,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dgcc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #aj1 #bjbf,mr4 ,kaine introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to establish a grant program supporting teacher and school leader induction programs in public schools1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,beginning ,educator ,mentorship and ,retention ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,a high rate of teacher turnover1 when teachers move to another school or leave the profession altogether1 is a primary contributor to teacher shortages at the local1 ,state1 and national levels4 ,moreover1 teachers with the fewest years of experience have the highest rates of turnover4 ,in the #bjbj-bjba school year1 almost #ab percent of all public school teachers had #c years or fewer of teaching experience4 ,by the next school year1 #a in #e novice teachers had moved to another school or left the profession entirely4 ,teacher inexperience and turnover can-- 7,a7 negatively impact student learning2 7,b7 disrupt school stability1 negatively impacting collegial relationships1 collaboration1 and the accumulation of institutional knowledge2 and 7,c7 result in significant financial costs to replace teachers who leave4 7#b7 ,studies have shown that beginning teachers who go through #b-year mentoring and induction programs are more effective in improving student learning and achievement1 particularly on reading and mathematics assessments4 ,studies have also found that intensive mentoring and induction is significantly associated with decreased turnover and improved teaching practices4 7#c7 ,students of color are more likely to be taught by inexperienced teachers4 ,according to data from the ,department of ,education's ,civil ,rights ,data ,collection analyzed by the ,learning ,policy ,institute1 nearly #a in #f teachers are just beginning their career at schools with the highest concentrations of students of color1 compared to #a in #aj teachers in schools serving the greatest proportions of white students4 7#d7 ,schools in rural settings often have more beginning teachers1 and the challenges they face are often amplified compared to beginning teachers in suburban or urban contexts4 ,providing strong mentoring and induction in rural settings is also uniquely challenging1 in part because beginning educators in these schools often lack qualified mentors that are matched to their grade or subject1 carry high teaching loads1 and experience a heightened sense of professional and personal isolation4 7#e7 ,induction programs for school leaders have significant positive effects for teacher retention and student outcomes4 ,a panel study in ,pennsylvania found that principals' participation in an induction program was associated with improved teacher retention1 as well as student achievement and teacher effectiveness in mathematics4 ,the strongest relationships were concentrated among the most economically and academically disadvantaged schools in the ,state and when principals participated during their first #b years of principalship4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,esea definitions ,the terms child with a disability1 educational service agency1 elementary school1 ,english learner1 local educational agency1 outlying area1 school leader1 secondary school1 and ,state educational agency have the meanings given the terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,educator preparation program ,the term educator preparation program means a school1 department1 or program of education within an institution of higher education that prepares teachers or school leaders4 7#c7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means a ,state educational agency4 7#d7 ,eligible subgrantee ,the term eligible subgrantee means-- 7,a7 a local educational agency or a consortium of local educational agencies2 7,b7 a local educational agency or a consortium of local educational agencies that partners with #a or more educator preparation programs2 7,c7 a local educational agency or a consortium of local educational agencies that partners with #a or more nonprofit entities with a proven track record in providing high-quality induction and mentoring support2 7,d7 an educational service agency1 by itself or in partnership with #a or more educator preparation programs2 or 7,e7 an educational service agency1 by itself or in partnership with #a or more nonprofit entities with a proven track record in providing high-quality induction and mentoring support4 7#e7 ,fully certified and licensed ,the term fully certified and licensed means-- 7,a7 with respect to a public school teacher1 a teacher who-- 7i7 has met all certification or licensure requirements for a standard certificate or license from the ,state in which the teacher is employed and has a regular1 standard certificate1 license1 or endorsement issued by the ,state for each subject in which the teacher is employed to teach2 7ii7 has not had such certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency1 temporary1 or provisional basis2 and 7iii7 in the case of a special education teacher1 meets the personnel qualifications under section #fab7;a77#ad7 of the ,individual with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adab7;a77#ad772 or 7,b7 with respect to a public school leader1 a school leader who-- 7i7 has met all certification or licensure requirements for a standard certificate or license from the ,state in which the school leader is employed and has a regular1 standard certificate1 license1 or endorsement issued by the ,state for such employment2 and 7ii7 has not had such certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency1 temporary1 or provisional basis4 7#f7 ,induction program ,the term induction program means a formalized program for new teachers or school leaders in public schools during not less than the teachers' or school leaders' first #b years of teaching or leading1 respectively1 that-- 7,a7 is designed to provide support for1 and improve the professional performance and advance the retention of1 beginning teachers or school leaders2 7,b7 promotes effective teaching and leadership skills1 respectively2 and 7,c7 includes the following components for new teachers and leaders3 7i7 ,high-quality and structured teacher or school leader mentoring led by a mentor4 7ii7 ,periodic1 structured time for collaboration with teachers or school leaders in the same department or field1 including teacher or school leader mentors1 as well as time for information-sharing among teachers1 principals1 administrators1 other appropriate instructional staff1 and if applicable1 participating faculty in the educator preparation program participating in the eligible entity4 7iii7 ,regular and structured formative observation of1 and opportunities for1 expert feedback in order to inform efforts to support new teachers and school leaders and improve their practice4 7iv7 ,support in the development and application of evidence-based instructional strategies1 including the ability to differentiate instruction and support the learning needs of students1 including students who are children with disabilities and students who are ,english learners4 7v7 ,assistance for general and special education teachers and school leaders to support the learning of students who are children with disabilities1 including-- 7,i7 for general and special education teachers1 guidance and instruction related to participation as a member of individualized education program teams1 as defined in section #fad7;d77#a77;,b7 of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adad7;d77#a77;,b772 and 7,,ii7 for school leaders1 guidance and instruction in ensuing that students who are children with disabilities receive special education and related services1 consistent with the requirements of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adjj et seq471 that are needed for those students to meet the challenging ,state academic standards under section #aaaa7;b77#a7 of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaa7;b77#a774 7vi7 ,opportunities for new teachers or school leaders to draw directly on the expertise of mentors and1 if applicable1 other experts to support the integration of evidence-based instructional practices4 7vii7 ,support in the development of evidence-based skills in instructional and behavioral supports and interventions1 including alignment with ,state standards on teaching and school leadership4 7viii7 ,the modeling of-- 7,i7 the integration of research and practice in the classroom2 7,,ii7 differentiated instruction2 and 7,,iii7 the effective use and integration of technology in the classroom or public school to support instruction4 7ix7 ,interdisciplinary collaboration among exemplary teachers1 school leaders1 faculty1 researchers1 and other staff who prepare new teachers or school leaders with respect to the learning process and the assessment of learning1 including the development1 analysis1 and use of formative1 interim1 and summative assessments4 7x7 ,the development of skills to implement and support evidence-based practices that create a positive school culture and climate4 7xi7 ,assistance with the understanding of data1 particularly student achievement and classroom engagement data 7such as attendance and discipline rates and other measures of school climate71 and the applicability of such data in classroom and public school instruction and design4 7#g7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a774 7#h7 ,mentor ,the term mentor means-- 7,a7 with respect to a teacher mentor1 a teacher who-- 7i7 is fully certified and licensed for each subject for which the teacher will provide mentorship2 7ii7 has demonstrated high skill and effectiveness1 which may be demonstrated through advanced certification such as the ,national ,board for ,professional ,teaching ,standards certification or local evaluation systems2 7iii7 has at least #c years of teaching experience2 7iv7 has demonstrated skill collaborating with others and facilitating adult learning2 7v7 teaches or has taught in the same or similar field1 grade1 or subject as the mentee2 and 7vi7 receives formalized and structured training prior to becoming a mentor2 or 7,b7 with respect to a school leader mentor1 a school leader who-- 7i7 is fully certified and licensed for school leadership2 7ii7 has demonstrated high skill and effectiveness2 7iii7 has at least #c years of school leadership experience2 7iv7 has served as a school leader in a school that serves students in the same or similar grade spans as the mentee's school2 7v7 receives formalized and structured training prior to becoming a mentor2 and 7vi7 has demonstrated skill collaborating with others and facilitating adult learning4 7#i7 ,public school ,the term public school means a public elementary school or secondary school4 7#aj7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7#aa7 ,state ,the term ,state means each of the several ,states of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 and each of the outlying areas4 7#ab7 ,teacher or school leader mentoring ,the term teacher or school leader mentoring means the mentoring of new or prospective teachers or school leaders by teacher or school leader mentors1 respectively1 through a program that-- 7,a7 includes clear criteria for the selection of mentors who will provide role model relationships for mentees1 which criteria shall be developed based on measures of teacher or school leader effectiveness2 7,b7 provides high-quality training for such mentors1 including-- 7i7 instructional strategies for comprehensive literacy instruction2 7ii7 differentiating instruction2 7iii7 supporting the learning of students who are children with disabilities and students who are ,english learners2 and 7iv7 creating inclusive and supportive classroom environments 7including least restrictive environments for students with disabilities and approaches that improve the schoolwide climate for learning1 which may include positive behavioral interventions and supports1 including trauma-informed care and social and emotional learning72 7,c7 provides regular and ongoing opportunities for mentors and mentees to observe each other's teaching or leadership methods in classroom and school settings during the school day2 7,d7 adequately compensates mentors by-- 7i7 reducing the teaching or leading responsibilities1 and related workload1 of mentors in exchange for the mentorship responsibilities and providing paid release time for mentors2 7ii7 providing an increase to mentors' salaries commensurate with additional responsibilities2 or 7iii7 providing a stipend to mentors commensurate with additional responsibilities2 7,e7 promotes the empirically based practice of1 and evidence-based research on1 where applicable-- 7i7 teaching and learning2 7ii7 assessment of student learning2 7iii7 the development of teaching skills through the use of instructional and behavioral interventions2 and 7iv7 the improvement of the mentees' capacity to measurably advance student learning2 and 7,f7 includes-- 7i7 common planning time or regularly scheduled collaboration for the mentor and mentee2 and 7ii7 joint professional development opportunities4 #d4 ,program authorized 7a7 ,grants authorized ,from the total amount appropriated under section #h for a fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall1 for such fiscal year-- 7#a7 reserve #b percent of such amount for program administration and evaluation and to provide technical assistance to eligible entities in operating induction programs in public schools2 7#b7 reserve #a percent of such amount for the ,secretary of the ,interior to support programs similar to induction programs for schools operated or funded by the ,bureau of ,indian ,education2 and 7#c7 use the funds remaining after the reservations under paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 to award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to eligible entities4 7b7 ,required match 7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#c71 an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall provide1 toward the cost of the activities assisted under the grant1 an amount equal to #ej percent of the amount of the grant4 7#b7 ,exemptions ,the matching requirement under paragraph 7#a7 shall not apply to an eligible entity representing an outlying area or an eligible entity awarded a grant under subsection 7a77#b7 from the ,secretary of the ,interior4 7#c7 ,waiver ,the ,secretary may waive all or part of the matching requirement described in paragraph 7#a7 for any fiscal year for an eligible entity if the ,secretary determines that applying the matching requirement to the eligible entity would be inequitable due to-- 7,a7 exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances1 such as a natural disaster or a change in the organizational structure of the eligible entity2 7,b7 a precipitous decline in the financial resources of the eligible entity2 or 7,c7 the inability to carry out the authorized activities described in section #f4 #e4 ,grant application 7a7 ,in general ,each eligible entity desiring a grant under section #d shall submit to the ,secretary an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7b7 ,contents ,each application submitted under this section shall include the following3 7#a7 ,an assurance that the eligible entity will ensure that subgrantees receiving subgrants under section #f7;a7 will provide induction programs that meet the criteria described in section #c7f74 7#b7 ,an assurance that the eligible entity will target funding in accordance with section #f7;a77#b7 if the funding is not sufficient to provide all teachers and school leaders who are in their first #b years of teaching in the public schools served by the eligible entity with an induction program1 and a description of how the eligible entity will target funding to local educational agencies and public schools with the highest need in accordance with such section4 7#c7 ,an assurance that mentors participating in the program will-- 7,a7 have their mentorship roles constructed as part of their contracted and compensated responsibilities2 or 7,b7 receive additional compensation if mentorship for an induction program supported under this ,act is in addition to their other responsibilities4 7#d7 ,a description of-- 7,a7 how the eligible entity will involve organizations that represent teachers and school leaders in crafting and supporting induction programs1 including how such programs will adequately compensate mentors2 7,b7 how the eligible entity will require local educational agencies to publicly post the requirements1 and compensation provided1 for serving as a mentor in an induction program supported under the grant2 and 7,c7 how the eligible entity will communicate with major educator preparation programs 7and other major preparation providers7 so that induction programs build on and complement any high-quality training first- and second-year teachers received before entering their respective induction program4 7#e7 ,an assurance that the eligible entity will meet the fiscal accountability requirements of section #g4 #f4 ,use of funds 7a7 ,subgrants to local educational agencies1 consortia1 and educational service agencies 7#a7 ,in general ,each eligible entity that receives a grant under section #d shall reserve not less than #ij percent of the amounts available to carry out the grant 7including any matching funds required under section #d7;b77 to make subgrants to eligible subgrantees to enable the eligible subgrantees to plan1 implement1 improve1 or expand induction programs in public schools in accordance with paragraph 7#d74 7#b7 ,targeting funds 7,a7 ,in general ,to the extent that funds to carry out a grant under section #d 7including any matching funds required under section #d7;b77 are available1 an eligible entity receiving a grant under section #d shall award subgrants to all eligible subgrantees that have submitted complete applications1 to enable the eligible subgrantees to provide an induction program to all teachers and school leaders in public schools who are employed by the eligible subgrantees and are in their first #b years of teaching or leading4 7,b7 ,insufficient amounts ,if the amount of funds available to carry out a grant under section #d 7including any required matching funds under section #d7;b77 is not sufficient to enable an eligible entity to fully carry out subparagraph 7,a71 the eligible entity shall target the use of its grant funds by-- 7i7 awarding the subgrants to eligible subgrantees that are local educational agencies that-- 7,i7 have the highest percentages of economically disadvantaged students in the ,state1 on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data available from the ,department of ,commerce 7or1 for local educational agencies for which no such data are available1 such other data as the ,secretary determines are satisfactory72 and 7,,ii7 7aa7 have the highest concentration of teachers and school leaders in their first or second year of teaching or leading1 respectively2 or 7bb7 have the highest rates of teacher and school leader turnover for teachers and school leaders in their first or second year of teaching or leading1 respectively2 and 7ii7 ensuring that eligible subgrantees receiving the subgrants target their subgrant funding for public schools that-- 7,i7 with respect to the local educational agency that serves a specific public school1 are in the highest #ej percent of schools served by such local educational agency1 based on the percentage of economically disadvantaged students served2 and 7,,ii7 7aa7 have the highest concentration of teachers and school leaders in their first or second year of teaching or leading1 respectively2 or 7bb7 have the highest rates of teacher and school leader turnover for teachers and school leaders in their first or second year of teaching or leading1 respectively4 7#c7 ,application ,an eligible subgrantee that desires a subgrant under paragraph 7#a7 shall submit an application to the eligible entity at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the eligible entity may require1 which shall include-- 7,a7 an assurance that the eligible subgrantee will provide induction programs that meet the criteria described in section #c7f71 including a description of how the eligible subgrantee plans to do so2 7,b7 an assurance that1 if the funding is not sufficient to provide every teacher and school leader described in paragraph 7#b77;,a7 with an induction program1 the eligible subgrantee will target funding as described in paragraph 7#b77;,b71 including a description of how the eligible subgrantee plans to do so2 7,c7 an assurance that mentors participating in the induction program will-- 7i7 have their mentorship roles constructed as part of their contracted and compensated responsibilities2 or 7ii7 receive additional compensation if mentorship for an induction program supported under this ,act is in addition to their other responsibilities2 7,d7 a description of-- 7i7 how the eligible subgrantee will involve organizations that represent teachers and school leaders in crafting and supporting induction programs1 including how such programs will adequately compensate mentors2 7ii7 how the eligible subgrantee will publicly post the requirements1 and compensation provided1 for serving as a mentor in an induction program supported under the subgrant2 and 7iii7 how the eligible subgrantee will communicate with major educator preparation programs 7and other major preparation providers7 so that induction programs build on and complement any high-quality training first- and second-year teachers received before entering their respective induction program2 and 7,e7 an assurance that the eligible subgrantee will meet the fiscal accountability requirements of section #g4 7#d7 ,use of subgrant funds ,an eligible subgrantee that receives a subgrant under paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 shall use the subgrant funds to plan for1 implement1 improve1 or expand induction programs in public schools2 and 7,b7 may use the subgrant funds for-- 7i7 any use authorized under subsection 7b72 or 7ii7 compensating mentors4 7b7 ,program administration1 technical assistance1 and initiatives ,each eligible entity that receives a grant under section #d shall reserve not less than #e percent of such grant for any of the following3 7#a7 ,administration of the program supported under the grant4 7#b7 ,supporting eligible subgrantees receiving subgrants in operating induction programs in public schools1 which may include the following activities3 7,a7 ,providing technical assistance4 7,b7 ,assisting with the redesign of school schedules to allow for greater collaboration and planning time for educators4 7,c7 ,ensuring that induction programs operated by subgrantees are of high quality and meet the criteria described in section #c7f74 7#c7 ,statewide or regional initiatives to support teacher and school leaders in their first #b years of teaching or leading in public schools1 which may include-- 7,a7 induction programs for school leaders2 7,b7 induction programs for teachers or school leaders in their first #b years of teaching or leading1 respectively1 who are-- 7i7 serving in rural or remote areas2 or 7ii7 teaching or leading in fields for which there are few local mentors2 and 7,c7 creating affinity networks for teachers or school leaders in their first #b years of teaching or leading1 respectively1 that are from backgrounds that are underrepresented in teaching and leading1 respectively4 #g4 ,fiscal accountability 7a7 ,supplement1 not supplant ,an eligible entity receiving a grant under section #d1 and an eligible subgrantee receiving a subgrant under section #f7;a71 shall ensure that funds made available under this ,act are used to supplement1 and not supplant1 funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized under this ,act4 7b7 ,rule of construction for collective bargaining 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to paragraph 7#b71 nothing in this ,act shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect the rights1 remedies1 and procedures afforded to public school or local educational agency employees under ,federal1 ,state1 or local laws 7including applicable regulations or court orders7 or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements1 memoranda of understanding1 or other agreements between such employers and their employees4 7#b7 ,compliance ,paragraph 7#a7 shall not be construed to exempt a ,state1 local educational agency1 or public school from complying with this ,act or from negotiating in compliance with ,state labor laws to comply with this ,act4 #h4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year #bjbg and each subsequent fiscal year4