Master Teacher Corps Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to consortia of local educational agencies (LEAs), states, or LEAs and states, acting in partnership with institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations to establish a Master Teacher Corps program.
Requires the grants to be used to:
Requires teachers selected as master teachers to: (1) have at least five years of full-time experience as elementary or secondary school teachers, and (2) have earned the highest rating on their state or local evaluations for the majority of their teaching years.
Requires master teachers to be selected based on their:
Requires grantees to ensure that not more than 20% of the teachers in their participating area are members of the Corps.
Provides for the participation of private teachers as master teachers, but makes them ineligible for compensation under the program.
Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, to: (1) evaluate the Master Teacher Corps program; (2) identify successes, best practices, and areas for improvement; and (3) disseminate the evaluation's findings.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5704 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5704
To amend title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
to establish a Master Teacher Corp program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 13, 2014
Mr. Holt introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
to establish a Master Teacher Corp program.
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 ``Master Teacher Corps Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) As stated in The Heart of the Matter, a report
published by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, our
need for a broadly literate population is more urgent than
ever.
(2) As citizens, we need to absorb an ever-growing body of
information and to assess the sources of that information.
(3) As workers, we need to adapt to an ever-accelerating
rate of technological change and to reflect on the implications
of these changes.
(4) As members of a global community, we need to look
beyond our borders to communicate and interact with individuals
from societies and cultures different from our own.
(5) As a Nation, we need to provide an educational
foundation for our future stability and prosperity--drawing on
all areas of knowledge.
(6) Good teachers matter. Students with highly skilled
teachers can gain an additional year's worth of learning
compared to their peers in other classrooms. Moreover, having
an effective teacher for three to four years in a row can erase
the income-based achievement gap.
(7) Attrition among new teachers is exceptionally high. As
many as 50 percent of new teachers leave within their first
five years teaching. Moreover, many of those leaving are the
highly performing new teachers.
(8) Short-term, in-service professional development has not
been found to be effective. Rather, successful professional
development is extensive, sustained, focused on content, and
embedded in the day-to-day work of teachers.
(9) Teacher induction and mentoring programs increase job
satisfaction and retention among new teachers. Furthermore,
research shows that additional young people would consider
teaching if the profession offered more opportunities for
advancement and collaboration.
(10) Programs that provide teachers with opportunities to
lead and grow, and to be recognized and compensated for their
leadership, are key to keeping talented teachers in the
classroom.
(11) A Master Teacher Corps will provide schools a way to
use their human capital to improve student achievement by
providing their best teachers with an opportunity to share best
practices and support other teachers.
SEC. 3. MASTER TEACHER CORPS.
(a) In General.--Part A of 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:
``Subpart 6--Master Teacher Corps
``SEC. 2161. DEFINITION.
``In this subpart, the term `eligible entity' means--
``(1) a consortium of--
``(A) 2 or more local educational agencies;
``(B) 2 or more State educational agencies; or
``(C) 2 or more local educational agencies and 1 or
more State educational agencies; acting in partnership
with
``(2) 1 or more--
``(A) institutions of higher education; or
``(B) nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated
record of success in preparing or improving the
effectiveness of teachers.
``SEC. 2162. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a Master Teacher
Corps program by awarding, on a competitive basis, 1 or more grants of
not less than $10,000,000 each to eligible entities to establish the
program in accordance with section 2164.
``(b) Duration of Grant.--A grant awarded under this subpart shall
be for a period of not more than 5 years.
``(c) Matching Requirement.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), an
eligible entity that receives a grant under this subpart shall
provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to not less
than 30 percent of the amount of the grant, which may be
provided in cash or in-kind, to carry out the activities
supported by the grant.
``(2) Exception.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary may waive the 30
percent matching requirement under paragraph (1) for an
eligible entity that the Secretary determines is unable
to meet such requirement. The Secretary shall set a
matching requirement for such eligible entities
according to the sliding scale described in
subparagraph (B).
``(B) Sliding scale.--The amount of a match under
subparagraph (A) shall be established based on a
sliding fee scale that takes into account--
``(i) the relative poverty of the
population to be targeted by the eligible
entity; and
``(ii) the ability of the eligible entity
to obtain such matching funds.
``(3) Consideration.--The Secretary shall not consider an
eligible entity's ability to match funds when determining which
eligible entities will receive grant awards under this subpart.
``(d) Administrative Expenses.--Each eligible entity receiving
funds under this subpart for a fiscal year may use not more than 5
percent of such funds for the cost of administering this subpart.
``SEC. 2163. APPLICATION.
``(a) In General.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this
subpart shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require.
``(b) Contents.--An application submitted under this section shall
include--
``(1) a description of the Master Teacher Corps program
that the eligible entity intends to carry out, including the
number of Corps members the entity intends to select, the
intended distribution of subjects and grade levels taught, the
geographic and economic characteristics of the local
educational agencies that are part of the eligible entity;
``(2) a description of the types of activities and
responsibilities with which the corps members will be involved,
which--
``(A) shall include--
``(i) roles around school, local
educational agency, or State policymaking;
``(ii) mentoring and supporting beginning
teachers within subject area;
``(iii) sharing best practices and
resources;
``(iv) networking of master teachers; and
``(v) support for master teachers; and
``(B) may not include typical building
administrator roles that are not related to teacher
development or student achievement;
``(3) a description of strategies the applicant will use to
measure impact, such as observations, learning objectives, and
student achievement data.
``(4) a description of the roles and responsibilities that
each higher education or nonprofit institution will have with
the eligible entity.
``(5) a clear plan for research-based professional
development that includes instruction regarding--
``(A) mentoring and supporting adults;
``(B) opportunities to improve knowledge of content
area;
``(C) opportunities to learn how to analyze data in
ways that can impact instruction; and
``(D) instructional leadership training;
``(6) an explanation of how master teachers will be
afforded dedicated time, authority, and resources to fulfill
requirements, and how other teachers will be afforded time to
interact with master teachers, since master teachers may have
hybrid roles teaching part-time and engaging in master teacher
responsibilities part-time;
``(7) a demonstration that the entity has sufficient
capacity to carry out the activities described in the
application and measure the impact of the program; and
``(8) a description of how the grant funds will be
financially managed.
``(c) Criteria for Awarding Grants.--The Secretary shall award
grants under this subpart on the basis of merit considering, at a
minimum, the following:
``(1) The extent to which the local educational agencies
that are part of the eligible entity are committed to
integrating the program into existing school, local educational
agency, State, and regional structures.
``(2) The quality of the proposed professional development,
corps member activities, and leadership roles for master
teachers.
``(3) The capacity of the eligible entity to effectively
carry out the program.
``(4) Proposed logistical and scheduling measures that will
allow for master teachers to participate.
``(5) The diversity of proposed grade levels, subjects,
content areas, and skill sets covered by the types of teachers
proposed to be selected for the corps.
``(6) The geographic and economic diversity of schools
proposed to participate in the applicant's program.
``(7) The extent that various stakeholders, including
teachers, school leaders, administrators, were involved in the
process of creating the structure for a master teacher corps in
the application.
``SEC. 2164. REQUIRED USES OF FUNDS.
``(a) In General.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under this
subpart shall use grant funds for the following:
``(1) Selecting teachers into the Master Teachers Corps.
``(2) Financially compensating corps members.
``(3) Providing research-based professional development.
``(4) Assisting with coordination of instructional
leadership, mentorship, training, and coaching roles of corps
members, includes hiring substitute teachers to fill the role
of the master teacher if the teacher is working with other
teachers.
``(5) Facilitating efforts for master teachers to be
involved in policy decisions at the local educational agency,
State, and regional levels.
``(6) Defraying school and local educational costs
associated with corps members fulfilling their
responsibilities.
``(7) Tracking the effectiveness and impact of the program.
``(8) Supporting other activities that advance the purpose
of this subpart.
``(b) Selecting Members of the Master Teacher Corps.--
``(1) Selection criteria for corps members.--
``(A) Experience.--Corps members must have at least
5 years of full-time experience as a public or private
elementary or secondary school teacher.
``(B) Ratings.--Corps members must have earned the
highest rating on their State- or locally-developed
evaluations for a majority of their teaching years
prior to their application to be part of the corps.
``(C) Other criteria.--Corps members will be
selected based on the teacher's--
``(i) ability to improve and enhance
student achievement;
``(ii) ability to focus on individual
student learning needs and tailor instruction
to those needs;
``(iii) ability to address adult learners
in professional development;
``(iv) ability to successfully collaborate
with teachers, school leaders, and staff;
``(v) skill in promoting teacher reflection
through formative assessment processes,
including using evidence of student learning
and student practice;
``(vi) strong interpersonal and oral and
written communication skills;
``(vii) record of leadership in the
teacher's school;
``(viii) participation in student
extracurricular activities and professional and
school outreach activities;
``(ix) record of teaching students not on
grade level or not on track to graduate
college- and career-ready; and
``(x) measurable ability using various
indicators, including National Board
Certification, assessments of content knowledge
and pedagogical skills, and practical
professional experience outside of the
classroom (such as previous work in a content-
related industry).
``(2) Overall corps membership requirements.--An eligible
entity receiving a grant under this subpart shall ensure that
not more than 20 percent of the teachers who teach in the
participating area are members of the Corps.
``(3) Prohibition.--A local educational agency shall not
change the status of a teacher from full-time to part-time if
that teacher becomes a corps member and is teaching while
simultaneously fulfilling the responsibilities of a corps
member.
``(4) Participation of private school teachers.--An
eligible entity may select teachers who teach at private
schools in the participating area to be members of the Master
Teacher Corps, except that--
``(A) a private school teacher must meet the same
requirements and accountability standards as a public
school teacher; and
``(B) a private school teacher is not eligible to
receive monetary compensation under subsection (c) and
their school is not eligible to receive funds to defray
the costs associated with affording the teacher time to
fulfill the teacher's duties as a Corps member.
``(c) Compensation.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a grant
under this subpart shall use grant funds to provide
compensation to each teacher who is selected and serves as a
member of the Master Teacher Corps, in recognition of the
teacher's teaching accomplishments, leadership, and increased
responsibilities, which amount shall--
``(A) supplement, and not supplant, the teacher's
base salary; and
``(B) be equal to $10,000 per year for each year
the teacher serves as a member of the Corps;
``(2) Withholding compensation for noncompliance.--
``(A) Monitoring compliance.--Each eligible entity
that receives a grant under this subpart shall monitor
whether each teacher the entity selects to be a member
of the Master Teacher Corps is in compliance with the
Corps member requirements.
``(B) Withholding payment.--A teacher selected to
be a member of the Master Teacher Corps may not receive
the additional compensation provided for a school year
to the eligible entity if--
``(i) the entity finds the teacher not in
compliance with the Corps member requirements
and the entity determines the teacher should no
longer be a member of the Corps for such year;
or
``(ii) the teacher withdraws during such
year from membership in the Corps without an
accepted excuse, as determined by the eligible
entity.
``SEC. 2165. REPORTS AND EVALUATION.
``(a) Reports to the Secretary.--Each eligible entity receiving a
grant under this subpart shall provide an annual report to the
Secretary that--
``(1) summarizes the activities assisted under the grant
and program outcomes; and
``(2) includes, with respect to each member of the Master
Teacher Corps, the following:
``(A) The name of the member.
``(B) The school at which the member teaches and
the location of such school.
``(C) The subject or skill area the teacher
teaches.
``(D) The grade level the teacher teaches.
``(b) IES Evaluation.--The Secretary, acting through the Director
of the Institute of Education Sciences, shall--
``(1) evaluate the implementation and impact of the program
under this subpart, particularly with regard to the program's
success in achieving the goals of this subpart;
``(2) identify successes, best practices, and areas for
improvement; and
``(3) disseminate findings from the evaluation and make the
findings publicly available.
``(c) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 4 years after the
establishment of the program under this chapter, and not later than 2
years thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report that
summarizes--
``(1) the activities assisted under the program under this
chapter;
``(2) the outcomes of the program; and
``(3) any recommendations regarding changes to, the
termination of, or the continuation and expansion of the
program.''.
(b) Funding.--Section 2103 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6603) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(c) Master Teacher Corps.--Of the amount appropriated under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall set aside such sums as may be
necessary to carry out subpart 6.''.
(c) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 2 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 2151 the following:
``subpart 6--master teacher corps
``Sec. 2161. Definition.
``Sec. 2162. Grants authorized.
``Sec. 2163. Application.
``Sec. 2164. Required uses of funds.
``Sec. 2165. Reports and evaluation.''.
SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION.
This Act shall not be construed to increase the amount of
appropriations that are authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal
year.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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