Application; award basis

(a) Application Each eligible partnership desiring a grant under this subtitle shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. Each such application shall contain each of the following: (1) An assessment of— (A) the current (at the time of the application) and future needs of students served by the participating local educational agency; and (B) the current (at the time of the application) and future needs of the educator workforce that supports those students. (2) A description of barriers to recruiting, preparing, retaining, supporting and advancing the educator workforce of that local educational agency. (3) A description of the strategies the eligible partnership will employ to systemically address educator workforce development, including the recruitment, preparation, and support of educators. (4) A description of how the eligible partnership will ensure educators, including prospective educators, develop an understanding of the students and families in the communities the educators serve, prepare prospective educators to serve in those communities, and understand school contexts to address needs in the local educational agency. (5) A description of how the eligible partnership will work with community partners beyond those required by this Act, including States, parent and community-based organizations, labor organizations, State and local workforce boards, and philanthropic organizations, as appropriate, to understand local needs and leverage strengths and resources. (6) A description of how the eligible partnership will prioritize the community-based activities described in subsection (b). (7) A description of how the eligible partnership will support the development of digital literacy skills and integrate technology, consistent with best practices for safeguarding privacy and security and including Artificial Intelligence, into the strategies and initiatives carried out with funds under this subtitle to— (A) empower students to expand their learning beyond the confines of the traditional classroom; (B) support self-directed learning; (C) help educators tailor learning experiences to individual student needs; (D) support English learners and students who are children with disabilities; and (E) improve student outcomes. (8) A description of how the eligible partnership will coordinate strategies and activities assisted under the grant with other educator preparation or professional development programs, such as programs under part A of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6611 et seq.), the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program under subpart 2 of part B of title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1033 et seq.), and part D of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1450 et seq.). (9) A description of how the eligible partnership will— (A) carry out the purposes of this title; (B) carry out the activities described in section 213; (C) evaluate the effectiveness of the activities carried out with grant funds; and (D) disseminate and support scaling of effective initiatives and strategies. (10) A description of how the eligible partnership will ensure that prospective educators— (A) in the case of teachers, gain teaching experience through clinical work before becoming the teacher of record; (B) in the case of school principals, gain experience in school leadership in a school setting; (C) in the case of other educators, gain experience through clinical work in school settings; (D) are compensated for their clinical work in the school setting; (E) receive direct instruction with faculty; and (F) are paired with qualified mentors. (b) Award basis In awarding grants under this subtitle, the Secretary shall give priority to— (1) eligible partnerships that— (A) propose an innovative approach to one or more aspects of educator preparation that— (i) is grounded in research; (ii) aims to meet demonstrated State or local needs within the educator workforce; and (iii) requires a demonstration project to determine whether the innovative approach should be implemented at scale; and (B) provide a financial and logistical analysis describing how the proposed activities to be funded by the grant could be sustained by the partner organizations after the grant concludes, or by similar organizations seeking to implement the proposed activities; and (2) as appropriate, community-based partnerships between institutions of higher education and high-need local educational agencies with the following characteristics, as determined by the Secretary: (A) Joint governance structures linking educator preparation faculty at an institution of higher education with school-based mentors. (B) A local advisory board that may include parents, students, and community organizations. (C) Data systems for tracking educator retention and performance, based on multiple measures, that are shared between the institution of higher education and high-need local educational agency. (D) Continuous professional development frameworks connecting educator preparation to in-service learning. (E) An intentional commitment and plans for educator engagement with families and communities.