To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize competitive grants to train school principals in instructional leadership skills and to promote the incorporation of standards of instructional leadership into State-level principal certification or licensure.

Summary: Instructional Leadership Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states, local educational agencies, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, or partnerships or consortia which include at least one of those entities to develop innovative programs and sites (such as leadership development schools) to train school principals in instructional leadership skills.

Requires the Secretary to award additional competitive grants to states or partnerships or consortia which include states for pilot programs that evaluate and promote the incorporation of instructional leadership standards into state principal certification or licensure.

 Directs the Secretary to establish a definition of "highly-qualified principal" that is based on reports from this Act's grantees and emphasizes instructional leadership standards.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Instructional Leadership Act of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) In addition to handling traditional management duties, 
        the school principal is now expected to be an instructional 
        leader--to possess the content knowledge and instructional 
        skills to guide teaching and learning in the school.
            (2) There is a clear expectation within the amendments made 
        by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 that principals become 
        instructional leaders. Section 2113(c) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child 
        Left Behind Act of 2001, calls for principals to have ``the 
        instructional leadership skills to help teachers teach and 
        students learn'' and ``to help students meet challenging State 
        student academic achievement standards''.
            (3) Despite this recognition of the importance of 
        instructional leadership, adequate attention and resources have 
        not been committed to training and supporting school principals 
        in the standards of instructional leadership.
            (4) Licensure of school principals typically does not give 
        adequate emphasis to instructional leadership skills in the 
        certification process.
            (5) The term ``highly qualified principal'' added by the No 
        Child Left Behind Act of 2001 should be defined and developed 
        to include a strong emphasis on instructional leadership.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP.

    (a) In General.--Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by redesignating part I 
as part J and by inserting after part H the following new part:

                   ``PART I--INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

``Sec. 1851. Competitive grants.

``SEC. 1851. COMPETITIVE GRANTS.

    ``(a) Grants to Develop Innovative Programs and Sites.--The 
Secretary shall make competitive grants to eligible entities to develop 
innovative programs and sites (such as leadership development schools) 
to train school principals in instructional leadership skills, 
including skills relating to--
            ``(1) effective instructional practices;
            ``(2) how to facilitate the development of a school vision;
            ``(3) aligning all aspects of a school culture to student 
        and adult learning;
            ``(4) monitoring the alignment of curriculum, instruction, 
        and assessment;
            ``(5) improving instructional practices through the 
        purposeful observation and evaluation of teachers;
            ``(6) ensuring the regular integration of appropriate 
        assessments into daily classroom instruction;
            ``(7) using technology and multiple sources of data to 
        improve classroom instruction;
            ``(8) providing staff with focused, sustained, research-
        based professional development; and
            ``(9) engaging all community stakeholders in a shared 
        responsibility for student and school success.
    ``(b) Grants for Pilot Programs.--In addition to the grants under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall make competitive grants to State 
educational agencies or to partnerships or consortia which include 
State educational agencies to develop and implement pilot programs 
designed to evaluate and promote the incorporation of standards of 
instructional leadership into State principal certification or 
licensure.
    ``(c) Duration.--A grant under this section shall be awarded for a 
period of 2 years, and may be continued for a period of 2 additional 
years.
    ``(d) Application.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary may 
require.
    ``(e) Eligible Entity.--For purposes of this section, the term 
`eligible entity' means--
            ``(1) a State educational agency,
            ``(2) a local educational agency,
            ``(3) a nonprofit organization (such as a State principal 
        association),
            ``(4) a institution of higher education, and
            ``(5) a partnership or consortium which includes at least 1 
        of the foregoing.
    ``(f) Reporting.--The recipient of any grant awarded under this 
section shall report to the Secretary the results of its activities 
funded by such grant. Such report shall be submitted at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary may 
require.
    ``(g) Revised Concept of Highly Qualified Principal.--
            ``(1) In general.--Based on the reports under subsection 
        (f), the Secretary shall establish a definition of `highly 
        qualified principal' that emphasizes standards of instructional 
        leadership.
            ``(2) Considerations.--In developing such a definition, the 
        Secretary shall give consideration to the need for principals 
        to--
                    ``(A) demonstrate awareness of the knowledge skills 
                and attitudes needed to effectively lead teaching and 
                learning in schools;
                    ``(B) engage in continuous professional 
                development, utilizing a combination of academic study, 
                developmental simulation exercises, self-reflection, 
                mentorship and internship; and
                    ``(C) demonstrate the capacity to lead in 
                establishing and maintaining a professional learning 
                community that effectively uses data to improve and 
                personalize instruction for all students to result in 
                improved student achievement.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for fiscal year 
2008 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding 
fiscal years.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by redesignating the 
item relating to part I of title I as relating to part J and by 
inserting before such item the following new item:

                 ``Part I--Instructional Leadership''.