Supporting Teaching and Learning through Better Data Act

To authorize a study on educator workforce data to advance teaching and learning and a program to support increasing access to well-prepared and diverse educators. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Teaching and Learning through Better Data Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Commissioner The term Commissioner (2) Local educational agency The term local educational agency 20 U.S.C. 7801 (3) Secretary The term Secretary (4) State educational agency The term State educational agency 20 U.S.C. 7801 3. Study on educator workforce data to advance teaching and learning (a) Authorization of study (1) In general The Commissioner shall— (A) beginning not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act, conduct a study on— (i) data collections and data requirements on the educator workforce in effect on the date of the study; and (ii) data elements about the educator workforce that are not collected, but whose collection would strengthen the understanding of teacher supply, demand, distribution, and shortages; and (B) make recommendations through submission of a report under subsection (c) for improvements to data collection, analysis, and dissemination that aid policymakers, practitioners, students, educators, families, and others in improving access to a diverse, well-prepared, and stable educator workforce, including— (i) proposals for a comprehensive system of data elements that can be integrated and analyzed to allow for regular tracking and projections of educator supply, demand, shortages, and distribution at the national, regional, and State levels; and (ii) recommendations for improvements in data quality, timeliness, and availability. (2) Completion The Commissioner shall complete the study required under paragraph (1) not later than 30 months after the date of enactment of this Act. (b) Content of study (1) Existing educator workforce data collections and data requirements The study conducted under subsection (a) shall examine educator workforce data collections and data requirements in effect on the date of the study to ascertain how such collections and requirements contribute, or may contribute, to a data system that meets the goals outlined in subsection (a)(1)(B), as well as where there are limitations or redundancies. The study shall examine— (A) the Nationwide Teacher Shortage Areas Listing of the Department of Education; (B) the plan requirements for State educational agencies and local educational agencies under sections 1111(g)(1)(B) and 1112(b)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311(g)(1)(B) (C) the requirements under paragraphs (1)(C)(ix), (2), and (5) of section 1111(h) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311(h) (D) the personnel requirements for related service personnel, paraprofessionals, and special education teachers under section 612(a)(14) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(14) (E) the requirement under section 3122(b)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6843(b)(5) (F) the requirement under section 2104(a)(4) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6614(a)(4) (G) educator certification, experience, retention, presentism, and other educator information in the Civil Rights Data Collection of the Department of Education; (H) educator workforce information gathered under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 ( 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq. 20 U.S.C. 9543(a)(1)(F) (I) educator supply information, including— (i) educator preparation program enrollment and clinical experience information required under section 205(b)(1)(G) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1022d(b)(1)(G) (ii) information on completers of education preparation programs required under section 205(b)(1)(H) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1022d(b)(1)(H) (iii) other enrollment and completion data that includes demographic and diversity enrollment and completion information of educator preparation programs; (J) educators in training and in-service educators’ access to and completion of Federal service scholarship and loan forgiveness programs, including— (i) the TEACH Grants program subpart 9 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070g et seq. (ii) teacher loan forgiveness or cancellation programs under sections 428J and 460 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078–10 and 1087j); (iii) the public service loan forgiveness program under section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m) (iv) educators accessing educational awards under subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12601 et seq. (K) data pertaining to the educator workforce collected under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (or the CARES Act Public Law 116–136 Public Law 116–260 Public Law 117–2 (2) Identifying gaps and recommendations for closing gaps The study conducted under subsection (a) shall examine whether there are gaps in information about the educator workforce that impacts educator supply, demand, distribution, and shortages and make recommendations for closing such gaps, which contribute to meeting the goals outlined in subsection (a)(1)(B). The study shall consider information concerning— (A) the types of pathways through which educators enter the profession, including the length and quality of coursework and clinical experience before a prospective educator is the educator of record; (B) the recruitment, supply, retention, demographics, geographic regions, subject areas taught, diversity, qualifications and credentials, satisfaction and attitudes, and working conditions, of the educator workforce; (C) induction, mentoring, early career supports, and access to teacher leadership opportunities; (D) compensation information, including pre-service (stipends, apprenticeship support, other compensation), starting, mid-career, and late-career salaries and benefits of teachers; (E) the number and percentage of in-service educators who have received a Federal Pell Grant under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq. 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq. (F) whether there are, and any recommendations for, standard definitions for key educator workforce terms across State educational agencies, local educational agencies, Federal law, and federally funded research. (c) Report The Commissioner shall publish and widely disseminate a report on the study conducted under subsection (a), which shall include— (1) publishing the report to the website of the Department of Education and the website of the Institute of Education Sciences; (2) sending the report to, and briefing, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (3) presenting and disseminating the report to education stakeholders, including students, families, educators, administrators, civil rights organizations, educator organizations, and more. 4. Program to support increasing access to well-prepared and diverse educators (a) In general The Secretary— (1) shall provide technical assistance to State educational agencies and local educational agencies to support such agencies in increasing access to well-prepared and diverse educators; and (2) may reserve not more than 20 percent of funds available to carry out this section to award grants to State educational agencies to— (A) provide technical assistance to local educational agencies to increase access to well-prepared and diverse educators; and (B) improve State educator workforce data collection and analysis. (b) Technical assistance The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to State educational agencies and local educational agencies on the following educator quality requirements and data collections: (1) Meeting and making progress on the plan requirements for State educational agencies and local educational agencies under sections 1111(g)(1)(B) and 1112(b)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311(g)(1)(B) (2) Meeting and making progress on the personnel requirements for related service personnel, paraprofessionals, and special education teachers under section 612(a)(14) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(14) (3) Educator workforce information collected under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq. 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq. 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq. 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.

Summary: Supporting Teaching and Learning through Better Data Act This bill requires certain actions to improve data collection related to the educator workforce. First, the bill requires the National Center for Education Statistics to (1) conduct a study on data collections and data requirements related to the educator workforce; and (2) make recommendations through submission of a report for improvements to data collection, analysis, and dissemination to improve access to a diverse, well-prepared, and stable educator workforce. Second, the bill directs the Department of Education to provide technical assistance to state educational agencies and local educational agencies to support them in increasing access to well-prepared and diverse educators.