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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1574 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1574

To establish Teaching Residency Programs for preparation and induction 
                              of teachers.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 7, 2007

   Mr. Obama introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To establish Teaching Residency Programs for preparation and induction 
                              of teachers.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Teaching Residency Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) There are large and unrelenting gaps in student 
        achievement among various student subgroups, with low-income 
        and minority children performing at levels measurably lower 
        than their more affluent peers. In urban elementary schools, 
        African-American and Latino students are several times less 
        likely than their white peers to be reading at even a basic 
        level, and children living in poverty are several times less 
        likely than their more affluent peers to be proficient in 
        reading or mathematics. Students in poor rural communities are 
        also harmed. In some States, only 60 percent of white students 
        graduate from secondary school.
            (2) Three out of every 10 9th-grade students will not 
        graduate from high school on schedule, and about half of all 
        African-American and Hispanic 9th graders will not earn a 
        diploma in 4 years. Of those who do graduate and continue on to 
        college, over a quarter must enroll in remedial courses on 
        material they should have learned in high school.
            (3) It is children of color and children of poverty who 
        suffer most from a failure to provide them with adequate 
        resources and expert teachers. For example, students of color 
        and low-income students are more likely to be assigned teachers 
        who are teaching outside their field of expertise, and twice as 
        likely as white and affluent students to be assigned to 
        inexperienced teachers.
            (4) Having an effective teacher throughout elementary 
        school can substantially overcome the disadvantage of a low 
        socioeconomic background, and the influence of teachers on 
        student achievement is greater than other variables.
            (5) Inexperienced teachers are less effective than teachers 
        with several years of experience. Successful teacher 
        preparation programs, providing ongoing support, can make 
        novice teachers effective more rapidly. The majority of new 
        teachers lack such support, and so leave the profession before 
        becoming effective.
            (6) Urban and high poverty schools often lose \1/5\ of 
        their teaching staff each year. More than 40 percent of 
        teachers have 3 or fewer years experience in their current 
        school. This constant turnover of inexperienced, underprepared 
        teachers, especially in high-poverty schools, thwarts efforts 
        at school improvement. Teachers leave the profession much 
        sooner if they have inadequate preparation and ineffective 
        mentoring support in their first years of teaching. The 
        national costs of teacher attrition are estimated at more than 
        $2,000,000,000 annually.
            (7) Teacher candidates must see expert practices modeled 
        and must then practice them with ongoing mentoring support. 
        Teacher preparation often fails to provide the opportunity to 
        learn under the direct supervision of expert teachers working 
        in schools that effectively serve high-need students. Student 
        teaching is too often conducted in classrooms that do not model 
        effective practice, or in classrooms that do not serve high-
        need students, and the lessons learned do not generalize to 
        effective teaching in high-need schools.
            (8) It is critical to develop programs that increase the 
        probability recruits will succeed and stay in the high-need 
        classrooms where they are needed. Because many teacher 
        candidates choose to teach where they grew up or went to 
        college, it is important to have strong programs in hard-to-
        staff urban and rural locations.
            (9) Teaching Residency Programs effectively build teacher 
        supply, since they recruit and prepare candidates in the 
        districts that sponsor them. Teaching residency programs have 
        demonstrated the capacity to recruit, prepare, retain, and 
        provide effective support for teachers in high-need schools.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM FOR TEACHING RESIDENCY PROGRAMS.

    Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

                 ``PART C--TEACHING RESIDENCY PROGRAMS

``SEC. 231. GRANT PROGRAM FOR TEACHING RESIDENCY PROGRAMS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) High-need local educational agency.--The term `high-
        need local educational agency' means a local educational 
        agency--
                    ``(A) that is among the highest 50 percent of local 
                educational agencies in the State in terms of 
                percentage of students from families with incomes below 
                the poverty line (as defined in section 201);
                    ``(B) that is among the lowest 50 percent of local 
                educational agencies in the State on assessments 
                required under part A of title I of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965, or, where feasible, 
                the lowest 50 percent of local educational agencies in 
                the State in terms of measures of teaching 
                effectiveness; and
                    ``(C) for which there is a high percentage of 
                classes taught by teachers not teaching in the academic 
                subjects or grade levels that the teachers were 
                prepared to teach.
            ``(2) High-need school.--The term `high-need school' means 
        a school that--
                    ``(A) is among the highest 50 percent of schools in 
                the local educational agency that serves the school in 
                terms of percentage of students from families with 
                incomes below the poverty line (as defined in section 
                201);
                    ``(B) is among the lowest 50 percent of schools in 
                the local educational agency that serves the school on 
                assessments required under part A of title I of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, or, 
                where feasible, the lowest 50 percent of schools in the 
                State in terms of measures of teaching effectiveness; 
                and
                    ``(C) is not undergoing the process of corrective 
                action, as described in section 1116 of the Elementary 
                and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
            ``(3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a).
            ``(4) Teaching residency program.--The term `teaching 
        residency program' means a school-based teacher preparation 
        program in which a prospective teacher--
                    ``(A) for 1 academic year, teaches alongside a 
                mentor teacher, who is the teacher of record;
                    ``(B) receives concurrent instruction, which may be 
                taught by district or residency program faculty, in the 
                teaching of the content area in which the teacher will 
                become certified or licensed to teach;
                    ``(C) acquires knowledge of planning, content, 
                pedagogy, student learning, and assessment, management 
                of the classroom environment, and professional 
                responsibilities, including interaction with families 
                and colleagues;
                    ``(D) earns a master's degree and attains full 
                State certification or licensure to teach prior to 
                completion of the program; and
                    ``(E) receives ongoing mentoring support in a 
                structured induction program for not less than the 
                first 2 years as teacher of record.
    ``(b) Authorization.--The Secretary shall establish a program to 
award grants, on a competitive basis, to 20 high-need local educational 
agencies, or a consortium of such local educational agencies, in 
partnership with nonprofit community agencies and an institution of 
higher education, to enable such partnerships to carry out the 
following:
            ``(1) Support teaching residency programs to prepare 
        teachers in high-needs subject areas as determined by local 
        educational agency needs.
            ``(2) Modify staffing procedures, in consultation and 
        cooperation with local teacher organizations, to provide 
        greater flexibility for agency and school leaders to establish 
        effective school-level staffing to facilitate placement of 
        graduates of the teaching residency programs in cohorts that 
        facilitate professional collaboration, both among graduates of 
        the teaching residency program, and between such graduates and 
        mentor teachers in the receiving school. Staffing procedures 
        shall include consideration of equitable distribution of 
        effective teachers to ensure that poor and minority students 
        are not disproportionately taught by teachers who are--
                    ``(A) poorly prepared in the subject being taught; 
                and
                    ``(B) less likely to excel in other measures of 
                teacher effectiveness.
            ``(3) Ensure that residents receive both effective 
        mentoring during preparation and effective induction once they 
        become the teacher of record.
    ``(c) Application.--A high-need local educational agency that 
desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
accompanied by such information as the Secretary shall require.
    ``(d) Teaching Residency Programs.--
            ``(1) In general.--
                    ``(A) Establishment.--A high-need local educational 
                agency that receives a grant under this section shall 
                use the grant funds to establish a Teaching Residency 
                Program, based upon models of successful teaching 
                residencies, as a mechanism to prepare teachers for 
                success in such local educational agency.
                    ``(B) Design.--Each Teaching Residency Program 
                shall be designed to meet the following characteristics 
                of successful programs:
                            ``(i) Teaching residencies integrate 
                        pedagogy and classroom practice. Residents 
                        engage in rigorous master's level coursework 
                        while undertaking a guided teaching 
                        apprenticeship.
                            ``(ii) Residents learn alongside a trained 
                        and experienced mentor. Mentor teachers shall 
                        complement the residency program so that 
                        classroom clinical practice is tightly aligned 
                        with coursework. Mentor teachers shall have 
                        extra responsibilities as teacher leaders of 
                        the Teaching Residency Program, as mentors for 
                        residents, and as teacher coaches during the 
                        induction of novice teachers. These 
                        responsibilities shall include establishing, 
                        within the program, a learning community in 
                        which all individuals are expected to 
                        continually improve their capacity to advance 
                        student learning. Mentor teachers may have 
                        relief from teaching duties as a result of such 
                        additional responsibilities. The Teaching 
                        Residency Program shall establish clear 
                        criteria for selection of mentor teachers based 
                        on measures of teacher effectiveness and the 
                        appropriate subject area knowledge. Evaluation 
                        of teacher effectiveness shall be based on 
                        observations of such domains of teaching as the 
                        following:
                                    ``(I) Planning and preparation, 
                                including demonstrated knowledge of 
                                content, pedagogy, and assessment, 
                                including the use of formative 
                                assessment to improve student learning.
                                    ``(II) Appropriate instruction that 
                                engages students with different 
                                learning styles.
                                    ``(III) Collaboration with 
                                colleagues to improve instruction.
                                    ``(IV) Appropriate and fair 
                                analysis of gains in student learning. 
                                When feasible, this may include valid 
                                and reliable objective measure of the 
                                influence of teachers on the rate of 
                                student academic progress.
                            ``(iii) Teaching Residency Programs group 
                        teacher candidates in cohorts to facilitate 
                        professional collaboration among residents.
                            ``(iv) Teaching Residency Programs 
                        admissions goals and priorities are developed 
                        in concert with the hiring objectives of the 
                        local educational agency, which commits to hire 
                        graduates from the residency program. Residents 
                        learn to teach in the same district in which 
                        they will work, learning the instructional 
                        initiatives and curriculum of the district.
                            ``(v) Teaching Residency Programs support 
                        residents once they are hired as teachers of 
                        record. Residencies continue to provide 
                        mentoring, professional development, and 
                        networking opportunities to support residents 
                        through their first years of teaching.
            ``(2) Eligible individuals.--An individual may be eligible 
        for a grant to attend a Teaching Residency Program if the 
        individual is a recent college graduate or mid-career 
        professional from outside the field of education, possessing 
        strong content knowledge or a record of achievement.
            ``(3) Application.--An individual who is eligible under 
        paragraph (2) and who desires a grant under this subsection 
        shall submit an application to the Teaching Residency Program.
            ``(4) Selection criteria.--The Teaching Residency Program 
        shall establish criteria for selection of individuals to 
        receive grants under this subsection, based on the following 
        characteristics:
                    ``(A) Demonstrated comprehensive subject knowledge 
                or record of accomplishment in the field or subject 
                area to be taught.
                    ``(B) Strong verbal and written communication 
                skills, which may be demonstrated by performance on 
                appropriate tests.
                    ``(C) Other attributes linked to effective 
                teaching, which may be determined by interviews or 
                performance assessments, as determined by the Teaching 
                Residency Program.
            ``(5) Receipt of grant.--An individual who receives a grant 
        under this subsection shall enroll in the program of the 
        Teaching Residency Program, which shall include the following:
                    ``(A) A 1-year teaching residency program in a 
                school served by the local educational agency, under 
                the supervision of a mentor teacher serving as the 
                teacher of record, with demonstrated teaching 
                effectiveness, who will instruct the resident in 
                planning and preparation, instruction of students, 
                management of the classroom environment, and other 
                professional responsibilities.
                    ``(B) A living stipend or salary for the period of 
                residency.
                    ``(C) Concurrent instruction from a partner 
                college, State-approved organization, or school of 
                education at an institution of higher education in 
                pedagogy classes to augment the expertise of district 
                or residency program faculty, and to the extent 
                necessary to receive full certification as a teacher.
                    ``(D) Ongoing mentoring and coaching during the 
                first 2 or more years of induction into classroom 
                teaching.
            ``(6) Placement in high-need school.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An eligible individual who 
                receives a grant under this subsection shall teach in a 
                high-need school served by the local educational agency 
                for a period of 3 years after completing the 1-year 
                teaching residency program.
                    ``(B) Repayment.--If an eligible individual does 
                not complete the teaching requirement described in 
                subparagraph (A), such individual shall repay to the 
                local educational agency a pro rata portion of the 
                grant amount for the amount of teaching time the 
                individual did not complete.
    ``(e) Teaching Residency Program Evaluation.--Of the amounts 
appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall reserve 5 
percent for an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program 
established under this section, in relation to the effectiveness of 
other programs that prepare teachers for employment with high-need 
schools and high-need local educational agencies, including, where 
feasible, value-added measures of learning gains of students taught by 
graduates of each Teaching Residency Program, to be conducted by the 
Institute of Education Sciences, the National Science Foundation, or 
the National Academy of Sciences, at the direction of the Secretary. 
Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of the Teaching 
Residency Act, the Secretary shall make the results of such evaluation 
public.
    ``(f) Matching Funds.--A high-need local educational agency that 
receives a grant under this section shall provide matching funds in an 
amount equal to 100 percent of grant funds provided to the agency under 
this section to carry out the activities supported by the grant, which 
may be provided by community partners, institutions of higher 
education, or others.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
        2008 through 2012.
            ``(2) Redirection of appropriations.--For each of fiscal 
        years 2008 through 2012, the Secretary shall redirect amounts 
        appropriated to carry out this title, other than this section, 
        that the Secretary determines to be ineffective, to carry out 
        this section.''.
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