I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4838 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of 
Education to award institutions of higher education grants for teaching 
English learners. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 18, 2018 
Mr. LANGEVIN (for himself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. ESPAILLAT, and Mr. GRIJALVA) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the 
Secretary of Education to award institutions of higher 
education grants for teaching English learners. 
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 ‘‘Reaching English 
Learners Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TEACHING ENGLISH LEARNERS GRANT. 
Part B of title II of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
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‘‘Subpart 6—Teaching English Learners Grant 
‘‘SEC. 259. TEACHING ENGLISH LEARNERS GRANT. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary 
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible part-
nerships to improve the preparation of teacher candidates 
to ensure that such teacher candidates possess the knowl-
edge and skills necessary to effectively instruct English 
learners. 
‘‘(b) DURATION OF GRANTS.—A grant under this 
section shall be awarded for a period of not more than 
5 years. 
‘‘(c) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—An eligible partnership 
that receives a grant under this section shall provide not 
less than 25 percent of the cost of the activities carried 
out with such grant from non-Federal sources, which may 
be provided in cash or in kind. 
‘‘(d) USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible partnership that 
receives a grant under this section shall use the grant to— 
‘‘(1) develop or strengthen an undergraduate, 
postbaccalaureate, or master’s teacher preparation 
program by integrating strategies for teaching 
English learners into the education curriculum and 
academic content; 
‘‘(2) provide teacher candidates participating in 
a program under paragraph (1) with skills related 
to— 
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‘‘(A) helping English learners— 
‘‘(i) achieve at high levels in pre-
kindergarten programs, and elementary 
schools and secondary schools so such 
English learners can meet the challenging 
State academic standards adopted under 
section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)) by the State of the 
school attended by the English learners, 
which all children in the State are expected 
to meet; and 
‘‘(ii) attain English proficiency; 
‘‘(B) appropriately identifying and meeting 
the specific learning needs of children with dis-
abilities who are English learners; 
‘‘(C) recognizing and addressing the social 
and emotional needs of English learners; and 
‘‘(D) promoting parental, family, and com-
munity engagement in educational programs 
that serve English learners; 
‘‘(3) provide work-based learning opportunities 
for teacher candidates participating in the program; 
and 
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‘‘(4) provide teacher candidates with the re-
quired coursework to qualify for an English-as-a-sec-
ond-language endorsement or initial teaching creden-
tial, as recognized by the State of the eligible part-
nership. 
‘‘(e) APPLICATION.—An eligible partnership seeking 
a grant under this section shall submit an application to 
the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require. 
Such application shall include— 
‘‘(1) a self-assessment by the eligible partner-
ship of the existing teacher preparation program at 
the institution of higher education and the needs re-
lated to preparing teacher candidates to instruct 
English learners in the manner described in sub-
section (d)(2); and 
‘‘(2) a self-assessment by the eligible partner-
ship of the personnel needs for teachers who instruct 
English learners at local, public prekindergarten 
programs, and elementary schools and secondary 
schools. 
‘‘(f) EVALUATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) 
REPORT
FROM
ELIGIBLE
PARTNER-
SHIPS.—An eligible partnership receiving a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Secretary the 
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results of an evaluation conducted by the partner-
ship at the end of the grant period to determine— 
‘‘(A) the effectiveness of teachers who com-
pleted a program under subsection (d)(1) with 
respect to instruction of English learners; and 
‘‘(B) the systemic impact of the activities 
carried out by such grant on how such partner-
ship prepares teachers to provide instruction in 
prekindergarten 
programs, 
and 
elementary 
schools and secondary schools. 
‘‘(2) REPORT
FROM
THE
SECRETARY.—Not 
later than 180 days after the last day of the grant 
period under this section, the Secretary shall make 
available to the authorizing committees and the pub-
lic— 
‘‘(A) the findings of the evaluations sub-
mitted under paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(B) information on best practices related 
to effective instruction of English learners. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) CHILD
WITH
A
DISABILITY.—The term 
‘child with a disability’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401). 
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‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION.—The term ‘eligible institution of higher 
education’ means an institution of higher education 
that has a program of study— 
‘‘(A) that leads to an undergraduate de-
gree, a master’s degree, or completion of a 
postbaccalaureate program required for teacher 
certification; and 
‘‘(B) the graduates of which meet the ap-
plicable State certification and licensure re-
quirements, including any requirements for cer-
tification obtained through alternative routes to 
certification. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘eligi-
ble partnership’ means an eligible institution of 
higher education in partnership with a high-need 
local educational agency. 
‘‘(4) ENGLISH LEARNER.—The term ‘English 
learner’ has the meaning given the term in section 
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
‘‘(5) 
WORK-BASED
LEARNING.—The 
term 
‘work-based learning’ means learning involving sus-
tained interactions with teachers and English learn-
ers at public prekindergarten programs, or elemen-
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tary schools or secondary schools, to the extent prac-
ticable, or simulated environments at the eligible in-
stitution of higher education involved, that foster in- 
depth, first-hand engagement with tasks required of 
a teacher providing instruction to English learners.’’. 
Æ 
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