June 14, 2005

 

TO:                   Interested Parties

FROM:              Lyndsay Pinkus

RE:                   Summary of TEACH Act

 

On Thursday, June 9, legislation designed to attract highly qualified teachers to the nation’s poorest schools, the Teacher Excellence for All Children Act of 2005, was introduced in the House (H.R. 2835) by its author Representative George Miller (D-CA), and in the Senate (S. 1218) by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). H.R. 2835 has 45 additional cosponsors. 

 

“Teaching is not just another job,” Rep. Miller said during his introduction of the bill. “Teaching is a career that must be satisfying in itself, that must attract the best people, and that must instruct our children to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.”

Senator Kennedy said “We took a major step forward in the No Child Left Behind Act and its recognition that all students deserve first-rate teachers to help them reach their potential and succeed in life. This act made a bold national commitment to guarantee a highly qualified teacher in every classroom. But to reach that goal, we need to recruit, train, retain and support our teachers.”

The TEACH Act has four specific goals: to increase the supply of outstanding teachers; to ensure all children have teachers with expertise in the subjects they teach; to improve teaching by identifying and rewarding the best practices and expanding professional development opportunities; and to help schools retain teachers and principals by providing the support they need to succeed.” 

The TEACH Act would double the federal investment in improving teacher quality by providing an additional $3.4 billion. That funding includes:

 

 

The $3.4 billion does not include additional funding for up-front tuition assistance for outstanding undergraduates who promise to go into teaching, nor for student loan forgiveness for veteran teachers. The cost of those provisions would depend on the number of students and teachers who apply for and receive up-front tuition assistance or loan forgiveness.

 

The TEACH Act would make changes to both Title II of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and Title II of the Higher Education Act (HEA).

 

A detailed summary of the TEACH Act follows:

 

I.                    Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants (no specific authorization)

 

Authorizes a new grant program under Title II of the Higher Education Act, TEACH Grants, through FY 2013. The Department would pay the institution to provide students up to $4,000 for each academic year during which that student is in attendance at an institution of higher education, not exceeding $16,000 for undergraduate students and $8,000 for graduate students.

 

Eligibility for TEACH grants:

§         If an enrolled student, applicant must be:

o        an eligible student for purposes of section 484 (other than subsection (r) of such section);

o        have a 3.25 grade point average or has displayed high academic aptitude by receiving a score above the 75th percentile on at least one of the batteries in an undergraduate or graduate school admissions test; and;

o        completing coursework and other requirements necessary to begin a career in teaching, or plans to complete such coursework and requirements prior to graduating; or

§         If a current or prospective teacher applying for a grant to obtain a graduate degree, the applicant must:

o        Be a teacher or a retiree from another occupation with expertise in a field in which there is a shortage of teachers, such as mathematics, science, special education, English language acquisition, or another high-need subject; or

o        Be a current or former teacher from a high-quality alternative certification route, such as Teach for America.  

 

Agreement to serve: Applicants will serve as full-time teachers for a total of not less than 4 academic years within 8 years after completing the course of study for which the applicant received a TEACH Grant under this part and teach in an eligible school in mathematics, science, a foreign language, bilingual education, or special education, or as a reading specialist, or in another field documented as high-need by the federal government, state government, or district and submitted to the Secretary.

II.                  RECRUITING TEACHERS WITH MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, OR LANGUAGE MAJORS (authorization, $200 million FY 2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years)

 

Adds a grant program to Title II of HEA for competitive grants to institutions of higher education to improve the availability and recruitment of teachers from among students majoring in mathematics, science, foreign languages, special education, or teaching the English language to students with limited English proficiency.

 

§         Priority is given to programs that focus on preparing teachers in subjects in which there is a shortage of highly qualified teachers and that prepare students to teach in high-need schools.

§         Funds must be used to create new recruitment incentives to teaching from other majors, with an emphasis on high-need subjects such as mathematics, science, foreign languages, and teaching the English language to students with limited English proficiency;

§         Funds may be used to:

o        upgrade curriculum in order to provide all students studying to become teachers with high-quality instructional strategies for teaching reading and teaching the English language to students with limited English proficiency, and for modifying instruction to teach students with special needs;

o        integrate school of education faculty with other arts and science faculty in mathematics, science, foreign languages, and teaching the English language to students with limited English proficiency through steps such as dual appointments for faculty between schools of education and schools of arts and science; and integrating coursework with clinical experience; and

o        develop strategic plans between schools of education and local school districts to better prepare teachers for high-need schools, including the creation of professional development partnerships for training new teachers in state-of-the-art practice.

III.                Changes to Teacher Loan Forgiveness Provisions

 

§         Permanently extends the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004

§         Increases loan forgiveness maximum from $17,500 to $20,000

§         Expands applicability of loan forgiveness to reading specialists

§         Allows the Department to provide this loan forgiveness (for both FFEL and Direct Loans) in annual increments instead of in a lump sum upon the completion of five years of services.

IV.                Grants to Districts to Provide Premium Pay to Teachers in High-Need Schools (authorization: $2.2 billion for FY 2006, such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

 

Adds a grant program to Title II of NCLB to provide grants to districts to provide higher salaries to exemplary, highly qualified principals and exemplary, highly qualified teachers with at least 3 years of experience, including teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, if the principal or teacher agrees to serve full-time for a period of 4 consecutive school years at a public high-need elementary school or a public high-need secondary school.

 

Eligible use of funds:

 

§         Provide up to a $15,000 annual bonus to exemplary, highly qualified principals for each of 4 consecutive school years if the principal commits to work full-time for such period in a public high-need elementary school or a public high-need secondary school; and

§         Provide up to a $10,000 annual bonus to exemplary, highly qualified teachers for each of 4 consecutive school years if the teacher commits to work full-time for such period in a public high-need elementary school or a public high-need secondary school; or up to $12,500 as an annual bonus for each of 4 consecutive school years if the teacher commits to work full-time for such period teaching a subject for which there is a documented shortage of teachers in a public high-need elementary school or a public high-need secondary school.

 

Grantees must have a system of observation, feedback and evaluation and a system of early and timely hiring practices.

 

Priority is given to districts that prioritize premium pay to principals and teachers identified for school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.

V.                  Career Ladders for Teachers Program (authorization, $200 million FY 2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years)

 

Adds a program to Title II of NCLB to provide grants to school districts to establish and implement a Career Ladders for Teachers Program.

 

Through these grants, the district would:

§         Increase salaries for teachers in high-need elementary schools and high-need secondary schools to correspond to the increasing responsibilities and leadership roles assumed by the teachers as they take on new professional roles (such as serving on school leadership teams, serving as instructional coaches, and serving in hybrid roles), including by providing up to $10,000 as an annual augmentation to master teachers and providing up to $5,000 as an annual augmentation to mentor teachers

§         Provide up to $4,000 as an annual bonus to all career teachers, master teachers, and mentor teachers in high-need elementary schools and high-need secondary schools based on a combination of :

o        at least 3 classroom evaluations over the course of the year that shall (i) be conducted by multiple evaluators, including master teachers and the principal; (ii) be based on classroom observation at least 3 times annually; and (iii) be evaluated against research-validated benchmarks that use planning, instructional, and learning environment standards to measure teacher performance; and

o        the performance of the teacher's students as determined by (i) student growth on any test that is required by the State educational agency or local educational agency and is administered to the teacher's students; or (ii) in States or local educational agencies with value-added longitudinal data systems, whole-school value-added student achievement gains and classroom-level value-added student achievement gains; or (3) provides up to $4,000 as an annual bonus to principals in elementary schools and secondary schools based on the performance of the school's students, taking into consideration whole-school value-added student achievement gains in States that have value-added longitudinal data systems and in which information on whole-school value-added student achievement gains is available.

 

In order to be eligible for these grants, the percentage of teachers required by prevailing union rules must vote affirmatively to adopt the program, or in States that do not recognize collective bargaining between local educational agencies and teacher organizations, at least 75 percent of the teachers in the local educational agency vote affirmatively to adopt the program.

 

Definitions:

 

§         “Career teacher” means a teacher who has a bachelor's degree and full credentials or alternative certification including a passing level on elementary or secondary subject matter assessments and professional knowledge assessments.

§         “Mentor teacher” means a teacher who

o        has a bachelor's degree and full credentials or alternative certification including a passing level on any applicable elementary or secondary subject matter assessments and professional knowledge assessments;

o        has a portfolio and a classroom demonstration showing instructional excellence;

o        has an ability, as demonstrated by student data, to increase student achievement through utilizing specific instructional strategies;

o        has a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience;

o        is recommended by the principal and other current master and mentor teachers;

o        is an excellent instructor and communicator with an understanding of how to facilitate growth in the teachers the teacher is mentoring; and

o        performs well as a mentor in established induction and peer review and mentoring programs.

§         “Master teacher” means a teacher who

o        holds a master's degree in the relevant academic discipline;

o        has at least 5 years of successful teaching experience, as measured by performance evaluations, a portfolio of work, or National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification;

o        demonstrates expertise in content, curriculum development, student learning, test analysis, mentoring, and professional development, as demonstrated by an advanced degree, advanced training, career experience, or National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification;

o        presents student data that illustrates the teacher's ability to increase student achievement through utilizing specific instructional interventions;

o        has instructional expertise demonstrated through model teaching, team teaching, video presentations, student achievement gains, or National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification;

o        may hold a valid National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certificate, may have passed another rigorous standard, or may have been selected as a school, district, or State teacher of the year; and

o        is currently participating, or has previously participated, in a professional development program that supports classroom teachers as mentors.

VI.                State-of-the-Art Teacher Induction programs (authorization, $300 million FY 2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years)

 

Adds a program to Title II of NCLB to provide grants (to states; high need school districts; or partnerships of high-need school districts and an institution of higher education, a teacher organization, or any other nonprofit education organization) to develop “state of the art” teacher induction programs. It also requires the to Secretary to commission an independent evaluation of state-of the-art teacher induction programs supported under this grant program to compare the design and outcome of various models of induction programs.

 

A state-of the-art teacher induction program would provide new teachers a minimum of 3 years of extensive, high-quality, comprehensive induction into the field of teaching; and include:

§         structured mentoring from highly qualified master or mentor teachers who are certified, have teaching experience similar to the grade level or subject assignment of the new teacher, and are trained to mentor new teachers;

§         at least 90 minutes each week of common meeting time for a new teacher to discuss student work and teaching under the director of a master or mentor teacher;

§         regular classroom observation in the new teacher's classroom;

§         observation by the new teacher of the mentor teacher's classroom;

§         intensive professional development activities for new teachers that result in improved teaching leading to student achievement, including lesson demonstration by master and mentor teachers in the classroom, observation, and feedback;

§         training in effective instructional services and classroom management strategies for mainstream teachers serving students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency;

§         observation of teachers and feedback at least 4 times each school year by multiple evaluators, including master teachers and the principals, using research-validated benchmarks of teaching skills and standards that are developed with input from teachers;

§         paid release time for the mentor teacher for mentoring, or salary supplements for mentoring new teachers at a ratio of one full-time mentor to every 12 new teachers;

§         a transition year to the classroom that includes a reduced workload for beginning teachers; and

§         a standards-based assessment of every beginning teacher to determine whether the teacher should move forward in the teaching profession, which assessment may include examination of practice and a measure of gains in student learning.

VII.              Peer Mentoring and Review Programs (authorization, $50 million FY 2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years)

 

Adds a program to Title II of NCLB to provide grants to school districts to establish peer mentoring and review programs, through collective bargaining agreements or, in States that do not recognize collective bargaining between local educational agencies and teacher organizations, through joint agreements between the local educational agency and affected teacher organizations.

 

Applications for the program must include:

§         Data from the applicant on recruitment and retention prior to implementing the induction program;

§         Measurable goals for increasing retention after the induction program is implemented;

§         Measures that will be used to determine whether teacher effectiveness is improved through participation in the induction program; and

§         A plan for evaluating and reporting progress toward meeting the applicant's goals.

 

Grantees would submit progress reports on an annual basis.

VIII.            State-of-the-Art Principal Training and induction programs and performance based principal Certification (authorization, $100 million FY 2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years)

 

Adds a program to Title II of NCLB to provide grants to not more than 10 states to develop, implement, and evaluate pilot programs for performance-based certification and training of exemplary, highly qualified principals who can drive gains in academic achievement for all children. The grants will be for a maximum of 5 years and be performance based, with priority will be given to states that will use the grants for one or more high-need district or school. States receiving grants shall use evaluation results of the pilot program to inform the design of certification needed for individuals to become school leaders in the State.

 

Grants must be used to pilot the development, implementation, and evaluation of a statewide performance-based system for certifying principals. These programs must:

 

§         pilot and demonstrate the effectiveness of statewide performance-based certification through support for innovative performance-based programs on a smaller scale;

§         provide for certification of principals by institutions with strong track records, such as a local educational agency, nonprofit organization, or business school, that is approved by the State for purposes of such certification and has formalized partnerships with in-State local educational agencies;

§         include evaluation of the results of the pilot program and other in-State programs of principal preparation (which evaluation may include value-added assessment scores of all children in a school and should emphasize the correlation of academic achievement gains in schools led by participating principals and the characteristics and skills demonstrated by those individuals when applying to and participating in the program) to inform the design of certification of individuals to become school leaders in the State; and

§         make possible interim certification for up to 2 years for aspiring principals participating in the pilot program who a) have not yet attained full certification; b) are serving as assistant principals or principal residents, or in positions of similar responsibility; and c) have met clearly defined criteria for entry into the program that are approved by the applicable local educational agency.

 

Grants may also be used to develop, sustain, and expand model programs for recruiting and training aspiring and new principals in both instructional leadership and general management skills.

IX.                Study on Developing a Portable Performance-Based teacher Assessment (no specific authorization)

§         Grants the authority to the Secretary to contract with an objective evaluation firm to conduct a study to be submitted to Congress to assess the validity of any test used for teacher certification or licensure by multiple States, taking into account the passing scores adopted by multiple States. The study shall determine a) the extent to which tests of content knowledge represent subject mastery at the baccalaureate level; b) whether tests of pedagogy reflect the latest research on teaching and learning; and c) the relationship, if any, between teachers' scores on licensure and certification exams and other measures of teacher effectiveness, including learning gains achieved by the teachers' students.

§         Authorizes one grant to an eligible partnership to create, based on this study, a model performance-based assessment of teaching skills that reliably evaluates teaching skills in practice and can be used to facilitate the portability of teacher credentials and licensing from one State to another. The eligible partnerships will consist of an independent professional organization; and an organization that represents administrators of State educational agencies.

X.                  21st Century Data, Tools and Assessments (authorization, $200,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2006 and 2007 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years. authorization)

 

§         Teacher and Principal Evaluation: This new program would  provide grants to states to develop and implement statewide data systems to collect and analyze data on the effectiveness of elementary school and secondary school teachers and principals, based on value-added student achievement gains, for the purposes of a) determining the distribution of effective teachers and principals in schools across the State; b) developing measures for helping teachers and principals to improve their instruction; and c) evaluating the effectiveness of teacher and principal preparation programs. These statewide data systems must, at a minimum:

o        track student course-taking patterns and teacher characteristics, such as certification status and performance on licensure exams; and

o        allow for the analysis of gains in achievement made by individual students over time, including gains demonstrated through student academic assessments and tests required by the State for course completion.

 

§         Teacher Training- This new program would provide grants to institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, nonprofit organizations, and teacher organizations to develop and implement innovative programs to provide preservice and in-service training to elementary and secondary schools on a) understanding increasingly sophisticated student achievement data, especially data derived from value-added longitudinal data systems; and b) using such data to improve classroom instruction.

 

§         Authorizes the Secretary to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the quality of data on the effectiveness of elementary and secondary school teachers, based on value-added student achievement gains; and to compare a range of models for collecting and analyzing such data.

XI.                Collecting National Data on Distribution of Teachers

 

Amends requirements so that the Schools and Staffing Survey is published not later than the end of fiscal year 2006, and every 3 years thereafter.

XII.              Professional Development Teacher Centers (authorization: $100,000,000 for FY 2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.)

 

Adds a new grant program to Title II of NCLB to authorize three-year grants to eligible entities for the establishment and operation of new teacher centers or the support of existing teacher centers. Special consideration is to be given to high need school districts or consortiums including a high need district.


Required Activities:

 

§         The center must operate under the supervision of a teacher center policy board

§         Provide high-quality professional development to teachers to assist them in improving their knowledge, skills, and teaching practices in order to help students to improve their achievement and meet State academic standards.

§         Providing teachers with information on developments in curricula, assessments, and educational research, including the manner in which the research and data can be used to improve teaching skills and practice.

§         Providing training and support for new teachers.

 

Permissible Activities:

§         Assessing the professional development needs of the teachers and other instructional school employees, such as librarians, counselors, and paraprofessionals, to be served by the center.

§         Providing intensive support to staff to improve instruction in literacy, mathematics, science, and other curricular areas necessary to provide a well-rounded education to students.

§         Providing support to mentors working with new teachers.

§         Providing training in effective instructional services and classroom management strategies for mainstream teachers serving students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency.

§         Enabling teachers to engage in study groups and other collaborative activities and collegial interactions regarding instruction.

§         Paying for release time and substitute teachers in order to enable teachers to participate in the activities of the teacher center.

§         Creating libraries of professional materials and educational technology.

§         Providing high-quality professional development for other instructional staff, such as paraprofessionals, librarians, and counselors.

§         Assisting teachers to become highly qualified and paraprofessionals to become teachers.

§         Assisting paraprofessionals to meet the requirements of section 1119.

§         Developing curricula.

§         Incorporating additional on-line professional development resources for participants.

§         Providing funding for individual- or group-initiated classroom projects.

§         Developing partnerships with businesses and community-based organizations.

§         Establishing a teacher center site.

XIII.            Tax deductions

 

Amends tax code to include:

 

§         Tax deduction of $15,00 for teachers or principals in high-need schools

§         Tax deduction of $15,00 for teachers of high-need subjects

 

“Teacher of high-need subjects” means any teacher in a public elementary or secondary school who (A)(i) teaches primarily 1 or more high-need subjects in 1 or more grades 9 through 12, or `(ii) teaches 1 or more high-need subjects in 1 or more grades kindergarten through 8, (B) received a baccalaureate or similar degree from an eligible educational institution  with a major in a high-need subject, and is highly qualified.

 

“High-need subject' means mathematics, science, engineering, technology, special education, teaching English language learners, or any other subject identified as a high-need subject by the Secretary of Education.

 

§         Makes permanent above-the-line deduction for certain teacher expenses and increases the amount from $250 to $500.

XIV. Increased Accountability and Evaluation in Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants

 

Amends Title II of HEA as follows:

 

§         State Grant Accountability Report must include information on making progress on the following indicators:

o        Percentage of highly qualified teachers

o        Student academic achievement

o        Raising standards

o        Initial certification or licensure

o        Decreasing teacher shortages

o        Increasing opportunities for research-based professional development

o        Technology integration

 

§         Eligible partnership application must include the following objectives and measures for:

o        increased student achievement for all students, as measured by the partnership;

o        increased teacher retention in the first 3 years of a teacher's career;

o        increased success in the pass rate for initial State certification or licensure of teachers;

o        increased percentage of highly qualified teachers; and

o        increasing the number of teachers trained effectively to integrate technology into curricula and instruction and who use technology to collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching, learning, and decision making for the purpose of improving student academic achievement.

 

§          State Report Card on the Quality of Teacher and Principal Preparation must report on the following, for both traditional certification or licensure programs and for alternative certification or licensure programs:

o        A description of the teacher and principal certification and licensure assessments, and any other certification and licensure requirements, used by the State.

o        The standards and criteria that prospective teachers and principals must meet in order to attain initial teacher and principal certification or licensure and to be certified or licensed to teach particular subjects or in particular grades within the State.

o        A demonstration of the extent to which the assessments and requirements are aligned with the State's standards and assessments for students.

o        The percentage of students who have completed the clinical coursework for a teacher preparation program at an institution of higher education or alternative certification program and who have taken and passed each of the assessments used by the State for teacher certification and licensure, and the passing score on each assessment that determines whether a candidate has passed that assessment.

o        For students who have completed the clinical coursework for a teacher preparation program at an institution of higher education or alternative certification program, and who have taken and passed each of the assessments used by the State for teacher certification and licensure, each such institution's and each such program's average raw score, ranked by teacher preparation program, which shall be made available widely and publicly.

o        A description of each State's alternative routes to teacher certification, if any, and the number and percentage of teachers certified through each alternative certification route who pass State teacher certification or licensure assessments.

o        For each State, a description of proposed criteria for assessing the performance of teacher and principal preparation programs in the State, including indicators of teacher and principal candidate skills, placement, and retention rates (to the extent feasible), and academic content knowledge and evidence of gains in student academic achievement.

o        For each teacher preparation program in the State, the number of students in the program, the number of minority students in the program, the average number of hours of supervised practice teaching required for those in the program, and the number of full-time equivalent faculty, adjunct faculty, and students in supervised practice teaching.

o        For the State as a whole, and for each teacher preparation program in the State, the number of teachers prepared, in the aggregate and reported separately by a) level (elementary or secondary); b) academic major; c) subject or subjects for which the student has been prepared to teach; and d) teacher candidates who speak a language other than English and have been trained specifically to teach English-language learners.

o        The State shall refer to the data to report on the extent to which teacher preparation programs are helping to address shortages of qualified teachers, by level, subject, and specialty, in the State's public schools, especially in poor urban and rural areas

 

§         Report of the Secretary on the Quality of Teacher Preparation shall  provide to Congress, and publish and make widely available, a report card on teacher qualifications and preparation in the United States, including all the information reported above, identify States for which eligible States and eligible partnerships received a grant under this part.

 

§         Institution and Program Report Cards on Quality of Teacher Preparation shall provide the following information, disaggregated by major racial and ethnic groups:

o        PASS RATE:[*]

IN THE SENATE BILL:

§         For the most recent year for which the information is available, the pass rate of each student who has completed the clinical coursework for the teacher preparation program on the teacher certification or licensure assessments of the State in which the institution is located, but only for those students who took those assessments within 3 years of receiving a degree from the institution or completing the program.

§         A comparison of the institution or program's pass rate for students who have completed the clinical coursework for the teacher preparation program with the average pass rate for institutions and programs in the State.

§         In the case of programs with fewer than 10 students who have completed the clinical coursework for a teacher preparation program taking any single initial teacher certification or licensure assessment during an academic year, the institution shall collect and publish information with respect to an average pass rate on State certification or licensure assessments taken over a 3-year period.

 

IN THE HOUSE BILL:

§         For the most recent year for which the information is available, the pass rate of each student who has completed at least 50 percent of the requirements for the teacher preparation program on the teacher certification or licensure assessments of the State in which the institution is located, but only for those students who took those assessments within 3 years of receiving a degree from the institution or completing the program.  

§         A comparison of the institution or program's pass rate for students who have completed at lest 50 percent of the requirements for the teacher preparation program with the average pass rate for institutions and programs in the state.

§         A comparison of the institution or program’s average raw score for students who have completed at least 50 percent of the requirements for the teacher preparation program with the raw scores for institutions and programs in the state.

§         In the case of programs with fewer than 10 students who have completed at least 50 percent of requirements for a teacher preparation program taking any single initial teacher certification or licensure assessment during an academic year, the institution shall collect and publish information with respect to an average pass rate on State certification or licensure assessments taken over a 3-year period.

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