Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions - S. 2335 - Part 1
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, and Mr. BINGAMAN):
S. 2335. A bill to amend part A of title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to enhance teacher training and teacher preparation programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Preparing, Recruiting, and Retaining Education Professionals Act of 2004 to ensure high quality preparation, induction, and professional development programs for teachers, early childhood education providers, principals and administrators in order to improve learning and achievement for all students.
As Congress turns to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, we need to increase support for prospective, new, and experienced educators in early childhood education programs, elementary schools, and secondary schools.
My legislation challenges teacher preparation programs to make improving student achievement the engine that drives all activities, training, and support for teachers. The goal here is not to be punitive but to put students and their achievement first.
We know that strong teaching skills make a difference. Studies have shown that students who attend classes taught by high-quality teachers perform significantly better on assessments. The No Child Left Behind Act requires that all teachers be highly qualified. To be so deemed, in general, a teacher must hold a bachelor's degree, be fully certified by a State, and demonstrate content knowledge of the subjects taught by the 2005-2006 school year. New teachers must meet this standard now. Yet, according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 54 percent of our Nation's secondary school teachers were highly qualified during the 1999-2000 school year. The percentage of highly qualified teachers varies widely by State and by subject matter. For example, a 2003 survey by the Council of Chief State School Officers found that only my home State of Rhode Island, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Minnesota have more than 80 percent of their math teachers with college majors in math and full certification. Seven States report having more than 10 percent of their teachers on waivers; that is, teaching with emergency, temporary, or provisional licenses.
The Preparing, Recruiting, and Retaining Education Professionals Act modifies and strengthens the current State, partnership, and recruitment grants contained within title II of the Higher Education Act to focus on improving teaching skills of prospective, new, and experienced teachers and early childhood education providers as well as improving the capacity of principals to provide instructional leadership and classroom support for teachers.
My legislation ensures States hold institutions of higher education and entities that provide alternative routes to State certification equally accountable for preparing highly qualified teachers and highly competent early childhood education providers via reforms to ensure preparation program effectiveness. The goal is to provide teachers and early childhood education providers the scientific knowledge of teaching skills needed to understand and respond effectively to diverse student populations, including students with disabilities, limited-English proficient students, and students with different learning styles or other special learning needs; the ability to integrate technology into the classroom; strategies to effectively use assessments to improve instructional practices and curriculum; and an understanding of how to communicate with and involve parents in their children's education.
The Higher Education Act's existing partnership grants are strengthened by improving the effectiveness of the teaching skills and learning practices taught through inclusion of academic departments such as psychology, human development, or one with comparable expertise in the disciplines of teaching, learning, and child and adolescent development. Partnerships are expanded to include pre-service clinical, field, or practicum components whereby the prospective teachers receive close supervision and mentoring. A residency program would be created to provide ongoing training support during new teachers' first 3 years. Professional development opportunities would have to be provided for experienced teachers to encourage continual retraining to further their skills. Managerial skill development is also included to improve the capacity of principals to provide instructional leadership and classroom support for teachers.
The time for action is now because too few of the teachers that we have prepared choose to enter the schools and stay. According to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, after 3 years, 33 percent of beginning teachers have left teaching and after 5 years, 46 percent have left. Not surprisingly, the turnover rate in high poverty schools is approximately one-third higher than the rate for all teachers. During the 1999-2000 school year, 232,000 new teachers were hired, but schools lost more than 287,000-a net loss of 24 percent. Teacher attrition undermines teacher quality and drives teacher shortages. Investing in the preparation of our educators and their continued professional development is critical for addressing these needs which, in turn, will improve outcomes and results for all children.
One of the primary reasons for such high attrition, according to the Commission, is the lack of support once a teacher is hired. Approximately one-third of those teachers who expressed dissatisfaction cited poor administrative support, a lack of faculty influence and inadequate planning and collaboration time. By providing mentoring and support during the pre-service experiences, the early years of teaching, and through ongoing professional development opportunities for experienced teachers, we can substantially reduce the terrible turnover rates that our Nation experiences.
There are also extensive teaching vacancies in schools nationwide. The General Accounting Office has found that 23 of 37 State officials reported teacher shortages in high-need subject areas such as mathematics, science, bilingual education and
special education.
My legislation focuses recruitment activities where high teacher turnover and shortages exist, where there is great difficulty meeting academic standards, or where there is great difficulty demonstrating that teachers are highly qualified. The grants also allow funds for outreach to encourage recruitment in inner city and rural areas.
The State, partnership, and recruitment grants are currently funded at only $90 million a year-far too little of an investment for this critical enterprise. The stakes are too high, not just in terms of meeting the highly qualified requirements of No Child Left
Behind, but for real kids in real classrooms. My bill significantly boosts this funding, authorizing $500 million for these vital programs.
The PRREP Act is supported by a diverse array of education organizations, including the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Psychological Association, Center for Civic Education, Council for Exceptional Children, Higher Education Consortium for Special Education, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, National Association for the Education of Young Children, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Science Teachers Association, and National PTA.
I urge my colleagues to join me in this essential endeavor by cosponsoring this legislation and working for its inclusion in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of this legislation be printed in the RECORD.
Additionally, I am pleased to be joining Senator BINGAMAN, who is introducing the CLASS Act. This legislation shares the PRREP Act's spirit of improving teacher preparation and therefore, student achievement. In addition to encouraging the development of data systems to measure teacher quality, the CLASS Act authorizes pilot studies to evaluate the impact of teacher preparation programs on student achievement and to identify the specific practices that result in achievement gains.
The legislation also seeks to improve minority teacher recruitment and retention.
The PRREP Act, Senator BINGAMAN's bill, and the bill we joined Senator KENNEDY in introducing last year-S. 1793, the College Quality, Affordability, and Diversity Improvement Act-will all go a long way toward ensuring the high quality preparation, induction, and professional development that our Nation's educators-and students-deserve.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
S. 2335
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 "Preparing, Recruiting, and Retaining Education Professionals Act of 2004".
SEC. 2. PURPOSES; DEFINITIONS.
Section 201 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021) is amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 201. PURPOSES; DEFINITIONS.
"(a) PURPOSES.-The purposes of this part are to-
"(1) improve student achievement;
"(2) improve the quality of the current and future teaching force by improving the preparation of prospective teachers and enhancing ongoing professional development activities;
"(3) encourage partnerships among institutions of higher education, early childhood education programs, elementary schools or secondary schools, local educational agencies, State educational agencies, teacher organizations, and nonprofit educational organizations;
"(4) hold institutions of higher education and all other teacher preparation programs (including programs that provide alternative routes to teacher preparation) accountable in an equivalent manner for preparing-
"(A) teachers who have strong teaching skills, are highly qualified, and are trained in the effective uses of technology in the classroom; and
"(B) early childhood education providers who are highly competent;
"(5) recruit and retain qualified individuals, including individuals from other occupations, into the teaching force for early childhood education programs or in elementary schools or secondary schools;
"(6) improve the recruitment, retention, and capacities of principals to provide instructional leadership and to support teachers in maintaining safe and effective learning environments;
"(7) expand the use of research to improve teaching and learning by teachers, early childhood education providers, principals, and faculty; and
"(8) enhance the ability of teachers, early childhood education providers, principals, administrators, and faculty to communicate, work with, and involve parents in ways that improve student achievement.
"(b) DEFINITIONS.-In this part:
"(1) ARTS AND SCIENCES.-The term 'arts and sciences' means-
"(A) when referring to an organizational unit of an institution of higher education, any academic unit that offers 1 or more academic majors in disciplines or content areas corresponding to the academic subject matter areas in which teachers provide instruction; and
"(B) when referring to a specific academic subject matter area, the disciplines or content areas in which academic
majors are offered by the arts and science organizational unit.
"(2) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM.-The term 'early childhood education program' means a family child care program, center-based child care program, prekindergarten program, school program, or other out-of-home child care program that is licensed or regulated by the State serving 2 or more unrelated children from birth until school entry, or a Head Start program carried out under the Head Start Act or an Early Head Start program carried out under section 645A of that Act.
"(3) EXEMPLARY TEACHER.-The term 'exemplary teacher' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
"(4) FACULTY.-
"(A) IN GENERAL.-The term 'faculty' means individuals in institutions of higher education who are responsible for preparing teachers.
"(B) INCLUSIONS.-The term 'faculty' includes professors of education and professors in academic disciplines such as the arts and sciences, psychology, and human development.
"(5) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.-The term 'high-need local educational agency' means a local educational agency that serves an early childhood education program, elementary school, or secondary school located in an area in which-
"(A)(i) 15 percent or more of the students served by the agency are from families with incomes below the poverty line;
"(ii) there are more than 5,000 students served by the agency from families with incomes below the poverty line; or
"(iii) there are less than 600 students in average daily attendance in all the schools that are served by the agency and all of whose schools are designated with a school locale code of 7 or 8, as determined by the Secretary; and
"(B)(i) there is a high percentage of teachers who are not highly qualified; or
"(ii) there is a chronic shortage, or high turnover rate, of highly qualified teachers.
"(6) HIGH-NEED SCHOOL.-The term 'high-need school' means an early childhood education program, public elementary school, or public secondary school-
"(A)(i) in which there is a high concentration of students from families with incomes below the poverty line; or
"(ii) that, in the case of a public elementary school or public secondary school, is identified as in need of school improvement or corrective action pursuant to section 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316); and
"(B) in which there exists-
"(i) in the case of a public elementary school or public secondary school, a persistent and chronic shortage, or high turnover rate, of highly qualified teachers; and
"(ii) in the case of an early childhood education program, a persistent and chronic shortage of early childhood education providers who are highly competent.
"(7) HIGHLY COMPETENT.-The term 'highly competent' when used with respect to an early childhood education provider means a provider-
"(A) with specialized education and training in development and education of young children from birth until entry into kindergarten;
"(B) with-
"(i) a baccalaureate degree in an academic major in the arts and sciences; or
"(ii) an associate's degree in a related educational area; and
"© who has demonstrated a high level of knowledge and use of content and pedagogy in the relevant areas associated with quality early childhood education.
"(8) HIGHLY QUALIFIED.-The term 'highly qualified' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
"(9) MENTORING.-The term 'mentoring' means a process by which a teacher mentor who is an exemplary teacher, either alone or in a team with faculty, provides active support for prospective teachers and new teachers through a system for integrating evidence-based practice, including rigorous, supervised training in high-quality teaching settings. Such support includes activities specifically designed to promote-
"(A) knowledge of the scientific research on, and assessment of, teaching and learning;
"(B) development of teaching skills and skills in evidence-based educational interventions;
"© development of classroom management skills;
"(D) a positive role model relationship where academic assistance and exposure to new experiences is provided; and
"(E) ongoing supervision and communication regarding the prospective teacher's development of teaching skills and continued support for the new teacher by the mentor, other teachers, principals, and administrators.
"(10) PARENT.-The term 'parent' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
"(11) PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.-The term 'parental involvement' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
"(12) POVERTY LINE.-The term 'poverty line' means the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))) applicable to a family of the size involved.
"(13) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.-
"(A) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term 'professional development' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
"(B) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROVIDERS.-The term 'professional development' when used with respect to an early childhood education provider means knowledge and skills in all domains of child development (including cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and approaches to learning) and pedagogy of children from birth until entry into kindergarten.
"(14) TEACHING SKILLS.-The term 'teaching skills' means skills-
"(A) grounded in the disciplines of teaching and learning that teachers use to create effective instruction in subject matter content and that lead to student achievement and the ability to apply knowledge; and
"(B) that require an understanding of the learning process itself, including an understanding of-
"(i) the use of teaching strategies specific to the subject matter;
"(ii) the application of ongoing assessment of student learning, particularly for evaluating instructional practices and curriculum;
"(iii) ensuring successful learning for students with individual differences in ability and instructional needs;
"(iv) effective classroom management; and
"(v) effective ways to communicate, work with, and involve parents in their children's education.".
SEC. 3. STATE GRANTS.
Section 202 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022) is amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 202. STATE GRANTS.
"(a) IN GENERAL.-From amounts made available under section 211(1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary is authorized to award grants under this section, on a competitive basis, to eligible States to enable the eligible States to carry out the activities described in subsection (d).
"(b) ELIGIBLE STATE.-
"(1) DEFINITION.-In this part, the term 'eligible State' means-
"(A) a State educational agency; or
"(B) an entity or agency in the State responsible for teacher certification and preparation activities.
"(2) CONSULTATION.-The eligible State shall consult with the Governor, State board of education, State educational agency, State agency for higher education, State agency with responsibility for child care, prekindergarten, or other early childhood education programs, and other State entities that provide professional development and teacher preparation for teachers, as appropriate, with respect to the activities assisted under this section.
"(3) CONSTRUCTION.-Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to negate or supersede the legal authority under State law of any State agency, State entity, or State public official over programs that are under the jurisdiction of the agency, entity, or official.
"© APPLICATION.-To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible State shall, at the time of the initial grant application, submit an application to the Secretary that-
"(1) meets the requirement of this section and other relevant requirements for States under this title;
"(2) describes how the eligible State intends to use funds provided under this section in accordance with State-identified needs;
"(3) describes the eligible State's plan for continuing the activities carried out with the grant once Federal funding ceases;
"(4) describes how the eligible State will coordinate activities authorized under this section with other Federal, State, and local personnel preparation and professional development programs; and
"(5) contains such other information and assurances as the Secretary may require.
"(d) USES OF FUNDS.-An eligible State that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to reform teacher preparation requirements, and to ensure that current and future teachers are highly qualified and possess strong teaching skills and knowledge to assess student academic achievement, by carrying out 1 or more of the following activities:
"(1) REFORMS.-Implementing reforms that hold institutions of higher education with teacher preparation programs accountable for, and assist such programs in, preparing teachers who are highly qualified or early childhood education providers who are highly competent. Such reforms shall include-
"(A) State program approval requirements regarding curriculum changes by teacher preparation programs that improve teaching skills based on scientific knowledge-
"(i) about the disciplines of teaching and learning; and
"(ii) about understanding and responding effectively to students with special needs;
"(B) State program approval requirements for teacher preparation programs to have in place mechanisms to measure and assess the effectiveness and impact of teacher preparation programs, including on student achievement;
"© assurances from institutions that such institutions have a program in place that provides a year-long clinical experience for prospective teachers; and
"(D) collecting and using data, in collaboration with institutions of higher education, schools, and local educational agencies, on teacher retention rates, by school, to evaluate and strengthen the effectiveness of the State's teacher support system.
"(2) CERTIFICATION OR LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS.-Ensuring the State's teacher certification or licensure requirements are rigorous so that teachers have strong teaching skills and are highly qualified.
"(3) ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO STATE CERTIFICATION.-Carrying out programs that provide prospective teachers with high-quality alternative routes to traditional preparation for teaching and to State certification for well-prepared and qualified prospective teachers, including-
"(A) programs at schools or departments of arts and sciences, schools or departments of education within institutions of higher education, or at nonprofit educational organizations with expertise in producing highly qualified teachers that include instruction in teaching skills;
"(B) a selective means for admitting individuals into such programs;
"© providing intensive support during the initial teaching experience, including mentoring;
"(D) establishing, expanding, or improving alternative routes to State certification of teachers for qualified individuals, including mid-career professionals from other occupations, paraprofessionals, former military personnel and recent college graduates with records of academic distinction, that have a proven record of effectiveness and that ensure that current and future teachers possess strong teaching skills and are highly qualified; and
"(E) providing support in the disciplines of teaching and learning to ensure that prospective teachers have an understanding of evidence-based learning practices and possess strong teaching skills.
"(4) STATE CERTIFICATION RECIPROCITY.-Establishing and promoting reciprocity of certification or licensing between or among States for general and special education teachers and principals, except that no reciprocity agreement developed pursuant to this paragraph or developed using funds provided under this part may lead to the weakening of any State certification or licensing requirement that is shown through evidence-based research to ensure teacher and principal quality and student achievement.
"(5) RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.-Developing and implementing effective mechanisms to ensure that local educational agencies and schools are able to effectively recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, highly competent early childhood education providers, and principals, and provide access to ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers, early childhood education providers, and principals, including activities described in subsections (d) and (e) of section 204.
"(6) SOCIAL PROMOTION.-Development and implementation of efforts to address the problem of social promotion and to prepare teachers, principals, administrators, and parents to effectively address the issues raised by ending the practice of social promotion.".
SEC. 4. PARTNERSHIP GRANTS.
Section 203 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1023) is amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 203. PARTNERSHIP GRANTS.
"(a) GRANTS.-From amounts made available under section 211(2) for a fiscal year, the Secretary is authorized to award grants under this section, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to enable the eligible partnerships to carry out the activities described in subsections (d) and (e).
"(b) DEFINITIONS.-
"(1) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.-In this part, the term 'eligible partnership' means an entity that-
"(A) shall include-
"(i) a partner institution;
"(ii) a school or department of arts and sciences within the partner institution under clause (i);
"(iii) a school or department of education within the partner institution under clause (i);
"(iv)(I) a department of psychology within the partner institution under clause (i);
"(II) a department of human development within the partner institution under clause (i); or
"(III) a department with comparable expertise in the disciplines of teaching, learning, and child and adolescent development within the partner institution under clause (i);
"(v) a high-need local educational agency; and
"(vi)(I) a high-need school served by the high-need local educational agency under clause (v); or
"(II) a consortium of schools of the high-need local educational agency under clause (v); and
"(B) may include a Governor, State educational agency, the State board of education, the State agency for higher education, an institution of higher education not described in subparagraph (A) (including a community college), a public charter school, other public elementary school or secondary school, a combination or network of urban, suburban, or rural schools, a public or private nonprofit educational organization, a business, a teacher organization, or an early childhood education program.
"(2) PARTNER INSTITUTION.-In this section, the term 'partner institution' means a private independent or State-supported public institution of higher education, or a consortium of such institutions, that has not been designated under section 208(a) and the teacher preparation program of which demonstrates that-
"(A) graduates from the teacher preparation program who intend to enter the field of teaching exhibit strong performance on State-determined qualifying assessments and are highly qualified; or
"(B) the teacher preparation program requires all the students of the program to participate in intensive clinical experience, to meet high academic standards, to possess strong teaching skills, and-
"(i) in the case of prospective elementary school and secondary school teachers, to become highly qualified; and
"(ii) in the case of prospective early childhood education providers, to become highly competent.
"© APPLICATION.-Each eligible partnership desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require. Each such application shall-
"(1) contain a needs assessment of all the partners with respect to the preparation, ongoing training, and professional development of early childhood education providers, general and special education teachers, and principals, the extent to which the program prepares new teachers with strong teaching skills, a description of how the partnership will coordinate strategies and activities with other teacher preparation or professional development programs, and how the activities of the partnership will be consistent with State, local, and other education reform activities that promote student achievement and parental involvement;
"(2) contain a resource assessment that describes the resources available to the partnership, including the integration of funds from other related sources, the intended use of the grant funds, including a description of how the grant funds will be fairly distributed in accordance with subsection (f), and the commitment of the resources of the partnership to the activities assisted under this part, including financial support, faculty participation, time commitments, and continuation of the activities when the grant ends;
"(3) contain a description of-
"(A) how the partnership will meet the purposes of this part, in accordance with the needs assessment required under paragraph (1);
"(B) how the partnership will carry out the activities required under subsection (d) and any permissible activities under subsection (e) based on the needs identified in paragraph (1) with the goal of improving student achievement;
"© the partnership's evaluation plan pursuant to section 206(b);
"(D) how faculty at the partner institution will work with, over the term of the grant, principals and teachers in the classrooms of the high-need local educational agency included in the partnership;
"(E) how the partnership will enhance the instructional leadership and management skills of principals and provide effective support for principals, including new principals;
"(F) how the partnership will design, implement, or enhance a year-long, rigorous, and enriching preservice clinical program component;
"(G) the in-service professional development strategies and activities to be supported; and
"(H) how the partnership will collect, analyze, and use data on the retention of all teachers, early childhood education providers, or principals in schools located in the geographic areas served by the partnership to evaluate the effectiveness of its educator support system;
"(4) contain a certification from the partnership that it has reviewed the application and determined that the grant proposed will comply with subsection (f);
"(5) include, for the residency program described in subsection (d)(3)-
"(A) a demonstration that the schools and departments within the institution of higher education that are part of the residency program have relevant and essential roles in the effective preparation of teachers, including content expertise and expertise in the science of teaching and learning;
"(B) a demonstration of capability and commitment to evidence-based teaching and accessibility to, and involvement of, faculty documented by professional development offered to staff and documented experience with university collaborations;
"© a description of how the residency program will design and implement an induction period to support all new teachers through the first 3 years of teaching in the further development of their teaching skills, including use of mentors who are trained and compensated by such program for their work with new teachers; and
"(D) a description of how faculty involved in the residency program will be able to substantially participate in an early childhood education program or an elementary or secondary classroom setting, including release time and receiving workload credit for their participation; and [Page S4306]
"(6) include an assurance that the partnership has mechanisms in place to measure and assess the effectiveness and impact of the activities to be undertaken, including on student achievement.
"(d) REQUIRED USES OF FUNDS.-An eligible partnership that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out the following activities, as applicable to teachers, early childhood education providers, or principals, in accordance with the needs assessment required under subsection ©(1):
"(1) REFORMS.-Implementing reforms within teacher preparation programs, where needed, to hold the programs accountable for preparing teachers who are highly qualified or early childhood education providers who are highly competent and for promoting strong teaching skills, including integrating reliable evidence-based teaching methods into the curriculum, which curriculum shall include parental involvement training and programs designed to successfully integrate technology into teaching and learning. Such reforms shall include-
"(A) teacher preparation program curriculum changes that improve, and assess how well all new teachers develop, teaching skills;
"(B) use of scientific knowledge about the disciplines of teaching and learning so that all prospective teachers understand evidence-based learning practices and possess teaching skills that enable them to meet the learning needs of all students;
"© assurances that all teachers have a sufficient base of scientific knowledge to understand and respond effectively to students with special needs, such as providing instruction to diverse student populations, including students with disabilities, limited-English proficient students, and students with different learning styles or other special learning needs;
"(D) assurances that the most recent scientifically based research, including research relevant to particular fields of teaching, is incorporated into professional development activities used by faculty; and
"(E) working with and involving parents in their children's education to improve the academic achievement of their children and in the teacher preparation program reform process.
"(2) CLINICAL EXPERIENCE AND INTERACTION.-Developing and providing sustained and high-quality preservice clinical education programs to further develop the teaching skills of all general education teachers and special education teachers, at schools within the partnership, at the school or department of education within the partner institution, or at evidence-based practice school settings. Such programs shall-
"(A) incorporate a year-long, rigorous, and enriching activity or combination of activities, including-
"(i) clinical learning opportunities;
"(ii) field experiences; and
"(iii) supervised practica; and
"(B) be offered over the course of a program of preparation and coursework (that may be developed as a 5th year of a teacher preparation program) for prospective general and special education teachers, including the mentoring in instructional skills, classroom management skills, and strategies to effectively assess student progress and achievement, and substantially increasing closely supervised interaction between faculty and new and experienced teachers, principals, and other administrators at early childhood education programs, elementary schools, or secondary schools, and providing support, including preparation time and release time, for such interaction.
"(3) RESIDENCY PROGRAMS FOR NEW TEACHERS.-Creating a residency program that provides an induction period for all new general education and special education teachers for such teachers' first 3 years. Such program shall promote the integration of the science of teaching and learning in the classroom, provide high-quality mentoring opportunities, provide opportunities for the dissemination of evidence-based research on educational practices, and provide for opportunities to engage in professional development activities offered through professional associations of educators. Such program shall draw directly upon the expertise of teacher mentors, faculty, and researchers that involves their active support in providing a setting for integrating evidence-based practice for prospective teachers, including rigorous, supervised training in high-quality teaching settings that promotes the following:
"(A) Knowledge of the scientific research on teaching and learning.
"(B) Development of skills in evidence-based educational interventions.
"© Faculty who model the integration of research and practice in the classroom, and the effective use and integration of technology.
"(D) Interdisciplinary collaboration among exemplary teachers, faculty, researchers, and other staff who prepare new teachers on the learning process and the assessment of learning.
"(E) A forum for information sharing among prospective teachers, teachers, principals, administrators, and participating faculty in the partner institution.
"(F) Application of scientifically based research on teaching and learning generated by entities such as the Institute of Education Sciences and by the National Research Council.
"(4) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.-Creating opportunities for enhanced and ongoing professional development for experienced general education and special education teachers, early childhood education providers, principals, administrators, and faculty that-
"(A) improves the academic content knowledge, as well as knowledge to assess student academic achievement and how to use the results of such assessments to improve instruction, of teachers in the subject matter or academic content areas in which the teachers are certified to teach or in which the teachers are working toward certification to teach;
"(B) promotes strong teaching skills and an understanding of how to apply scientific knowledge about teaching and learning to their teaching practice and to their ongoing classroom assessment of students;
"© provides mentoring, team teaching, reduced class schedules, and intensive professional development;
"(D) encourages and supports training of teachers, principals, and administrators to effectively use and integrate technology-
"(i) into curricula and instruction, including training to improve the ability to collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching, decisionmaking, school improvement efforts, and accountability;
"(ii) to enhance learning by children, including students with disabilities, limited-English proficient students, and students with different learning styles or other special learning needs; and
"(iii) to effectively communicate, work with, and involve parents in their children's education;
"(E) creates an ongoing retraining loop for experienced teachers, principals, and administrators, whereby the residency program activities and practices-
"(i) inform the research of faculty and other researchers; and
"(ii) translate evidence-based research findings into improved practice techniques and improved teacher preparation programs; and
"(F) includes the rotation, for varying periods of time, of experienced teachers-
"(i) who are associated with the partnership to early childhood education programs, elementary schools, or secondary schools not associated with the partnership in order to enable such experienced teachers to act as a resource for all teachers in the local educational agency or State; and
"(ii) who are not associated with the partnership to early childhood education programs, elementary schools, or secondary schools associated with the partnership in order to enable such experienced teachers to observe how teaching and professional development occurs in the partnership.
"(5) SUPPORT FOR PARTICIPANTS.-Providing support for those individuals participating in the required activities under paragraphs (1) through (4) who serve as role models or mentors for prospective, new, and experienced teachers, based on such individuals' experience. Such support-
"(A) also may be provided to the preservice clinical experience participants, as appropriate; and
"(B) may include-
"(i) release time for such individual's participation;
"(ii) receiving course workload credit and compensation for time teaching in the partnership activities; and
"(iii) stipends.
"(6) LEADERSHIP AND MANAGERIAL SKILLS.-
"(A) IN GENERAL.-Developing and implementing proven mechanisms to provide principals, superintendents, early childhood education program directors, and administrators (and mentor teachers, as practicable) with-
"(i) an understanding of the skills and behaviors that contribute to effective instructional leadership and the maintenance of a safe and effective learning environment;
"(ii) teaching and assessment skills needed to support successful classroom teaching;
"(iii) an understanding of how students learn and develop in order to increase achievement for all students; and
"(iv) the skills to effectively involve parents.
"(B) MECHANISMS.-The mechanisms developed and implemented pursuant to subparagraph (A) may include any of the following:
"(i) Mentoring of new principals.
"(ii) Field-based experiences, supervised practica, or internship opportunities.
"(iii) Other activities to expand the knowledge base and practical skills of principals, superintendents, early childhood education program directors, and administrators (and mentor teachers, as practicable).