I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 848 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve 

teacher and principal effectiveness, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 10, 2015 

Mr. POLIS (for himself and Mrs. DAVIS of California) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

of 1965 to improve teacher and principal effectiveness, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Teaching and 

5 Leading for Great Schools Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. STATE APPLICATION. 

7 Section 2112(b) of the Elementary and Secondary 

8 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6612(b)) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (5)(B), by inserting ‘‘and 

10 principals’’ after ‘‘to ensure that teachers’’; 


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1 (2) by amending paragraph (6) to read as fol2 lows: 

3 ‘‘(6) A description of how the State educational 

4 agency will encourage the development of proven, in5 novative strategies to deliver intensive professional 

6 development programs that are both cost-effective 

7 and easily accessible, such as— 

8 ‘‘(A) strategies that involve delivery 

9 through the use of technology, peer networks, 

10 and distance learning; 

11 ‘‘(B) providing protected release time for 

12 educators to engage in collaborative team-based 

13 learning multiple times per week or several 

14 hours per week; and 

15 ‘‘(C) leveraging resources such as teaching 

16 or leadership standards, formative assessments, 

17 teacher portfolio processes, evidence-based in18 structional practices, and educator development 

19 protocols to guide educator learning.’’; 

20 (3) by amending paragraph (7)(A) to read as 

21 follows: 

22 ‘‘(7)(A) A description of how the State edu23 cational agency will ensure compliance with the re24 quirements for professional development activities 

25 described in section 9101 and— 


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1 ‘‘(i) include educator input, including 

2 that of teachers and principals, in the de3 velopment, implementation, and revision of 

4 the system of professional learning; 

5 ‘‘(ii) conduct a formal evaluation sys6 tem under section 2113(c)(5) to evaluate 

7 the effectiveness of the system of profes8 sional learning described in paragraph (13) 

9 using funds under this subpart and sub10 part 2; and 

11 ‘‘(iii) prepare, support, utilize, and 

12 incentivize internal principals, assistant 

13 principals, teacher leaders, coaches, or con14 tent experts to facilitate school-based pro15 fessional learning.’’; 

16 (4) in paragraph (8)— 

17 (A) by striking ‘‘teachers’’ and inserting 

18 ‘‘educators’’; and 

19 (B) by inserting ‘‘and aligned with the in20 dividualized professional development goals in21 formed by educator evaluations described in 

22 section 2113(c)(4)’’ after ‘‘subpart 2’’; and 

23 (5) by adding at the end the following new 

24 paragraph: 


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1 ‘‘(13) A description of how the State edu2 cational agency will assist schools that choose to cre3 ate and implement the teacher and principal evalua4 tion system described in section 2113(c)(4).’’. 

5 SEC. 3. STATE USE OF FUNDS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2113(a)(3) of the Ele7 mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

8 6613(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following 

9 ‘‘, except that not less than 50 percent of such funds shall 

10 be used for programs and activities to improve principal 

11 effectiveness’’. 

12 (b) STATE ACTIVITIES.—Section 2113(c) of the Ele13 mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

14 6613(c)) is amended— 

15 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

16 (A) by striking ‘‘(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) 

17 CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE.—’’; 

18 (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘; 

19 and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 

20 (C) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 

21 as follows: 

22 ‘‘(B) teacher certification (including recer23 tification) or licensing requirements are aligned 

24 with challenging State academic content stand25 ards, such as— 


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1 ‘‘(i) implementing educator testing for 

2 subject matter knowledge; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) implementing educator testing 

4 for State certification or licensing, includ5 ing rigorous, performance-based assess6 ments that reflect the authentic work of 

7 teachers or principals and are consistent 

8 with title II of the Higher Education Act 

9 of 1965;’’; and 

10 (D) by striking subparagraph (C) and in11 serting the following: 

12 ‘‘(C) funding projects that promote reci13 procity of teacher and principal certification or 

14 licensing between or among States, except that 

15 no reciprocity agreement developed under this 

16 subparagraph or developed using funds pro17 vided under this part may lead to the weak18 ening of any State teaching certification or li19 censing requirement; 

20 ‘‘(D) teacher and principal licensure sys21 tems that provide a single license for entry into 

22 the profession for candidates who complete a 

23 State-approved teacher or principal preparation 

24 program (whether the program is based at an 

25 institution of higher education, local educational 


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1 agency, or non-profit organization) and dif2 ferentiate between— 

3 ‘‘(i) a preliminary license for new 

4 teachers or principals focused on a dem5 onstration of the competencies necessary to 

6 teach or lead in a classroom or school; and 

7 ‘‘(ii) a professional license based on 

8 effectiveness, which may include data from 

9 robust teacher and principal evaluation 

10 systems; and 

11 ‘‘(E) programs are carried out that estab12 lish, expand, or improve alternative routes for 

13 State certification of teachers and principals, 

14 especially in the areas of mathematics and 

15 science, for highly qualified individuals with a 

16 baccalaureate or master’s degree, including 

17 mid-career professionals from other occupa18 tions, paraprofessionals, former military per19 sonnel, and recent college or university grad20 uates with records of academic distinction who 

21 demonstrate the potential to become highly ef22 fective teachers or principals.’’; 

23 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

24 (A) by striking ‘‘(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘(2) 

25 SUPPORT OF TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS.—’’; 


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1 (B) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

2 (A)— 

3 (i) by striking ‘‘teachers or prin4 cipals’’ and inserting ‘‘teachers, principals, 

5 and principal managers’’; and 

6 (ii) by inserting ‘‘induction or’’ before 

7 ‘‘support for teachers and principals new 

8 to their profession’’; 

9 (C) in subparagraph (A)— 

10 (i) by striking ‘‘teacher’’ the first 

11 place it appears and inserting ‘‘educator’’; 

12 (ii) by inserting ‘‘coaching,’’ before 

13 ‘‘team teaching’’; and 

14 (iii) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 

15 a semicolon; 

16 (D) in subparagraph (B)— 

17 (i) by striking ‘‘standards or assess18 ments’’ and inserting ‘‘standards, assess19 ments, or evaluation systems’’; 

20 (ii) by striking ‘‘teachers’’ and insert21 ing ‘‘educators’’; and 

22 (iii) by striking the period at the end 

23 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

24 (E) by adding at the end the following new 

25 subparagraph: 


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1 ‘‘(C) invest in the capacity of principals, 

2 assistant principals, and teacher leaders to 

3 evaluate and provide professional learning op4 portunities to teachers, and in the capacity of 

5 principal managers to evaluate and provide pro6 fessional learning opportunities for school lead7 ers, such as training principal managers, prin8 cipals, assistant principals, and teacher leaders 

9 on— 

10 ‘‘(i) a shared vision of teacher or prin11 cipal performance based on the State’s 

12 teaching or leadership standards; 

13 ‘‘(ii) the use of teacher or principal 

14 evaluation and support systems; 

15 ‘‘(iii) techniques for observing teacher 

16 or principal practice, including how to inte17 grate various data sources into a com18 prehensive assessment of educator effec19 tiveness; 

20 ‘‘(iv) methods for providing strong 

21 coaching and feedback; and 

22 ‘‘(v) the identification of differentiated 

23 learning, including the creation of profes24 sional learning communities opportunities 

25 as part of a targeted growth plan.’’; 


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1 (3) by striking paragraph (3) and redesignating 

2 paragraph (4) as paragraph (3); 

3 (4) by amending paragraph (3), as so redesig4 nated to read as follows: 

5 ‘‘(3) RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.—Devel6 oping and implementing mechanisms to assist local 

7 educational agencies and schools in effectively re8 cruiting and retaining effective educators, including 

9 teachers, specialists in core academic subjects, teach10 er leaders, assistant principals, principals, and pupil 

11 services personnel, such as— 

12 ‘‘(A) developing comprehensive perform13 ance-based compensation systems as part of the 

14 local educational agency’s broader human cap15 ital management system; 

16 ‘‘(B) strategies that provide differentiated 

17 pay and recognition for teachers and principals 

18 based on effectiveness and increased respon19 sibilities such as— 

20 ‘‘(i) incentives to work in high-need 

21 academic subjects or in high-poverty 

22 schools and districts; 

23 ‘‘(ii) strategic staffing models that 

24 allow principals to bring a small team of 


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1 effective educators to a low-performing 

2 school; 

3 ‘‘(iii) increased autonomy in decision4 making; or 

5 ‘‘(iv) opportunities to lead professional 

6 development activities for other educators; 

7 and 

8 ‘‘(C) a center that— 

9 ‘‘(i) serves as a statewide clearing10 house for the recruitment and placement of 

11 kindergarten, elementary school, and sec12 ondary school teachers; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) establishes and carries out pro14 grams to improve educator recruitment 

15 and retention within the State.’’; and 

16 (5) by striking paragraphs (5) through (18) 

17 and inserting after paragraph (3), as so redesig18 nated, the following new paragraphs: 

19 ‘‘(4) TEACHER EVALUATIONS.—Developing and 

20 implementing an evaluation and support system for 

21 teachers that is based on multiple measures, has not 

22 less than 3 levels of performance ratings for teach23 ers, and includes the following minimum require24 ments: 

25 ‘‘(A) STUDENT ACADEMIC OUTCOMES.— 


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1 ‘‘(i) STUDENT ACADEMIC GROWTH.— 

2 A factor of the evaluation is based on stu3 dent academic growth with respect to the 

4 State’s academic standards, as measured 

5 by— 

6 ‘‘(I) student learning gains on 

7 the State’s academic assessments ad8 ministered under section 1111, which 

9 may be used in combination with 

10 other valid and reliable academic out11 come measures with respect to the 

12 State’s academic standards for the 

13 school’s students, including students 

14 in each of the subgroups described in 

15 section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) (such as 

16 student learning objectives, or teacher, 

17 school, or local educational agency as18 sessments, or student work (such as 

19 papers, portfolios, and projects)); or 

20 ‘‘(II) for grades and subjects not 

21 covered by the State’s academic as22 sessments, another valid and reliable 

23 assessment of student academic 

24 achievement, as long as the assess25 ment is used consistently by the local 


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1 educational agency in which the teach2 er is employed for the grade or class 

3 for which the assessment is adminis4 tered. 

5 ‘‘(ii) GRADUATION RATES.—For a 

6 teacher in a secondary school, a portion of 

7 the evaluation is based on improvement in 

8 the school’s graduation rate, when applica9 ble, or in the case of a secondary school 

10 with a graduation rate of more than 90 

11 percent, on maintaining such graduation 

12 rate. 

13 ‘‘(iii) OTHER ACADEMIC OUTCOMES.— 

14 A State may also choose to factor in other 

15 student academic outcomes, such as rates 

16 of student enrollment in advanced-level 

17 coursework and student grade completion, 

18 so long as student academic growth and 

19 graduation rates have a predominant focus 

20 in the factor of the evaluation relating to 

21 student academic outcomes. 

22 ‘‘(B) OBSERVATIONS OF TEACHER PER23 FORMANCE.—A portion of the evaluation is 

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1 ance in the classroom by more than one trained 

2 and objective observer— 

3 ‘‘(i) that take place on several occa4 sions during the school year for which the 

5 teacher is being evaluated; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) under which— 

7 ‘‘(I) a teacher is evaluated 

8 against a rigorous rubric that defines 

9 multiple performance categories in 

10 alignment with the State’s profes11 sional standards for teachers; and 

12 ‘‘(II) observation ratings mean13 ingfully differentiate among teachers’ 

14 performance and bear a relationship 

15 to evidence of student academic 

16 growth with respect to the State’s 

17 academic standards. 

18 ‘‘(C) MEANINGFUL DIFFERENTIATION.— 

19 The evaluation provides performance ratings 

20 that meaningfully differentiate among teacher 

21 performance using the performance ratings and 

22 levels described in paragraph (4). 

23 ‘‘(D) COMPARABILITY OF STUDENT

24 GAINS.—The evaluation provides a measure of 

25 student learning gains that is comparable 


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1 across the State for all teachers in grade levels 

2 and subject areas with a statewide assessment. 

3 ‘‘(E) COMPARABILITY OF RESULTS.—The 

4 evaluation provides results that are comparable, 

5 at a minimum, across all teachers within a 

6 grade level or subject area in the local edu7 cational agency in which the teacher is em8 ployed. 

9 ‘‘(5) PRINCIPAL EVALUATIONS.—Developing 

10 and implementing an evaluation system for prin11 cipals of schools that connects to a system of sup12 port and development, and complies with the fol13 lowing minimum requirements: 

14 ‘‘(A) STUDENT ACADEMIC OUTCOMES.— 

15 ‘‘(i) GROWTH AND ATTAINMENT.—A 

16 factor of the evaluation is based on a focus 

17 on student academic growth, student aca18 demic achievement, and other academic 

19 outcome measures (such as student learn20 ing objectives) with respect to the State’s 

21 academic standards of the school’s stu22 dents, including students in each of the 

23 subgroups described in section 

24 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II). 


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1 ‘‘(ii) GRADUATION RATES.—For a 

2 principal of a secondary school, a portion 

3 of the evaluation is based on improvements 

4 in the school’s graduation rate, when appli5 cable, or in the case of a secondary school 

6 with a graduation rate of more than 90 

7 percent, the success of the principal in 

8 maintaining such graduation rate. 

9 ‘‘(iii) OTHER ACADEMIC OUTCOMES.— 

10 A State may also choose to factor in other 

11 academic outcomes, such as rates of taking 

12 advanced-level coursework and grade com13 pletion. 

14 ‘‘(B) SUPPORT OF EFFECTIVE TEACH15 ERS.—A portion of the evaluation is based on 

16 the recruitment, development, evaluation, and 

17 retention of effective teachers. 

18 ‘‘(C) LEADERSHIP PRACTICES.—A portion 

19 of the evaluation is based on the leadership 

20 practices of the principal, as measured by ob21 servations of the principal and other relevant 

22 data evaluated against a rigorous rubric that 

23 defines multiple performance categories in 

24 alignment with the State’s professional stand25 ards for principals. 


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1 ‘‘(D) OTHER LEADERSHIP PRACTICES.—A 

2 portion of the evaluation is based on other lead3 ership practices, such as creating a school cul4 ture of high student achievement, school plan5 ning and progress, engaging families, commu6 nity, and other stakeholders, cultivating a posi7 tive environment for learning and teaching, 

8 managing staff talent and development, engag9 ing in strategic planning and systems based on 

10 student learning and classroom practice data, 

11 and focusing on personal leadership, profes12 sional knowledge, skills, and improvement. 

13 ‘‘(E) REPORT ON SUMMATIVE RATINGS

14 AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.—Each State re15 ports to the Secretary local educational agency16 level data that compares aggregated summative 

17 evaluation results and correlations with student 

18 academic outcomes to demonstrate that the 

19 evaluation and support system— 

20 ‘‘(i) meaningfully differentiates among 

21 principals’ performance; and 

22 ‘‘(ii) bears a strong relationship to 

23 evidence of student academic growth with 

24 respect to the State’s academic standards. 


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1 ‘‘(F) MEANINGFUL DIFFERENTIATION.— 

2 The evaluation provides performance ratings 

3 that meaningfully differentiate among principal 

4 performance using the not less than 3 levels of 

5 performance ratings. 

6 ‘‘(G) COMPARABILITY OF RESULTS.—The 

7 evaluation provides annual summative results 

8 that are comparable across all principals within 

9 the local educational agency in which the prin10 cipal is employed. 

11 ‘‘(6) SUPPORT.—Providing assistance to local 

12 educational agencies for the development and imple13 mentation of proven, evidence-based strategies to de14 liver intensive, continuous, and differentiated profes15 sional development programs for aspiring or current 

16 principal managers, principals, assistant principals, 

17 coaches, and teacher leaders that are both cost-effec18 tive and easily accessible in order to assist the school 

19 in— 

20 ‘‘(A) providing professional learning and 

21 coaching for educators in analyzing student, 

22 school, and teacher performance data to inform 

23 decisionmaking and improvement efforts and 

24 creating a shared vision of teaching and learn25 ing; 


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1 ‘‘(B) analyzing and extracting information 

2 from student, school, and educator performance 

3 data; 

4 ‘‘(C) clarifying school improvement goals; 

5 ‘‘(D) developing and implementing a sys6 tem of professional learning aligned with stu7 dent achievement needs and educator learning 

8 goals; 

9 ‘‘(E) understanding and analyzing student 

10 learning standards; 

11 ‘‘(F) making available opportunities for 

12 team-learning activities that focus on increasing 

13 pedagogical and content knowledge in academic 

14 subjects that are aligned to student learning 

15 goals; 

16 ‘‘(G) designing, creating, and evaluating 

17 the results of curriculum-based diagnostic and 

18 performance assessments; 

19 ‘‘(H) encouraging and supporting the 

20 training of teachers and administrators to effec21 tively integrate technology into curricula and in22 struction, including training to improve the 

23 ability to collect, manage, and analyze data to 

24 improve teaching, decisionmaking, school im25 provement efforts, and accountability; 


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1 ‘‘(I) academic study, developmental simula2 tion exercises, or self-reflection; 

3 ‘‘(J) mentorships and internships; 

4 ‘‘(K) supporting, managing, and overseeing 

5 the school’s organization, operation, and use re6 sources; and 

7 ‘‘(L) engaging with the community to cre8 ate a shared responsibility for student academic 

9 performance and successful personal develop10 ment. 

11 ‘‘(7) ADVANCEMENT AND PIPELINE DEVELOP12 MENT.—Developing, or assisting local educational 

13 agencies in developing, educator advancement initia14 tives that promote professional growth, emphasize 

15 multiple career paths for expanding the reach of ef16 fective teachers and principals, and recognize effec17 tiveness and increased responsibilities with pay dif18 ferentiation, such as— 

19 ‘‘(A) creating paths to— 

20 ‘‘(i) grow within the teaching profes21 sion, such as taking responsibility for addi22 tional students or students with greater 

23 needs for improvement, becoming a mentor 

24 teacher, or contributing instructional tools 

25 for other teachers; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) move towards a school leadership 

2 position, such as conducting peer evalua3 tions, providing instructional coaching, 

4 serving on a school-wide leadership team, 

5 or leading teams of teachers; or 

6 ‘‘(iii) become a principal or principal 

7 manager; and 

8 ‘‘(B) utilizing internal principals, assistant 

9 principals, teacher leaders, coaches, or content 

10 experts to— 

11 ‘‘(i) support classroom learning; 

12 ‘‘(ii) facilitate effective collaboration 

13 skills across learning communities and 

14 transfer knowledge from peers teaching 

15 and leading high-performing classrooms 

16 and schools. 

17 ‘‘(8) MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS.—Measuring 

18 the effectiveness of each local educational agency re19 ceiving a subgrant under subpart 2 and each school 

20 receiving assistance from the agency under this part, 

21 in— 

22 ‘‘(A) ensuring that school protected release 

23 time for professional learning occurs multiple 

24 times per week or the equivalent of several 

25 hours; 


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1 ‘‘(B) implementing on-going, research2 based professional learning for teacher leaders, 

3 coaches, assistant principals, principals, and 

4 principal managers; 

5 ‘‘(C) ensuring that principal managers, 

6 principals, assistant principals, teacher leaders, 

7 coaches, teachers, and schools are using data to 

8 inform instructional practices; and 

9 ‘‘(D) ensuring that the system of profes10 sional learning described in paragraph (7) is 

11 carried out using subgrant funds received under 

12 subpart 2 is integrated and aligned with the 

13 evaluation system described in paragraph (6) 

14 and the State’s school improvement plans. 

15 ‘‘(9) ADMINISTRATION.—Fulfilling the State 

16 educational agency’s responsibilities concerning 

17 proper and efficient administration of the programs 

18 carried out under this part, including provision of 

19 technical assistance to local educational agencies.’’. 

20 SEC. 4. LOCAL APPLICATIONS AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT. 

21 Section 2122(b) of the Elementary and Secondary 

22 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6622(b)) is amended— 

23 (1) in paragraph (3)— 


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1 (A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘in 

2 grades kindergarten through three’’ after ‘‘class 

3 size’’; and 

4 (B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘or 

5 the State’s alternative school improvement sys6 tem’’ after ‘‘section 1116(b)’’; 

7 (2) in paragraph (4)— 

8 (A) by inserting ‘‘, as well as funds re9 ceived under part D that are used for profes10 sional development to train teachers and prin11 cipals to integrate technology into curricula and 

12 instruction to improve teaching, learning, and 

13 technology literacy’’ after ‘‘other Federal, State, 

14 and local programs’’; 

15 (3) by striking paragraphs (5) through (7); 

16 (4) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through 

17 (11) as paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively; 

18 (5) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by 

19 striking ‘‘meet the requirements of section 1119’’ 

20 and inserting ‘‘increase the number of effective edu21 cators as measured by the evaluation system defined 

22 in section 2113(c)(4)’’; and 

23 (6) by adding at the end the following new 

24 paragraphs: 


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1 ‘‘(9) A description of how the local educational 

2 agency will assist schools in— 

3 ‘‘(A) ensuring that a system of profes4 sional development to continuously improve ed5 ucator effectiveness, student achievement, and 

6 overall school and system performance is an in7 tegral part of an educator evaluation system; 

8 ‘‘(B) providing protected release time for 

9 educators to engage in collaborative team-based 

10 learning multiple times per week or several 

11 hours per week; and 

12 ‘‘(C) leveraging resources such as teaching 

13 and leadership standards, formative assess14 ments, teacher portfolio processes, evidence15 based instructional practices, and educator de16 velopment protocols to guide educator learning. 

17 ‘‘(10) A description of how the local educational 

18 agency will— 

19 ‘‘(A) include educator input, including that 

20 of teachers and principals, in the development, 

21 implementation, and revision of the system of 

22 professional learning; 

23 ‘‘(B) conduct a formal evaluation system 

24 under section 2113(c)(23) to evaluate the effec25 tiveness of the system of professional learning 


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1 described in paragraph (13) using funds under 

2 this part; and 

3 ‘‘(C) prepare, support, utilize, and 

4 incentivize internal principals, assistant prin5 cipals, teacher leaders, coaches, or content ex6 perts to facilitate school-based professional 

7 learning.’’. 

8 SEC. 5. LOCAL USE OF FUNDS. 

9 Section 2123 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu10 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 66239a) is amended— 

11 (1) in subsection (a)— 

12 (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 

13 follows: 

14 ‘‘(1) Developing and implementing mechanisms 

15 to assist schools in effectively recruiting and retain16 ing effective educators, including teachers, special17 ists in core academic subjects, teacher leaders, prin18 cipals, assistant principals, and pupil services per19 sonnel, such as— 

20 ‘‘(A) developing strategies that provide dif21 ferentiated pay and recognition for teachers and 

22 principals based on effectiveness and increased 

23 responsibilities, such as— 

24 ‘‘(i) providing scholarships, signing 

25 bonuses, or other financial incentives, to 


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1 work in high-need academic subjects or in 

2 high-poverty schools; 

3 ‘‘(ii) strategic staffing models that 

4 allow principals to bring a small team of 

5 effective educators to a low-performing 

6 school; or 

7 ‘‘(iii) increased autonomy in decision8 making; 

9 ‘‘(B) recruiting and hiring highly qualified 

10 teachers to reduce class size, particularly in the 

11 early grades; and 

12 ‘‘(C) establishing programs that— 

13 ‘‘(i) train and hire regular and special 

14 education teachers (which may include hir15 ing special education teachers to team16 teach in classrooms that contain both chil17 dren with disabilities and nondisabled chil18 dren); 

19 ‘‘(ii) train and hire effective teachers 

20 of special needs children, as well as teach21 ing specialists in core academic subjects 

22 who will provide increased individualized 

23 instruction to students; 

24 ‘‘(iii) recruit qualified professionals 

25 from other fields, including highly qualified 


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1 paraprofessionals, and provide such profes2 sionals with alternative routes to educator 

3 certification, including developing and im4 plementing hiring policies that ensure com5 prehensive recruitment efforts as a way to 

6 expand the applicant pool, such as through 

7 identifying teachers and principals certified 

8 through alternative routes, and using a 

9 system of intensive screening designed to 

10 hire the most qualified applicants; 

11 ‘‘(iv) provide increased opportunities 

12 for minorities, individuals with disabilities, 

13 and other individuals underrepresented in 

14 the teaching and principal professions; and 

15 ‘‘(v) develop and support school lead16 ership academies to help exceptionally tal17 ented aspiring or current teacher leaders 

18 or principals or superintendents become 

19 outstanding managers and educational 

20 leaders; 

21 ‘‘(D) educator mentoring from exemplary 

22 teachers, teacher leaders, assistant principals, 

23 principals, or principal managers; 

24 ‘‘(E) induction and support for teachers 

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1 ployment as teachers or principals, respectively; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(F) incentives, including financial incen4 tives, to retain educators who have a record of 

5 success in helping low-achieving students im6 prove their academic achievement.’’; 

7 (B) by striking paragraphs (2) through 

8 (5); 

9 (C) by redesignating paragraphs (6) 

10 through (10) as paragraphs (2), (3), (5), and 

11 (6), respectively; 

12 (D) by inserting after paragraph (3), as so 

13 redesignated, the following new paragraph: 

14 ‘‘(4) Increasing the knowledge and skills of 

15 principal managers, principals, assistant principals, 

16 coaches and teacher leaders on how to— 

17 ‘‘(A) develop educators by leading effective 

18 professional learning and data-driven instruc19 tion teams aligned with achievement needs and 

20 educator goals; 

21 ‘‘(B) conduct observations to provide use22 ful feedback to educators in identifying and 

23 meeting student needs and creating a profes24 sional climate of shared accountability for stu25 dent learning; 


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1 ‘‘(C) manage talent, including defining 

2 great educator candidates, recruiting top talent, 

3 and hiring the best applicants, conducting for4 mal educator evaluations, and dismissing or 

5 counseling out underperforming educators; 

6 ‘‘(D) individualize educator roles and re7 sponsibilities by designing staffing models to le8 verage educator strengths and encouraging 

9 members of the faculty to engage in leadership 

10 roles that contribute to school improvement ef11 forts; 

12 ‘‘(E) engage the community, including 

13 seeking contributions from parents, community 

14 organizations, and other school stakeholders; 

15 ‘‘(F) engage in partnerships between ele16 mentary schools, secondary schools, and insti17 tutes of higher education to ensure the vertical 

18 alignment of student learning outcomes; and 

19 ‘‘(G) foster professional learning commu20 nities in which educators have time, protocols, 

21 and an instructional focus, and which transfer 

22 knowledge from peers teaching and leading at 

23 high-performing classrooms and schools.’’; 

24 (E) by striking paragraph (5), as so redes25 ignated, and inserting the following: 


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1 ‘‘(5) Carrying out the teacher and principal 

2 evaluation system described in section 2113(c)(4).’’; 

3 and 

4 (F) by striking paragraph (6), as so redes5 ignated, and inserting the following: 

6 ‘‘(6) Carrying out a formal evaluation system to 

7 determine the effectiveness of a program carried out 

8 under such system, including— 

9 ‘‘(A) ensuring that school protected release 

10 time for professional learning occurs multiple 

11 times per week or the equivalent of several 

12 hours; 

13 ‘‘(B) implementing on-going, research14 based professional learning for teacher leaders, 

15 coaches, assistant principals, principals, and 

16 principal managers; 

17 ‘‘(C) ensuring that principal managers, 

18 principals, assistant principals, teacher leaders, 

19 coaches, teachers, and schools are using data to 

20 inform instructional practices; 

21 ‘‘(D) ensuring that the system of profes22 sional learning is carried out using subgrant 

23 funds received under this subpart and is inte24 grated and aligned with the evaluation system 


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1 described in section 2113(c)(4) and the State’s 

2 school improvement plans; and 

3 ‘‘(E) determining the effectiveness of such 

4 a program on— 

5 ‘‘(i) teacher instructional practice; 

6 ‘‘(ii) principal instructional leadership 

7 practice; 

8 ‘‘(iii) student learning gains; 

9 ‘‘(iv) teacher retention; 

10 ‘‘(v) student graduation and college 

11 readiness rates, as applicable; 

12 ‘‘(vi) student attendance rates; 

13 ‘‘(vii) teacher and principal efficacy; 

14 and 

15 ‘‘(viii) teachers participating in leader16 ship roles.’’; and 

17 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—A local educational agency that 

19 receives a subgrant under section 2121 shall use not less 

20 than 10 percent of the subgrant funds for programs and 

21 activities to improve principal effectiveness.’’. 

22 SEC. 6. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEFINED. 

23 Section 9101(34) of the Elementary and Secondary 

24 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(34)) is amended 

25 to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(34) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.—The 

2 term ‘professional development’ means a comprehen3 sive system of professional learning to increase edu4 cator effectiveness in improving student learning and 

5 achievement means that— 

6 ‘‘(A) fosters collective responsibility for im7 proved student performance; 

8 ‘‘(B) is comprised of professional learning 

9 that— 

10 ‘‘(i) is aligned with rigorous State stu11 dent academic achievement standards as 

12 well as related local educational agency 

13 and school improvement goals; 

14 ‘‘(ii) is conducted among educators at 

15 the school and facilitated by well-prepared 

16 school principals and school-based profes17 sional development coaches, mentors, mas18 ter teachers, or other teacher leaders who 

19 have demonstrated success at getting re20 sults with the given student population; 

21 and 

22 ‘‘(iii) primarily occurs several times 

23 per week, or the equivalent of several 

24 hours per week, among established teams 

25 of teachers, principals, and other instrucVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:16 Feb 17, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H848.IH H848

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1 tional staff members where the teams of 

2 educators engage in a continuous cycle of 

3 improvement that— 

4 ‘‘(I) evaluates student, teacher, 

5 and school learning needs through a 

6 thorough review of data on teacher 

7 and student performance; 

8 ‘‘(II) defines a clear set of educa9 tor learning goals based on the rig10 orous analysis of the data; 

11 ‘‘(III) achieves the educator 

12 learning goals identified in subclause 

13 (II) by implementing coherent, sus14 tained, and evidence-based learning 

15 strategies, such as lesson study and 

16 the development of formative assess17 ments, that improve instructional ef18 fectiveness and student achievement; 

19 ‘‘(IV) provides job-embedded 

20 coaching or other forms of assistance 

21 to support the transfer of new knowl22 edge and skills to the classroom; 

23 ‘‘(V) regularly assesses the effec24 tiveness of the professional develop25 ment in achieving identified learning 


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1 goals, improving teaching, and assist2 ing all students in meeting chal3 lenging State academic achievement 

4 standards; 

5 ‘‘(VI) informs ongoing improve6 ments in teaching and student learn7 ing; and 

8 ‘‘(VII) may be supported by ex9 ternal assistance; and 

10 ‘‘(C) may be supported by activities such 

11 as courses, workshops, institutes, networks, and 

12 conferences that— 

13 ‘‘(i) address the learning goals and 

14 objectives established by educators at the 

15 school level; 

16 ‘‘(ii) advance the ongoing school-based 

17 professional learning; and 

18 ‘‘(iii) are provided for by for-profit 

19 and nonprofit entities outside the school 

20 such as universities, education service 

21 agencies, technical assistance providers, 

22 networks of content-area specialists, and 

23 other education organizations and associa24 tions.’’. 

Æ 


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