I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2172 
To improve quality and accountability for educator preparation programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 23, 2013 
Mr. HONDA (for himself, Mr. HINOJOSA, and Mrs. NAPOLITANO) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education 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) 
through (19), (20), (21), and (23), as paragraphs 
(7), (8), (10) through (21), (23), (24), and (28), re-
spectively; 
(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)(3) 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 
6211(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 (16), as redesignated 
by paragraph (2), and inserting the following: 
‘‘(16) 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.’’; 
(7) 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 
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the partner institution, which courses may be 
taught by local educational agency personnel or 
residency program faculty, in— 
‘‘(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 
highly qualified (if applicable).’’; and 
(8) by inserting after paragraph (24), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2), the following: 
‘‘(25) TEACHER PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT.— 
The term ‘teacher performance assessment’ means 
an assessment used to measure teacher performance 
that is approved by the State and is— 
‘‘(A) based on professional teaching stand-
ards; 
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‘‘(B) used to measure the effectiveness of 
a teacher’s— 
‘‘(i) curriculum planning; 
‘‘(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 
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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-
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 highly qualified 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.’’. 
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SEC. 103. PARTNERSHIP GRANTS. 
Section 202 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1022a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘other 
educators,’’ after ‘‘principals,’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(2) a description of the extent to which the 
program to be carried out with grant funds, as de-
scribed in subsection (c), will prepare prospective 
and new educators with strong teaching, leadership, 
and other professional skills necessary to increase 
learning and academic achievement;’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, prin-
cipals, and other educators’’ after ‘‘teachers’’; 
(D) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
‘‘, principal, and other educator’’ after 
‘‘teacher’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘teacher’’ and inserting ‘‘educator’’; 
(E) in paragraph (6)— 
(i) by striking subparagraph (F) and 
inserting the following: 
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‘‘(F) how the partnership will prepare edu-
cators to teach and work with students with 
disabilities, including training related to partici-
pation as a member of individualized education 
program 
teams, 
as 
defined 
in 
section 
614(d)(1)(B) of the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act;’’; 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (G) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(G) how the partnership will prepare edu-
cators to teach and work with students who are 
limited English proficient;’’; 
(iii) by striking subparagraph (H) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(H) how faculty at the partner institution 
will work, during the term of the grant, with 
mentor educators in the classrooms and admin-
istrators of high-need schools served by the 
high-need local educational agency in the part-
nership to— 
‘‘(i) provide high-quality professional 
development activities to strengthen the 
content knowledge and teaching skills of 
elementary school and secondary school 
teachers and other educators, including 
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multi-tiered systems of support and uni-
versal design for learning; 
‘‘(ii) train other classroom teachers, 
principals, school librarians, and other edu-
cators to implement literacy programs that 
incorporate the essential components of 
reading and writing instruction; and 
‘‘(iii) provide high-quality professional 
development activities to strengthen the in-
structional and leadership skills of elemen-
tary school and secondary school principals 
and district superintendents, if the partner 
institution has a principal preparation pro-
gram;’’; 
(iv) in subparagraph (I), by striking 
‘‘teaching’’ and inserting ‘‘educator’’; and 
(v) in subparagraph (K), by striking 
‘‘teachers’’ and inserting ‘‘educators’’; and 
(F) by striking paragraph (7) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(7) with respect to the induction program re-
quired as part of the activities carried out under this 
section— 
‘‘(A) a description of how the schools and 
departments within the institution of higher 
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education that are part of the induction pro-
gram will effectively prepare educators, includ-
ing providing content expertise and expertise in 
teaching and leadership, as appropriate; 
‘‘(B) a description of the eligible partner-
ship’s capacity to use empirically based practice 
and scientifically valid research on teaching and 
learning; 
‘‘(C) a description of how the educator 
preparation program will design and implement 
an induction program to support all new edu-
cators who are prepared by the educator prepa-
ration program in the partnership and who are 
employed in the high-need local educational 
agency in the partnership, and, to the extent 
practicable, all new educators who teach in such 
high-need local educational agency; and 
‘‘(D) a description of how higher education 
faculty involved in the induction program will 
be able to substantially participate in an early 
childhood education program or an elementary 
school or secondary school classroom setting, as 
applicable.’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
following: 
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‘‘(c) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.—An eligible partner-
ship that receives a grant under this section— 
‘‘(1) shall use grant funds to carry out a pro-
gram for the pre-baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate 
preparation of teachers under subsection (d), a 
teaching or principal residency program under sub-
section (e), or a combination of such programs; and 
‘‘(2) may use funds to carry out other educator 
development programs under subsection (f), based 
upon the results of the needs assessment in sub-
section (b)(1).’’; 
(3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(e) PARTNERSHIP GRANTS FOR THE ESTABLISH-
MENT OF TEACHING AND PRINCIPAL RESIDENCY PRO-
GRAMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible partnership re-
ceiving a grant to carry out an effective teaching or 
principal residency program shall carry out a pro-
gram that includes the following activities: 
‘‘(A) FOR
TEACHING
RESIDENCY
PRO-
GRAMS.—An eligible partnership carrying out a 
teaching residency program shall carry out both 
of the following activities: 
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‘‘(i) Supporting a teaching residency 
program described in paragraph (2) for 
high-need schools and in high-need sub-
jects and areas, as determined by the 
needs of the high-need local educational 
agency in the partnership. 
‘‘(ii) Placing graduates of the teach-
ing residency program in cohorts that fa-
cilitate professional collaboration, both 
among graduates of the residency program 
and between such graduates and mentor 
teachers in the receiving school. 
‘‘(B) FOR
PRINCIPAL
RESIDENCY
PRO-
GRAMS.—An eligible partnership carrying out a 
principal residency program shall support a 
program described in paragraph (3) for high- 
need schools, as determined by the needs of the 
high-need local educational agency in the part-
nership. 
‘‘(2) TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT
AND
DESIGN.—A 
teaching residency program under this para-
graph shall be a program based upon models of 
successful teaching residencies that serves as a 
mechanism to prepare teachers for success in 
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high-need schools in the eligible partnership and 
shall be designed to include the following char-
acteristics of successful programs: 
‘‘(i) The integration of pedagogy, 
classroom practice and teacher mentoring. 
‘‘(ii) The exposure to principles of 
child development as well as understanding 
and applying principles of learning and be-
havior. 
‘‘(iii) Engagement of teaching resi-
dents in rigorous graduate-level coursework 
to earn a master’s degree while under-
taking a guided teaching apprenticeship. 
‘‘(iv) Experience and learning oppor-
tunities alongside a trained and experi-
enced mentor teacher— 
‘‘(I) whose teaching shall com-
plement the residency program so that 
school-based clinical practice is tightly 
aligned with coursework; 
‘‘(II) who shall have extra re-
sponsibilities as a teacher leader of 
the teaching residency program, as a 
mentor for residents, and as a teacher 
coach during the induction program 
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for new teachers, and for establishing, 
within the program, a learning com-
munity in which all individuals are ex-
pected to continually improve their ca-
pacity to advance student learning; 
and 
‘‘(III) who may be relieved from 
teaching duties or may be offered a 
stipend as a result of such additional 
responsibilities. 
‘‘(v) The establishment of clear cri-
teria for the selection of mentor teachers 
based on the appropriate subject area 
knowledge and measures of teacher effec-
tiveness, which shall be based on, but not 
limited to, observations of the following: 
‘‘(I) Planning and preparation, 
including demonstrated knowledge of 
content, pedagogy, and assessment, 
including 
the 
use 
of 
formative, 
summative, and diagnostic assess-
ments to improve student learning. 
‘‘(II) 
Appropriate 
instruction 
that engages all students. 
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‘‘(III) Collaboration with col-
leagues to improve instruction. 
‘‘(IV) Analysis of evidence of stu-
dent learning. 
‘‘(vi) The development of admissions 
goals and priorities— 
‘‘(I) that are aligned with the 
hiring objectives of the local edu-
cational agency partnering with the 
program, as well as the instructional 
initiatives and curriculum of such 
agency to hire qualified graduates 
from the teaching residency program; 
and 
‘‘(II) which may include consider-
ation of applicants who reflect the 
communities in which they will teach 
as well as consideration of individuals 
from underrepresented populations in 
the teaching profession. 
‘‘(vii) Support for residents once such 
residents are hired as the teachers of 
record, through an induction program, pro-
fessional development, and networking op-
portunities 
to 
support 
the 
residents 
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through not less than the residents’ first 2 
years of teaching. 
‘‘(B) SELECTION
OF
INDIVIDUALS
AS 
TEACHER RESIDENTS.— 
‘‘(i) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—In order 
to be eligible to be a teacher resident in a 
teacher residency program under this para-
graph, an individual shall— 
‘‘(I) be a recent graduate of a 4- 
year institution of higher education or 
a mid-career professional possessing 
strong content knowledge of a record 
of professional accomplishment; and 
‘‘(II) submit an application to 
the residency program. 
‘‘(ii) SELECTION CRITERIA.—An eligi-
ble partnership carrying out a teaching 
residency program under this subsection 
shall establish criteria for the selection of 
eligible individuals to participate in the 
teaching residency program based on the 
following characteristics: 
‘‘(I) Strong content knowledge or 
record of accomplishment in the field 
or subject area to be taught. 
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‘‘(II) Strong verbal and written 
communication skills, which may be 
demonstrated by performance on ap-
propriate assessments. 
‘‘(III) Other attributes linked to 
effective teaching, which may be de-
termined by interviews or performance 
assessments, as specified by the eligi-
ble partnership. 
‘‘(3) PRINCIPAL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT
AND
DESIGN.—A 
principal residency program under this para-
graph shall be a program based upon models of 
successful principal residencies that serve as a 
mechanism to prepare principals for success in 
high-need schools in the eligible partnership and 
shall be designed to include the following char-
acteristics of successful programs: 
‘‘(i) Engagement of principal resi-
dents in rigorous graduate-level coursework 
to earn an appropriate advanced credential 
while undertaking a guided principal ap-
prenticeship. 
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