I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1736 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to recruit, 
prepare, and support principals through capacity-building measures that 
will improve student academic achievement in high-need schools. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 25, 2013 
Mrs. DAVIS of California (for herself, Mr. POLIS, Mr. BEN RAY LUJA´N of 
New Mexico, Ms. BORDALLO, and Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 to recruit, prepare, and support principals 
through capacity-building measures that will improve stu-
dent academic achievement in high-need schools. 
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 ‘‘School Principal Re-
cruitment and Training Act of 2013’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to recruit, prepare, and 
support principals through capacity-building measures 
that will improve student academic achievement in high- 
need schools. 
SEC. 3. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT AND ACTIVITIES. 
Part A of title II of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SUBPART 6—PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING 
‘‘SEC. 2161. PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING 
GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) CURRENT PRINCIPAL.—The term ‘current 
principal’ means an individual who, as of the date of 
the determination of participation in a program 
under this section, is employed as a principal or has 
been employed as a principal. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means— 
‘‘(A) a local educational agency that serves 
an eligible school or a consortium of such agen-
cies; 
‘‘(B) a State educational agency or a con-
sortium of such agencies; 
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‘‘(C) a State educational agency in part-
nership with one or more local educational 
agencies that serve an eligible school; or 
‘‘(D) an entity described in subparagraph 
(A) or (B), or in partnership with one or more 
nonprofit organizations or institutions of higher 
education. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE
SCHOOL.—The term ‘eligible 
school’ means a public school, including a public 
charter school, that meets one or more of the fol-
lowing criteria: 
‘‘(A) Is a high-need school. 
‘‘(B) Is a persistently low-achieving school, 
as described in section 1116. 
‘‘(C) Is an achievement gap school, as de-
scribed in section 1116. 
‘‘(D) In the case of a public school con-
taining middle grades, feeds into a public high 
school that has less than a 60-percent gradua-
tion rate. 
‘‘(E) Is a rural school served by a local 
educational agency that is eligible to receive as-
sistance under part B of title VI. 
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‘‘(4) MENTOR PRINCIPAL.—The term ‘mentor 
principal’ means an individual with the following 
characteristics: 
‘‘(A) Strong instructional leadership skills 
in an elementary school or secondary school set-
ting. 
‘‘(B) Strong verbal and written commu-
nication skills, which may be demonstrated by 
performance on appropriate assessments. 
‘‘(C) Knowledge, skills, and attitudes to— 
‘‘(i) establish and maintain a profes-
sional learning community that effectively 
extracts information from data to improve 
the school culture and personalize instruc-
tion for all students to result in improved 
student achievement; 
‘‘(ii) create and maintain a learning 
culture within the school that provides a 
climate conducive to the development of all 
members of the school community, includ-
ing one of continuous learning for adults 
tied to student learning and other school 
goals; 
‘‘(iii) engage in continuous profes-
sional development, utilizing a combination 
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centage of students taking college-level course-
work. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) PRINCIPAL, RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING 
GRANT
PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible entities to enable such entities to 
recruit, prepare, place, and support principals in eli-
gible schools. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(i) NOT MORE THAN 5 YEAR DURA-
TION.—A grant awarded under this section 
shall be not more than 5 years in duration. 
‘‘(ii) 
RENEWAL.—The 
Secretary 
may— 
‘‘(I) renew a grant awarded 
under this section based on perform-
ance; and 
‘‘(II) in renewing a grant under 
subclause (I), award the grantee in-
creased funding to scale up or rep-
licate the grantee’s program. 
‘‘(B) PERFORMANCE.—In evaluating per-
formance 
for 
purposes 
of 
subparagraph 
(A)(ii)(1)— 
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‘‘(i) the Secretary’s primary consider-
ation shall be the extent to which the prin-
cipals recruited, prepared, placed, or sup-
ported by the grantee have improved 
school-level student outcomes in eligible 
schools; and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary shall also consider 
the percentage of program graduates— 
‘‘(I) who become principals in eli-
gible schools; 
‘‘(II) who remain principals in el-
igible schools for multiple years; and 
‘‘(III) who are highly rated prin-
cipals under a teacher and principal 
evaluation system, if applicable. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that de-
sires a grant under this section shall submit to the 
Secretary an application at such time, in such man-
ner, and accompanied by such information as the 
Secretary may require. 
‘‘(2) 
SELECTION
CRITERIA.—In 
awarding 
grants under this section, the Secretary shall con-
sider— 
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‘‘(A) the extent to which the entity has the 
capacity to implement the activities described in 
subsection (e) that the entity proposes to imple-
ment; 
‘‘(B) the extent to which the entity has a 
demonstrated record of effectiveness or an evi-
denced-based plan for preparing principals to 
improve school-level student outcomes in eligible 
schools; 
‘‘(C) the extent to which the entity has a 
demonstrated record of effectiveness or an evi-
dence-based 
plan 
for 
providing 
principals 
trained by the entity with the guidance, sup-
port, and tools they need to improve school-level 
student outcomes in eligible schools, including 
providing principals with resources, such as 
funding to ensure supports for quality teaching, 
and decisionmaking authority over areas such 
as personnel, budget, curriculum, or scheduling; 
and 
‘‘(D) the likelihood of the entity sustaining 
the project with funds other than funds pro-
vided under this section, which other funds may 
include funds provided under this title other 
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than this section, once the grant is no longer 
available to the entity. 
‘‘(d) AWARDING GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall, give priority to an eligi-
ble entity that has the ability to provide data on 
principal preparation or a record of preparing or de-
veloping principals who— 
‘‘(A) have improved school-level student 
outcomes; 
‘‘(B) have become principals in eligible 
schools; and 
‘‘(C) remain principals in eligible schools 
for multiple years. 
‘‘(2) GRANTS FOR RURAL SCHOOLS AND LOW- 
PERFORMING SCHOOLS.—In awarding grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall, consistent with the 
quality of applications— 
‘‘(A) award not less than one grant to an 
eligible entity that intends to establish a pro-
gram that focuses on training or supporting 
principals and other school leaders for rural 
schools; and 
‘‘(B) award not less than one grant to an 
eligible entity that intends to establish a pro-
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gram to train and support principals and other 
school leaders to lead reform efforts in a State 
or more than one State, as determined under 
section 1116. 
‘‘(3) REFORM
EFFORTS.—An eligible entity 
that receives a grant under this section to carry out 
a program described in paragraph (2)(B)— 
‘‘(A) during the first year of the grant, 
shall use grant funds— 
‘‘(i) to bring together experts and 
stakeholders who are committed to dra-
matic and effective reform of persistently 
low-achieving schools who can provide 
input about what the evidence base shows 
regarding effective school leadership in 
such schools; 
‘‘(ii) to collect and develop, in con-
sultation with experts and stakeholders, a 
core body of knowledge regarding effective 
school reform leadership in persistently 
low-achieving schools, which is evidence 
based; 
‘‘(iii) to develop, drawing on the core 
body of knowledge developed in clause (ii), 
a leadership training program for prin-
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cipals, mentors, and other school leaders, 
to prepare and support the principals, 
mentors, and leaders to lead effective 
school reform efforts in persistently low 
achieving schools; and 
‘‘(B) during each year of the grant after 
the first year, shall use grant funds— 
‘‘(i) to carry out the leadership train-
ing program described in subparagraph 
(A)(iii); 
‘‘(ii) to ensure that the leadership 
training program described in subpara-
graph (A)(iii) is informed, on an ongoing 
basis, by consultation with experts and 
stakeholders, and by the program’s track-
ing of the performance of its graduates in 
leading school reform efforts in persistently 
low-achieving schools; 
‘‘(iii) to select cohorts of experienced 
principals to lead school reform efforts in 
persistently low-achieving schools; 
‘‘(iv) to provide support for, and en-
courage interaction among, cohorts of prin-
cipals after completion of the leadership 
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training program described in subpara-
graph (A)(iii); and 
‘‘(v) to disseminate information to 
principals, mentors, and other school lead-
ers engaging in reform efforts in persist-
ently low-achieving schools. 
‘‘(e) ACTIVITIES.—Each eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use grant funds to carry 
out the following: 
‘‘(1) To recruit and select, using rigorous, com-
petency-based, selection criteria, and train and sup-
port a diverse group of aspiring or current prin-
cipals, or both, for work in eligible schools. 
‘‘(2) Tracking participants to determine if such 
individuals are attaining, or have attained, the com-
petencies needed to complete the training and enter 
into an effective leadership role, and provide coun-
seling and, if appropriate, separation, to participants 
who the entity determines will not attain, or have 
not attained, those competencies. 
‘‘(3) If the eligible entity provides a program 
for aspiring principals— 
‘‘(A) candidates must demonstrate aware-
ness of and have experience with the knowledge, 
skills and attitudes to— 
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‘‘(i) establish and maintain a profes-
sional learning community that effectively 
extracts information from data to improve 
the school culture and personalize instruc-
tion for all students to result in improved 
student achievement; 
‘‘(ii) create and maintain a learning 
culture within the school that provides a 
climate conductive to the development of 
all members of the school community, in-
cluding one of continuous learning for 
adults tied to student learning and other 
school goals; 
‘‘(iii) engage in continuous profes-
sional development, utilizing a combination 
of academic study, developmental simula-
tion exercises, self-reflection, mentorship 
and internship; 
‘‘(iv) understand youth development 
appropriate to the age level served by the 
school and from this knowledge set high 
expectations and standards for the aca-
demic, social, emotional and physical devel-
opment of all students; and 
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‘‘(v) actively engage the community to 
create shared responsibility for student 
academic performance and successful de-
velopment; a preservice residency that is 
not less than 1 year in length, and that in-
cludes coaching from a mentor principal, 
and instructional leadership and organiza-
tional management experience; and 
‘‘(B) the program shall provide aspiring 
principals with— 
‘‘(i) a preservice residency that is not 
less than 1 year in length, and that in-
cludes coaching from a mentor principal, 
and instructional leadership and organiza-
tional management experience; 
‘‘(ii) focused coursework on instruc-
tional leadership, organizational manage-
ment, and the use of a variety of data for 
purposes of— 
‘‘(I) instruction; 
‘‘(II) evaluation and development 
of teachers; and 
‘‘(III) development of highly ef-
fective school organizations; and 
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‘‘(iii) ongoing support, mentoring, and 
professional development for not less than 
2 years after the aspiring principals com-
plete the residency and commence work as 
assistant principals and principals. 
‘‘(4) To train mentors for principals and assist-
ant principals who are serving or who wish to serve 
in eligible schools or for aspiring principals who wish 
to serve in such eligible schools, or for both. 
‘‘(5) Providing differentiated training to partici-
pants in competencies that evidence shows are crit-
ical to improving school-level student outcomes in el-
igible schools, such as— 
‘‘(A) recruiting, training, supervising, sup-
porting, and evaluating teachers and other 
staff; 
‘‘(B) establishing learning communities 
where principals and teachers— 
‘‘(i) share a school mission and goals 
with an explicit vision of quality teaching 
and learning that guides all instructional 
decisions; 
‘‘(ii) commit to improving student 
outcomes and performances; 
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‘‘(iii) set a continuous cycle of collec-
tive inquiry and improvement; 
‘‘(iv) foster a culture of collaboration 
where teachers and principals work to-
gether on a regular basis to analyze and 
improve teaching and learning; and 
‘‘(v) support and share leadership; 
‘‘(C) where applicable for participants serv-
ing elementary schools, offering high-quality 
early childhood education to the students such 
participants are serving and facilitating the 
transition of children from early learning set-
tings to elementary school; 
‘‘(D) setting high expectations for student 
achievement that will prepare them for college 
and career; 
‘‘(E) addressing the unique needs of spe-
cific student populations served, such as stu-
dents with disabilities, students who are 
English learners, and students who are home-
less or in foster care; 
‘‘(F) managing budget resources and 
school time to support high-quality instruction 
and improvements in student achievement, such 
as by extending the school day and year and 
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providing common planning time to teachers 
and staff; 
‘‘(G) working effectively with students’ 
parents and other members of the community; 
‘‘(H) 
using 
technology 
and 
multiple 
sources of data to personalize instruction; 
‘‘(I) monitoring and improving the align-
ment and effectiveness of curriculum, instruc-
tion, and assessment, using a variety of data 
providing evidence of student and school out-
comes; and 
‘‘(J) developing and maintaining a positive 
school culture where students, teachers and 
other staff are motivated to collaborate and 
work together to achieve goals. 
‘‘(6) Delivering high-quality, differentiated, 
school-level support services and training to current 
principals of eligible schools, if the eligible entity 
provides a program for current principals, or during 
the period described in paragraph (3)(B)(iii) to indi-
viduals who have completed the aspiring principal 
residency, if the eligible entity provides a program 
for aspiring principals, to help meet the specific 
needs of the eligible schools they serve, which may 
include— 
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‘‘(A) training and support for the design of 
school-wide improvement plans based on the di-
agnosis of school conditions and needs informed 
by data and analysis of classroom and school 
practices; and 
‘‘(B) support in organizing and training 
the teams described in paragraph (5)(B). 
‘‘(7) Making available any training materials 
funded under the grant, such as syllabi, assign-
ments, or selection rubrics, to the department for 
public dissemination. 
‘‘(8) Tracking the effectiveness of the program 
based on, at a minimum— 
‘‘(A) school-level student outcomes at the 
schools where program graduates have served 
as principals; 
‘‘(B) the percentage of program graduates 
who become principals in eligible schools; 
‘‘(C) the percentage of program graduates 
who remain principals or assistant principals in 
eligible schools for multiple years; and 
‘‘(D) the percentage of program graduates 
who are highly rated under a teacher and prin-
cipal evaluation system, if applicable. 
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‘‘(9) Using the data on the effectiveness of the 
program for, among other purposes, the continuous 
improvement of the program. 
‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORT.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this section shall submit an annual 
report, beginning in the third year of the grant, to the 
Secretary regarding— 
‘‘(1) school-level student outcomes resulting 
from implementation of the grant activities; and 
‘‘(2) data on— 
‘‘(A) the percentage of program graduates 
who become principals or assistant principals in 
eligible schools; 
‘‘(B) the percentage of graduates who re-
main principals or assistant principals in eligi-
ble schools for multiple years; and 
‘‘(C) the percentage of program graduates 
who are highly rated under a teacher and prin-
cipal evaluation system, if applicable. 
‘‘(g) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that 
receives a grant under this section shall con-
tribute annually to the activities assisted under 
such grant matching funds in an amount equal 
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to not less than 20 percent of the amount of 
the grant from non-Federal sources. 
‘‘(B) MATCHING
FUNDS.—The matching 
funds requirement under subparagraph (A) may 
be met by— 
‘‘(i) contributions that are in cash or 
in-kind, fairly evaluated; and 
‘‘(ii) payments of a salary or stipend 
to an aspiring principal during the aspiring 
principal’s residency year. 
‘‘(2) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive or re-
duce the matching requirement under paragraph (1) 
if the eligible entity demonstrates a need for such 
waiver or reduction due to financial hardship. 
‘‘(h) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Grant funds 
provided under this section shall be used to supplement, 
and not supplant, any other Federal, State, or local funds 
otherwise available to carry out the activities described in 
this section. 
‘‘(i) EVALUATION
AND DISSEMINATION
OF BEST 
PRACTICES.—In accordance with section 9601, the Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(1) carry out an evaluation of programs fund-
ed under this section; and 
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‘‘(2) identify and disseminate research and best 
practices related to such programs. 
‘‘(j) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 5 years 
after the date of the enactment of the School Principal 
Recruitment and Training Act of 2013, the Secretary shall 
submit a report to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Ap-
propriations of the Senate, the Committee on Education 
and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives on lessons learned through programs funded 
with grants awarded under this section. 
‘‘(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014 and 
each of the succeeding 5 years.’’. 
Æ 
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