A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to award grants to implement a co-teaching model for educating students with disabilities.

Summary: Co-Teaching Educator Professional Development Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), or LEAs in collaboration with an institution of higher education, a teacher organization, or a state, to provide professional development and high-quality support for general education teachers and special education teachers, principals, and administrators that implement a co-teaching model that allows disabled students, with appropriate support and services, to be educated with their peers in the least restrictive environment.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Co-Teaching Educator Professional 
Development Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. CO-TEACHING EDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 2151 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6651 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Co-Teaching Educator Professional Development.--
            ``(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this subsection are to 
        ensure that--
                    ``(A) students with disabilities are educated with 
                their peers in the least restrictive environment;
                    ``(B) students with disabilities have access, with 
                appropriate supports and services, to the same academic 
                content as other students;
                    ``(C) the requirements of section 1119(a) and 
                section 612(a)(14)(C) of the Individuals with 
                Disabilities Education Act are met; and
                    ``(D) general education teachers, special education 
                teachers, principals, and administrators who implement 
                a co-teaching model for instructing students with 
                disabilities are provided with the necessary and 
                effective professional development and support to 
                enhance their pedagogical, collaborative, planning, and 
                interpersonal skills and increase the achievement of 
                such students.
            ``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' 
                means--
                            ``(i) one or more local educational 
                        agencies; or
                            ``(ii) one or more local educational 
                        agencies in collaboration with an institution 
                        of higher education, a teacher organization, or 
                        a State educational agency.
                    ``(B) Co-teaching.--The term `co-teaching' means an 
                instructional delivery option, offered either full-time 
                or part-time, based on a collaborative professional 
                relationship between a teacher with expertise in 
                delivering instruction to students with disabilities 
                and a teacher with expertise in a specific core content 
                area or a team of such teachers, such as a grade level 
                team or a middle school team, for the purpose of 
                jointly delivering substantive instruction to a 
                diverse, blended group of students in a single general 
                education classroom and ensuring that students with 
                disabilities receive the special instruction, supports, 
                and services to which they are entitled while ensuring 
                that they can access a rigorous general curriculum in 
                the least restrictive environment.
            ``(3) Program authorized.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall award, on a 
                competitive basis, grants to eligible entities to 
                enable such entities to provide professional 
                development opportunities and high-quality support for 
                general education teachers and special education 
                teachers, principals, and administrators that implement 
                a co-teaching model. Such professional development 
                opportunities and support shall assist teachers, 
                principals, and administrators in--
                            ``(i) clearly defining classroom, teaching, 
                        and decision-making roles and responsibilities, 
                        shared instructional and educational goals and 
                        expectations, and shared accountability for 
                        student outcomes;
                            ``(ii) utilizing research-based co-teaching 
                        strategies and approaches for differentiated 
                        instruction, including accommodations, 
                        modifications, and positive behavioral supports 
                        to facilitate learning and address diverse 
                        learning and student needs;
                            ``(iii) improving the participation and 
                        engagement of all students in classes that use 
                        co-teaching while meeting the individualized 
                        needs of students with disabilities;
                            ``(iv) improving collaboration skills for 
                        fostering a constructive professional co-
                        teaching partnership, including development of 
                        effective communication, problem-solving, and 
                        conflict resolution skills;
                            ``(v) enhancing time, resource, and 
                        classroom management skills;
                            ``(vi) effectively scheduling and lesson 
                        planning for co-teaching instruction, including 
                        common planning time for such purpose;
                            ``(vii) effectively involving parents and 
                        families of students with disabilities in co-
                        teaching program development, implementation, 
                        and evaluation;
                            ``(viii) jointly developing and planning a 
                        student's IEP and overall classroom curriculum 
                        for co-teaching instruction;
                            ``(ix) implementing strategies in a class 
                        that uses co-teaching for improving student 
                        learning gains on required State assessments, 
                        including alternate assessments;
                            ``(x) providing constructive feedback and 
                        coaching on a regular basis to improve 
                        instructional and classroom practices; and
                            ``(xi) developing clear and tailored 
                        instructional strategies, plans, procedures, 
                        practices, and assessment tools for remediation 
                        or developmental specialized instruction 
                        designed to meet, in a class that uses co-
                        teaching, the goals and objectives in a 
                        student's IEP.
            ``(4) Application.--An eligible entity that desires a grant 
        under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
        such information as the Secretary may require.
            ``(5) Evaluation.--Each program receiving a grant under 
        this subsection shall report on the effectiveness of the 
        professional development being provided based on not less than 
        the following criteria:
                    ``(A) Student academic learning gains.
                    ``(B) Teacher retention.
                    ``(C) Meeting IEP goals and objectives.
                    ``(D) The increase in the amount of time spent by 
                students with disabilities on general education 
                curriculum in a general education setting.
                    ``(E) Student behavior.
                    ``(F) Evaluation of school professionals.
                    ``(G) Parent, family, and community involvement.
                    ``(H) The support and commitment of principals and 
                administrators.
                    ``(I) Teacher satisfaction.''.