I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3636 
To improve quality and accountability for educator preparation programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 1, 2017 
Mr. KIHUEN (for himself, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. LEE, and Ms. DELAURO) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To improve quality and accountability for educator 
preparation programs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Educator Preparation 
Reform Act’’. 
TITLE I—EDUCATOR QUALITY 
ENHANCEMENT 
SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1021) is amended— 
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(1) by striking paragraph (22); 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), (8), 
(9), (10), (11), (12), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), 
(19), (20), (21), and (23), as paragraphs (7), (8), 
(10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), 
(19), (21), (23), (24), and (28), respectively; 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(6) EDUCATOR.—The term ‘educator’ means a 
teacher, principal, specialized instructional support 
personnel, or other staff member who provides or di-
rectly supports instruction, such as a school librar-
ian, counselor, or paraprofessional.’’; 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (8), as redesig-
nated by paragraph (2), the following: 
‘‘(9) EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING.—The 
term ‘evidence of student learning’ means multiple 
measures of student learning that shall include the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Valid and reliable student assessment 
data, which may include data— 
‘‘(i) based on— 
‘‘(I) student learning gains on 
State student academic assessments 
under section 1111(b)(2) of the Ele-
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mentary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965; or 
‘‘(II) student academic achieve-
ment assessments used at the na-
tional, State, or school district levels, 
where available and appropriate for 
the curriculum and students taught; 
‘‘(ii) from classroom-based formative 
assessments; 
‘‘(iii) from classroom-based summative 
assessments; and 
‘‘(iv) 
from 
objective 
performance- 
based assessments. 
‘‘(B) Not less than one of the following ad-
ditional measures: 
‘‘(i) Student work, including measures 
of performance criteria and evidence of 
student growth. 
‘‘(ii) Teacher-generated information 
about student goals and growth. 
‘‘(iii) Parental feedback about student 
goals and growth. 
‘‘(iv) Student feedback about learning 
and teaching supports. 
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‘‘(v) Assessments of affective engage-
ment and self-efficacy. 
‘‘(vi) Other appropriate measures as 
determined by the State.’’; 
(5) by striking paragraph (12), as redesignated 
by paragraph (2), and inserting the following: 
‘‘(12) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CY.—The term ‘high-need local educational agency’ 
means a local educational agency— 
‘‘(A)(i) that serves not fewer than 10,000 
low-income children; 
‘‘(ii) for which not less than 20 percent of 
the children served by the agency are low-in-
come children; 
‘‘(iii) that meets the eligibility require-
ments for funding under the Small, Rural 
School Achievement Program under section 
5211(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 or the Rural and Low-In-
come School Program under section 6221(b) of 
such Act; or 
‘‘(iv) that has a percentage of low-income 
children that is in the highest quartile among 
such agencies in the State; and 
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‘‘(B)(i) for which one or more schools 
served by the agency is persistently low achiev-
ing; or 
‘‘(ii) for which one or more schools served 
by the agency has a high teacher turnover 
rate.’’; 
(6) by striking paragraph (15), as redesignated 
by paragraph (2), and inserting the following: 
‘‘(15) INDUCTION PROGRAM.—The term ‘induc-
tion program’ means a formalized program for new 
teachers and principals during not less than the first 
2 years of teaching or leading a school that is de-
signed to provide support for, improve the profes-
sional performance of, and advance the retention of 
beginning teachers and principals. Such program 
shall promote effective teaching and leadership skills 
and shall include the following components: 
‘‘(A) High-quality mentoring. 
‘‘(B) Periodic, structured time for collabo-
ration and classroom observation opportunities 
with teachers in the same department or field, 
including mentor teachers, as well as time for 
information-sharing among teachers, principals, 
administrators, other appropriate educators, 
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and participating faculty in the partner institu-
tion. 
‘‘(C) The application of empirically based 
practice and scientifically valid research on in-
structional practices. 
‘‘(D) Opportunities for new teachers and 
principals to draw directly on the expertise of 
mentors, faculty, local educational agency per-
sonnel, and researchers to support the integra-
tion of empirically based practice and scientif-
ically valid research with practice. 
‘‘(E) The development of skills in instruc-
tional and behavioral interventions derived from 
empirically based practice, and where applica-
ble, scientifically valid research. 
‘‘(F) Faculty who— 
‘‘(i) model the integration of research 
and practice in the classroom; 
‘‘(ii) assist new teachers and prin-
cipals with the effective use and integra-
tion of technology in instruction; and 
‘‘(iii) demonstrate the content knowl-
edge and pedagogical skills necessary to be 
effective in advancing student achievement. 
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‘‘(G) Interdisciplinary collaboration among 
exemplary teachers, principals, faculty, re-
searchers, other educators, and other staff who 
prepare new teachers and principals with re-
spect to the learning process and the assess-
ment of learning. 
‘‘(H) Assistance with the understanding of 
data, particularly student achievement data, 
and the application of such data in classroom 
instruction. 
‘‘(I) Regular, structured observation and 
evaluation of new teachers by multiple eval-
uators, using valid and reliable measures of 
teaching and leadership skills. 
‘‘(J) The development of skills in improv-
ing the school culture and climate related to 
school leadership and the role of the principal, 
including to— 
‘‘(i) nurture teacher and staff develop-
ment to strengthen classroom practice; 
‘‘(ii) build and sustain a culture of 
learning among adults and children; 
‘‘(iii) strengthen communications and 
relationships with parents, caregivers, and 
community stakeholders; 
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‘‘(iv) facilitate the sharing of knowl-
edge, insight, and best practices in the 
community served by the school, preschool 
program, or early childhood education pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(v) build relationships and commu-
nicate effectively with State and local edu-
cational agency officials.’’; 
(7) by inserting after paragraph (19), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2), the following: 
‘‘(20) PROFESSION READY.—The term ‘profes-
sion ready’— 
‘‘(A) when used with respect to a principal, 
means a principal who— 
‘‘(i) has an advanced degree, or other 
appropriate credential; 
‘‘(ii) has completed a principal prepa-
ration process and is fully certified and li-
censed by the State in which the principal 
is employed; 
‘‘(iii) has demonstrated instructional 
leadership, including the ability to collect, 
analyze, and utilize data on evidence of 
student learning and evidence of classroom 
practice; 
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‘‘(iv) has demonstrated proficiency in 
professionally recognized leadership stand-
ards, such as through— 
‘‘(I) a performance assessment; 
‘‘(II) completion of a residency 
program; or 
‘‘(III) other measures of leader-
ship, as determined by the State; and 
‘‘(v) has demonstrated the ability to 
work with students who are culturally and 
linguistically diverse; 
‘‘(B) when used with respect to a teacher, 
means a teacher who— 
‘‘(i) has completed a teacher prepara-
tion program and is fully certified and li-
censed to teach by the State in which the 
teacher teaches; 
‘‘(ii) has demonstrated content knowl-
edge in the subject or subjects the teacher 
teaches; 
‘‘(iii) has demonstrated the ability to 
work with students who are culturally and 
linguistically diverse; and 
‘‘(iv) has demonstrated teaching skills, 
such as through— 
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‘‘(I) a teacher performance as-
sessment; or 
‘‘(II) other measures of teaching 
skills, as determined by the State; and 
‘‘(C) when used with respect to any other 
educator not described in subparagraph (A) or 
(B), means an educator who has completed an 
appropriate preparation program and is fully 
certified or licensed by the State in which the 
educator is employed.’’; 
(8) by inserting after paragraph (21), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2), the following: 
‘‘(22) RESIDENCY PROGRAM.—The term ‘resi-
dency program’ means a school-based educator prep-
aration program in which a prospective teacher, 
principal, or other educator— 
‘‘(A) for 1 academic year, works alongside 
a mentor teacher, principal, or other educator 
who is the educator of record; 
‘‘(B) receives concurrent instruction during 
the year described in subparagraph (A) from 
the partner institution, which courses may be 
taught by local educational agency personnel or 
residency program faculty, in— 
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‘‘(i) the teaching of the content area 
in which the teacher will become certified 
or licensed; 
‘‘(ii) pedagogical practices; and 
‘‘(iii) leadership, management, organi-
zational, and instructional skills necessary 
to serve as a principal; 
‘‘(C) acquires effective teaching or leader-
ship skills; and 
‘‘(D) prior to completion of the program, 
earns a master’s degree or other appropriate 
advanced credential, attains full State teacher 
or leader certification or licensure, and becomes 
profession ready (if applicable).’’; and 
(9) by inserting after paragraph (24), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2), the following: 
‘‘(25) TEACHER PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT.— 
The term ‘teacher performance assessment’ means a 
pre-service assessment used to measure teacher per-
formance that is approved by the State and is— 
‘‘(A) based on professional teaching stand-
ards; 
‘‘(B) used to measure the effectiveness of 
a teacher’s— 
‘‘(i) curriculum planning; 
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‘‘(ii) instruction of students, including 
appropriate plans and modifications for 
students who are limited English proficient 
and students who are children with disabil-
ities; 
‘‘(iii) assessment of students, includ-
ing analysis of evidence of student learn-
ing; and 
‘‘(iv) ability to advance student learn-
ing; 
‘‘(C) validated based on professional as-
sessment standards; 
‘‘(D) reliably scored by trained evaluators, 
with appropriate oversight of the process to en-
sure consistency; and 
‘‘(E) used to support continuous improve-
ment of educator practice. 
‘‘(26) TEACHER
PREPARATION
ENTITY.—The 
term ‘teacher preparation entity’ means an institu-
tion of higher education, a nonprofit organization, 
for-profit organization, or other organization that is 
approved by the State to prepare teachers to be ef-
fective in the classroom. 
‘‘(27) TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘teacher preparation program’ means a pro-
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gram offered by a teacher preparation entity that 
leads to a specific State teacher certification.’’. 
SEC. 102. EDUCATOR QUALITY ENHANCEMENT. 
Section 201 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1022) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, principals, 
and other educators’’ after ‘‘teachers’’ each place the 
term appears; 
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(3) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(4) recruit profession ready individuals, includ-
ing minorities and individuals from other occupa-
tions, as teachers, principals, and other educators; 
and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) meet the staffing needs of high-need local 
educational agencies and high-need schools through 
close partnerships with educator preparation pro-
grams within institutions of higher education.’’. 
SEC. 103. PARTNERSHIP GRANTS. 
Section 202 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1022a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
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