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Rewrites and tightens the federal rules for teacher and school‑leader preparation: it creates an advisory feasibility study and online clearinghouse, updates definitions and program purposes, raises accountability and reporting requirements for preparation programs, strengthens competitive partnership grants and residency rules (including stipend and service‑agreement provisions), and requires States to identify, assist, and (if necessary) close or sanction low‑performing preparation programs while providing transition support for students.
Amend Section 208(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022g(a)) by striking "sections 205 and 206" and inserting "section 205" .
Adds a new section (Section 209) titled “Elevation of the education profession study” to Part A of Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Purpose of the study: examine State policies related to teacher and school leader education and certification; produce a comprehensive set of expectations that set a high bar for entry and ensure profession-readiness; and develop evidence-based, field-verified recommendations to Congress on best practices to elevate the education profession.
Requires the Secretary of Education to establish an Advisory Committee to carry out the elevation of the education profession study and to make recommendations to Congress.
Specifies membership categories for the Advisory Committee, including representatives or advocates from teacher unions, school leader organizations, State and local officials, State and local educational agencies, teacher and school leader advocacy organizations, school administrator organizations, institutions of higher education (including colleges of teacher education), civil rights organizations, organizations representing students with disabilities, organizations representing English learners, nonprofit subject-field organizations (e.g., STEM, literacy, arts and humanities), professional development organizations, educational technology organizations, nonprofit research organizations, organizations representing nontraditional teacher/school leader pathways, and organizations representing parents.
Who is affected and how:
Institutions of higher education and program providers: Colleges and universities that run teacher preparation and school‑leader programs must comply with new definitions, collect and report detailed candidate and program metrics, redesign programs to meet residency and evaluation requirements, and may lose eligibility for certain grants if programs are found low‑performing. They will face increased administrative and data burdens but could receive clearer guidance and more funding directed toward residencies.
State educational agencies and local education agencies (LEAs): States must create assessment systems, publish annual program lists and report cards, provide up to three years of technical assistance, and enforce improvement or closure timelines. LEAs will be a focus for placement and hiring metrics and may be asked to partner on residencies and evaluation. States may need to allocate staff and resources to meet reporting and intervention duties, producing potential unfunded compliance costs.
Teacher and school‑leader candidates (including residents): Candidates may gain expanded paid residency opportunities, clearer entry expectations, and improved oversight of preparation quality; they may also benefit from mandated transition supports if a program closes. However, some programs may tighten admissions or reduce seats if they cannot meet new standards.
K‑12 schools, especially high‑need schools: These schools are targeted for improved staffing through residency models and placement metrics; they may gain better‑prepared new hires but could experience temporary placement disruptions if programs are closed or restructured.
Federal grant programs and program administrators: The partnership grants and evaluation requirements change how competitive awards are structured and monitored. The Department of Education will need to manage the Advisory Committee, publish clearinghouse resources, evaluate grant performance under the new measures, and oversee state report card compliance.
Students in preparation programs: Students enrolled in programs designated as low‑performing are entitled to transitional support if programs close; they may face pathway uncertainty during improvement or closure timelines.
Net effect: The legislation raises accountability, transparency, and support for residency models intended to improve teacher and leader quality, but it also increases reporting and oversight obligations on States, institutions, and program providers and could require additional administrative resources to implement. The law creates mechanisms that could improve the pipeline into high‑need schools but may also shrink or shift program capacity where remediation or closures occur.
Inserts a new section (section 209, "Elevation of the education profession study") into Part A of title II of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1022 et seq.) requiring the Secretary of Education to establish an Advisory Committee to conduct a feasibility study, specifying membership categories, duties (including study topics and dissemination), reporting deadlines, and creation of an electronic clearinghouse.
Revises Section 200 (definitions) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by replacing and updating numerous definitions used in the title (e.g., arts and sciences, blended learning, children from low-income families, comprehensive literacy instruction, digital learning, diverse teacher candidates, early childhood educator, educational service agency, educator, eligible partnership, English learner, evidence-based, evidence of student learning, high-need early childhood education program, high-need local educational agency, high-need school, highly competent, induction program, infant or toddler with a disability, mentoring, parent, partner institution, professional development, profession-ready, school leader, school leader preparation entity, school leader preparation program, teacher leader, teaching skills, teacher performance assessment, teacher preparation entity, teacher preparation program, trauma-informed care, and others).
Multiple amendments to subsection (b) application requirements, replaces subsection (c) (Use of grant funds), modifies subsection (d) (program requirements), replaces subsection (e) with detailed provisions establishing teaching and principal/school leader residency program requirements including stipends, applications, agreements, and repayments, and replaces subsection (f) with a new teacher leader development program provision.
Amends subsections (a)(2) and (b)(2)(A) of 20 U.S.C. 1022b: (a)(2) is revised to allow an eligible partnership to receive an additional grant within the existing five-year period under a specified condition (to establish certain residency programs); (b)(2)(A) is revised to replace the phrase 'teacher preparation program' with 'teacher education, school leader preparation, or educator development program.'
Replaces two occurrences of the term "limited English proficient students" in 20 U.S.C. 1022e with the term "English learner."
Replaces subsection (a)(1) and makes multiple other amendments to 20 U.S.C. 1022d: revises institutional/program report card requirements, alters subsection (b) reporting elements (including modifying subparagraph (D), replacing subparagraphs (G)-(L) with new (G) and (H), and adding a new paragraph (3)), and adds items to subsection (d)(2).
Replaces current 20 U.S.C. 1022f with a revised section that (a) expands the assessment requirement to include both teacher and school leader preparation programs and ties eligibility to funds under this Act or Title II of ESEA, (b) requires annual public lists and closure reporting, (c) prescribes stakeholder consultation for performance criteria and consideration of multiple measures, (d) adds explicit reporting and improvement requirements including an improvement/redesign period, a cap of 3 years for technical assistance, and a 1-year deadline to apply subsection (c) after identification as low-performing, and (e) specifies ineligibility and other consequences for programs projected to close including prohibition on new awards under subpart 9 of part A of title IV and required transitional support for students.
Replaces subsection (a) of 20 U.S.C. 1022c (Section 204(a) of the Higher Education Act) with revised evaluation requirements for eligible partnerships, expanding the subjects and measures required in grant application evaluation plans.
Amends subsection (a) of 20 U.S.C. 1022g by striking the phrase "sections 205 and 206" and inserting "section 205", changing which prior section(s) subsection (a) references.
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Jennifer McClellan · Last progress February 13, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House