A bill to recruit, train, and support principals for high-need schools who are effective in improving student academic achievement.

Summary: National Principal Recruitment Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a National Principal Recruitment program awarding matching grants to up to three partnerships each of which consist of a nonprofit organization working with a research organization and local educational agencies to: (1) recruit new principals for high-need schools and provide them with a year-long preservice residency and ongoing support and professional development; and (2) rigorously research, evaluate, and report on such activities so that successful practices can be replicated and each grantee's success in improving student academic performance can be measured.

Increases a grant by 50% after the third full school year of its implementation if: (1) such research and evaluation demonstrates that students in high-need schools led, for at least two years, by principals recruited, trained, and supported by the grantee are making greater academic gains than comparable students elsewhere; and (2) the grantee has the capacity to scale up its services.

Terminates a grant by the end of the fourth year of its implementation if the students in high-need schools led, for at least two years, by such principals are not making greater academic gains than comparable students elsewhere.

Defines "high-need schools" as public elementary or secondary schools where at least 40% of the students receive a free or reduced price lunch under the school lunch program.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Principal Recruitment 
Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Authorization.--Part A of title II of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:

          ``Subpart 6--National Principal Recruitment Program

``SEC. 2161. NATIONAL PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to recruit, train, 
and support principals for high-need schools who are effective in 
improving student academic achievement.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible grantee.--The term `eligible grantee' means 
        a partnership--
                    ``(A) consisting of a nonprofit organization 
                working with a research organization and local 
                educational agencies in States and regions across the 
                Nation, that has a track record of selecting, training, 
                and supporting principals;
                    ``(B) that has the capacity to engage in world-
                class research and evaluation with access to student-
                level data in all local educational agencies in the 
                partnership needed to--
                            ``(i) do value-add analysis of academic 
                        achievement; and
                            ``(ii) correlate academic achievement gains 
                        with principal skills and characteristics; and
                    ``(C) that may work with institutions of higher 
                education.
            ``(2) High-need school.--The term `high-need school' means 
        a public elementary school or public secondary school 
        (including a charter school) in which not less than 40 percent 
        of the students enrolled are eligible to receive a free or 
        reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National 
        School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
            ``(3) Principal.--The term `principal' includes an 
        assistant principal.
    ``(c) Multiyear Grant Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--
                    ``(A) Establishment of program.--The Secretary 
                shall establish a multiyear national principal 
                recruitment grant program to enable not more than 3 
                eligible grantees to carry out the activities described 
                in paragraph (3).
                    ``(B) Priority.--In awarding grants under this 
                section, the Secretary shall give priority to at least 
                one eligible grantee focused on urban schools and at 
                least one eligible grantee focused on rural schools.
            ``(2) Application.--To receive a grant under this section, 
        an eligible grantee shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require.
            ``(3) Activities.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each eligible grantee that 
                receives a grant under this section shall use grant 
                funds provided under this section for the following:
                            ``(i) To recruit, select, train, and 
                        support, up to the capacity of the eligible 
                        grantee, new principals for high-need schools 
                        through--
                                    ``(I) a year-long preservice 
                                residency; and
                                    ``(II) ongoing support and 
                                professional development.
                            ``(ii) To rigorously research, evaluate, 
                        and report on the activities described in this 
                        paragraph in order to create--
                                    ``(I) a national research and 
                                knowledge base to inform the 
                                recruitment, selection, and training of 
                                principals for high-need schools; and
                                    ``(II) a model of a performance-
                                based program under which Federal 
                                funding to maintain and expand 
                                activities will be contingent on a 
                                rigorous demonstration of impact on 
                                student academic achievement.
                    ``(B) Specific activities.--The activities 
                described in subparagraph (A)(i) shall include the 
                following:
                            ``(i) Recruiting, selecting, and providing 
                        preservice training to individuals who--
                                    ``(I) aspire to be principals in 
                                high-need schools;
                                    ``(II) share the belief that all 
                                students, regardless of background, can 
                                achieve at high levels;
                                    ``(III) have knowledge of effective 
                                instruction and adult leadership, and a 
                                focus on goals and results; and
                                    ``(IV) agree to sign a compact 
                                committing to serve high-need schools 
                                and to work toward substantial 
                                improvement in student academic 
                                achievement in the schools they will 
                                lead within approximately 5 to 6 years 
                                of their becoming principals.
                            ``(ii) Providing training during the year-
                        long preservice residency to selected aspiring 
                        principals that includes coaching from an 
                        effective principal, hands-on instructional 
                        leadership experience, and a curriculum that 
                        includes topics such as--
                                    ``(I) creating and maintaining a 
                                data-driven, professional learning 
                                community within the new principal's 
                                school;
                                    ``(II) providing a climate 
                                conducive to the professional 
                                development of teachers, with a focus 
                                on improving student academic 
                                achievement;
                                    ``(III) using data to effectively 
                                evaluate teacher instruction and drive 
                                teacher and student learning;
                                    ``(IV) managing resources and 
                                school time to improve student academic 
                                achievement; and
                                    ``(V) engaging community members, 
                                including parents, the local 
                                educational agency, and other community 
                                leaders, to leverage additional 
                                resources to improve student academic 
                                achievement.
                            ``(iii) Providing additional professional 
                        development and training to the individuals 
                        described in clauses (i) and (ii) after the 
                        individuals commence work as principals of 
                        high-need schools, including a focus on--
                                    ``(I) teaching and learning;
                                    ``(II) school culture; and
                                    ``(III) management and operations.
                            ``(iv) Developing and delivering high-
                        quality, differentiated, school-level support 
                        services to meet the specific needs of high-
                        need schools led by individuals described in 
                        clause (iii), which may include--
                                    ``(I) support for data-driven 
                                design of school-wide improvement 
                                plans;
                                    ``(II) support in conducting 
                                successful school-wide assessments; and
                                    ``(III) other assistance from--
                                            ``(aa) content expert 
                                        coaches to support professional 
                                        development; and
                                            ``(bb) data and assessment 
                                        specialists.
                            ``(v) Developing and maintaining the 
                        organizational capacity needed to drive the 
                        long-term success of the efforts described in 
                        this paragraph at scale.
            ``(4) Matching requirement; supplement, not supplant.--
                    ``(A) Matching requirement.--To be eligible to 
                receive a grant under this section, an eligible grantee 
                shall contribute to the activities assisted under such 
                grant matching funds in an amount equal to not less 
                than 100 percent of the amount of the grant. Such 
                matching requirement may be met by contributions that 
                are in cash or in kind. Partner local educational 
                agencies whose support contributes to the matching 
                requirement may choose to use funds from any private 
                source or local educational agency-determined 
                allocation of public funding.
                    ``(B) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive part of the 
                matching requirement described in subparagraph (A) if--
                            ``(i) the eligible grantee demonstrates a 
                        commitment to provide an amount equal to not 
                        less than 75 percent of the amount of the grant 
                        and provides a plan for providing the remainder 
                        of the 25 percent; or
                            ``(ii) the Secretary determines that 
                        applying the matching requirement would result 
                        in serious hardship or an inability to carry 
                        out the activities described in paragraph (3).
                    ``(C) Supplement, not supplant.--Grant funds 
                provided under this section shall be used to 
                supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal or 
                State funds otherwise available to carry out the 
                activities described in paragraph (3).
            ``(5) Performance-based triggers of funding decisions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--
                            ``(i) Research, evaluation, and reporting 
                        program.--The Secretary shall work with each 
                        eligible grantee that receives a grant under 
                        this section (including the partner research 
                        organization) to develop a reporting schedule 
                        for a research and evaluation plan that is 
                        approved by the Secretary.
                            ``(ii) Specific activities.--The research 
                        and evaluation plan described in clause (i) 
                        shall accomplish the following:
                                    ``(I) Assess the impact of the 
                                eligible grantee's program, including 
                                examining student academic achievement 
                                on the State academic assessments and 
                                other student-level achievement data, 
                                to make possible a value-added analysis 
                                of academic achievement gains in high-
                                need schools led, for not less than 2 
                                years, by principals who have received 
                                training, development, coaching, and 
                                support from the eligible grantee with 
                                funds made available under the grant, 
                                as compared to other schools. The 
                                assessment may include an examination 
                                of retention rates of high-performing 
                                educators in high-need schools, student 
                                attendance, and secondary school 
                                graduation rates.
                                    ``(II) Identify factors that foster 
                                or hinder the successful implementation 
                                of the eligible grantee's program.
                                    ``(III) Develop understanding of 
                                the internal and external factors, 
                                including principal characteristics and 
                                skills, that need to be aligned in 
                                order to improve student learning, 
                                including an analysis of the impact of 
                                increased principal autonomy and 
                                accountability.
                                    ``(IV) Rigorously evaluate the 
                                school-level support provided through 
                                the eligible grantee.
                                    ``(V) Utilize the data described in 
                                subclauses (I) through (IV) to analyze 
                                progress and drive continuous program 
                                improvement.
                                    ``(VI) Generate and disseminate 
                                information for the field about what 
                                types of principal recruitment, 
                                selection, training, and supports 
                                correlate to student academic 
                                achievement gains.
                    ``(B) Performance-based increase.--Beginning after 
                the end of the third full school year in which a grant 
                is implemented by an eligible grantee awarded a grant 
                under this section, the Secretary shall provide an 
                increase of 50 percent of the original grant amount for 
                such eligible grantee if--
                            ``(i) the activities carried out by the 
                        eligible grantee described in subparagraph (A) 
                        demonstrate that students in high-need schools 
                        led, for not less than 2 years, by principals 
                        who have received training, development, 
                        coaching, and support from a program carried 
                        out with funds from such grant are making more 
                        gains in academic achievement than comparable 
                        students elsewhere, as determined by the 
                        research and evaluation plan approved by the 
                        Secretary under subparagraph (A)(i); and
                            ``(ii) the eligible grantee has the 
                        capacity to scale up the services of the 
                        eligible grantee.
                    ``(C) Grant termination.--By the end of the fourth 
                full school year in which a grant is implemented by an 
                eligible grantee awarded a grant under this section, 
                the Secretary shall terminate such grant if students in 
                high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by 
                principals who have received training, development, 
                coaching, and support from a program carried out with 
                funds from such grant are not making more gains in 
                academic achievement than comparable students 
                elsewhere, as determined by the research and evaluation 
                plan approved by the Secretary under subparagraph 
                (A)(i).
                    ``(D) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall 
                submit an annual report to Congress on--
                            ``(i) the lessons learned through the 
                        performance-based approach to Federal funding 
                        described in this paragraph; and
                            ``(ii) the implications for ensuring a 
                        performance orientation in other Federal 
                        education programs.
            ``(6) Annual report.--An eligible grantee that receives a 
        grant under this section shall provide to Congress and the 
        Secretary an annual report that includes--
                    ``(A) data on the number and characteristics of the 
                aspiring principals trained to lead high-need schools 
                through the grant under this section; and
                    ``(B) levels of academic achievement growth for 
                students in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 
                years, by principals who have received training, 
                development, coaching, and support from a program 
                carried out with funds from such grant.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 2103 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6603) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``(other than subpart 
        5)'' and inserting ``(other than subparts 5 and 6)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) National Principal Recruitment Program.--There are authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out subpart 6 such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the fiscal year 2009 through 2013.''.
    (c) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 2 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 2151 the following:

          ``subpart 6--national principal recruitment program

``Sec. 2161. National Principal Recruitment Program.''.