,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bhhg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #ah1 #bjai,mr4 ,jones introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife to address and take action to combat rural teacher shortages across the ,united ,states4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,classrooms ,reflecting ,communities ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,there are persistent shortages across the ,nation of teachers in high-demand fields and subjects4 ,these include science1 mathematics1 special education1 and teachers of ,english learners4 7#b7 ,more than #dj percent of all small1 rural school districts in the ,united ,states struggle with adequately staffing their schools4 ,rural districts in particular face high teacher vacancies in special education and ,,stem fields and have greater difficulty filling the position of teachers of ,english learners than urban and suburban districts4 7#c7 ,research shows that teacher shortages have serious consequences for student achievement1 the economic well-being of a school district1 and the overall effectiveness of the teaching workforce4 ,further1 a growing body of research reveals a substantial amount of differences schools can make are attributable to teachers4 7#d7 ,additionally1 previous research estimated that #dj percent of schools do not have any teachers of color on staff1 and more recent data suggest that teachers of color remain more likely to teach in urban schools and schools where a greater percentage of students are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq474 7#e7 ,research shows that teachers of color help close achievement gaps and are viewed positively by all students4 ,research also demonstrates benefits1 including improved academic achievement1 greater educational attainment1 and higher academic aspirations1 for students of color who are taught by teachers of color4 ,likewise1 it is important for all students1 not just students of color1 to have diverse teachers and leaders in their schools4 7#f7 ,strategies to address teacher shortages are multi-faceted and should follow broader efforts to modernize and elevate the teaching profession4 ,for example1 efforts to improve recruitment and preparation of teachers will be more effective if implemented in conjunction with policies to improve the working conditions of teachers1 elevate the profession through improved selectivity1 comprehensive and rigorous preparation1 and higher pay1 and professional development and other supports4 7#g7 ,research shows that ,grow ,your ,own ,programs can be an effective strategy to recruit diverse1 well-qualified candidates to the profession and prepare them with the needs of the community and school district in mind4 ,according to the ,learning ,policy ,institute1 ,grow ,your ,own programs have shown positive results in recruiting and retaining diverse teachers in the hardest to staff schools1 in part by leveraging participants' existing connections to the community and prior experience working closely with the student population4 #c4 ,growing the rural educator workforce ,part ,b of title ,v of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gcda et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subpart #c as subpart #d2 and 7#b7 by inserting after subpart #b the following3 #c ,growing the rural educator workforce #ebbh4 ,growing the rural educator workforce 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 #bb program ,the term #bb program means a partnership between a junior or community college1 as defined in section #cab of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife1 and a #d-year degree-granting institution of higher education1 in which teacher candidates begin teacher preparation in the junior or community college and fully transfer their credits to the #d-year degree-granting institution of higher education where the students complete their teacher preparation4 7#b7 ,eligible partnership ,the term eligible partnership means a partnership as follows3 7,a7 ,that includes one of the following3 7i7 ,a school1 department1 or program of education within a public or other nonprofit institution of higher education1 including a graduate level program1 that is ,state-accredited and is eligible to receive ,federal funds under title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife1 which may include a teacher preparation program in existence on the date of enactment of the ,classrooms ,reflecting ,communities ,act of #bjai1 which may include a community college in partnership with such an institution4 7ii7 ,a local educational agency4 7iii7 ,a ,state-accredited nonprofit educational organization that provides alternative routes to ,state certification of teachers4 7,b7 ,that includes one of the following3 7i7 ,a rural high-need local educational agency4 7ii7 ,a rural high-need school served by a rural high-need local educational agency1 or a consortium of such schools4 7,c7 ,that may include an optional partner4 7#c7 ,grow ,your ,own ,program ,the term ,grow ,your ,own ,program means a program that-- 7,a7 is designed to counteract a local teacher shortage problem or increase teacher diversity2 7,b7 collaborates with the local community1 schools1 and other organizations to identify what the education needs of the community are2 7,c7 supports teacher candidates in developing the skills needed to personalize instruction1 provide culturally responsive pedagogy1 and effectively support students with disabilities and ,english learners2 7,d7 supports the preparation of teachers through extensive clinical experience that is connected to their coursework in schools in the community1 including schools in the eligible partnership1 as they complete and earn their teaching or school leadership credential and may include a #bb program2 7,e7 integrates career-focused courses on education topics with school-based learning experience2 7,f7 provides a high-quality mentoring program for teacher candidates to support the candidates through their first #b years of teaching2 7,g7 provides support1 including financial assistance1 to teacher and school leader candidates from the community who are planning to teach in schools in the community1 which may include housing subsidies1 stipends1 and tuition assistance2 7,h7 sustains efforts to recruit and incentivize more people to consider entering the teaching profession1 especially in high-need fields and underserved schools2 and 7,i7 works in partnership with members of the eligible partnership to provide academic1 counseling1 and programmatic supports4 7#d7 ,optional partner ,the term optional partner means any of the following entities3 7,a7 ,the ,governor of the ,state4 7,b7 ,a ,state educational agency4 7,c7 ,the ,state board of education4 7,d7 ,the ,state agency for higher education4 7,e7 ,a business or a large employer in the community4 7,f7 ,a teacher organization4 7,g7 ,a charter school 7as defined in section #dcaj74 7,h7 ,a community or grassroots organization4 7,i7 ,a nonprofit entity4 7#e7 ,rural high-need local educational agency ,the term rural high-need local educational agency means a local educational agency-- 7,a7 located in a rural county1 designated with a locale code of #cb1 #cc1 #da1 #db1 or #dc1 as determined by the ,secretary2 7,b7 that has persistent teacher vacancies or a significant portion of teachers employed by the agency who are not fully certified or licensed to teach or who are not certified or licensed to teach in the subject area they are assigned2 and 7,c7 for which not less than #bc4e percent of the children served by the agency are from low-income families1 as described in section #aabd7;c77#a77;,a74 7#f7 ,rural high-need school ,the term rural high-need school means an elementary school or secondary school-- 7,a7 located in a rural county2 7,b7 that has persistent teacher vacancies or not less than #aj percent of the teachers teaching at such school are not fully certified or licensed to teach or certified or licensed to teach in the subject area they are assigned2 and 7,c7 that is in the highest quartile of schools in a ranking of all schools served by the local educational agency serving such school1 ranked in descending order by percentage of students from low-income families enrolled in such schools1 as described in section #aabd7;c77#a77;,a74 7#g7 ,teaching skills ,the term teaching skills means skills that enable a teacher to-- 7,a7 increase student learning1 achievement1 and the ability to apply knowledge2 7,b7 effectively convey1 explain1 and provide opportunities for students to develop the skills aligned with the full depth and breadth of the ,state challenging academic standards1 including the application of academic subject matter2 7,c7 effectively teach higher-order analytical1 critical thinking1 evaluation1 problem-solving1 and communication skills2 7,d7 employ strategies grounded in the disciplines of teaching and learning that-- 7i7 are based on empirically based practice and evidence-based research1 where applicable1 related to teaching and learning2 7ii7 are specific to academic subject matter2 and 7iii7 focus on the identification of students' specific learning needs1 particularly students with disabilities1 students who are ,english learners1 students who are gifted and talented1 and students with low literacy levels1 and the tailoring of academic instruction to such needs2 7,e7 design and conduct an ongoing assessment of student learning1 which may include the use of formative assessments1 performance-based assessments1 project-based assessments1 or portfolio assessments1 that measure higher-order thinking skills 7including application1 analysis1 synthesis1 and evaluation7 and use this information to inform and personalize instruction2 7,f7 support the social1 emotional1 and academic achievement of all students1 including effectively creating an inclusive classroom environment1 including the ability to implement positive behavioral interventions1 trauma-informed care1 and other support strategies2 7,g7 are culturally responsive and linguistically inclusive2 7,h7 communicate and work with parents and involve parents in their children's education2 and 7,i7 use age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate strategies and practices for students in early childhood education programs and elementary schools and secondary schools4 7b7 ,purposes ,the purposes of this section are-- 7#a7 to combat persistent rural teacher shortages1 especially in ,state-identified high-need fields1 by providing ,federal support to ,states to develop and run ,grow ,your ,own ,programs2 7#b7 to recruit diverse and well-prepared individuals with the teaching skills and qualifications identified as high need by the community into the teaching profession2 and 7#c7 to increase student engagement in the classroom and student academic outcomes4 7c7 ,grants 7#a7 ,program authorized ,the ,secretary shall award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to eligible partnerships to enable the eligible partnerships to-- 7,a7 develop and run a ,grow ,your ,own ,program to recruit diverse teacher candidates from the community into the teaching profession and support them through high-quality preparation to full teacher certification or licensure2 7,b7 provide support for identifying what the unique needs of the community and school district are in terms of high-need areas and high-need fields2 7,c7 support efforts to raise awareness about the teaching profession and enact recruitment drives in high-need communities and high-need fields2 7,d7 require candidates to complete all ,state requirements to become fully certified2 7,e7 provide academic and testing supports1 including advising and financial assistance1 to candidates for admission and completion of education preparation programs as well as ,state licensure assessments2 7,f7 provide a year-long clinical experience or teaching or school leadership residency with a stipend to cover living expenses2 and 7,g7 provide opportunities for candidates to practice and develop teaching skills and dispositions needed to be effective4 7#b7 ,duration of grant ,a grant awarded under this section shall be for #e years4 7#c7 ,application ,each eligible partnership desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary accompanied by such information as the ,secretary may require4 ,each such application shall contain-- 7,a7 a needs assessment of the community hosting the ,grow ,your ,own ,program1 demonstrating the existence of-- 7i7 persistent teacher shortages2 7ii7 a high percentage of teachers not fully certified or licensed to teach or not certified or licensed to teach in the subject area assigned2 or 7iii7 a lack of teacher diversity2 7,b7 a description of how the proposed ,grow ,your ,own ,program fulfills the criteria described in subsection 7a77#c7 and how each component of the ,program will contribute to combating teacher shortages or lack of teacher diversity2 7,c7 a description of how the proposed ,grow ,your ,own ,program will prepare prospective teachers to teach in a culturally diverse classroom with pedagogy that reflects the experiences of their students2 7,d7 a description of how the proposed ,grow ,your ,own ,program will prepare prospective teachers to support students with disabilities and ,english learners2 7,e7 a description of the roles of all partners in the eligible partnership1 including what component of the proposed ,grow ,your ,own ,program for which each member shall be responsible and how they would support the overall purpose of the ,program2 7,f7 a description of how the proposed ,grow ,your ,own ,program will use grant funds and any other available financial resources to support the ,program2 and 7,g7 a description of how the eligible partnership will collect metrics and accountability measures for the proposed ,grow ,your ,own ,program1 including efforts to report the data stipulated in the accountability section4 7#d7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall give priority to eligible partnerships that include an eligible institution1 as described in section #cga7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife4 7#e7 ,grow ,your ,own ,programs ,an eligible partnership that receives a grant under this section shall develop and run a ,grow ,your ,own ,program that includes-- 7,a7 targeted recruitment efforts1 including promotion of the teaching profession-- 7i7 at high schools1 minority-serving institutions1 and community centers2 and 7ii7 with paraprofessionals1 instructional assistants1 district employees not certified to teach or lead 7such as long-term substitute teachers71 after school and summer program staff1 parent school volunteers1 retired military personnel1 and other career changers with experience in hard-to-staff areas who are not currently certified to teach or lead1 with a specific focus on recruiting individuals who are reflective of the race1 ethnicity1 and native language of the existing community's student population2 7,b7 creation of curriculum and coursework with principles of culturally responsive education woven throughout1 in addition to a scaffolded sequence of coursework explicitly teaching culturally responsive pedagogy1 teaching skills to support students with disabilities1 and teaching skills to support ,english learners2 7,c7 at least one year of supervised clinical experience1 with a focus on partnering with schools served by rural high-need local educational agencies2 7,d7 mentorship and assistance with the teacher licensure and certification process1 including test preparation2 7,e7 high-quality induction programs2 7,f7 direct financial assistance1 including reduced tuition and in-kind financial support1 such as childcare1 especially for teachers being certified or licensed to teach in high-need fields or high-need communities2 7,g7 plans to engage in outreach and collaboration efforts with local schools1 school districts1 institutions of higher education1 and community organizations2 and 7,h7 plans to use data to assess where teachers certified or licensed to teach with assistance from the ,program are teaching and how that's impacting teacher shortage numbers4 7#f7 ,accountability and evaluation ,an eligible partnership that receives a grant under this section shall1 at the end of each grant year1 submit to the ,secretary a report on the ,grow ,your ,own ,program developed with the grant funds that includes the following information3 7,a7 ,enrollment information1 disaggregated by race and ethnicity and gender except in such instances whereby the number of people in a category is too small that disaggregation would reveal personally identifiable information4 7,b7 ,a description of the activities undertaken by the eligible partnership over the year using grant funding4 7,c7 ,graduation rates and completion numbers1 disaggregated by race and ethnicity and gender except in such instances whereby the number of people in a category is too small that disaggregation would reveal personally identifiable information4 7,d7 ,the percentage and total number of teacher candidates who have been certified or licensed to teach1 disaggregated by subject and area of certification or licensure1 and by race and ethnicity1 and gender except in such instances whereby the number of people in a category is too small that disaggregation would reveal personally identifiable information4 7,e7 ,the #c-year and #e-year teacher retention rate in the same school and local educational agency1 within the profession1 and in the subjects for which the teachers were trained1 disaggregated by race and ethnicity1 and gender except in such instances whereby the number of people in a category is too small that disaggregation would reveal personally identifiable information4 7,f7 ,a survey of teachers starting in the second year of the grant to assess and provide feedback on the ,program's efforts and whether there should be any modifications to address the community's needs4 7,g7 ,a survey of community members1 such as parents1 starting in the second year of the grant to assess and provide feedback on the ,program's efforts and whether there should be any modifications to address the community's needs4 4