Republic of the Phitippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 8497

introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING NATIONAL TEACHER ACADEMIES IN ORDER TO
ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE ENTRY INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION

The Constitution, Article Il, Section 17, provides:

The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts,
culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social
progress, and promote total human liberation and development.

Low salaries and the declining status of the teaching profession have reduced the
quantity and quality of individuals entering the teaching profession.

The government must expend efforts to address the existing and impending teaching
shortage in the country. Bringing talented individuals into the teaching profession will
greatly enhance the quality of our education, achieving success in adding the traditional
education of students.

‘$ to establish national teacher
facilitate entry into the teaching profession.

adiemies in order to encourage and

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LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F/ VJLLAFUERTE, JR.


Republic of the Phitippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Queson City
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 8497 97

ID “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING NATIONAL TEACHER ACADEMIES IN ORDER TO
ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE ENTRY INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Teaching Profession Act.”
SECTION 2. Establishment of National Teacher Academies. —

The Secretary of Education, hereafler referred to as the “Secretary’, is

‘dance with the pro\ of this part, to make grants to eligible
recipients to establish and operate national leader academies.

(B) Subject Areas. - One (1) national teacher academy shall be established in each of
the following subject areas commonly taught in elementary and secondary schools:

(1) Basic skills and literacy instruction;
(2) Civics and govemment;

(3) National Writing Project;

(4) Mathematics;

(5) Foreign languages;

(6) History, ge hy and sociology;
(7) Economics:
(8) Life sciences;

(9) Physical sciences, and

(10) The arts, including art, music, and the performing arts.

(C) Selection of Academy Staff. - Academy staff shall be selected from the most


accomplished and prominent scholars in the relevant fields of study and in the
methodologies that prepare persons to teach in such fields of study.

(D) Duration of Grant. - Each grant to establish and operate a national teacher academy
shall before be for a period of five (5) years, and is renewable.

(E) Competitive Grant Awards. - The Secretary shall award grants on the basis of a
competitive bidding process.

(F) Special Consideration. — In awarding grants under this part, the Secretary shall give
special consideration to eligible recipients that have demonstrated effectiveness in

training and in-service programs in the subject areas listed in this section.
SECTION 3. Eligible Recipients. -

(A) In General. — For the purposes of this part, the term “eligible recipient” means —
(1) An institution of higher education;
(2) Aprivate nonprofit educational organization of demonstrated effectiveness; or
(3) A combination of the institutions or organizations set forth in the paragraphs (1)
and (2) of this paragraph.

(8) Expertise Requirements. - The Secretary shall only award grants to eligible
applicants who have demonstrated expertise in the subject area of the national teaching
academy to be established and operated; and in-service training of teachers.

SECTION 4. Use of Funds. — Funds provided pursuant to this part shall be used to —

(A) Provide in-service training programs for teachers and administrators including —
(1) The study of subject matter, methodology, and teacher education, including
effective strategies for teaching all students in mixed-ability classrooms;
(2) The use of the most recent applied research findings concerning education and
the classroom; and
(3) integrating materials from different disciplines into classroom instruction,
especially for elementary school teachers;

(8) Conduct at least one (1) 3-week summer institute each year;

(C) Train the leadership teams to provide in-service training for teachers in the
professional development schools established and

(D) Provide support services to such professional development schools including—
(1) The establishment of a national network of individuals to assist in teacher
education programs in professional development schools;

(2) Consulting assistance in the design and implementation of teacher education;
and


(3) Monthly newsletters or other methods of communicating useful information.
Not more than ten per centum (10%) of the amount of funds received under this part may
use by grant recipients for administrative costs.

mer institute to provide teacher training
programs to teachers and school administrators, participants from each congressional
district shall include the leadership team described in Section 13.

SECTION 6. Application. -

(A) Application. - Each eligible recipient desiring a grant under this part shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may
reasonably require.

(B) Contents. - Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (A) shall —
(1) Describe the activities, services, and programs for which assistance is sought;
(2) Describe how at least seventy per centum (70%) of the institute's time will be
devoted to the development of methods of instruction and the planning of in-service
training programs to be conducted by the professional development academics
established in this Act; and
(3) Provide such additional assurances or information as the Secretary may
reasonably require.

SECTION 7. Special rule: National Writing Project. —

(A) Authorization. — From amounts appropriated pursuant to the authority of Section 7 for
the establishment and operation of the national teacher academy, the Secretary is
authorized to award a grant to the National Writing Project, hereafter referred to as the
"grantee", a non-profit educational organization which has as its primary purpose the
improvement of the quality of student writing as a learning process in the classrooms, to
establish and operate such national teacher academy.

(B) The National Writing Project shall use the grant awarded pursuant to paragraph (A)
to—
(1) Support and promote the establishment of teacher training programs, including
the dissemination of effective practices and research findings regarding the teaching
of writing and administrative activities;
(2) Support classroom research on effective teaching practice and to document
‘student performance; and
(3) Pay the share of the cost of such programs.

(C) Grant Requirements. — The grant awarded pursuant to paragraph (A) shall require

(1) The grantee enter into contracts with institutions of higher education or other
non-profit educational providers, hereinafter referred to as “contractors”, under


which the contractors will agree to establish, operate, and provide share of the cost
of teacher training programs in effective approaches and processes for the teaching
of writing;

(2) Funds made available by the Secretary to the grantee pursuant to the grant
awarded under this section will be used to pay the share of the cost of establishing
and operating teacher training programs in effective approaches and proce:
the teaching of writing;

(3) The grantee will meet such other conditions and standards as the Secretary
determines to be necessary to assure compliance with the provisions of this section
and will provide such technical assistance as may be necessary to carry out the
provisions of this section.

(D) Teacher Training Programs. — The teacher training programs authorized in paragraph
(A) shall —
(1) Be conducted during the school year and during the summer months;
(2) Train teachers who teach grades kindergarten through college;
(3) Select teachers who teach to become members of a National Writing Project
teacher network whose members will conduct writing workshops for other teachers |
the area served by each National Writing Project site; and
(4) Encourage teachers from all disciplines to participate in such teacher training
programs.

(E) Classroom Teacher Grants. - The National Writing Project may reserve an amount
not to exceed five per centum (5%) of the amount appropriated pursuant to the authority
of Section 7 for the establishment and operation of the national teacher academy to
make grants, on a competitive basis, to elementary and secondary school teachers to
enable such teachers to —

(1) Conduct classroom research;

(2) Publish models of student writing;

(3) Conduct research regarding effective practices to improve the teaching of writing;

and

(4) Conduct other activities to improve the teaching and uses of writing.

(F) National Advisory Board. — The National Writing Project shall establish and operate a
National Advisory Board. The National Advisory Board shall —
(1) Advise the National Writing Project on national issues related to student writing
and the teaching of writing;
(2) Review the activities and programs of the National Writing Project; and
(3) Support the continued development of the National Writing Project.

SECTION 8. Authorization of Appropriations. — There are authorized to be appropriated
such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to carry out the provisions of this
part.

SECTION 9. Professional Development Schools. — From amounts appropriated under
this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education,


hereafter referred to as the “Commission”, shall allot to selected State colleges or
universities, in order to establish and operate professional development schools.

SECTION 10. Establishment and Creation of Professional Development Schools. —

(A) Duration of Grant. - Each grant provided pursuant to this part to establish and
operate a professional school shall be for a period of five (5) years, and is renewable.

(B) Grant Awards. — Each grant provided pursuant to this section shall be awarded on
the basis of a competitive bidding process, and to an eligible recipient selected on the
basis of need, as evidenced by measures such as the rate of teacher attrition and the
proportion of the student body at risk of educational failure.

SECTION 11. Application. —

(A) Application. - Each eligible recipient wishing to receive a grant under this part shall
submit an application to the commission, in such manner, and containing such
information, as the commission shall reasonably require.

(B) Contents. — Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (A) shall—
(1) Describe the activities, services, and programs for which assistance is sought;
(2) Provide assurances that all public and private elementary and secondary school
teachers in the area served by the professional development school will be eligible
to participate in the training program;
(3) Contain a description of where the professional development programs will be
located and a justification for selecting the geographic location for each program;
(4) Provide assurances that professional development programs will be conducted
by teachers of demonstrated excellence, including teachers who have participated
in training programs at the National Teacher Academies;
(6) Provide assurances that professional development programs will be developed
and conducted with the participation of faculty from institutions of higher education
or private non-profit organizations of demonstrated effectiveness, and will be
conducted in both academic course content and methods of instruction and with the
participation of the schools’ teachers and administrators;
(6) Contain a description of how the professional development of schools’ activities
will be coordinated with other current in-service training activities in the region;
(7) Describe the provisions which will be made to allow individuals release time from
their teaching or administrative responsibilities to participate in professional
development school activities;
(8) Contain a description of how the professional development school's activities will
help teachers teach alll students in mixed-ability classrooms; and
(9)Where applicable, describe how teachers and administrators from the
jonal development school will be involved in the teacher training programs at
institutions of higher education.

SECTION 12. Use of Funds. — Grants awarded to eligible recipients pursuant to this part


‘shall be used in schools best able to provide services to teachers and administrators of
at risk students to —

(A) Provide professional development programs for teachers which upgrade and
strengthen knowledge of academic course content, particularly in the following subject
areas:

(1) Mathematics;

(2) English, reading, and language arts;

(8) Civics and government;

(4) Basic skills and literacy instruction;

(5) The arts, including art, music and the performing arts;

(6) History, geography and sociology;

(7) Economics;

(8) Life sciences; and

(9) Physical sciences.

(B) improve methods of instruction in content areas to—
(1) Increase the preparedness of all classroom teachers for the participation of
particular populations of students, such as disadvantaged students, students with
disabilities, students who are limited English proficient, and students from diverse
cultural backgrounds, in the classroom management skills;

(2) Improve teaching and classroom management
(3) Provide training in new instructional techniques, methods, and practices
supported by educational research findings, including instructional techniques,
methods and practices; and

(4) Improve teacher training in courses of study which combine one or more related
subject areas;

(C) Where appropriate, provide professional development programs for participants in
school-based management programs;

(D) Encourage teacher collaboration, especially among teachers of different subjects,
including vocational education, physical education, and other specialties not described in
Paragraph (A);

(E) Involve experienced teachers in the training and assessment of novice teachers;

(F) Encourage participation in activities of a network of professional development of their
children;

(G) Provide outreach to parents and greater involvement of parents in the education of
their children; and

(H) Pay the costs of release time, stipends, college or university credit, curricular
materials, and other necessary expenditures.


SECTION 13. Relationship with Other Programs Funded under this Act. —

If a national academy funded under this Act serves teachers within the jurisdiction of a
professional development school assisted under this part, each such professional
development school shall annually conduct an in-service training program in each of the
course content area for which teachers receive training at such national academy.
Such program shall —

(A) Include individuals who have participated in the activities, programs, and services of
the appropriate national academy;

(B) Contain both the academic course and methods of instruction learned at such
national academy;

(C) Be available to all elementary and secondary teachers in the congressional district
who teach the relevant subject matter; and

(D) Provide at least fifty (50) teachers at least thirty (30) hours of high quality instructions
per year.

SECTION 14. Leadership Teams. —

(A) Leadership Teams. —Each steering committee established pursuant to section 14
shall select a three-person (3) leadership team for each national teacher academy
assisted under part A of this title.

(B) Composition. -Each leadership team shall be composed of —
(1) One (1) administrator with authority to design and conduct in-service training
programs;
(2) One (1) elementary school teacher; and
(3) One (1) secondary school teacher.

(C) Duties. — Each leadership shall —
(1) Attend the appropriate subject area summer institute at the appropriate national
teacher academy; and
(2) Assist in the development and operation of professional development schools.

(0) Information and Coordination. ~ Each leadership team serving a professional
it _schoo! shall exchange
establishment of the professional development programs.

SECTION 15. Steering Committee. —

(A) Establishment. — Each eligible recipient
establish a ten (10) member steering committee.

under this part shall also

(8) Composition and Representation. — At least fifty per centum (50%) of the


membership of each steering committee shall be classroom teachers, selected by, and
representative of, teacher organizations, if any. The composition of each steering
committee shall be broadly representative of the elementary and secondary schools and
the local educational agencies served by the professional development school.

(C) Function. — Each steering committee shall annually select the leadership teams in
accordance with section 3.

SECTION 16. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 17. Repealing Clause. ~ Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended
accordingly.

SECTION 18. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
Publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,