Planning grants

(a) Reservation From amounts made available under section 221(a), the Secretary shall— (1) reserve 0.7 percent of such amounts for the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the purposes of this section for schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education; and (2) from the amounts remaining after the reservation under paragraph (1), allot funds to each State having an approved application under this section to carry out activities under this section in proportion to each such State’s share of funding under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, except that no State shall receive less than 0.5 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this section. (b) Applications A State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. At a minimum, the application shall describe— (1) the State agency that will lead in carrying out the grant program under this subtitle, and the identification and roles of other State and local partners; (2) the process and timeline for conducting a statewide educator workforce needs assessment as described in subsection (c)(1); (3) the process and timeline for the State to develop a strategic plan as described in subsection (c)(2); and (4) a description of how the State will conduct stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment with community needs, which may include outreach to administrators of institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, elementary school and secondary school (including middle grades) principals, educator preparation programs, teachers, labor organizations, specialized instructional support personnel, parents, students, civil rights organizations, community-based organizations, and workforce development programs. (c) Activities The State shall use planning grant funds to support the following activities: (1) Development of a needs assessment to identify gaps in skills, personnel, and resource allocation in the educator workforce in the State, which shall include an assessment of— (A) teacher turnover rates by certification or licensure status, subjects taught, grade levels, school composition, and race, gender, and ethnicity; (B) vacancies, out-of-field assignments, and teachers lacking full certification or licensure by subject area, and grade; (C) workforce needs of school leaders and principals, for early childhood education and elementary schools and secondary schools (including middle grades) in the State; (D) the number and percentage of teachers of record in the State who do not have full certification or licensure; (E) the demographics of the student population, the demographics of the educator workforce, and the extent to which the educator workforce reflects the demographics of the student population; (F) high-need fields, high-need schools, and high-need local educational agencies; (G) the State's educator equity plan described in section 1111(g)(1)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(g)(1)(B)); (H) the extent to which authorized teacher preparation programs in the State, as of the time of the assessment, are producing graduates who have full certification or licensure; and (I) the capacity of programs that are authorized in the State, as of the time of the assessment to meet the State’s educator workforce needs, including the capacity of— (i) pipeline programs, such as associate degree to baccalaureate transfer pathway programs with community colleges; (ii) Grow Your Own programs; (iii) career awareness programs, including career and technical education and other pathways, in public schools; and (iv) programs to support the career progression of educators, including retention, leadership opportunities, and professional development. (2) Based on the information from the needs assessment, development of a strategic plan that ensures States play a leading role in educator workforce design by setting workforce and economic development strategies and aligning education, training, and resources with current industry demands. The strategic plan shall include a plan for each of the following: (A) Leveraging other Federal and State funds to promote new career redesign initiatives, such as strategic staffing, which may include— (i) flexible schedules that create more time for planning, collaboration, and professional development; (ii) leadership opportunities, with aligned compensation, for experienced educators who supervise teams or mentor teacher candidates and novice teachers; (iii) intensive support and mentoring for teacher candidates and early-career teachers; (iv) enhanced opportunities for teacher specialization; (v) targeted intervention by specialists such as librarians, instructional technologists, reading specialists, English language teachers, and special educators; (vi) intentional family and community engagement to augment teacher expertise and deepen ties between schools and the families and communities they serve; (vii) more small-group and one-on-one interaction between students and adults that address the unique learning and personal needs of students; (viii) clear pathways into teaching for tutors or paraprofessionals; or (ix) professional development for school and local educational agency leaders to implement the activities described in this subparagraph. (B) Ensuring that educator salaries and total compensation are competitive with other professions requiring similar levels of education, including a description of the policies the State will implement to provide compensation increases for teachers in high-need fields and locations, as well as for educator expertise and leadership. (C) Ensuring high-quality induction programs provide new teachers with comprehensive supports that help them transition into the classroom and become effective teachers, accelerate professional growth and teacher effectiveness, reduce teacher turnover, and improve student learning. (D) Ensuring school leaders are well prepared to support teachers and have access to high-quality professional learning, including a description of the policies the State will implement to support access to principal preparation programs that develop strong instructional leadership skills, leverage certification and licensure requirements and program approval standards, and support opportunities for teachers to collaborate. (E) Improving working conditions for educators, including the policies the State will implement to provide educators with the time to collaborate and plan with peers, support shared decision making, ensure school buildings are safe and well-equipped, and to provide mental health services for their students from other professionals such as counselors and school nurses. (F) Providing career advancement and growth opportunities within the school building. (G) Providing ongoing training on Artificial Intelligence tools or products.