I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3779 
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 
JUNE 8, 2021 
Mr. LANGEVIN (for himself, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas, 
and Mr. AMODEI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
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) PREFERENCE.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give preference to eligible part-
nerships that recruit and enroll teacher candidates who 
are from underrepresented populations or former English 
learners. 
‘‘(d) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—An eligible partnership 
that receives a grant under this section shall provide not 
less than 50 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. 
‘‘(e) 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 that enables the graduate to meet the 
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State’s licensure or certification requirements to 
teach English learners and incorporates evidence- 
based strategies for teaching English learners (in-
cluding bilingual, immersion, and dual-language edu-
cation) into the education curriculum and academic 
content; 
‘‘(2) provide teacher candidates participating in 
a program under paragraph (1) with skills related 
to— 
‘‘(A) helping English learners— 
‘‘(i) achieve at high levels in early 
childhood education programs, and elemen-
tary schools and secondary schools so such 
English learners can meet the challenging 
State academic standards that— 
‘‘(I) have been 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 or to be at-
tended by the English learners; and 
‘‘(II) apply to all public school 
students in the State; and 
‘‘(ii) attain English proficiency; 
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‘‘(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; and 
‘‘(3) provide high-quality preservice clinical ex-
perience that meets the requirements of section 
202(d)(2) for teacher candidates participating in the 
program that includes, to the extent practicable— 
‘‘(A) clinical learning in classrooms that 
serve English learners; and 
‘‘(B) mentoring by a teacher certified to 
teach English learners. 
‘‘(f) 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 
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English learners in the manner described in sub-
section (e)(2); 
‘‘(2) a self-assessment by the eligible partner-
ship of the personnel needs for teachers who instruct 
English learners at local, early childhood education 
programs, and elementary schools and secondary 
schools; 
‘‘(3) a description of the intended uses of such 
grant; and 
‘‘(4) a description of the plan to carry out the 
evaluation under subsection (g)(1). 
‘‘(g) EVALUATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) 
REPORT
FROM
ELIGIBLE
PARTNER-
SHIPS.—An eligible partnership receiving a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Secretary the 
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 (e)(1) with 
respect to instruction of English learners; 
‘‘(B) the systemic impact of the activities 
carried out by such grant on how such partner-
ship prepares teachers to provide instruction in 
early childhood education programs, and ele-
mentary schools and secondary schools; and 
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‘‘(C) the percentage of teacher candidates 
who meet the State certification and licensure 
requirements for teaching English learners. 
‘‘(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. 
‘‘(h) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—An eligible 
partnership receiving a grant under this section may use 
the grant only to supplement funds made available from 
non-Federal sources to carry out the activities supported 
by such grant, and in no case to supplant such funds from 
non-Federal sources. 
‘‘(i) 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). 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION.—The term ‘eligible institution of higher 
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education’ means an institution of higher education 
that has a program of study that leads to an under-
graduate degree, a master’s degree, or completion of 
a postbaccalaureate program required for teacher 
certification or licensure, including any requirements 
for certification 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 or a high-need early child-
hood education program. 
‘‘(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).’’. 
Æ 
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