EDUCATORS for America Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2992 To reauthorize title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 28, 2023 Ms. ADAMS (for herself, Mr. GALLEGO, Mrs. SYKES, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BOW- MAN, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. MCGARVEY, Ms. TOKUDA, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. SOTO, and Ms. BROWN) intro- duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu- cation and the Workforce A BILL To reauthorize title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘EDUCATORS for 4 America Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 (1) Despite an increased need for prekinder- 8 garten through grade 12 teachers, the number of 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 2992 IH students completing bachelor’s degrees in education 1 has been in decline over the last 2 decades. 2 (2) Pay is by far the reason that undergradu- 3 ates cite most often for not pursuing teaching as a 4 career. Pay was named as such a reason by 72 per- 5 cent of respondents in a large 2018 survey of pro- 6 spective college students. 7 (3) Because they earn less than other bachelor’s 8 degree recipients, teachers face particular challenges 9 repaying student loans. Estimated payments on the 10 average amount education graduates have borrowed 11 is equivalent to 9 percent of the average starting 12 teacher salary, well in excess of the 7 percent 13 threshold recommended by economists as affordable 14 for borrowers at that income level. 15 (4) The number of students earning under- 16 graduate and graduate degrees in the high-demand 17 specialties of mathematics, science, and foreign lan- 18 guage education are in decline and the numbers 19 earning degrees in special education and teaching 20 English as a second language are insufficient to 21 meet demand in many localities. 22 (5) Prior to COVID–19, the number of institu- 23 tions offering degrees in education was stable, but 24 the number with small programs was on the rise. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 2992 IH One-third of the 1,500 institutions that award bach- 1 elor’s and master’s degrees in education granted 30 2 or fewer such degrees in 2019. 3 (6) An October 2020 survey of American Asso- 4 ciation of Colleges for Teacher Education members, 5 which includes 700 schools, colleges, and depart- 6 ments of education at public and private 4-year col- 7 leges and universities, revealed that nearly 60 per- 8 cent have experienced a decline in undergraduate en- 9 rollment due to COVID–19, 83 percent have had 10 budget cuts, and half have reduced staffing. The As- 11 sociation predicts that, absent additional support, a 12 sizable number of educator preparation programs 13 will close, eliminating needed capacity to produce the 14 profession-ready teachers that the Nation needs. 15 (7) A 2015 Government Accountability Office 16 analysis showed that only 19 percent of students 17 who were eligible for the Federal Teacher Education 18 Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant 19 program (referred to as ‘‘TEACH Grants’’) in the 20 2013–2014 academic year utilized this program, yet 21 the cost of college remains a barrier for many stu- 22 dents who seek to become teachers. Institutions like 23 the University of Northern Iowa have successfully 24 utilized TEACH Grants for 57 percent of its 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 2992 IH TEACH Grant-eligible teacher candidates, with over 1 one thousand moving into teaching positions in high- 2 need fields in high-need schools. 3 (8) Only 22 percent of educators feel they are 4 ‘‘very prepared’’ to teach social and emotional learn- 5 ing in classrooms, and 51 percent report that the 6 level of social and emotional learning professional 7 development offered at their school is not sufficient. 8 (9) Our Nation’s schools are experiencing a se- 9 vere diversity gap that negatively impacts student 10 achievement and school culture. Fifty percent of cur- 11 rent students are from minority groups while only 12 18 percent of teachers are from such groups, accord- 13 ing to a 2016 study by the Brookings Institution. 14 (10) A 2016 report conducted by the Depart- 15 ment of Education shows that teachers of color tend 16 to provide more culturally relevant teaching and bet- 17 ter understand the situations that students of color 18 may face. These factors help develop trusting teach- 19 er-student relationships. Researchers from Vander- 20 bilt University also found that greater racial and 21 ethnic diversity among school principals benefits stu- 22 dents, especially students of color. 23 (11) Research shows that increasing diversity in 24 the teaching profession can have positive impacts on 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 2992 IH student educational experiences and outcomes. Stu- 1 dents of color demonstrate greater academic achieve- 2 ment and social-emotional development in classes 3 with teachers of color. Studies also suggest that all 4 students, including White students, benefit from 5 having teachers of color because they bring distinc- 6 tive knowledge, experiences, and role modeling to the 7 student body as a whole. 8 (12) Effective school leadership is second only 9 to direct classroom instruction among school-based 10 factors in raising student achievement, and principal 11 impact is greatest in low-achieving, high-poverty, 12 and minority schools. 13 (13) Principals improve teaching and learning 14 through their ability— 15 (A) to shape a vision of academic success 16 for all students; 17 (B) to create a safe and supportive school 18 climate; 19 (C) to cultivate leadership among teachers 20 and other school staff; 21 (D) to improve instruction; and 22 (E) to manage people, data, and processes 23 to foster school improvement. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 2992 IH (14) Recent research from the Wallace Founda- 1 tion on principals’ impact on students and schools 2 notes that it is difficult to envision a higher return 3 on investment in kindergarten through grade 12 4 education than the cultivation of high-quality school 5 leadership. 6 (15) In the 2015–2016 school year, only 22 7 percent of public school principals were individuals 8 of color, including 11 percent who identified as 9 Black and 8 percent who identified as Hispanic. 10 (16) Minority teachers, school leaders, and 11 other educators can also serve as cultural ambas- 12 sadors who help students feel more welcome at 13 school or as role models. 14 SEC. 3. EDUCATOR QUALITY ENHANCEMENT. 15 Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 16 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.) is amended to read as follows: 17 ‘‘TITLE II—EDUCATOR QUALITY 18 ENHANCEMENT 19 ‘‘SEC. 200. PURPOSES; DEFINITIONS. 20 ‘‘(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this title are to— 21 ‘‘(1) build the capacity of educator preparation 22 programs to ensure that all students have access to 23 diverse, profession-ready educators; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 2992 IH ‘‘(2) provide incentives to individuals to enroll 1 in and complete high-quality educator preparation 2 programs in high-need fields at the baccalaureate or 3 graduate levels at institutions of higher education, 4 particularly to individuals who belong to groups that 5 are currently underrepresented in the education pro- 6 fession; 7 ‘‘(3) authorize investments in higher education 8 educator preparation programs along with critical 9 State and local partners to support and expand 10 promising and successful practices; and 11 ‘‘(4) create mechanisms to integrate innovations 12 in the preparation of profession-ready educators to 13 meet the ever changing needs of students and 14 schools. 15 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this title: 16 ‘‘(1) ARTS AND SCIENCES.—The term ‘arts and 17 sciences’ means— 18 ‘‘(A) when referring to an organizational 19 unit of an institution of higher education, any 20 academic unit that offers one or more academic 21 majors in disciplines or content areas cor- 22 responding to the academic subject matter 23 areas in which teachers provide instruction; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 8 •HR 2992 IH ‘‘(B) when referring to a specific academic 1 subject area, the disciplines or content areas in 2 which academic majors are offered by the arts 3 and sciences organizational unit. 4 ‘‘(2) CERTIFICATION OR LICENSURE.—The 5 term ‘certification or licensure’ means State require- 6 ments for certification or licensure to teach in that 7 State, and may include the following: 8 ‘‘(A) A regular or standard State certifi- 9 cate or advanced professional certificate. 10 ‘‘(B) A probationary certificate. 11 ‘‘(C) A temporary or provisional certificate. 12 ‘‘(D) A waiver or emergency certificate. 13 ‘‘(3) CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMI- 14 LIES.—The term ‘children from low-income families’ 15 means children counted under section 1124(c)(1)(A) 16 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 17 1965. 18 ‘‘(4) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR.—The 19 term ‘early childhood educator’ means an individual 20 with primary responsibility for the education of chil- 21 dren in an early childhood education program. 22 ‘‘(5) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PRO- 23 GRAM.—The term ‘early childhood education pro- 24 gram’ means a public education program serving 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 9 •HR 2992 IH children from birth through age 8, and may include 1 a Head Start program or an Early Head Start pro- 2 gram carried out under the Head Start Act (42 3 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), including a migrant or sea- 4 sonal Head Start program, an Indian Head Start 5 program, or a Head Start program or an Early 6 Head Start program that also receives State funding 7 or a public preschool program. 8 ‘‘(6) EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY.—The 9 term ‘educational service agency’ has the meaning 10 given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary 11 and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 12 ‘‘(7) EDUCATOR.—The term ‘educator’ means a 13 teacher, principal, school leader, specialized instruc- 14 tional support personnel, or other staff member who 15 provides or directly supports instruction, such as a 16 school librarian, or counselor. 17 ‘‘(8) EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM.—The 18 term ‘educator preparation program’ means a pro- 19 gram that leads to a regular or standard State cer- 20 tificate or advanced professional certificate for an 21 educator. 22 ‘‘(9) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘eligi- 23 ble partnership’ means an entity that— 24 ‘‘(A) includes— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 10 •HR 2992 IH ‘‘(i) a high-need local educational 1 agency; 2 ‘‘(ii)(I) a high-need school or a con- 3 sortium of high-need schools served by the 4 high-need local educational agency; or 5 ‘‘(II) as appropriate, a high-need early 6 childhood education program; 7 ‘‘(iii) a partner institution; and 8 ‘‘(iv) a school, department, or pro- 9 gram of education within such partner in- 10 stitution, which may include an existing 11 teacher professional development program 12 with demonstrated outcomes within a four- 13 year institution of higher education that 14 provides intensive and sustained collabora- 15 tion between faculty and local educational 16 agencies consistent with the requirements 17 of this title; and 18 ‘‘(B) may include any of the following: 19 ‘‘(i) The Governor of the State. 20 ‘‘(ii) The State educational agency. 21 ‘‘(iii) The State board of education. 22 ‘‘(iv) The State agency for higher edu- 23 cation. 24 ‘‘(v) A business. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 11 •HR 2992 IH ‘‘(vi) A public or private nonprofit 1 educational organization. 2 ‘‘(vii) An educational service agency. 3 ‘‘(viii) A teacher organization. 4 ‘‘(ix) A school leader organization. 5 ‘‘(x) An organization representing 6 specialized instructional support personnel. 7 ‘‘(xi) A high-performing local edu- 8 cational agency, or a consortium of such 9 local educational agencies, that can serve 10 as a resource to the partnership. 11 ‘‘(xii) A charter school (as defined in 12 section 4310 of the Elementary and Sec- 13 ondary Education Act of 1965). 14 ‘‘(xiii) A school or department of arts 15 and sciences within the partner institution. 16 ‘‘(xiv) A school or department within 17 the partner institution that focuses on psy- 18 chology and human development. 19 ‘‘(xv) A school or department within 20 the partner institution with comparable ex- 21 pertise in the disciplines of teaching, learn- 22 ing, and child and adolescent development. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:33 May 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2992.IH H2992 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 12 •HR 2992 IH ‘‘(xvi) A public or nonprofit entity op- 1 erating a program that provides alternative 2 routes to State certification of teachers. 3 ‘‘(10) ENGLISH LEARNER.—The term ‘English 4 learner’ has the meaning given the term in section 5 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 6 Act of 1965. 7 ‘‘(11) EVIDENCE-BASED.—The term ‘evidence- 8 based’ has the meaning given that term in section 9 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 10 Act of 1965. 11 ‘‘(12) EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING.—The 12 term ‘evidence of student learning’ means multiple 13 measures of student learning that include the fol- 14 lowing: 15 ‘‘(A) Valid and reliable student assessment 16 data, which may include data— 17 ‘‘(i) based on— 18 ‘‘(I) student learning gains on 19 State student aca [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]