ESSA
is the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, formerly
known as ÒNo Child Left BehindÓ.
Note:
An LEA is either a school district or a charter
school.
[page
113]
TITLE
II—PREPARING, TRAINING, AND RECRUITING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS,
OR OTHER SCHOOL LEADERS
SEC.
2001. PURPOSE.
The
purpose of this title is to provide grants to State educational agencies and
subgrants to local educational agencies to —
(1)
increase student achievement consistent with the challenging State academic
standards;
(2)
improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers É;
(3)
increase the number of teachers É who are effective in improving student
academic achievement in schools; and
(4)
provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers
É.
[page
124 & 125]
LOCAL
APPLICATIONS.—
(1)
IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a subgrant under this section, a
local educational agency shall submit an application to the State educational
agency É.
(2)
CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—Each application submitted under paragraph (1)
shall include the following:
(A)
A description of the activities to be carried out by the local educational
agency under this section and how these activities will be aligned with
challenging State academic standards.
(B)
A description of É opportunities for building the capacity of teachers É
É
(D) A description of how the local
educational agency will use data and ongoing consultation described in
paragraph (3) to continually update and improve activities supported under this
part.
(E)
An assurance that the local educational agency will comply with section 8501
(regarding participation by private school children and teachers).
(F)
An assurance that the local educational agency will coordinate professional
development activities authorized under this part with professional development
activities provided through other Federal, State, and local programs.
(3)
CONSULTATION.—In developing the application described in paragraph (2), a
local educational agency shall—
(A)
meaningfully consult with TEACHERS [MY CAPS], É, community partners, and other organizations or partners with
relevant and demonstrated expertise in programs and activities designed to meet
the purpose of this title;
(B)
seek advice from the individuals and organizations described in subparagraph
(A) regarding how best to improve the local educational agencyÕs activities to
meet the purpose of this title; and
(C)
coordinate the local educational agencyÕs activities under this part with other
related
strategies, programs, and activities being conducted in the community.
[A
long list of suggested uses of Title II funds is on page 125 to 129. Professional
development predominates, including in STEM. Also suggested uses
are to reduce class size, Òdifferential and incentive pay for teachers É in
high-need academic subject areasÓ, and more. Here are relevant excerpts for
science teachers.]
SEC. 2103. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—A local educational agency that receives a
subgrant under section 2102 shall use the funds made available through the
subgrant to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and
activities described in subsection (b), which may be carried out—
(1) through a grant or contract with a for-profit or non-profit
entity; or
(2) in partnership with an institution of higher education É
(b) TYPES OF ACTIVITIES.—The programs and activities
described in this subsection—
(1) shall be in accordance with the purpose of this title;
(2) shall address the learning needs of all students, including
children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted and talented students;
and
(3) may include, among other programs and activities—
(A) developing or
improving a rigorous, transparent, and fair evaluation and support system for
teachers, principals, or other school leaders that—
(i) is based in part on evidence of student achievement, which may
include student growth; and
(ii) shall include multiple measures of educator performance and provide
clear, timely, and useful feedback to teachers, principals, or other school
leaders;
(B) developing and
implementing initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining
effective teachers, particularly in low-income schools with high percentages of
ineffective teachers and high percentages of students who do not meet the
challenging State academic standards, to improve within-district equity in the
distribution of teachers, consistent with section 1111(g)(1)(B), such as initiatives that provide—
(i) expert help in screening candidates and enabling early hiring;
(ii) differential and incentive pay for teachers É in high-need
academic subject areas and specialty areas, which may include
performance-based pay systems;
(iii) teacher É advancement and professional growth, and an emphasis on
leadership opportunities, multiple career paths, and pay differentiation;
(iv) new teacher, principal, or other school leader induction and
mentoring programs É
(D) reducing
class size to a level that is evidence- based, to the extent the State (in
consultation with local educational agencies in the State) determines that such
evidence is reasonably available, to improve student achievement through the
recruiting and hiring of additional effective teachers;
(E) providing
high-quality, personalized professional development that is evidence-based, to the extent
the State (in consultation with local educational agencies in the State)
determines that such evidence is reasonably available, for teachers É, that
is focused on improving teaching and student learning and achievement É
É
(H) providing
training, technical assistance, and capacity-building in local educational
agencies to assist teachers É with selecting and implementing formative
assessments, designing classroom-based assessments, and using data from such
assessments to improve instruction and student academic achievement, which may
include providing additional time for teachers to review student data and
respond, as appropriate;
É
(M) developing and providing professional development and other
comprehensive systems of support for teachers É to promote high-quality
instruction and instructional leadership in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics subjects, including computer science;
(N) developing feedback mechanisms to
improve school working conditions, including through periodically and publicly
reporting results of educator support and working conditions feedback;
(O) providing high-quality professional development for
teachers É on effective strategies to integrate rigorous academic
content, career and technical education, and work-based learning (if
appropriate), which may include providing common planning time, to help
prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce É
For
the definition of high-quality, evidence-based professional development, see
the document on Title VIII in ESSA, at http://modeling.asu.edu (near the bottom
of the webpage, below this document). Modeling Instruction fits the description
well!