will carry out the State activities described in subsection (f).
  4. An assurance that the State educational agency will use implementation grant funds described in subsection (f)(1) for comprehensive literacy instruction programs as follows:
    1. Not less than 15 percent of such grant funds shall be used for State and local programs and activities pertaining to children from birth through kindergarten entry.
    2. Not less than 40 percent of such grant funds shall be used for State and local programs and activities, allocated equitably among the grades of kindergarten through grade 5.
    3. Not less than 40 percent of such grant funds shall be used for State and local programs and activities, allocated equitably among grades 6 through 12.
  5. An assurance that the State educational agency will give priority in awarding a subgrant under section 2223 to an eligible entity that—
    1. serves children from birth through age 5 who are from families with income levels at or below 200 percent of the Federal poverty line; or
    2. is a local educational agency serving a high number or percentage of high-need schools.
PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to State educational agencies that will use the grant funds for evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this subsection as activities meeting the requirements of section 8101(21)(A)(i).
STATE ACTIVITIES.—
1. IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency receiving a grant under this section shall use not less than 95 percent of such grant funds to award subgrants to eligible entities, based on their needs assessment and a competitive application process.
2. RESERVATION.—A State educational agency receiving a grant under this section may reserve not more than 5 percent for activities identified through the needs assessment and comprehensive literacy plan described in subparagraphs (A) and of subsection (d)(2), including the following activities:
  1. Providing technical assistance, or engaging qualified providers to provide technical assistance, to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to design and implement literacy programs.
  2. Coordinating with institutions of higher education in the State to provide recommendations to strengthen and enhance pre-service courses for students preparing to teach children from birth through grade 12 in explicit, systematic, and intensive instruction in evidence-based literacy methods.
  3. Reviewing and updating, in collaboration with teachers and institutions of higher education, State licensure or certification standards in the area of literacy instruction in early education through grade 12.
  4. Making publicly available, including on the State educational agency’s website, information on promising instructional practices to improve child literacy achievement.
  5. Administering and monitoring the implementation of subgrants by eligible entities.
3. ADDITIONAL USES.—After carrying out the activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2), a State educational agency may use any remaining amount to carry out 1 or more of the following activities:
  1. Developing literacy coach training programs and training literacy coaches.
  2. Administration and evaluation of activities carried out under this subpart.

SEC. 2223. [20 U.S.C. 6643] SUBGRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES IN SUPPORT OF BIRTH THROUGH KINDERGARTEN ENTRY LITERACY.

SUBGRANTS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency receiving a grant under this subpart shall, in consultation with the State agencies responsible for administering early childhood education programs and services, including the State agency responsible for administering child care programs, and, if applicable, the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care designated or established pursuant to section 642B(b)(1)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837b(b)(1)(A)(i)), use a portion of the grant funds, in accordance with section 2222(d)(2)(D)(i), to award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to support high-quality early literacy initiatives for children from birth through kindergarten entry.
2. DURATION.—The term of a subgrant under this section shall be determined by the State educational agency awarding the subgrant and shall in no case exceed 5 years.
3. SUFFICIENT SIZE AND SCOPE.—Each subgrant awarded under this section shall be of sufficient size and scope to allow the eligible entity to carry out high-quality early literacy initiatives for children from birth through kindergarten entry.
LOCAL APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity desiring to receive a subgrant under this section shall submit an application to the State educational agency, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State educational agency may require. Such application shall include a description of—
1. how the subgrant funds will be used to enhance the language and literacy development and school readiness of children, from birth through kindergarten entry, in early childhood education programs, which shall include an analysis of data that support the proposed use of subgrant funds;
2. how the subgrant funds will be used to prepare and provide ongoing assistance to staff in the programs, including through high-quality professional development;
3. how the activities assisted under the subgrant will be coordinated with comprehensive literacy instruction at the kindergarten through grade 12 levels; and
4. how the subgrant funds will be used to evaluate the success of the activities assisted under the subgrant in enhancing the early language and literacy development of children from birth through kindergarten entry.
PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the State educational agency shall give priority to an eligible entity that will use the grant funds to implement evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this subsection as activities meeting the requirements of section 8101(21)(A)(i).
LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives a subgrant under this section shall use the subgrant funds, consistent with the entity’s approved application under subsection (b), to—
1. carry out high-quality professional development opportunities for early childhood educators, teachers, principals, other school leaders, paraprofessionals, specialized instructional support personnel, and instructional leaders;
2. train providers and personnel to develop and administer evidence-based early childhood education literacy initiatives; and
3. coordinate the involvement of families, early childhood education program staff, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel (as appropriate), and teachers in literacy development of children served under the subgrant.

SEC. 2224. [20 U.S.C. 6644] SUBGRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES IN SUPPORT OF KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 12 LITERACY.

SUBGRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—
1. SUBGRANTS.—A State educational agency receiving a grant under this subpart shall use a portion of the grant funds, in accordance with clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 2222(d)(2)(D), to award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to carry out the authorized activities described in subsections (c) and (d).
2. DURATION.—The term of a subgrant under this section shall be determined by the State educational agency awarding the subgrant and shall in no case exceed 5 years.
3. SUFFICIENT SIZE AND SCOPE.—A State educational agency shall award subgrants under this section of sufficient size and scope to allow the eligible entities to carry out high-quality comprehensive literacy instruction in each grade level for which the subgrant funds are provided.
4. LOCAL APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity desiring to receive a subgrant under this section shall submit an application to the State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State educational agency may require. Such application shall include, for each school that the eligible entity identifies as participating in a subgrant program under this section, the following information:
  1. A description of the eligible entity’s needs assessment conducted to identify how subgrant funds will be used to inform and improve comprehensive literacy instruction at the school.
  2. How the school, the local educational agency, or a provider of high-quality professional development will provide ongoing high-quality professional development to all teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel (as appropriate), and other instructional leaders served by the school.
  3. How the school will identify children in need of literacy interventions or other support services.
  4. An explanation of how the school will integrate comprehensive literacy instruction into a well-rounded education.
  5. A description of how the school will coordinate comprehensive literacy instruction with early childhood education programs and activities and after-school programs and activities in the area served by the local educational agency.
PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the State educational agency shall give priority to an eligible entity that will use funds under subsection (c) or (d) to implement evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this subsection as activities meeting the requirements of section 8101(21)(A)(i).
LOCAL USES OF FUNDS FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 5.—An eligible entity that receives a subgrant under this section shall use the subgrant funds to carry out the following activities pertaining to children in kindergarten through grade 5:
1. Developing and implementing a comprehensive literacy instruction plan across content areas for such children that—
  1. serves the needs of all children, including children with disabilities and English learners, especially children who are reading or writing below grade level;
  2. provides intensive, supplemental, accelerated, and explicit intervention and support in reading and writing for children whose literacy skills are below grade level; and
  3. supports activities that are provided primarily during the regular school day but that may be augmented by after-school and out-of-school time instruction.
2. Providing high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers, literacy coaches, literacy specialists, English as a second language specialists (as appropriate), principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, school librarians, paraprofessionals, and other program staff.
3. Training principals, specialized instructional support personnel, and other local educational agency personnel to support, develop, administer, and evaluate high-quality kindergarten through grade 5 literacy initiatives.
4. Coordinating the involvement of early childhood education program staff, principals, other instructional leaders, teachers, teacher literacy teams, English as a second language specialists (as appropriate), special educators, school personnel, and specialized instructional support personnel (as appropriate) in the literacy development of children served under this subsection.
5. Engaging families and encouraging family literacy experiences and practices to support literacy development.
LOCAL USES OF FUNDS FOR GRADES 6 THROUGH 12.—An eligible entity that receives a subgrant under this section shall use subgrant funds to carry out the following activities pertaining to children in grades 6 through 12:
1. Developing and implementing a comprehensive literacy instruction plan described in subsection (c)(1) for children in grades 6 through 12.
2. Training principals, specialized instructional support personnel, school librarians, and other local educational agency
  
  personnel to support, develop, administer, and evaluate high-quality comprehensive literacy instruction initiatives for grades 6 through 12.
3. Assessing the quality of adolescent comprehensive literacy instruction as part of a well-rounded education.
4. Providing time for teachers to meet to plan evidence-based adolescent comprehensive literacy instruction to be delivered as part of a well-rounded education.
5. Coordinating the involvement of principals, other instructional leaders, teachers, teacher literacy teams, English as a second language specialists (as appropriate), paraprofessionals, special educators, specialized instructional support personnel (as appropriate), and school personnel in the literacy development of children served under this subsection.
ALLOWABLE USES.—An eligible entity that receives a subgrant under this section may, in addition to carrying out the activities described in subsections (c) and (d), use subgrant funds to carry out the following activities pertaining to children in kindergarten through grade 12:
1. Recruiting, placing, training, and compensating literacy coaches.
2. Connecting out-of-school learning opportunities to in-school learning in order to improve children’s literacy achievement.
3. Training families and caregivers to support the improvement of adolescent literacy.
4. Providing for a multi-tier system of supports for literacy services.
5. Forming a school literacy leadership team to help implement, assess, and identify necessary changes to the literacy initiatives in 1 or more schools to ensure success.
6. Providing time for teachers (and other literacy staff, as appropriate, such as school librarians or specialized instructional support personnel) to meet to plan comprehensive literacy instruction.

SEC. 2225. [20 U.S.C. 6645] NATIONAL EVALUATION AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.

NATIONAL EVALUATION.—From funds reserved under section 2222(b)(1), the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences shall conduct a national evaluation of the grant and subgrant programs assisted under this subpart. Such evaluation shall include high-quality research that applies rigorous and systematic procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to the implementation and effect of the programs and shall directly coordinate with individual State evaluations of the programs’ implementation and impact.
PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT.—The Secretary shall—
1. provide the findings of the evaluation conducted under this section to State educational agencies and subgrant recipients for use in program improvement;
2. make such findings publicly available, including on the websites of the Department and the Institute of Education Sciences;
3. submit such findings 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; and
4. make publicly available, in a manner consistent with paragraph (2), best practices for implementing evidence-based activities under this subpart, including evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this paragraph as activities meeting the requirements of section 8101(21)(A)(i).

SEC. 2226. [20 U.S.C. 6646] INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO LITERACY.

IN GENERAL.—From amounts reserved under section 2201(2), the Secretary may award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for the purposes of promoting literacy programs that support the development of literacy skills in low-income communities, including—
1. developing and enhancing effective school library programs, which may include providing professional development for school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to high-need schools;
2. early literacy services, including pediatric literacy programs through which, during well-child visits, medical providers trained in research-based methods of early language and literacy promotion provide developmentally appropriate books and recommendations to parents to encourage them to read aloud to their children starting in infancy; and
3. programs that provide high-quality books on a regular basis to children and adolescents from low-income communities to increase reading motivation, performance, and frequency.
DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
1. ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term “eligible entity” means—
  1. a local educational agency in which 20 percent or more of the students served by the local educational agency are from families with an income below the poverty line;
  2. a consortium of such local educational agencies;
  3. the Bureau of Indian Education; or
  4. an eligible national nonprofit organization.
2. ELIGIBLE NATIONAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term “eligible national nonprofit organization” means an organization of national scope that—
  1. is supported by staff, which may include volunteers, or affiliates at the State and local levels; and
  2. demonstrates effectiveness or high-quality plans for addressing childhood literacy activities for the population targeted by the grant.

Subpart 3—American History and Civics Education

SEC. 2231. [20 U.S.C. 6661] PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

IN GENERAL.—From the amount reserved by the Secretary under section 2201(3), the Secretary is authorized to carry out an American history and civics education program to improve—
1. the quality of American history, civics, and government education by educating students about the history and principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights; and
2. the quality of the teaching of American history, civics, and government in elementary schools and secondary schools, including the teaching of traditional American history.
FUNDING ALLOTMENT.—Of the amount available under subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary—
1. shall reserve not less than 26 percent for activities under section 2232; and
2. may reserve not more than 74 percent for activities under section 2233.

SEC. 2232. [20 U.S.C. 6662] PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL ACADEMIES FOR AMERICAN HISTORY AND CIVICS.

IN GENERAL.—From the amounts reserved under section 2231(b)(1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award not more than 12 grants, on a competitive basis, to—
1. eligible entities to establish Presidential Academies for the Teaching of American History and Civics (in this section referred to as the ”Presidential Academies”) in accordance with subsection (e); and
2. eligible entities to establish Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics (in this section referred to as the ”Congressional Academies”) in accordance with subsection (f).
APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under subsection (a) shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require.
ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ”eligible entity” under this section means—
1. an institution of higher education or nonprofit educational organization, museum, library, or research center with demonstrated expertise in historical methodology or the teaching of American history and civics; or
2. a consortium of entities described in paragraph (1).
GRANT TERMS.—Grants awarded to eligible entities under subsection (a) shall be for a term of not more than 5 years.
PRESIDENTIAL ACADEMIES.—
1. USE OF FUNDS.—Each eligible entity that receives a grant under subsection (a)(1) shall use the grant funds to establish a Presidential Academy that offers a seminar or institute for teachers of American history and civics, which—
  1. provides intensive professional development opportunities for teachers of American history and civics to strengthen such teachers’ knowledge of the subjects of American history and civics;
  2. is led by a team of primary scholars and core teachers who are accomplished in the field of American history and civics;
  3. is conducted during the summer or other appropriate time; and
  4. is of not less than 2 weeks and not more than 6 weeks in duration.
2. SELECTION OF TEACHERS.—Each year, each Presidential Academy shall select between 50 and 300 teachers of American history and civics from public or private elementary schools and secondary schools to attend the seminar or institute under paragraph (1).
3. TEACHER STIPENDS.—Each teacher selected to participate in a seminar or institute under this subsection shall be awarded a fixed stipend based on the length of the seminar or institute to ensure that such teacher does not incur personal costs associated with the teacher’s participation in the seminar or institute.
4. PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that coordinate or align their activities with the National Park Service National Centennial Parks initiative to develop innovative and comprehensive programs using the resources of the National Parks.
CONGRESSIONAL ACADEMIES.—
1. USE OF FUNDS.—Each eligible entity that receives a grant under subsection (a)(2) shall use the grant funds to establish a Congressional Academy that offers a seminar or institute for outstanding students of American history and civics, which—
  1. broadens and deepens such students’ understanding of American history and civics;
  2. is led by a team of primary scholars and core teachers who are accomplished in the field of American history and civics;
  3. is conducted during the summer or other appropriate time; and
  4. is of not less than 2 weeks and not more than 6 weeks in duration.
2. SELECTION OF STUDENTS.—
  1. IN GENERAL.—Each year, each Congressional Academy shall select between 100 and 300 eligible students to attend the seminar or institute under paragraph (1).
  2. ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.—A student shall be eligible to attend a seminar or institute offered by a Congressional Academy under this subsection if the student—
    1. is recommended by the student’s secondary school principal or other school leader to attend the seminar or institute; and
    2. will be a secondary school junior or senior in the academic year following attendance at the seminar or institute.
3. STUDENT STIPENDS.—Each student selected to participate in a seminar or institute under this subsection shall be awarded a fixed stipend based on the length of the seminar or institute to ensure that such student does not incur personal costs associated with the student’s participation in the seminar or institute.
MATCHING FUNDS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that receives funds under subsection (a) shall provide, toward the cost of the activities assisted under the grant, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 100 percent of the amount of the grant.
2. WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive all or part of the matching requirement described in paragraph (1) for any fiscal year for an eligible entity if the Secretary determines that applying the matching requirement would result in serious hardship or an inability to carry out the activities described in subsection (e) or (f).

SEC. 2233. [20 U.S.C. 6663] NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction, learning strategies, and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school leaders, particularly such instruction, strategies, activities, and programs that benefit low-income students and underserved populations.
IN GENERAL.—From the amounts reserved by the Secretary under section 2231(b)(2), the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for the purposes of expanding, developing, implementing, evaluating, and disseminating for voluntary use, innovative, evidence-based approaches or professional development programs in American history, civics and government, and geography, which—
1. shall—
  1. show potential to improve the quality of student achievement in, and teaching of, American history, civics and government, or geography, in elementary schools and secondary schools; and
  2. demonstrate innovation, scalability, accountability, and a focus on underserved populations; and
2. may include—
  1. hands-on civic engagement activities for teachers and students; and
  2. programs that educate students about the history and principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights.
PROGRAM PERIODS AND DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded by the Secretary to an eligible entity under this section shall be for a period of not more than 3 years.
2. RENEWAL.—The Secretary may renew a grant awarded under this section for 1 additional 2-year period.
3. DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, grants are distributed among eligible entities that will serve geographically diverse areas, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.
APPLICATIONS.—In order to receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require.
ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this section, the term ”eligible entity” means an institution of higher education or other nonprofit or for-profit organization with demonstrated expertise in the development of evidence-based approaches with the potential to improve the quality of American history, civics and government, or geography learning and teaching.

Subpart 4—Programs of National Significance

SEC. 2241. [20 U.S.C. 6671] FUNDING ALLOTMENT.

From the funds reserved under section 2201(4), the Secretary—

shall use not less than 74 percent to carry out activities under section 2242;
shall use not less than 22 percent to carry out activities under section 2243;
shall use not less than 2 percent to carry out activities under section 2244; and
may reserve not more than 2 percent to carry out activities under section 2245.

SEC. 2242. [20 U.S.C. 6672] SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE EDUCATOR DEVELOPMENT.

IN GENERAL.—From the funds reserved by the Secretary under section 2241(1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for the purposes of—
1. providing teachers, principals, or other school leaders from nontraditional preparation and certification routes or pathways to serve in traditionally underserved local educational agencies;
2. providing evidence-based professional development activities that address literacy, numeracy, remedial, or other needs of local educational agencies and the students the agencies serve;
3. providing teachers, principals, or other school leaders with professional development activities that enhance or enable the provision of postsecondary coursework through dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high school settings across a local educational agency;
4. making freely available services and learning opportunities to local educational agencies, through partnerships and cooperative agreements or by making the services or opportunities publicly accessible through electronic means; or
5. providing teachers, principals, or other school leaders with evidence-based professional enhancement activities, which may include activities that lead to an advanced credential.
PROGRAM PERIODS AND DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded by the Secretary to an eligible entity under this section shall be for a period of not more than 3 years.
2. RENEWAL.—The Secretary may renew a grant awarded under this section for 1 additional 2-year period.
3. DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, grants are distributed among eligible entities that will serve geographically diverse areas, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.
4. LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall not award more than 1 grant under this section to an eligible entity during a grant competition.
COST–SHARING.—
1. IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall provide, from non-Federal sources, not less than 25 percent of the funds for the total cost for each year of activities carried out under this section.
2. ACCEPTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.—An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may meet the requirement of paragraph (1) by providing contributions in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, and services.
3. WAIVERS.—The Secretary may waive or modify the requirement of paragraph (1) in cases of demonstrated financial hardship.
APPLICATIONS.—In order to receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require. Such application shall include, at a minimum, a certification that the services provided by an eligible entity under the grant to a local educational agency or to a school served by the local educational agency will not result in direct fees for participating students or parents.
PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity that will implement evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this subsection as activities meeting the requirements of section 8101(21)(A)(i).
DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this section, the term ”eligible entity” means—
1. an institution of higher education that provides course materials or resources that are evidence-based in increasing academic achievement, graduation rates, or rates of post-secondary education matriculation;
2. a national nonprofit entity with a demonstrated record of raising student academic achievement, graduation rates, and rates of higher education attendance, matriculation, or completion, or of effectiveness in providing preparation and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school leaders;
3. the Bureau of Indian Education; or
4. a partnership consisting of—
  1. 1 or more entities described in paragraph (1) or (2); and
  2. a for-profit entity.

SEC. 2243. [20 U.S.C. 6673] SCHOOL LEADER RECRUITMENT AND SUPPORT.

IN GENERAL.—From the funds reserved under section 2241(2) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable such entities to improve the recruitment, preparation, placement, support, and retention of effective principals or other school leaders in high-need schools, which may include—
1. developing or implementing leadership training programs designed to prepare and support principals or other school leaders in high-need schools, including through new or alternative pathways or school leader residency programs;
2. developing or implementing programs or activities for recruiting, selecting, and developing aspiring or current principals or other school leaders to serve in high-need schools;
3. developing or implementing programs for recruiting, developing, and placing school leaders to improve schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities and targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d), including through cohort-based activities that build effective instructional and school leadership teams and develop a school culture, design, instructional program, and professional development program focused on improving student learning;
4. providing continuous professional development for principals or other school leaders in high-need schools;
5. developing and disseminating information on best practices and strategies for effective school leadership in high-need schools, such as training and supporting principals to identify, develop, and maintain school leadership teams using various leadership models; and
6. other evidence-based programs or activities described in section 2101(c)(4) or section 2103(b)(3) focused on principals or other school leaders in high-need schools.
PROGRAM PERIODS AND DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded by the Secretary to an eligible entity under this section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years.
2. RENEWAL.—The Secretary may renew a grant awarded under this section for 1 additional 2-year period.
3. DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, grants are distributed among eligible entities that will serve geographically diverse areas, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.
4. LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall not award more than 1 grant under this section to an eligible entity during a grant competition.
COST–SHARING.—
1. IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall provide, from non-Federal sources, not less than 25 percent of the funds for the total cost for each year of activities carried out under this section.
2. ACCEPTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.—An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may meet the requirement of paragraph (1) by providing contributions in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, and services.
3. WAIVERS.—The Secretary may waive or modify the requirement of paragraph (1) in cases of demonstrated financial hardship.
APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity that desires a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, and in such manner, as the Secretary may require.
PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity—
1. with a record of preparing or developing principals who—
  1. have improved school-level student outcomes;
  2. have become principals in high-need schools; and
  3. remain principals in high-need schools for multiple years; and
2. who will implement evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this paragraph as activities meeting the requirements of section 8101(21)(A)(i).
DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
1. ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ”eligible entity” means—
  1. a local educational agency, including an educational service agency, that serves a high-need school or a consortium of such agencies;
  2. a State educational agency or a consortium of such agencies;
  3. a State educational agency in partnership with 1 or more local educational agencies, or educational service agencies, that serve a high-need school;
  4. the Bureau of Indian Education; or
  5. an entity described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) in partnership with 1 or more nonprofit organizations or institutions of higher education.
2. HIGH–NEED SCHOOL.—The term ”high-need school” means—
  1. an elementary school in which not less than 50 percent of the enrolled students are from families with incomes below the poverty line; or
  2. a secondary school in which not less than 40 percent of the enrolled students are from families with incomes below the poverty line.

SEC. 2244. [20 U.S.C. 6674] TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND NATIONAL EVALUATION.

IN GENERAL.—From the funds reserved under section 2241(3) for a fiscal year, the Secretary—
1. shall establish, in a manner consistent with section 203 of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602), a comprehensive center on students at risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a disability that meets the purposes of subsection (b); and
2. may—
  1. provide technical assistance, which may be carried out directly or through grants or contracts, to States and local educational agencies carrying out activities under this part; and
  2. carry out evaluations of activities by States and local educational agencies under this part, which shall be conducted by a third party or by the Institute of Education Sciences.
PURPOSES.—The comprehensive center established by the Secretary under subsection (a)(1) shall—
1. identify or develop free or low-cost evidence-based assessment tools for identifying students at risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a disability, including dyslexia impacting reading or writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, writing, language processing, comprehension, or executive functioning;
2. identify evidence-based literacy instruction, strategies, and accommodations, including assistive technology, designed to meet the specific needs of such students;
3. provide families of such students with information to assist such students;
4. identify or develop evidence-based professional development for teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel to—
  1. understand early indicators of students at risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a disability, including dyslexia impacting reading or writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, writing, language processing, comprehension, or executive functioning;
  2. use evidence-based screening assessments for early identification of such students beginning not later than kindergarten; and
  3. implement evidence-based instruction designed to meet the specific needs of such students; and
5. disseminate the products of the comprehensive center to regionally diverse State educational agencies, local educational agencies, regional educational agencies, and schools, including, as appropriate, through partnerships with other comprehensive centers established under section 203 of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602), and regional educational laboratories established under section 174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564).

SEC. 2245. [20 U.S.C. 6675] STEM MASTER TEACHER CORPS.

IN GENERAL.—From the funds reserved under section 2241(4) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may award grants to—
1. State educational agencies to enable such agencies to support the development of a State-wide STEM master teacher corps; or
2. State educational agencies, or nonprofit organizations in partnership with State educational agencies, to support the implementation, replication, or expansion of effective science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professional development programs in schools across the State through collaboration with school administrators, principals, and STEM educators.
STEM MASTER TEACHER CORPS.—In this section, the term ”STEM master teacher corps” means a State-led effort to elevate the status of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching profession by recognizing, rewarding, attracting, and retaining outstanding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers, particularly in high-need and rural schools, by—
1. selecting candidates to be master teachers in the corps on the basis of—
  1. content knowledge based on a screening examination; and
  2. pedagogical knowledge of and success in teaching;
2. offering such teachers opportunities to—
  1. work with one another in scholarly communities; and
  2. participate in and lead high-quality professional development; and
3. providing such teachers with additional appropriate and substantial compensation for the work described in paragraph (2) and in the master teacher community.

PART C—GENERAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 2301. [20 U.S.C. 6691] SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.

Funds made available under this title shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized under this title.

SEC. 2302. [20 U.S.C. 6692] RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.

PROHIBITION AGAINST FEDERAL MANDATES, DIRECTION, OR CONTROL.—Nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize the Secretary or any other officer or employee of the Federal Government to mandate, direct, or control a State, local educational agency, or school’s—
1. instructional content or materials, curriculum, program of instruction, academic standards, or academic assessments;
2. teacher, principal, or other school leader evaluation system;
3. specific definition of teacher, principal, or other school leader effectiveness; or
4. teacher, principal, or other school leader professional standards, certification, or licensing.
SCHOOL OR DISTRICT EMPLOYEES.—Nothing in this title shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded school or school district employees under Federal, State, or local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements between such employees and their employers.

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