Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 1737

INTRODUCED BY HON. MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Teachers are duly licensed professionals who possess dignity and
reputation with high moral values as well as technical and professional
competence. In the practice of their noble profession, they strictly adhere to,
observe, and practice a set of ethical and moral principles, standard, and values.
(Preamble, CODE OF ETHICS - RESOLUTION NO. 435 S. 1997)

Each teacher is viewed as a trustee of the cultural and educational
heritage of the nation and is under obligation to transmit to learners such heritage
as well as to elevate national morality, promote national pride, cultivate love of
country, instill allegiance to the Constitution and respect for all duly constituted
authorities, promote obedience to the laws of the state. (Article Il Section 1 -
Teacher and the State)

Further, teachers are considered facilitators of learning and of the
development of the youth; he shall therefore, render the best services by
providing an environment conducive to such learning and growth. (Article lil
Section 1. -The Teachers and the Community)

A study conducted by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) shows
that as of school year 2005-2006, there is a need to hire 49,699 new teachers,
Unfortunately, said shortage remains to be a problem up to this day.

However, we cannot expect to attract highly qualified personnel if such
position requiring high-level qualification cannot offer competitive rates. But aside
from the issue of compensation, another aspect that needs improving is the
training and education of teachers.

This bill seeks to improve and strengthen the recruitment and training of
Filipino teachers.

Finally, the primordial consideration for the approval of the proposed
measure is to have the best human resources our country can get, and thus
guarantee that teachers in all Philippine schools are truly committed and
accountable for providing classroom instruction with results that are manifested
in high performance levels in terms of student learning outcomes. (Statement of
Principle, Department of Education)

Given what this bill can ultimately do, its mediate enactment is earnestly
sought. WA x @
hs Sf re ae
MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO

Representative, 1st District
City of Marikina


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

a rin
House Bill No,__1737

INTRODUCED BY HON. MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO

AN ACT
IMPROVING AND STRENGTHENING THE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING
OF FILIPINO TEACHERS

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"Improving the Quality
of Teachers Act.”

SECTION 2. Purpose. - The purpose of this Act is to help meet the national need
to recruit prepare, and retain a high-quality and diverse supply of elementary and
secondary education teachers, and to help meet the needs of schools in urban
and rural areas with concentrations of children from low-income families, by-

(A) Authorizing support for partnerships among institutions of higher education
that operate exemplary teacher preparation programs, other institutions of higher
education seeking to improve their initial preparation of teacher for high-poverty
communities;

(B) Authorizing support for partnerships to increase the number and diversity of
students who enter teacher education programs and complete high-quality
preparation programs, and to increase the quality of teaching in undeserved
urban and rural communities; and

(C) Encouraging through such partnerships, the creation of a more diverse
teaching force, through the recruitment and preparation of minority individuals,
including language minority individuals, and individuals with disabilities, to enter
teaching.

SECTION 3. Authorization of Appropriations.- There are authorized to be
appropriated-

(A) Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00) for the fiscal year in which this Act is
promulgated and such sums as may be necessary for each of the four (4)
succeeding fiscal year to carry out the program of Recruiting New Teachers for
Undeserved areas under part B.

PART 1- LIGHTHOUSE PARTNERSHIPS

SECTION 4. Definitions. - As used in this part, the following terms have the
following meanings:


(A) The term ‘lead institution' means a state University or even a private
education institution that-—-

4. Operate an exemplary teachers preparation programs of significant size in
one or more areas of teacher preparation, which may include the
preparation of principals and other education administrators;

2. Desires to assist other institution of higher education in improving their
programs and to serve as a national model for effective teacher preparation;
and

3. Places a significant percentage of its teacher preparation graduates in
teaching position in urban and rural communities with concentrations of children
from low-income families.

A lead institution may participate in a consortium with one or more two-
year colleges with which it has articulation agreements relating to teacher
preparation.

(B) The term ‘lighthouse partnership’ means a partnership of a lead institution,
parter institution, and the government, particularly education’ agencies, that is
dedicated in improving the quality of teacher preparation programs. Within each
partnership, the lead institution shall act as the fiscal agent for the grant.

(C) The term teacher preparation program’ means a program operate by an
institution of higher education that prepares students to obtain initial teacher
licensure and to teach in elementary and secondary schools provided as free,
public education.

SECTION 5. Grants to Lighthouse Partnerships.
(A) Grants Authorities.-

(1) From funds appropriated under section 3, for this part for each fiscal year ,
the Secretary shall make competitive grants to lighthouse partnerships.
(2) Subject to the availability of appropriations therefore, each grant under
paragraph (1) shall be for a period not to exceed five (5) years.
(3) The Secretary shall-

(a) make continuation awards, for the second and succeeding years, only
after determining that the partnership is making satisfactory progress in
carrying out the grant; and

(b) Conduct an intensive review of the partnership's progress, with the
assistance of outside experts, before making the continuation award for
the fourth year of the grant.

(B) Limitation. - No partnership may receive more than two (2) grants under this
part.

SECTION 6. Pre-Applications.- Each lead institution that wishes to participate in
a lighthouse partnership that will apply for a grant under this part shall submit a
pre-application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing
such information as the Secretary shall use a peer process to review these pre-
applications.

(B) Applications Required. - Any lighthouse partnership desiring to receive a
grant under this part shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such form, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.


(C) Contents. - Each application shall include-

(1) A description of the teacher preparation program operated by the lead
institution, including information on the curriculum, the faculty, and the
number and characteristics of students served;

(2) Evidence of the quality of the institution's teacher preparation program
covering-

(a) The extent to which the institution provides a coherent program that-

(i) Reflects the best best of what is known, from research and practice;

(ii)Prepares teachers to implement research-based instructional programs
of demonstrated effectiveness and to teach students, particularly those in high-
poverty schools, to high State and local content standards;and

(iii) Reflects high standards of teaching.

(b) The commitment of the institution to its program of teacher preparation;

(c) The connections between the institution's teacher preparation program
and its departments or schools of arts and sciences, to ensure the integrity of
pedagogy and contents in teacher preparation;

(d) The extent to which the institution operates a clinically based teacher
preparation program, particularly in high-poverty schools, through which
prospective teachers participate in intensive, structure clinical experiences, with
extensive faculty involvement throughout their preservice education, and the
extent to which those experiences are integrated into the curriculum;

(e) The extent to which the institution's program offers continuous
assistance to its graduates are integrated into the curriculum;

(f) The extent to which the institution's program meets the needs of, and
has strong connections with, elementary and second education (particularly with
urban and rural schools and school system that serve concentrations of students
from low-income families), which may include the involvement of elementary and
secondary educators in the continuing development, improvement, and
implementation of the teacher preparation program;

(g) The success of the institution in preparing teachers to teach individuals
from diverse population effectively;

(h) The extent to which the instruction is Preparing teachers to use
technology to teach children using high standards;

(i) The record of the institution's teacher preparation program in attracting
and graduating a diverse student body, including the recruitment and enrollment
of individuals who are differently-abled;

(j) The procedure of the institution which measures ‘the quality of its
teacher preparation program, including the extent to which graduates improve
their subject matter knowledge and teaching ability as a result of their participate
in the program in the program, and to improve its Program,using information
generated through those procedures;

(k) The success of the program in graduating students who are fully
qualified to teach high standards in the region served by the institutions;

(I) The quality of the program's graduates, as documents through such
evidence as the graduate's record of obtaining and retaining teaching positions
and the opinions of school district officials, in the region, of the quality of those
graduates;

(m) If applicable, the quality of the instruction's program for the preparation
of school principals and other school administrations, and of the success of the
program; and

(n) Involvement and leadership of the institution in national, region efforts
to improve teacher education and licensure;


(8) Evidence of the extent to which-

(a) Graduates have taken positions in urban and rural schools in
communities with concentrations of students from low-income families.

(b) The institution recruits and serves students such as education
paraprofessional from those communities;

(4) Evidence of the experience of the lead institution in creasing or
participating in networks with other institutions to improve the quality of
teacher preparation programs;

(5)A description of how the partnership will operate a program under this part,
including-

(a) A description of the governance structure that the partnership will
establish (through a written partnership agreement ) for the grant, which shall
include the active involvement of high-level administrators of the lead institution
and representatives of ---

(i) Both the teacher preparation program and the school or
department of arts and sciences in the lead institution;

(ii) The partners institutions involved with the grant;

(ili) Local educational agencies, including teachers and other
school-level officials, served by the lead institution and one or more of the partner
institutions; and

(iv) Officials with authority over teacher licensure and teacher
preparation in the region in which the lead institution and one or more of the
partner institutions are located.

(b) A description of how the partnership will fully engage local
educational agencies in the activities carried out under the grants, including how
the partnership will use grant funds to address the teacher training needs of the
educational agencies that are members of the partnership.

SECTION 7. Uses of Funds. - In order to increase the quality and number of
teachers it prepares fro positions in urban and rural areas with concentrations of
low-income families, and to increase the diversity of elementary and secondary
teachers, each partnership selected to receive a grant under this part shall use
the grant funds for each of the following purposes:

(A) Further development, refinement, assessment of, and dissemination of
information on, the teacher preparation programs operated by the lead institution,
including
activities that document, for other institutions nationally and for policy-makers,
effective practices in teacher preparation and that produce curricular and other
materials for use by other institutions preparing teachers,

(B) Technical assistance by the lead institution to the partner in improving
the partner institutions’ teacher preparation programs and, if applicable, their
principal and other administrator preparation, based of the lead institution and the
particular needs of the partners.

(C) Making subgrants to‘ the partner institutions for implementation of
improvements at those institutions, through adoption or adoption of the teacher
preparation practices of the lead institution, to meet the needs of the high-poverty
school in the urban and rural communities they serve. Each partnership shall use
at least forty percent (10%) of its grant for


this purpose.

(D)Joint activities with the local educational agencies in the partnership,

and with other
local educational agencies, that increase the involvement of classroom teachers
and school administration in the design and implementation of teacher
preparation program; operated by the lead and partner institution and thereby
make those programs more responsive; to the needs of teachers and
administration, and other activities to improve teaching and administration, and to
support new teachers, in the high-poverty schools of those local education
agencies.

(E) Cooperation and interaction with other lighthouse partnerships and with
other institutions, organization , and public agencies, on activities aimed at the
improvement of national teacher preparation, including improvement of teacher
licensure and re-licensure
requirements.

(F) Assessment of the effectiveness of the activities carried out the grant,
including the extent to which the partnership is achieving its goals.

SECTION 8. Selection of Applications.-

(A) Peer Review.- The Secretary shall, using a peer review process,
select applicants to receive grants under this part on the basis of —~

(1) The quality of the teacher preparation program operated by the
lead institution in a proposed partnership;

(2) The quality of the partnership:s plan for carrying out activities under
the grant; and

(3) The capacity of the lead institution and its partners to carry out the
proposed activities successfully.
(B) Criteria.

(1) In selecting grantees under this part, the Secretary shall seek to
ensure that--

(a) Lighthouse partnerships represent a variety of approaches to
teacher preparation;

(b) Lead institution represent a variety of institutions of higher
education; and

(c) There is an equitable geographic distribution of awards

(2) In addition to complying with paragraph’ (1). the Secretary shall
give special consideration to applicants for--

(a) Project that are likely to have the most significant impact on the
quality of teaching in high-poverty urban and rural school;

(b) Project that are likely to result in improvement of teacher
preparation in


in the areas of mathematics and reading; and

(c) Project that are likely to prepare a significant number of minority
individuals, including language minority individuals, and individuals
with disabilities to be effective teachers.

(C) Second Five-Year Grants.- In selecting grantees to receive second
grants under this part, the Secretary shall give a preference to applicants whose
have resulved in -

1. The placement and retention of a substantial number of high-quality
graduates in teaching position in underserved, high-poverty schools;

2. The adoption of effective teacher preparation programs, particularly
those meeting the needs of high-poverty urban and rural areas, by the
partner institutions; and .

3. Effective partnership with elementary and secondary schools that are
supporting improvements in student achievement.

SECTION 9. Evaluation.- The Secretary shall provide for an evaluation
of the program carried out under this part, including an assessment of such
issues as-

(A) The extent to which the activities carried out through Lighthouse
partnership grants result in significant and positive changes in the teacher
preparation programs operated by partner institutions, as well as improvements
in the programs operated by lead institutions, that are likely will lead to
improvements in teaching and learning;

(8) The extent to which Lighthouse Partnership grants enhance the
effectiveness including the technological proficiency, and the diversity, of
students completing teacher preparation programs in the institutions of higher
education participating in the grants; and

(C) The involvement of elementary and secondary schools and schools
districts serving concentration of children from low-income families in activities
cartied out under this part, and the extent to which those activities result in
benefits to those school and district, including information on the extent to which
involvement in the grant improve the instructional programs and the educational
outcomes for students in those school and district;

SECTION 10, National Activities,-The Secretary may reserve up to five
percent (5%) of the funds appropriated to carry out this part for any fiscal year
for-

(A) Peer review of applications;
(B) Evaluation of the program and measure of its effectiveness;

(C) Conferences and networks of lighthouse partnership, and other entities,
in order to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among the
participating partnerships and other institutions, agencies and individuals,
including recipients of funds under part B of this title, who are interested in the
improvement of teacher preparation and parallel improvements in principal and
administrator preparation; and.


(D) Technical assistance and other activities to enhance the success: of
the program carried out under this part or of the teacher education more
generally.

PART 2 ---RECRUITING NEW TEACHERS
FOR UNDESERVED AREAS

SECTION 11. Program Authorized.- From funds appropriated to carry out
this part, the Secretary shall make competitive grants to eligible applicants for
programs that--

(A) Provide scholarships and, as necessary, support services for students
with high potential to be effective teachers;

(B) Increase the quality and number of teachers nationally; and

(C) Increase the ability of schools in undeserved areas to recruit a qualified
teaching staff.

SECTION 12. Definitions.- - As used in this part, the following terms have
the following meanings:

(A) The term eligible applicant means a partnership of-—-

1. An institution of higher education that grants baccalaureate degrees
and prepares teachers for their initial entry into the teaching profession;
and

2. One or more local education agencies that are in undeserved areas.

(B) The term support services includes~

. Academic advice and counseling;

. Tutorial services;

. Monitoring; and

. Child care and transportation, if funding for those services cannot be
arranged from other sources.

ONS

SECTION 13. Grant Conditions.
(A) Grants Authorized.—

1, The Secretary shall carry out this part by making competitive grants to
eligible
applicants;

2. Subject to the availability of appropriations therefore, each grant under
paragraph
(A) shall be for a period not to exceed five (5) years.

3. The Secretary shall--
(a) Make continuation awards, for the second and succedding years, only
after determining that the grantee is making satisfactory progress in
carrying out the grant; and
(b) Conduct an intensive review of the grantee's progress, with the
assistance of outside experts, before making an award for the fourth year
of the grant.

4. No partnership may receive more than (2) grant under this subsection.


(B) Planning Grants.—

1. The Secretary may make planning grants to eligible applicant; that are not
yet ready to implement programs under paragraph (A)

2. Each planning grant shall be for a period of not more than one year, which
shall be in addition to period of any grant under paragraph (A).

3. Any recipient of planning grant under this subsection that wishes to
receive a grant under paragraph (A)(1) shall separately apply for a
competitive grant under that subsection.

SECTION 14. Grant Application.--

(A) Applications Required.- Any eligible applicant desiring to receive grant
under this part shall submit an application at such time, in such form, and
containing such _ information as the Secretary may require.

(B) Application Contents.- Each application for a grant shall include--

1. A designation of the institution or agency, within the partnership that will
serve as the fiscal agent for the gra

2. Information on the quality of the institution’s teacher preparation program,
which may include the types of information and how the applicant will
ensure,through improvements in its teacher preparation, practices and
appropriate strategies, that scholarships recipients will receive high-quality
preparatior

3. A description of the assessment the institution, the local educational
agency partners,and other partners, and other partners have undertaken

(a) To determine—

(i) The most critical needs of the local educational agencies, particularly
the needs of school in high-poverty areas, for new teachers which may
include teachers in particular subject areas of at certain grade levels,
including the pre-kindergarten level,minority teachers, and teachers who
are disabled who will contribute to the diversity of the local educational
agency's teachers,or teachers who are fluent in languages spoken by
student in the local educational agency; and

(ii) How the project carried out under the grant will address those needs;

(b) That reflects the input of all significant entities in the community
(including organizations representing teachers and parents) that have
an interest in teacher recruitment, preparation and induction;

4. A description of the project the applicant will carry out with the grant, including
information on --

(a) The recruitment and outreach efforts the applicant will undertake to
publicize the availability of scholarships and other assistance under the program;

(b) The number and types of student that the applicant will serve under the
program, which may include education paraprofessionals seeking to achieve full
teacher certification; teachers whom the partner local educational agencies have
hired under 'emergency certification ' procedure; or former military personnel, mid
career professionals, who desire to enter teaching;


(©) The criteria that the applicant will use in selecting those students,
including criteria to determine whether individuals have the capacity to benefit
from the programs, complete teacher certification requirements, and become
effective teacher;

(d) The activities the applicant will carry out under a grant, including a a
description of, and justification for, any support services the institution will offer to
participating student;

(e) The number and funding range of the scholarships the institution will
provide to student; and

(f) The procedures that the institution will establish for entering into, and
enforcing, agreements with scholarship recipients regarding their fulfillment of the
service commitment;

5. A description of how the institution will use the funs provided under the
grant that is only to increase to increase the number of students with high potentia to be
effective teachers, participating in its teacher preparation programs, or in the particular
type or types of preparation programs that the grant would support, or to increase the
number of their graduates with high potential to be effective teachers who are minority
individuals, including language individuals, or individuals with disabilities;

6. A description of commitments, by the partner local educational agencies, to
hire qualified scholarship recipients in their schools and in the subject areas or
grade levels for which the recipients will be trained, and description of the actions
of the grantee institution, the local education agencies, and the other partners
that will take to facilitate the successful transition of those recipients into teaching;
and

7. A description of the applicant's plan for institutionalizing the activities it
is carrying out under this part, so that those activities will continue once funding
ceases.

SECTION 15. Use of Funds. - Each grantee shall use the funds granted for the
following ;

(A) Scholarship to help student pay the costs of tuition, room ,board, and
other expenses of completing a teacher preparation program.

(B) Support services, if needed to enable scholarship recipients to
complete post-secondary education programs.

(C) Follow-up services provided to former scholarship, recipients during;
their first three (3) years of teaching.

(D) Payments to partner local educational agencies, if needed to enable;
them to permit paraprofessional staff: and

(E) If appropriate, and if no other funds are available, paying the cost of
additional courses taken by former scholarship recipients during their initial three
(3) years of teaching.

SECTION 16. Selection of Applicant.

(A) Peer Review. -- The Secretary, using a peer review process, shall
select applicants to receive funding under this part on the basis of--


(1) The quality of th teacher preparation program offered by the
institution;

(2) The quality of the program that would be carried out under the
application; and

(3) The capacity of the partnership to carry out the grant successfully.
(B) Criteria.
(1) In making selection, the Secretary shall seek to ensure that--

(a) In the aggregate, grantees carry out a variety of approaches to
prepare new teachers; and

(b) There is an equitable geographic distribution of award;.

(2) In addition to complying with paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give
special consideration to applications most likely to result in the preparation
of increased numbers of individuals with high potential for effective
teaching who are minority individuals, including language minority
individuals, and individuals with disabilities and

(C) Second Five-Year Grant. - In selecting grantees to received second
grants under this part, the secretary shall give a preference to’ applicants whose
projects have resulted in --

1. The placement and retention of a substantial number of high- quality
graduates in teaching positions in undeserved, high-poverty school;

2. The adoption of effective programs that meet the teacher preparation
needs of high — poverty urban and rural areas; and

3. Effective partnerships with elementary and secondary schools that are
‘supporting improvements in student achievement.

SECTION 17. Duration and Amount of Assistance; Relation to Other
Assistance.- .

(A) Duration of Assistance. - No individual may receive scholarship
assistance under this part for more than five (5) years of post -secondary
education.

(B) Amount of Assistance.- No individual may receive an award under this
program that exceeds the cost of attendance at the institution the individual is
attending.

(C) Relation to Other Assistance. - A scholarship awarded under this shall
not be reduced on the individual's receipt of other forms of student financial
assistance.

SECTION 18. Scholarship Conditions. - A recipient of a scholarship under this
part shall continue to receive that assistance only as long as he or she is-

(A) Enrolled as a full - time student and pursuing a course of study
leading to


teacher certification, unless he or she is working in a public school as a
paraprofessional, or as a teacher under emergency credentials while
participating in the program; and

(B) Maintaining satisfactory progress as determined by the institution.
SECTION 19. Service Requirements.-

(A) Requirement.-Each partnership receiving a grant under this part shall
enter into an agreement, with each student to whom it awards a scholarship
under this part, providing that a scholarship recipient who completes a teacher
preparation program under this part shall, within five(5) years of completing that
program, teach full-time for at least (3) years in a high-poverty school in an
undeserved geographic area or repay the amount of the scholarship, under the
terms and conditions established by the Secretary.

(B) Regulation.-- The Secretary shall prescribe regulations relating of the
requirements of paragraph (A), including any provisions for waiver of those
requirements;

SECTION 20. Evaluation. - The Secretary shall provide for an evaluation of the
program carried out under this part, which shall assess such issues as--

(A) Whether institution taking part in the partnerships are successful in
preparing scholarship recipients to teach;

(B) Whether scholarship recipients are successful in completing teacher
preparation programs, becoming fully certified teachers, and obtaining teaching
position in undeserved areas, and whether they continue teaching in those areas
‘over period of years.

(C) The national impact of the program in assisting local educational
agencies in undeserved areas to recruit, prepare, and retain diverse, high-quality
teachers in the areas in which they have the greatest needs.

(D) The long term impact of the grants on teacher preparation
conducted by grantees and on grantees’ relationships with their partner local
educational agencies and other partners; and

(E) The relative effectiveness of different approaches for preparing new
teachers to teach in undeserved areas, including their effectiveness in preparing
new teachers to teach to high content and performance standards.

SECTION 21. Separability Clause.- If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 22. 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 23. Effectivity Clause .- This Act shall take effect fifteen(15) days after
its publication in at least two(2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,