I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2755 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to assist 
underperforming schools to recruit, support, and retain highly qualified 
and effective teachers by providing grants for participation in the Tar-
geted High Need Initiative program of the National Board for Profes-
sional Teaching Standards. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 8, 2009 
Mrs. DAVIS of California (for herself, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. GRIJALVA, 
and Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 to assist underperforming schools to recruit, 
support, and retain highly qualified and effective teachers 
by providing grants for participation in the Targeted 
High Need Initiative program of the National Board 
for Professional Teaching Standards. 
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 ‘‘High Quality Teaching 
Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES TO 
PROVIDE TARGETED ASSISTANCE TO HIGH 
NEED SCHOOLS TO RECRUIT, SUPPORT, AND 
RETAIN HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND EFFECTIVE 
TEACHERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part A of title II of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subpart: 
‘‘Subpart 6—Targeted High Need Initiative 
‘‘SEC. 2161. GRANTS TARGETING SCHOOLS HAVING HIGH-
EST NEED FOR HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND EF-
FECTIVE TEACHERS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make com-
petitive grants to selected local educational agencies to re-
cruit, support, and retain highly qualified and effective 
teachers through participation in the Targeted High Need 
Initiative program of the National Board for Professional 
Teaching Standards. 
‘‘(b) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF ASSISTED AGEN-
CIES.—Not more than 250 local educational agencies shall 
be selected by the Secretary to receive grants under this 
section. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITIES.—In making such grants, the Sec-
retary shall give priority to local educational agencies— 
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‘‘(1) having the highest number of students 
from a traditionally disadvantaged background, in-
cluding students who receive free or reduced priced 
meals, students belonging to a minority subgroup, 
students with limited English proficiency, or migra-
tory children; 
‘‘(2) having the highest number of schools iden-
tified for school improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring under section 1116(b); and 
‘‘(3) having the lowest number of teachers who 
are certified by the National Board of Professional 
Teaching Standards. 
‘‘(d) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, a local educational agency 
shall submit an application to the State educational 
agency at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(2) REVIEW BY STATE EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CY.—Applications received by a State educational 
agency under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to 
the Secretary (at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may 
require) together with recommendations by the State 
educational agency as to— 
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‘‘(A) which local educational agencies have 
the highest need; and 
‘‘(B) which should be given preference 
based on criteria specified by the State edu-
cational agency. 
Such criteria may include the distribution of such 
grants between urban and rural areas, the number 
of limited English proficient children, and the num-
ber of schools needing assistance. 
‘‘(3) CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—The appli-
cation under paragraph (1) shall describe the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) The partnership that such agency will 
form with an institution of higher education or 
other appropriate entity to carry out the activi-
ties described in subsection (e). 
‘‘(B) How such agency will use funds re-
ceived under this section to participate in the 
Targeted High Need Initiative program of the 
National Board for Professional Teaching 
Standards. 
‘‘(C) Identify the initial 25 classroom 
teachers, and at least 1 superintendent, prin-
cipal, or vice principal, who have agreed to be 
mentors under such program. 
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‘‘(e) USE OF FUNDS.—A local educational agency 
that receives a grant under this section shall use the funds 
made available through the grant for the following: 
‘‘(1) Establish the partnership referred to sub-
section (d)(3)(A). 
‘‘(2) Support teachers through the Targeted 
High Need Initiative program of the National Board 
for Professional Teaching Standards through train-
ing, professional development, mentoring and tech-
nological resources. 
‘‘(3) Fully fund the assessment fee for all eligi-
ble teachers who apply to be certified by such Board 
and who agree to remain at the participating school 
for at least 3 years after completing the certifi-
cation. 
‘‘(4) Provide a $1,000 award to each teacher 
who is certified by such Board after completing par-
ticipation in such a Targeted High Need Initiative 
program. 
‘‘(5) Provide sponsoring schools with a $500 
award for each teacher described in paragraph (4). 
‘‘(6) Conduct an independent evaluation of the 
impact of participation in such Targeted High Need 
Initiative program on teaching quality and student 
learning and achievement. Such evaluation may in-
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clude incorporating multiple sources of data over 
time to assess immediate and long-term impacts of 
such participation. 
‘‘(f) DURATION
OF GRANT.—The Secretary shall 
make grants under this section for period of 5 years. 
‘‘(g) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—To the extent 
practicable, the Secretary shall ensure an equitable geo-
graphic distribution of grants under this section among 
the regions of the United States.’’. 
(b) FUNDING.— 
(1) Section 2103 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6603) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(c) TARGETED HIGH NEED INITIATIVE.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out subpart 6 
$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and each of the 5 suc-
ceeding fiscal years.’’. 
(2) Subsection (a) of section 2103 of such Act 
is amended by striking ‘‘subpart 5’’ and inserting 
‘‘subparts 5 and 6’’. 
Æ 
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