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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S.No. 1598 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The country is experiencing a shortage of qualified school administrators and principals 
with such shortage expected to intensify. This shortage comes at a time when the Department of 
Education is enacting new and more rigorous learning standards, school officials are expected to 
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handle an increasing number of non-educational problems and issues, and the current generation 
of school administrators and officials are retiring. 
The combination of these factors results in a shrinking pool of qualified applicants. The 
shortage is particularly severe in high poverty school districts because of lower salaries and the 
challenging work enviromnent. In many such districts, a disproportionate number of school 
administrators and principals have less than three years of experience. 
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. 
All current and prospective principals and superintendents need support in their first three 
years, such as mentoring and sustained professional development, to become effective school 
leaders and to raise school and classroom performance effectively. 
This bill seeks 
to 
provide ongoing, intensive professional development to 
superintendents, principals, and prospective superintendents and principals, particularly those 
serving, or intending to serve, in high-poverty, low-performing school districts and schools. It is 
also intended 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. With the 
establishment of these development programs, it would encourage the recruitment and retention 
of quality school leaders at the district- and school-level by enabling them to further develop 
their skills and knowledge. These aspirations geared towards recognizing and supporting the 
importance of priricipals and superintendents in facilitating student learning and improving 
academic achievement. I 
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Ni MIRIAM DEF\fSOR SAi'HI1fiO 
1 This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 1598 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiag:Vi.;ElVfi, .w . ,··-t' .,., 
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AN ACT 
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MANDATING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCA"rION TO ESTABLISH A PROFESSIONAL 
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DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES OF 
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SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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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. Award of Grant to Establish a Professional Development Program. - The 
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Secretary of Education shall award grants to eligible consortia to establish professional 
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development programs. These programs shall serve a particular region and provide 
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superintendents, principals, and prospective superintendents and principals, particularly those 
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serving, or intending to serve, in high-pdverty, low-performing school districts and schools, with 
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ongoing, intensive professional development opportunities.to improve their capacity to serve as 
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effective leaders and successfully implement standards-based reforms. 
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SECTION 3. Award Basis - The Secretary shall award grants on a competitive basis to 
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eligible applicants to carry out this section. 
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In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to consortia in 
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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 4. Eligibility Requirements for Prospective'Participants -
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1. Required Participants - In order to receive a grant under this section, a 
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consortium shall include not less than--
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a. one local educational agency serving a high concentration of children 
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living in poverty; 
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b. one institution of higher education; and 
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c. one organization that does not usually provide educational services, 
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but has the necessary expertise to provide professional development to 
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school administrators. 
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2. Other Participants - An eligible consortium may also include--
lOa. 
one or more additional local educational agencies; 
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b. State education.al agencies; 
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c. for-profit organizations with the expertise to provide professional 
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development to school administrators; and 
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d. public or private nonprofit organizations with the expertise to provide 
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professional development to school administrators. 
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SECTION 5. Grant Application Process - In order to receive an award under this section, 
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an eligible applicant shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
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and containing such information as the Secretary may require. 
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Each such application shall include--
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a. infonnation demonstrating that the applicant shall meet the matching 
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requirement of Section 7; and 
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b. a description of the involvement of superintendents and principals in 
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developing the application. 
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SECTION 6. Use of Funds - A consortium that receives a grant under this section shall 
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use the grant funds to establish or expand a leadership development program described in 
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subparagraph (a). 
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1. Activities -
The program referred to in subparagraph (a) shall provide 
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superintendents, principals, and prospective superintendents and principals, particularly 
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individuals serving, or intending to serve, in high-poverty, low-performing schools and 
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school districts, with ongoing, intensive professional development opportunities through 
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activities that increase the knowledge and skills of participants in such areas as--
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a. effective instructional practices; 
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b. the content of the State's 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 decision-making; and 
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1. 
the implementation of school-based leadership teams. 
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2. Additional Uses - A consortium that receives a grant under this section may 
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also use the grant funds to support--
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a. the recruitment and preparation of prospective principals and 
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superintendents, including candidates with leadership and managerial 
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experience in fields other than education; and 
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b. alternative pathways to administrative positions. 
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SECTION 7. Matching Requirement-
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1. In General -
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a. Each recipient of a grant under this Act shall provide not less than 50 
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percent of the annual cost of the project assisted by the grant from 
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sources other than this Act. 
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b. Contributions - A grantee's share of such costs may be provided in 
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cash or in kind, fairly evaluated. 
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2. Waiver - The Secretary may waive the matching requirement of paragraph (1) 
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with respect to applicants that the Secretary determines serve low-income areas. 
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SECTION 8. Reservation - The Secretary may reserve not more than 4 percent of the 
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amount appropriated under subsection (i) for each fiscal year for technical assistance, evaluation, 
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dissemination of information on effective programs for preparing and training district and 
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school-level administrators, carrying out activities to encourage the spread and adoption of 
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successful leadership development centers, and other national activities that support the 
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programs under this section. 
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SECTION 9. Report-
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1. Existing Programs -
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a. Study - The Secretary shall, in consultation with representatives of local 
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educational agencies, educational agencies, institutions of higher 
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education, 
superintendents, 
principals, 
education 
organizations, 
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community groups, business, and labor, conduct a study to evaluate and 
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report to Congress regarding existing professional development programs 
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that recruit, prepare, and train district- and school-level administrators to 
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serve as effective leaders and successfully implement standards-based 
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reforms in diverse educational environments across the Nation. 
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b. Report to Congress - The Secretary shall submit a report to Congress 
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not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act regarding the 
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findings of the study conducted under subparagraph (a). 
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2. Program Report - The Secretary shall submit to Congress a report regarding the 
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effectiveness of professional development programs, established pursuant to this 
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section, to recruit and retain principals and superintendents. 
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SECTION 10. Appropriation. - The amount of Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) is 
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hereby authorized to be appropriated for .establishment of a professional development program. 
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Thereafter, the funds necessary for the operation of the program shall be included in the General 
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Appropriations Act. 
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SECTION 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof 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 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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orders, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule and regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
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with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
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its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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