§ 6651. National activities of demonstrated effectiveness
(a)
National teacher recruitment campaign
The Secretary is authorized to establish and carry out a national teacher recruitment campaign, which may include activities carried out through the National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse, to assist high-need local educational agencies in recruiting teachers (particularly those activities that are effective in retaining new teachers) and training teachers and to conduct a national public service campaign concerning the resources for, and the routes to, entering the field of teaching. In carrying out the campaign, the Secretary may promote and link the activities of the campaign to the information and referral activities of the National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse. The Secretary shall coordinate activities under this subsection with State and regional recruitment activities.
(b)
School leadership
(1)
In general
The Secretary is authorized to establish and carry out a national principal recruitment program to assist high-need local educational agencies in recruiting and training principals (including assistant principals) through such activities as—
(c)
Advanced certification or advanced credentialing
(1)
In general
The Secretary is authorized to support activities to encourage and support teachers seeking advanced certification or advanced credentialing through high quality professional teacher enhancement programs designed to improve teaching and learning.
(2)
Implementation
In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make grants to eligible entities to—
(A)
develop teacher standards that include measures tied to increased student academic achievement; and
(B)
promote outreach, teacher recruitment, teacher subsidy, or teacher support programs, related to teacher certification or credentialing by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the National Council on Teacher Quality, or other nationally recognized certification or credentialing organizations.
(3)
Eligible entities
In this subsection, the term “eligible entity” includes—
(C)
the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, in partnership with a high-need local educational agency or a State educational agency;
(d)
Special education teacher training
The Secretary is authorized to award a grant to the University of Northern Colorado to enable such university to provide, to other institutions of higher education, assistance in training special education teachers.
(e)
Early childhood educator professional development
(1)
Purpose
The purpose of this subsection is to enhance the school readiness of young children, particularly disadvantaged young children, and to prevent young children from encountering difficulties once the children enter school, by improving the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators who work in communities that have high concentrations of children living in poverty.
(2)
Program authorized
(A)
Grants to partnerships
The Secretary is authorized to carry out the purpose of this subsection by awarding grants, on a competitive basis, to partnerships consisting of—
(i)
(ii)
one or more public agencies ( [1] including local educational agencies, State educational agencies, State human services agencies, and State and local agencies administering programs under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), Head Start agencies, or private organizations; and
(3)
Applications
(A)
Applications required
Any partnership that desires to receive a grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(B)
Contents
Each such application shall include—
(i)
a description of the high-need community to be served by the project proposed to be carried out through the grant, including such demographic and socioeconomic information as the Secretary may request;
(ii)
information on the quality of the early childhood educator professional development program currently conducted (as of the date of the submission of the application) by the institution of higher education or another provider in the partnership;
(iii)
the results of a needs assessment that the entities in the partnership have undertaken to determine the most critical professional development needs of the early childhood educators to be served by the partnership and in the broader community, and a description of how the proposed project will address those needs;
(iv)
a description of how the proposed project will be carried out, including a description of—
(II)
the types of professional development activities, based on scientifically based research, that will be carried out;
(III)
how research on effective professional development and on adult learning will be used to design and deliver project activities;
(IV)
how the project will be coordinated with and build on, and will not supplant or duplicate, early childhood education professional development activities in the high-need community;
(V)
how the project will train early childhood educators to provide developmentally appropriate school-readiness services that are based on the best available research on early childhood pedagogy and child development and learning domains;
(v)
a description of—
(vi)
a description of the partnership’s plan for continuing the activities carried out under the project after Federal funding ceases;
(4)
Selection of grant recipients
(5)
Uses of funds
(A)
In general
Each partnership receiving a grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to carry out activities that will improve the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators who are working in early childhood programs that are located in high-need communities and serve concentrations of children from low-income families.
(B)
Allowable activities
Such activities may include—
(i)
professional development for early childhood educators, particularly to familiarize those educators with the application of recent research on child, language, and literacy development and on early childhood pedagogy;
(ii)
professional development for early childhood educators in working with parents, so that the educators and parents can work together to provide and support developmentally appropriate school-readiness services that are based on scientifically based research on early childhood pedagogy and child development and learning domains;
(iii)
professional development for early childhood educators to work with children who have limited English proficiency, children with disabilities, and children with other special needs;
(iv)
professional development to train early childhood educators in identifying and preventing behavioral problems in children or working with children identified as or suspected to be victims of abuse;
(v)
activities that assist and support early childhood educators during their first 3 years in the field;
(vi)
development and implementation of early childhood educator professional development programs that make use of distance learning and other technologies;
(6)
Accountability
(A)
Achievement indicators
On the date on which the Secretary first issues a notice soliciting applications for grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall announce achievement indicators for this subsection, which shall be designed—
(7)
Cost-sharing
(A)
In general
Each partnership carrying out a project through a grant awarded under this subsection shall provide, from sources other than the program carried out under this subsection, which may include Federal sources—
(8)
Federal coordination
The Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall coordinate activities carried out through programs under this subsection with activities carried out through other early childhood programs administered by the Secretary or the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(9)
Definitions
In this subsection:
(A)
Early childhood educator
The term “early childhood educator” means a person providing, or employed by a provider of, nonresidential child care services (including center-based, family-based, and in-home child care services) that is legally operating under State law, and that complies with applicable State and local requirements for the provision of child care services to children at any age from birth through the age at which a child may start kindergarten in that State.
(f)
Teacher mobility
(1)
Establishment
The Secretary is authorized to establish a panel to be known as the National Panel on Teacher Mobility (referred to in this subsection as the “panel”).
(2)
Membership
The panel shall be composed of 12 members appointed by the Secretary. The Secretary shall appoint the members from among practitioners and experts with experience relating to teacher mobility, such as teachers, members of teacher certification or licensing bodies, faculty of institutions of higher education that prepare teachers, and State policymakers with such experience.
(3)
Period of appointment; vacancies
Members shall be appointed for the life of the panel. Any vacancy in the panel shall not affect the powers of the panel, but shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
(4)
Duties
(A)
Study
(i)
In general
The panel shall study strategies for increasing mobility and employment opportunities for highly qualified teachers, especially for States with teacher shortages and States with school districts or schools that are difficult to staff.
(5)
Powers
(A)
Hearings
The panel may hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the panel considers advisable to carry out the objectives of this subsection.
(B)
Information from Federal agencies
The panel may secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the panel considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection. Upon request of a majority of the members of the panel, the head of such department or agency shall furnish such information to the panel.
(6)
Personnel
(A)
Travel expenses
The members of the panel shall not receive compensation for the performance of services for the panel, but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter
I of chapter
57 of title
5, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the panel. Notwithstanding section
1342 of title
31, the Secretary may accept the voluntary and uncompensated services of members of the panel.
[1] So in original. There is no closing parenthesis.