Title: Equal Access to Quality Education Act of 2017
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Equal Access to Quality Education Act of 2017
This bill requires the Department of Education to award competitive matching grants to partnerships between high-need local educational agencies and institutions of higher education to establish or support: (1) teacher preparation programs, and (2) teacher induction and retention programs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4049 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4049

   To establish a grant program to ensure that students in high-need 
   schools have equal access to a quality education delivered by an 
                     effective, diverse workforce.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 12, 2017

  Ms. Judy Chu of California (for herself, Mr. Takano, Ms. Titus, Ms. 
  Norton, and Ms. Bordallo) introduced the following bill; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a grant program to ensure that students in high-need 
   schools have equal access to a quality education delivered by an 
                     effective, diverse workforce.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Equal Access to Quality Education 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. EQUAL ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Education shall make grants on a 
competitive basis to eligible partnerships in high-need areas to--
            (1) develop and strengthen high-quality pathways for the 
        teaching and education leadership professions;
            (2) create professional induction programs for the teaching 
        profession; and
            (3) provide a stable and collaborative learning environment 
        for educators and students.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the grant program established under 
this section shall be to--
            (1) increase the percentage of profession-ready teachers in 
        States, including teachers from under represented minority 
        groups and teachers with disabilities;
            (2) close the achievement gap for students within subgroups 
        that are not showing expected performance;
            (3) decrease shortages of profession-ready teachers in poor 
        urban and rural areas;
            (4) decrease high turnover rates for educators in high-need 
        schools;
            (5) increase the number of profession-ready teachers in 
        shortage areas, including special education, bilingual 
        education, and education for English language learners, and in 
        science, mathematics, engineering, and technology;
            (6) increase opportunities for enhanced and ongoing 
        professional development that--
                    (A) improves the academic content knowledge of 
                teachers in the subject areas in which teachers are 
                certified or licensed to teach or in which the teachers 
                are working toward certification or licensure to teach;
                    (B) promotes strong teaching skills, including 
                instructional strategies that address diverse needs, 
                the use of data to inform instruction, and strategies 
                to improve student achievement; and
                    (C) provides time for teachers to share their 
                knowledge and innovation; and
            (7) provide all educators with the knowledge base and 
        professional skills to meet the needs of diverse learners, 
        including English language learners and students with 
        disabilities.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) Applications required.--An eligible partnership that 
        desires to receive a grant under this Act shall submit an 
        application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph (1) 
        include--
                    (A) a description of--
                            (i) how the eligible partnership will meet 
                        the purposes under subsection (b);
                            (ii) how the partnership will carry out the 
                        activities required under subsection (d), 
                        including--
                                    (I) how the partnership will 
                                design, implement, or enhance a year-
                                long and rigorous teaching residency 
                                program component; and
                                    (II) how the partnership will 
                                design, implement, or enhance a 
                                rigorous teacher induction and 
                                retention program;
                            (iii) a description of the partnership's 
                        plan for continuing the activities carried out 
                        under a grant received under this Act after the 
                        grant funding ceases;
                            (iv) how the grant will increase the number 
                        of profession-ready teachers --
                                    (I) in high-need schools operated 
                                by high-need local educational agencies 
                                (in urban or rural school districts); 
                                and
                                    (II) in high-need academic 
                                subjects; and
                            (v) with respect to the teacher induction 
                        and retention program that will be carried out 
                        using the grant--
                                    (I) the partnership's capability 
                                and commitment to, and the 
                                accessibility to and involvement of 
                                teachers in, the use of empirically 
                                based practice and scientifically valid 
                                research on teaching and learning;
                                    (II) a description of how the 
                                partnership will design and implement 
                                an induction program to support, 
                                through not less than the first 2 years 
                                of teaching, all new teachers who are 
                                prepared by the teacher preparation 
                                program in the partnership and who 
                                teach in the high-need local 
                                educational agency in the partnership, 
                                and, to the extent practicable, all new 
                                teachers who teach in such high-need 
                                local educational agency, in the 
                                further development of the new 
                                teachers' teaching skills, including 
                                the use of mentors who are trained and 
                                compensated by such program for the 
                                mentors' work with new teachers.
    (d) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Required uses.--An eligible partnership that receives a 
        grant under this section shall use the funds to carry out the 
        following:
                    (A) Establish or support a teacher preparation 
                program that--
                            (i) requires participants in the program to 
                        complete at least one year of residency at a 
                        high-need school in the local educational 
                        agency participating in the eligible 
                        partnership;
                            (ii) requires participants in the program 
                        to teach in a high-need school in such local 
                        educational agency for at least 3 years after 
                        completing such residency; and
                            (iii) awards a teaching credential, an 
                        undergraduate degree, or a Masters degree that 
                        meets State requirements for a teaching license 
                        or certification upon completion of the 
                        program.
                    (B) Establish or support a teacher induction and 
                retention program that provides support and advances 
                the retention of beginning teachers and principals 
                during not less than the first 2 years of participation 
                in such program, which promotes effective teaching and 
                leadership skills and includes--
                            (i) high-quality mentoring;
                            (ii) periodic, structured time for 
                        collaboration 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, and participating 
                        faculty in the partner institution of higher 
                        education;
                            (iii) the application of empirically based 
                        practice and scientifically valid research on 
                        instructional practices;
                            (iv) opportunities for new teachers and 
                        principals to draw directly on the expertise of 
                        mentors, faculty, local educational agency 
                        personnel, and researchers to support the 
                        integration of empirically based practice and 
                        scientifically valid research with practice;
                            (v) the development of skills in 
                        instructional and behavioral interventions 
                        derived from empirically based practice, and 
                        where applicable, scientifically valid 
                        research; and
                            (vi) faculty who--
                                    (I) model the integration of 
                                research and practice in the classroom; 
                                and
                                    (II) assist new teachers and 
                                principals with the effective use and 
                                integration of technology in 
                                instruction.
                    (C) Otherwise fulfill the purposes described in 
                subsection (b).
            (2) Authorized uses.--In addition to the activities 
        described in paragraph (1), a partnership that receives a grant 
        under this section may use the funds for any of the following:
                    (A) Providing support to each mentor teacher 
                working with new teachers.
                    (B) Providing preparation in effective, evidence-
                based instructional assessment practices and classroom 
                management strategies for general education teachers 
                serving students with disabilities and students with 
                limited English proficiency.
                    (C) Enabling teachers to engage in study groups, 
                professional learning communities, and other 
                collaborative activities and collegial interactions 
                regarding instruction assessment.
                    (D) Paying for release time and substitute teachers 
                in order to enable teachers to participate in 
                professional development and mentoring activities.
                    (E) Creating libraries of professional material, 
                catalogues of expert instruction, and education 
                technology.
                    (F) Providing high-quality professional development 
                for other instructional staff, such as 
                paraprofessionals, librarians, and counselors.
                    (G) Developing partnerships with businesses and 
                community-based organizations.
                    (H) Providing tuition assistance, scholarships, or 
                student loan repayment to teachers.
                    (I) Providing stipends or another financial 
                incentive to participants in the teacher preparation 
                program under paragraph (1)(A).
                    (J) Providing support for home visitation, 
                parenting education, and family engagement, especially 
                for parents who have limited English proficiency.
    (e) Repayments.--The Secretary shall establish such requirements as 
the Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure that each 
participant of a teacher preparation program under this Act who 
receives a stipend or other financial incentive as described in 
subsection (d)(2)(I), but fails to complete the participant's teaching 
obligation under subsection (d)(1)(A)(ii), repays all or a portion of 
such stipend or incentive to the eligible partnership that awarded such 
stipend or incentive.
    (f) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to eligible partnerships that meet the requirements 
of one of the following paragraphs:
            (1) Demonstrating--
                    (A) a plan to recruit teachers from among minority 
                and local candidates and from individuals with 
                disabilities; and
                    (B) the use of a valid and reliable teacher 
                performance assessment.
            (2) Meeting the requirements of paragraph (1)(B) and 
        including in the partnership--
                    (A) an institution of higher education that is an 
                ``eligible institution'' for purposes of the TEACH 
                Grant program under subpart 9 of part A of title IV of 
                the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070g et 
                seq.);
                    (B) a Tribal College or University, as defined in 
                section 316(b)(3) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3));
                    (C) an Asian American and Native American Pacific 
                Islander-serving institution, as defined in section 
                320(b) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059g(b));
                    (D) a Hispanic-serving institution, as defined in 
                section 502(a)(5) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)); 
                or
                    (E) a historically Black college and university, as 
                defined in section 631(a)(5) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
                1132(a)(5)).
    (g) Matching Requirements.--
            (1) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of any 
        activities funded by a grant received under this section shall 
        not exceed 75 percent.
            (2) Payment of non-federal share.--The non-Federal share 
        may be paid in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including 
        services.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible 
        partnership'' means a partnership--
                    (A) between a high-need local educational agency 
                and an institution of higher education; and
                    (B) that may include a teacher organization or a 
                nonprofit educational organization.
            (2) Family engagement.--The term ``family engagement'' 
        means a shared responsibility of families and schools for 
        student success, in which schools and community-based 
        organizations are committed to reaching out to engage families, 
        especially parents of non-Native English speakers, in 
        meaningful ways that encourage the families to actively support 
        their children's learning and development, as well as the 
        learning and development of other children. The shared 
        responsibility is continuous from birth through young adulthood 
        and reinforces learning that takes place in the home, school, 
        and community.
            (3) High-need local educational agency.--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-income children;
                    (iii) that meets the eligibility requirements for 
                receiving funding under the Rural Education Achievement 
                Program under part B of title V of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7341 et 
                seq.); or
                    (iv) that has a percentage of low-income children 
                that is in the highest quartile among such agencies in 
                the State; and
                    (B)(i) for which one or more schools served by the 
                agency is persistently low achieving; or
                    (ii) for which one or more schools served by the 
                agency has a high teacher turnover rate.
            (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
            (5) Low-income children.--The term ``low-income children'' 
        means--
                    (A) children from families with incomes below the 
                poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management 
                and Budget and revised annually in accordance with 
                section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 
                of 1981) applicable to a family of the size involved; 
                or
                    (B) children who are eligible for free or reduced 
                price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National 
                School Lunch Act.
            (6) Mentor teacher.--The term ``mentor teacher'' means a 
        teacher who--
                    (A) is profession-ready;
                    (B) has a minimum of 3 years of teaching 
                experience;
                    (C) is recommended by the principal and other 
                current master and mentor teachers on the basis of--
                            (i) instructional excellence through 
                        observations and other evidence of classroom 
                        practice, including standards-based 
                        evaluations, such as certification by the 
                        National Board for Professional Teaching 
                        Standards;
                            (ii) an ability, as demonstrated by 
                        evidence of student learning in high-need 
                        schools, to increase student learning; and
                            (iii) excellent instruction and 
                        communication with an understanding of how to 
                        facilitate growth in other teachers, including 
                        new teachers; and
                    (D) participates in training and ongoing 
                professional development on how to--
                            (i) help teachers learn to improve student 
                        achievement;
                            (ii) help teachers learn to improve 
                        instruction; and
                            (iii) facilitate mentor-to-mentor 
                        collaboration and coaching.
            (7) Profession-ready.--The term ``profession-ready'', when 
        used with respect to a teacher, means a teacher who--
                    (A) has completed a teacher preparation program and 
                is fully certified and licensed to teach by the State 
                in which the teacher teaches;
                    (B) has demonstrated content knowledge in the 
                subject or subjects the teacher teaches;
                    (C) has demonstrated the ability to work with 
                students who are culturally and linguistically diverse; 
                and
                    (D) has demonstrated teaching skills, such as 
                through--
                            (i) a teacher performance assessment; or
                            (ii) other measures of teaching skills, as 
                        determined by the State.
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (9) Teacher performance assessment.--The term ``teacher 
        performance assessment'' means a program, based on State or 
        national professional teaching standards, that will measure 
        teachers' curriculum planning, instruction, and assessment of 
        students, including appropriate plans and adaptations for 
        English language learners and students with disabilities, and 
        multiple sources of evidence about student learning. Such 
        assessment will be validated against professional assessment 
        standards and reliably scored by trained external evaluators 
        with appropriate auditing of scoring to ensure consistency.
            (10) Teaching credential.--The term ``teaching credential'' 
        means a program of instruction for individuals who have 
        completed a baccalaureate degree, that does not lead to a 
        graduate degree, and that consists of courses required by a 
        State for a teacher candidate to receive a professional 
        certification or license that is required for employment as a 
        teacher in an elementary school or secondary school in that 
        State.
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