Sec. 213. Advancing the teaching profession grants
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Subpart 5 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as added by section 211 and amended by section 212, is further amended by adding at the end the following: The purpose of this section is to expand students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers and to improve working conditions in schools by— supporting States in implementing a teacher career ladder that— incentivizes experienced and qualified teachers to take additional responsibilities and adjusted roles; and rewards such teachers with additional compensation; and ensuring every public school teacher in the United States has the school supplies, equipment, and instructional materials for their students to succeed.
It is the sense of Congress that in the richest country in the history of the world— America’s teachers, just like in the world’s highest-performing education systems, should receive professional advancement opportunities, including additional responsibilities, differentiated roles, and increased compensation to improve teaching and learning; and no teacher should be stressed or distracted from teaching due to a lack of classroom resources. In this section: The term award year means the period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the subsequent year.
The term career ladder award means the amount that is equal to the amount determined by the State for each individual level in the State’s career ladder, as described in the State’s application under subsection (f). The term eligible high-need public school means an eligible public school that enrolls a high number or high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds in a given school year, as defined by the State pursuant to subsection (f)(1)(D), which shall include, at a minimum, any eligible public school that received funding under part A of title I, in either of the previous 2 school years.
The term eligible public school means an elementary school or secondary school served by a local educational agency in a State with an approved application under subsection (f). The term eligible teacher means a full-time equivalent teacher who instructs students in an eligible public school. The term State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The term teacher has the meaning given the term in section 1120. From amounts appropriated under subsection
(h)for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, from allotments under subsection (d), to States having applications approved under subsection
(f)to— subsidize the development and implementation of career ladders that advance the teaching profession by incentivizing teachers to take on additional responsibilities and adjusted roles with increased compensation; and provide teachers with annual flexible awards to support their classrooms and improve their students’ educational opportunities and academic outcomes, which shall be in an amount that is not less than— $1,200 per school year for such teachers serving students in eligible high-need public schools; and $1,000 per school year for such teachers serving students in eligible public schools not described in clause (i). A State that receives a grant under this section shall provide a non-Federal share of funds for an award year from non-Federal sources in an amount that is equal to 25 percent of the amount required to make awards to all eligible teachers during the award year. The Secretary shall allot, to each eligible State that submits its first application under subsection
(f)for a grant under subsection
(c)for the first award year of the program under this section, an amount that is equal to the product of— $1,000; and the number of eligible teachers in such State (as determined by the Secretary on the basis of the most recent reliable data, such as administrative data or data collected through sampling methodologies). The Secretary shall allot to each eligible State submitting an approved application under subsection
(f)for a grant under subsection
(c)for a second or subsequent award year, an amount equal to the sum of— the amount described in subparagraph
(B)for career ladder awards; and the amount described in subparagraph
(C)for classroom awards. In a second or subsequent award year, the amount that shall be allotted to States in accordance with subparagraph (A)(i) shall be equal to the sum of the products, per each individual level submitted under subsection (f)(1)(A)(i), of— the estimated number of eligible teachers who have attained a given individual level on the career ladder, as submitted under subsection (f)(1)(A)(vi), during the award year; and the amount of the minimum salary increase associated with such level, as submitted under subsection (f)(1)(A)(ii). In a second or subsequent award year, the amount that shall be allotted to States in accordance with subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be equal to the sum of— the product of the estimated number of eligible teachers serving students in eligible high-need public schools during the award year (based on the data submitted as part of such State’s application) and $1,200; and the product of the estimated number of eligible teachers serving students in eligible public schools not described in clause
(i)during the award year (based on the data submitted as part of such State’s application) and $1,000. By not later than November 1 of the second award year for which a State receives an allotment under paragraph
(2)and each subsequent award year, such State shall report to the Secretary— per each individual level submitted under subsection (f), its actual head count of the teachers who has attained a given individual level on the career ladder for the preceding award year; and the actual head count of eligible teachers and how many of such teachers served students in eligible high-need public schools for the preceding award year. If the actual counts for the preceding award year reported under subparagraph (A)— exceeds the number of teachers that was used for determining the allotment for such preceding award year, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the allotment for the subsequent award year in which the November 1 date falls for the State shall be increased to reflect such actual count of teachers; or is less than the number of teachers that was used for determining the allotment for such preceding award year, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the allotment for the subsequent award year in which the November 1 date falls for the State shall be decreased to reflect such actual count of teachers. In order to be eligible to receive an allotment under this section for a second or subsequent award year, as described in subsection (d)(2), a State shall comply with the following, as applicable: Each State that receives a grant under this section shall develop a program that supports local educational agencies in developing and implementing locally-driven career ladders to expand students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers. The State’s career ladder program described in subparagraph
(A)shall, at a minimum— be composed of levels (as described under subsection (f)(1)(A)(i) of the State plan) under which— eligible teachers may progress and earn additional responsibilities and roles; and States may include flexible descriptions of additional roles or responsibilities assigned to such levels that are subsequently adapted by local educational agencies' locally-driven career ladders with additional specifications; and for each level described in clause (i), assign a minimum salary increase (as described under subsection (f)(1)(A)(ii)) for each eligible teacher who attains such a level. A State shall engage and coordinate with local educational agencies and public schools in developing and implementing levels described in subparagraph (B)(i), including in determining the additional responsibilities, roles, and salary increase (as described in subparagraph (B)) associated with each level. A State may define the following levels: A mentor eligible teacher who is responsible for supporting teacher induction programs, mentoring novice teachers, or who supervises teacher candidates, including students participating in clinical experiences or practicums as part of their teacher preparation pathway. An eligible teacher with coaching responsibilities (such as literacy coaching) or leading teacher collaboratives. An eligible teacher who earns or maintains a national certification that requires the demonstration of advanced teaching skills (such as the National Board Certification) or a master's degree in a critical subject or specialty shortage. An eligible teacher who supports collaboration to systematically improve instruction, curricula, and job-embedded professional learning, such as teacher appraisal opportunities and feedback to improve teaching and learning. An eligible teacher who is on a teacher leadership track to become a principal or other school leader. For each level in a State’s career ladder program, a local educational agency in the State may place additional reasonable specifications to align the level to such agency’s locally driven career ladder, in accordance with subparagraph (D). Each State that receives a grant under this section shall ensure that local educational agencies in the State receive the technical assistance and resources necessary to participate in the State’s career ladder program described in this paragraph and develop and implement a locally-driven career ladder to expand students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers. A local educational agency, in accordance with the State’s requirements for the State’s career ladder program described in this paragraph, shall— develop a locally-driven career ladder that adapts each level and the minimum salary increases in the State’s career ladder program described in subparagraph
(B)to align with such local educational agency’s goals, strategies, and local context; provide opportunities for eligible teachers employed by such local educational agency to progress levels and earn additional responsibilities, roles, and agency; ensure that principals, other school leaders, superintendents, and other staff receive the training and professional learning necessary to support local adaptation and effective implementation of such agency’s locally-driven career ladder; and develop a locally-driven career ladder in a manner that does not alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, or procedures afforded to school or local educational agency employees under Federal, State, or local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements between such employers and their employees. A State that receives a grant under this section shall develop and operate a streamlined and transparent program that— enables all eligible teachers in the State to apply for and access classroom awards under this section, especially eligible teachers in eligible high-need public schools; is minimally burdensome to teachers, principals, other school leaders, superintendents, other staff, eligible public schools, and local educational agencies; enables eligible teachers to exercise their professional judgement to purchase classroom supplies, supplemental high-quality instructional materials, and other resources to improve the educational experience of their students; enables eligible teachers to decide to pool classroom awards to better serve students; and may be implemented— as a stipend or bonus provided to eligible teachers prior to the start of the school year during the award year; or under a reimbursement model where eligible teachers submit applicable forms, receipts, or invoices to principals, other school leaders, or school administrators. In carrying out requirements under this subsection, a State that receives a grant under this section shall, to the greatest extent practicable, engage students, families, teachers, principals, other school leaders, educator labor organizations, and researchers in developing and operating programs supported by this section. Subject to paragraph (4), for each award year for which a State desires a grant under this section, the State shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require, including— the State’s plan to develop and operate a career ladder award program that meets the requirements described in subsection (e)(1), including— a description of each individual level in the State’s career ladder; per level— the amount of the minimum salary increase that eligible teachers who attain each individual level described in clause
(i)will receive during such award year, which may include variations to account for regional variance in the cost of living; the factors the State considered in determining such amount; and an assurance that the State will adjust such amount by inflation; an assurance that in developing each individual level described in clause (i), the State will include a level that describes eligible teachers who serve students in eligible high-need public schools and will provide such teachers with not less than a $10,000 minimum salary increase; a description of the State’s efforts to support local educational agencies in adopting and adapting a career ladder to advance the teaching profession and improve teaching and learning; a description of how the State will distribute career ladder awards to each eligible teacher who attains each individual level, in accordance with the requirements under subsection (e)(1); per level, the estimated number of eligible teachers who have attained each individual level described in clause
(i)during the award year and an assurance that the State will submit actual teacher counts, in accordance with paragraph (2); and an assurance that the State will develop and operate such a career ladder program in a manner that does not alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, or procedures afforded to school or local educational agency employees under Federal, State, or local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements between such employers and their employees, such as contractual requirements for employers to provide basic supplies to teachers; the State’s plan to develop and operate a classroom award program that meets the requirements described in subsection (e)(2), including— a description of how the State will annually identify eligible teachers, eligible public schools, and eligible high-need public schools; the plan to distribute classroom awards to eligible teachers, which may include methods described in subsection (e)(2)(D); the plan to promote teacher autonomy and decision-making in using classroom awards to support their students’ learning; the plan to support school leaders, local educational agencies, and the public in implementing the classroom awards program to reduce burden and minimize waste, fraud, and abuse; the plan to monitor public schools and local educational agencies to prevent schools from supplanting local or State funding, in accordance with section 2255(d); and the plan to examine resource inequities among schools to ensure that schools and local educational agencies have the resources and instructional materials necessary for students to meet challenging State academic standards, in a manner that does not require teachers to pay for such materials out of pocket; the estimated number of eligible teachers serving students in eligible high-need public schools during the award year and an assurance that the State will submit actual teacher counts, in accordance with paragraph (2); and the State’s definition for eligible high-need public school, including— the State-determined threshold for the number or percentage of students from low-income backgrounds; and the number of public schools that meet such threshold. Each State that submits an application described in paragraph
(1)shall submit additional data described in subsection (d)(3) to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall adapt application requirements for a State that submits its first application under subsection
(f)for a grant under subsection
(c)for the first award year of the program under this section. States shall submit an application described in subparagraph
(A)to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall monitor and enforce requirements under this section, including the requirements described in subsection (e)(1)(D)(ii)(IV) and subsection (f)(1)(A)(vii). The Secretary shall develop an appeals process to resolve any potential non-compliance under such provisions. Each State that receives a grant under this section may reserve not more than 5 percent of the grant funds, and the non-Federal share funds required under subsection (c)(2), for activities described in subparagraph (B). A State shall use any funds reserved under subparagraph (A)— to implement data-driven strategies to mitigate inequities in students’ access to experienced and qualified teachers, such as identifying and providing targeted support to public schools, local educational agencies, and regions with high rates of teacher vacancies or of teachers who are not fully licensed certified; to produce actionable insights for students, teacher candidates, and institutions of higher education regarding educator labor market demand, particularly in high-need subject areas, grade levels, and geographic locations; to provide local educational agencies and institutions of higher education with models or predictions of future teacher demand, shortages in specific subject, grades, or credentials, and student enrollment shifts to support planning; to support applied research, development, data analysis, and synthesis of research to improve teaching and learning (such as through research-practice partnership) that— addresses research questions raised by teachers, principals, and other school leaders; is responsive to the urgent challenges facing students, teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, administrators, and other staffs; and promotes evidence use in teaching and learning, including through— coaching, mentoring, and professional development, and technical assistance in identifying, selecting, implementing, and adapting evidence-based practices in heterogeneous local educational contexts; supporting engagement among researchers, practitioners, education system leaders, and policymakers to strengthen public education; and promoting the status and expertise of teachers, principals, and other school leaders in improving practice and policy; and for technical assistance, data collection, and program administration. After making the reservation described in paragraph (1), each State that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds and the non-Federal share funds required under subsection (c)(2), as applicable, to— develop and operate a career ladder award program that meets the requirements described in subsection (e)(1); and develop and operate a classroom award program that meets the requirements described in subsection (e)(2). In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are authorized to be appropriated and there are appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Department of Education, such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026 and each succeeding fiscal year to carry out this section. .