Title: Reaching English Learners Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Reaching English Learners Act
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a grant program to pay the federal share of the costs for preparing teachers to effectively instruct English learners. Grants may be awarded for up to five years.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3408 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3408

 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of 
Education to award grants for teaching English learners to institutions 
                          of higher education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 5, 2018

    Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Bennet, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Harris, Mrs. Feinstein, 
and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of 
Education to award grants for teaching English learners to institutions 
                          of higher education.

    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 ``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:

                 ``Subpart 6--Teaching English Learners

``SEC. 259. TEACHING ENGLISH LEARNERS GRANT.

    ``(a) Authorization of Program.--The Secretary shall award grants, 
on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to pay the Federal 
share of the costs of improving the preparation of teacher candidates 
to ensure that such teacher candidates possess the knowledge and skills 
necessary to effectively instruct English learners.
    ``(b) Duration of Grants.--A grant awarded under this section shall 
be 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 an amount of not less than 25 
percent of the cost of the activities carried out under the 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 a teacher preparation program 
        by integrating strategies for teaching English learners into 
        the education curriculum and academic content;
            ``(2) provide teacher candidates participating in the 
        teacher preparation program with skills related to--
                    ``(A) helping English learners--
                            ``(i) achieve at high levels in early 
                        childhood education programs, and in 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 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 disabilities 
                who are English learners;
                    ``(C) recognizing and addressing the social and 
                emotional needs of English learners; and
                    ``(D) promoting parental, family, and community 
                engagement in educational programs that serve English 
                learners;
            ``(3) provide work-based learning opportunities for teacher 
        candidates participating in the teacher preparation program; 
        and
            ``(4) provide teacher candidates enrolled in the teacher 
        preparation program with the required coursework to qualify for 
        an English as a second language endorsement or initial teaching 
        credential, as recognized by the State served by the eligible 
        partnership.
    ``(e) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible partnership seeking a grant 
        under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
        at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
        as the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Contents.--Such application shall include a self-
        assessment by the eligible partnership of--
                    ``(A) the existing teacher preparation program at 
                the institution of higher education participating in 
                the eligible partnership, as of the date of 
                application, and the needs related to preparing teacher 
                candidates to instruct English learners in the manner 
                described in subsection (d)(2); and
                    ``(B) the personnel needs for teachers who instruct 
                English learners at local, public early childhood 
                education programs and at elementary schools and 
                secondary schools.
    ``(f) Evaluations.--
            ``(1) Reports from eligible partnerships.--At the end of 
        the grant period for a grant under this section, an eligible 
        partnership receiving a grant under this section shall submit 
        to the Secretary the results of an evaluation conducted by the 
        partnership to determine--
                    ``(A) the effectiveness of teachers who completed a 
                program under subsection (d)(1) with respect to the 
                instruction of English learners; and
                    ``(B) the systemic impact of the activities carried 
                out by such grant on how such partnership prepares 
                teachers to provide instruction in early childhood 
                education programs, and elementary schools and 
                secondary schools.
            ``(2) Report from the secretary.--Not later than 180 days 
        after the last day of a grant period for grants awarded under 
        this section, the Secretary shall make available to the 
        authorizing committees and the public--
                    ``(A) a summary of the evaluations submitted under 
                paragraph (1) for such grants; 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 Disabilities Education Act.
            ``(2) Eligible institution of higher education.--The term 
        `eligible institution of higher education' means an institution 
        of higher education that has a teacher preparation program.
            ``(3) Eligible partnership.--The term `eligible 
        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.
            ``(5) Teacher preparation program.--The term `teacher 
        preparation program' means a program--
                    ``(A) that is offered by an institution of higher 
                education;
                    ``(B) that leads to an undergraduate degree, a 
                master's degree, or completion of a postbaccalaureate 
                program required for teacher certification; and
                    ``(C) the graduates of which meet the applicable 
                State certification or licensure requirements, 
                including any requirements for certification obtained 
                through alternative routes to certification.
            ``(6) Work-based learning.--The term `work-based learning' 
        means learning involving sustained interactions with teachers 
        and English learners at public early childhood education 
        programs, or elementary schools or secondary schools, to the 
        extent practicable, or simulated environments at the eligible 
        institution of higher education involved, that foster in-depth, 
        first-hand engagement with tasks required of a teacher 
        providing instruction to English learners.''.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    Section 200(6) of the of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1021(6)) is amended by striking ``section 251'' and inserting 
``sections 251 and 259''.
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