A local educational agency that receives a subgrant under section 6621 of this title shall use the funds made available through the subgrant to carry out one or more of the following activities, including carrying out the activities through a grant or contract with a for-profit or nonprofit entity:
(1) Developing and implementing mechanisms to assist schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, including specialists in core academic subjects, principals, and pupil services personnel, except that funds made available under this paragraph may be used for pupil services personnel only—
(A) if the local educational agency is making progress toward meeting the annual measurable objectives described in section 6319(a)(2) of this title; and
(B) in a manner consistent with mechanisms to assist schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and principals.
(2) Developing and implementing initiatives to assist in recruiting highly qualified teachers (particularly initiatives that have proven effective in retaining highly qualified teachers), and hiring highly qualified teachers, who will be assigned teaching positions within their fields, including—
(A) providing scholarships, signing bonuses, or other financial incentives, such as differential pay, for teachers to teach—
(i) in academic subjects in which there exists a shortage of highly qualified teachers within a school or within the local educational agency; and
(ii) in schools in which there exists a shortage of highly qualified teachers;
(B) recruiting and hiring highly qualified teachers to reduce class size, particularly in the early grades; and
(C) establishing programs that—
(i) train and hire regular and special education teachers (which may include hiring special education teachers to team-teach in classrooms that contain both children with disabilities and nondisabled children);
(ii) train and hire highly qualified teachers of special needs children, as well as teaching specialists in core academic subjects who will provide increased individualized instruction to students;
(iii) recruit qualified professionals from other fields, including highly qualified paraprofessionals, and provide such professionals with alternative routes to teacher certification, including developing and implementing hiring policies that ensure comprehensive recruitment efforts as a way to expand the applicant pool, such as through identifying teachers certified through alternative routes, and using a system of intensive screening designed to hire the most qualified applicants; and
(iv) provide increased opportunities for minorities, individuals with disabilities, and other individuals underrepresented in the teaching profession.
(3) Providing professional development activities—
(A) that improve the knowledge of teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases, paraprofessionals, concerning—
(i) one or more of the core academic subjects that the teachers teach; and
(ii) effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills, and use of challenging State academic content standards and student academic achievement standards, and State assessments, to improve teaching practices and student academic achievement; and
(B) that improve the knowledge of teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases, paraprofessionals, concerning effective instructional practices and that—
(i) involve collaborative groups of teachers and administrators;
(ii) provide training in how to teach and address the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly students with disabilities, students with special learning needs (including students who are gifted and talented), and students with limited English proficiency;
(iii) provide training in methods of—
(I) improving student behavior in the classroom; and
(II) identifying early and appropriate interventions to help students described in clause (ii) learn;
(iv) provide training to enable teachers and principals to involve parents in their child's education, especially parents of limited English proficient and immigrant children; and
(v) provide training on how to understand and use data and assessments to improve classroom practice and student learning.
(4) Developing and implementing initiatives to promote retention of highly qualified teachers and principals, particularly within elementary schools and secondary schools with a high percentage of low-achieving students, including programs that provide—
(A) teacher mentoring from exemplary teachers, principals, or superintendents;
(B) induction and support for teachers and principals during their first 3 years of employment as teachers or principals, respectively;
(C) incentives, including financial incentives, to retain teachers who have a record of success in helping low-achieving students improve their academic achievement; or
(D) incentives, including financial incentives, to principals who have a record of improving the academic achievement of all students, but particularly students from economically disadvantaged families, students from racial and ethnic minority groups, and students with disabilities.
(5) Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to improve the quality of the teacher force, such as—
(A) innovative professional development programs (which may be provided through partnerships including institutions of higher education), including programs that train teachers and principals to integrate technology into curricula and instruction to improve teaching, learning, and technology literacy, are consistent with the requirements of section 7801 of this title, and are coordinated with activities carried out under part D of this subchapter;
(B) development and use of proven, cost-effective strategies for the implementation of professional development activities, such as through the use of technology and distance learning;
(C) tenure reform;
(D) merit pay programs; and
(E) testing of elementary school and secondary school teachers in the academic subjects that the teachers teach.
(6) Carrying out professional development activities designed to improve the quality of principals and superintendents, including the development and support of academies to help talented aspiring or current principals and superintendents become outstanding managers and educational leaders.
(7) Hiring highly qualified teachers, including teachers who become highly qualified through State and local alternative routes to certification, and special education teachers, in order to reduce class size, particularly in the early grades.
(8) Carrying out teacher advancement initiatives that promote professional growth and emphasize multiple career paths (such as paths to becoming a career teacher, mentor teacher, or exemplary teacher) and pay differentiation.
(10) 1 Carrying out programs and activities related to exemplary teachers.
Funds received under this subpart shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized under this subpart.
(Pub. L. 89–10, title II, §2123, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title II, §201, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1630.)
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Last modified: October 26, 2015