Diverse Teachers Recruitment Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or nonprofits, educational service agencies, institutions of higher education, or states that enter into partnerships with such LEAs to: (1) recruit individuals from underrepresented groups as public elementary and secondary school teachers, and (2) provide training and retention incentives to public elementary and secondary school teachers.
Prohibits grants to applicants that do not serve schools that have difficulty recruiting, training, and retaining individuals from underrepresented groups as teachers.
Gives priority to applicants that serve the most high-need schools and those that serve schools with high concentrations of poor, minority, disabled, or limited English proficient students.
Requires the Secretary to evaluate the success of the grantees and compile a database of best practices for recruiting, training, and retaining individuals from underrepresented groups as public elementary and secondary school teachers.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 536 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 536
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to
authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants for recruiting,
training, and retaining individuals, with a preference for individuals
from underrepresented groups, as teachers at public elementary and
secondary schools, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 6, 2013
Mrs. Davis of California (for herself, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Grijalva, and
Ms. Castor of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to
authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants for recruiting,
training, and retaining individuals, with a preference for individuals
from underrepresented groups, as teachers at public elementary and
secondary schools, and for other purposes.
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 ``Diverse Teachers Recruitment Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Issues of teacher diversity and cultural awareness are
critical factors influencing the achievement gap among
elementary school and secondary school students and must be
addressed by national education policy, as recommended in the
report entitled ``Assessment of Diversity in America's Teaching
Force'', presented by the National Collaborative on Diversity
in the Teaching Force in 2004.
(2) Some experts believe the lack of diversity among public
schoolteachers inhibits positive learning outcomes generally,
and can leave students in underrepresented groups without role
models to whom the students can relate, which may lead to
poorer performance in the classroom. Statistics show that for
students in some underrepresented groups, a lack of diversity
among public school teachers contributes to lower standardized
test scores and lower graduation rates.
(3) Department of Education statistics confirm a lack of
diversity among public schoolteachers. During the school year
of 2007 through 2008, an estimated 83.1 percent of public
schoolteachers were Caucasian, while 7.1 percent were Latino, 7
percent were African-American, and 1.2 percent were Asian. Of
all public schoolteachers, 24.1 percent were male and 75.9
percent were female.
(4) Teacher demographics should be sufficiently diverse to
provide the educational benefits described in paragraphs (1)
and (2), including ensuring that students have role models--
(A) from diverse backgrounds and racial and ethnic
groups; and
(B) of different genders.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to further a compelling interest in obtaining the
educational benefits that result, particularly for schools with
a concentration of individuals in 1 or more categories
described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II)), from a diverse group of elementary
school and secondary school teachers, including--
(A) promoting learning outcomes generally, and
reducing achievement gaps for diverse student bodies;
and
(B) increasing student cultural awareness by better
preparing students for an increasingly diverse
workforce and society;
(2) to provide narrowly tailored activities by funding the
activities for the period needed to attain meaningful numbers
or a critical mass of teachers who are individuals from
underrepresented groups, sufficient to address the low
employment of teachers from such groups, and offering the
activities for other teachers as well; and
(3) to remedy the historically low employment among
teachers in public elementary schools and secondary schools who
are individuals from underrepresented groups.
SEC. 3. RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND RETENTION OF TEACHERS, INCLUDING
TEACHERS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS.
(a) In General.--Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new part:
``PART E--RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND RETENTION OF TEACHERS, INCLUDING
TEACHERS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS
``SEC. 2501. GRANT PROGRAM.
``(a) Authorization.--From amounts appropriated under section 2505,
the Secretary shall make grants on a competitive basis to eligible
entities for--
``(1) recruitment and outreach targeted toward recruiting
individuals from underrepresented groups as teachers at public
elementary schools and secondary schools; and
``(2) providing training (on promoting learning outcomes,
reducing achievement gaps for diverse student bodies, and
increasing student cultural awareness) and retention incentives
(other than retention rights) to teachers at public elementary
schools and secondary schools.
``(b) Eligibility.--The Secretary may only make a grant under
subsection (a) to an eligible entity that--
``(1) serves schools that have difficulty in--
``(A) recruitment and outreach targeted toward
recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups as
teachers; and
``(B) training and retaining such individuals as
teachers; and
``(2) submits an application at such time, in such form,
and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary
may require, including--
``(A) a description of how the eligible entity
through the activities the entity carries out with the
grant funds--
``(i) will seek to conduct recruitment and
outreach targeted toward recruiting individuals
from underrepresented groups as teachers; and
``(ii) will provide training and retention
activities to all teachers at eligible
elementary and secondary schools;
``(B) a description of the difficulty conducting
recruitment and outreach targeted toward, and training
and retaining, individuals from underrepresented groups
experienced by the schools served by the eligible
entity; and
``(C) information--
``(i) demonstrating the educational
benefits that the activities are designed to
provide, resulting from a diverse group of
elementary school and secondary school
teachers, including--
``(I) promoting positive learning
outcomes generally, and reducing
achievement gaps for diverse student
bodies; and
``(II) increasing student cultural
awareness by better preparing students
for an increasingly diverse workforce
and society; and
``(ii) demonstrating that the schools
involved do not have a sufficiently diverse
group of teachers to provide the benefits.
``(c) Priority.--In making grants under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall give priority to--
``(1) eligible entities (or consortia of eligible entities)
that serve the most high-need schools; and
``(2) eligible entities (or consortia of eligible entities)
that serve schools with concentrations of students in 1 or more
categories described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II)) in their student populations.
``(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity shall use funds received
under this section to conduct the recruitment and outreach described in
subsection (a)(1), which may include--
``(1) promotional and informational activities at
institutions of higher education that serve large numbers of
individuals from underrepresented groups;
``(2) promotional and informational activities targeted
toward candidates who are--
``(A) in career fields other than teaching; and
``(B) individuals from underrepresented groups;
``(3) promotional and informational activities targeted
toward undergraduate students who graduated from a high school
located within the eligible entity; and
``(4) provision of funds to cover travel or lodging
expenses of individuals from underrepresented groups who are
being recruited as teachers under this section.
``(e) Matching Funds.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may not make a grant to an
eligible entity under subsection (a) unless the eligible entity
agrees that, with respect to the costs to be incurred by the
eligible entity in carrying out the activities for which the
grant is awarded, the eligible entity will make available non-
Federal contributions in an amount equal to not less than 10
percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant.
``(2) Satisfying matching requirement.--The non-Federal
contributions required under paragraph (1) may be--
``(A) in cash or in-kind, including services,
fairly evaluated; and
``(B) from--
``(i) any private source; or
``(ii) a State educational agency or local
educational agency.
``(3) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive or reduce the non-
Federal contribution required by paragraph (1) if the eligible
entity involved demonstrates that the eligible entity cannot
meet the contribution requirement due to financial hardship.
``(f) Duration.--
``(1) Determination.--In determining whether to make a
grant to an eligible entity for a local educational agency, the
Secretary shall determine whether the elementary schools and
secondary schools in the agency have attracted a sufficiently
diverse group of teachers to provide the educational benefits
described under subsection (b)(2)(C).
``(2) Grant.--The Secretary shall make the grant only if
the Secretary determines that the schools described in
paragraph (1) have not attracted that group and need additional
activities under this section to provide the educational
benefits.
``SEC. 2502. REPORTS TO SECRETARY.
``An eligible entity receiving a grant under section 2501(a) shall
submit to the Secretary not later than 90 days after the end of each
school year in which the eligible entity receives grant funds a report
that contains--
``(1) a description of the activities for which the
eligible entity used grant funds during such school year;
``(2) data concerning, with respect to the schools served
by the eligible entity--
``(A) the number of individuals from
underrepresented groups that began teaching during such
school year;
``(B) the retention rate of teachers who are
individuals from underrepresented groups;
``(C) in the case of the report covering the last
school year in which the eligible entity receives grant
funds, indicators of student academic achievement
during such school year as compared with previous
school years, disaggregated, if possible, by the
achievement of--
``(i) economically disadvantaged students;
``(ii) students from major racial and
ethnic groups;
``(iii) students with disabilities; and
``(iv) students with limited English
proficiency;
``(D) student graduation rates for the school year
covered by the report as compared with previous school
years, if applicable in the case of the schools served
by the eligible entity; and
``(E) student attendance rates for the school year
covered by the report as compared with previous school
years; and
``(3) a description of and data regarding such
characteristics of the schools served by the eligible entity,
and the students of such schools, as the Secretary considers
appropriate, including the number and percentage of students in
each of the groups listed in clauses (i) through (iv) of
paragraph (2)(C).
``SEC. 2503. BEST PRACTICES INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall evaluate the success of the
activities carried out by eligible entities using grant funds received
under section 2501(a) and compile a database of best practices for
recruiting, conducting outreach to, training, and retaining individuals
from underrepresented groups as public elementary school and secondary
school teachers. The Secretary shall make such database available to
eligible entities (regardless of whether the eligible entities have
received grants under such section) through an Internet Web site.
``(b) Funds Available.--Of the amounts appropriated to carry out
this part for a fiscal year, the Secretary may use not more than 10
percent to carry out this section during such fiscal year.
``SEC. 2504. DEFINITIONS.
``In this part, the following definitions apply:
``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
``(A) a local educational agency (or consortium of
local educational agencies); or
``(B) an entity that--
``(i) has entered into a partnership with a
local educational agency (or consortium of
local educational agencies) in which the local
educational agency (or consortium of local
educational agencies) is the primary partner;
and
``(ii) is a private nonprofit organization,
an educational service agency, an institution
of higher education, or a State educational
agency.
``(2) High-need high school.--The term `high-need high
school' means a secondary school--
``(A) in which the entering grade of the school is
not lower than grade 9 and that includes grade 12; and
``(B) that has a graduation rate of not more than
65 percent in each of the 2 academic years prior to the
submission of the grant application.
``(3) High-need middle school.--The term `high-need middle
school' means a secondary school--
``(A) in which the entering grade is not lower than
grade 6 and the highest grade is not higher than grade
9; and
``(B) from which not less than 35 percent of the
students who complete such school enroll in a high-need
high school.
``(4) High-need school.--The term `high-need school' means
a public school, including a charter school (as such term is
defined in section 5210(1))--
``(A) in which not less than 40 percent of the
enrolled students are eligible to receive free or
reduced price lunches under section 9(b) of the Richard
B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1758(b)); or
``(B) that is a high-need high school or a high-
need middle school.
``(5) Individual from an underrepresented group.--The term
`individual from an underrepresented group' means an individual
who is a member of a racial or gender group that has
historically been underrepresented among teachers in public
elementary schools and secondary schools in the school district
involved.
``SEC. 2505. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part
such sums as are necessary for fiscal years 2014 through 2019.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 2 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by adding
after the item related to section 2441 the following:
``Part E--Recruitment, Training, and Retention of Teachers, Including
Teachers From Underrepresented Groups
``Sec. 2501. Grant program.
``Sec. 2502. Reports to Secretary.
``Sec. 2503. Best practices information clearinghouse.
``Sec. 2504. Definitions.
``Sec. 2505. Authorization of appropriations.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
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