SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S. No. 1248 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 14, Section 1 provides that: 
SEC. 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to 
quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such 
education accessible to all. 
In Section 5, paragraph 5 of the same article, the Constitution further mandates that: 
SEC. 2. The State shall: 
(4) The State shall enhance the right of teachers to professional 
advancement. Non-teaching academic and non-academic personnel shall enjoy 
the protection of the State; 
In the wake of the recent concerns raised as to the decline of education in our country, I it 
is imperative that we enact laws that improve the level of education in our country as we move 
towards globalization. The ability of a school or district to improve teaching and raise student 
achievement is greatly dependent on the quality of leadership. Quality leadership can only be 
achieved if potential leaders are provided with the necessary support, professional development, 
and resources. 
This bill seeks to improve the quality of our education by improving the quality of the 
school leadership. 2 
I Quismundo, Tarra. "Ramos on RP education: It's going to get worse." Philippine Daily Inquirer. 16 July 2008. 
2 This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session. 
I 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. 1248 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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PROVIDING GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE CONSORTIA TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL 
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DEVELOPMENT TO SUPERINTENDENTS, PRINCIPALS, AND PROSPECTIVE 
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SUPERINTENDENTS AND PRINCIPALS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Investment in Quality School 
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Leadership Act." 
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SECTION 2. Purpose. - The purposes of this Act are-
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(A) 
To provide ongoing, intensive professional development to superintendents, 
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principals, and prospective superintendents and principals, particularly those serving, or 
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intending to serve, in high-poverty, low-performing school districts and schools; 
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(B) 
To improve the capacity of current and prospective superintendents and principals 
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to serve as effective leaders and successfully implement standards-based reforms; 
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(C) 
To encourage the recruitment and retention of quality school leaders at the 
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district- and school-level by enabling them to further develop their skills and knowledge; and 
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(D) 
To recognize and support the importance of principals and superintendents in 
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facilitating student learning and improving academic achievement. 
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SECTION 3. Grants. - From the amounts appropriated to carry out this Act and not 
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reserved under Section 9 for any fiscal year, the Secretary of Education (in this Act referred to as 
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the "Secretary") shall award grants to eligible consortia to establish professional development 
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programs described in Section 4. 
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SECTION 4. Professional Development. - A program referred to in Section 3 shall serve 
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a province or region and provide superintendents, principals, and prospective superintendents 
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and principals, particularly those serving, or intending to serve, in high-poverty, low-performing 
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school districts and schools, with ongoing, intensive professional development opportunities to 
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improve their capacity to serve as effective leaders and successfully implement standards-based 
6 
reforms. 
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SECTION 5. Awards Basis. - The Secretary shall award grants on a competitive basis to 
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eligible applicants. In awarding grants under this Act, the Secretary shall give priority to 
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consortia in which· the local educational agency participating in the consortium serves the highest 
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concentration of children living in poverty. 
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SECTION 6. Eligibility. 
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(A) 
Required Participants- In order to receive a grant nnder this Act, a consortium 
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shall include not less than--
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(1) one local educational agency serving a high concentration of children living in 
IS 
poverty; 
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(2) one institution of higher education; and 
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(3) one organization that does not usually provide educational services, but has 
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the necessary expertise to provide professional development to school 
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administrators. 
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(B) 
Other Participants- An eligible consortium may also include--
(1) one or more additional local educational agencies; 
(2) provincial educational agencies; 
(3) for-profit organizations 
with the 
expertise to 
provide 
professional 
development to school administrators; and 
(4) public or private nonprofit organizations with the expertise to provide 
professional development to school administrators. 
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SECTION 7. Application. - In order to receive an award under this Act, an eligible 
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applicant shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
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containing such information as the Secretary may require. 
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Each such application shall include--
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(A) 
information demonstrating that the applicant shall meet the matching requirement 
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of Section 9; and 
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(B) 
a description of the involvement of superintendents and principals in developing 
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the application. 
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SECTION 8. Appropriations. - Use of Funds-
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(A) 
Required Uses - A consortium that receives a grant under this Act shall use the 
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grant funds to establish or expand a leadership development program described as follows: 
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(1) The program referred to in Section 7 (A) shall provide superintendents, 
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principals, and prospective superintendents and principals, particularly 
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individuals serving, or intending to serve, in high-poverty, low-performing 
IS 
schools and school districts, with ongoing, intensive professional development 
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opportunities through activities that increase the knowledge and skills of 
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participants in such areas as--
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(a) effective instructional practices; 
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(b) the content of the educational standards and supporting implementation of 
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the standards in the classroom; 
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(c) comprehensive whole-school reform approaches and programs; 
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(d) the effective use of educational technology to improve teaching and 
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learning; 
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(e) the recruitment, assignment, retention, and evaluation of school staff; 
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(f) the enhancement and development of management and organizational 
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skills; 
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(g) leadership skills; 
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(h) the effective use of data for decisionmaking; and 
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(i) the implementation of school-based leadership teams. 
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(B) 
Additional Uses- A consortium that receives a grant under this Act may also use 
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the grant funds to support--
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(I) the recruitment and preparation of prospective principals and superintendents, 
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including candidates with leadership and managerial experience in fields other 
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than education; and 
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(2) alternative pathways to administrative positions. 
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SECTION 9. Matching Requirement. - Each recipient of a grant under this Act shall 
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provide not less than fifty (50) percent of the annual cost of the project assisted by the grant from 
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sources other than this Act. A grantee's share of such costs may be provided in cash or in kind, 
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fairly evaluated. 
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. The Secretary may waive the matching requirement under this Section with respect to 
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applicants that the Secretary determines serve low-income areas. 
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SECTION 10. Reservation. - The Secretary may reserve not more than four (4) percent 
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ohhe amount appropriated for each fiscal year for technical assistance, evaluation, dissemination 
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of information on effective programs for preparing and training district and school-level 
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administrators, carrying out activities to encourage the spread and adoption of successful 
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leadership development centers, and other national activities that support the programs under this 
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Act. 
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SECTION 11. Existing Programs. -
The Secretary shall, in consultation with 
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representatives oflocal educational agencies, national educational agencies, institutions of higher 
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education, superintendents, principals, education organizations, community groups, business, and 
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labor, conduct a study to evaluate and report to Congress regarding existing professional 
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development programs that recruit, prepare, and train district- and school-level administrators to 
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serve as effective leaders and successfully implement standards-based reforms in diverse 
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educational environments across the nation. 
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The Secretary shall submit a report to Congress not later than one (1) year after the date 
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of enactment of this Act regarding the findings of the study conducted under this Section. 
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SECTION 12. Program Report. - The Secretary shall submit to Congress a report not 
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later than one (1) year after the initial implementation of this Act regarding the effectiveness of 
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professional development programs, established pursuant to this Act, to recruit and retain 
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principals and superintendents. 
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SECTION 13. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
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is necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
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SECTION 14. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 15. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 16. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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