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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 129 / Friday, July 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
opportunities for educators is a chief component of the Administrations approach to ensuring that students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students with disabilities, and other historically underserved students have equal access to qualified, experienced, and effective educators.
The concerns outlined by the commenter are precisely the reasons why this priority promotes a holistic approach to supporting teachers and school leaders. The priority not only targets increased numbers of teachers with advanced credentials, which, in addition to a Masters Degree, may include National Board Certification or an additional credential, such as to teach English learners or students with special needs. It also promotes establishment of career ladders, improved pay systems, targeted professional development and a range of other strategies aimed at improving the educator workforce. We think that advanced credential attainment is an important part of this holistic strategy.
Thus, we do not think that it is necessary to revise the proposed priorities to address this specific need.
Changes: None.
Comment: In response to Priority 1
Supporting Educators and Their Professional Growth, one commenter recommended that we focus on raising teacher salaries to be commensurate with that of other professionals whose roles require specialized training.
Discussion: We appreciate the comment regarding economic concerns facing educators and low teacher salaries may pose potential barriers to diverse candidates entering the educator profession. While we agree with the commenters on the need for educators salaries to reflect the significance of their roles, we note that these priorities focus on preparing educators with the knowledge, skills, and supports needed to support the personal and academic growth of all students. We note one of the programs intended for potential use of these priorities, TSL, provides applicants with flexibility to propose innovative interventions aimed at enhancing educators compensation based on their performance. For this reason, we do not think that it is necessary to revise the proposed priorities to address teachers salaries.
Changes: None.
Comment: In response to Priority 2
Increasing Educator Diversity, one commenter cautioned that factors such as the wealth gap and income inequality along racial lines may lead to difficulty hiring diverse educators.
Discussion: We appreciate the comment regarding economic concerns
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facing educators and how they may pose potential barriers to diverse candidates entering the educator profession. We note that this priority has been established, due in part to the barriers to achieving a diverse educator workforce the commenter identified. We also note that this priority seeks to promote a holistic approach to attracting and retaining teachers and school leaders and we encourage districts and localities to leverage the opportunities afforded under this priority to design evidence-based and promising approaches to attracting diverse educator candidates. For this reason, we do not think that it is necessary to revise the proposed priority.
Changes: None.
Comment: Multiple commenters expressed support for both priorities, while suggesting a range of specific revisions. One commenter recommended changes to emphasize the importance of antibias and antiracist education to our existing workforce. On the topic of cultural responsiveness, multiple commenters cited research emphasizing the importance of culturally responsive school leadership and recommended specific revisions to highlight the importance of culturally responsive and culturally sustaining teaching practices. Another commenter recommended changes to both priorities to promote development and diversification of school leaders. With regard to professional development and professional learning of educators, one commenter recommended that the Department focus on learning communities, leadership, resources, data, learning designs, implementation, and outcomes. Another commenter noted the significant role of traditional educator preparation programs in advancing the goals of these priorities, while another commenter, focusing on the SEED program, recommended that we revise the priorities to more clearly highlight the role of high-quality, nontraditional educator preparation programs. A separate commenter recommended that we revise the priorities to emphasize the long-term sustainability of project activities implemented under these priorities.
Additionally, one commenter stressed the importance of prioritizing growyour-own recruitment approaches.
Discussion: We appreciate each commenters suggestions and recognize the significance of the specific areas they recommend be emphasized in the proposed priorities. We note that several of these suggested items, such as grow your own programs, diversification of school leaders, and placing an emphasis on data and outcomes, are directly
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addressed in the priorities. We also acknowledge and appreciate the other suggestions made by commenters that highlight specific strategies or activities that could be specified in the priority.
We note that these priorities are intended for use in discretionary grant programs and are designed to offer districts and localities flexibility to shape their local instructional programming around innovative initiatives that meet their distinct needs.
We think that the priorities, as written, provide an equal measure of specificity and flexibility for prospective applicants to address the goals of supporting educators and their professional growth, as well as increasing educator diversity. Finally, we note that these suggested activities are already allowable under these programs, in addition to other programs funded by the Department, and are reflective of the Departments overall vision for the improvement of the educator workforce.
Upon further review, the Department believes that additional clarity would be helpful for applicants with respect to their plans to implement educator diversity practices. We are revising Priority 2 to combine and clarify the activities in proposed paragraphs a and h.
Changes: In Priority 2, we have removed proposed paragraphs a and h and added a new paragraph g that encompasses activities related to data systems, timelines, and action plans for promoting educator and school leader diversity.
Comment: Multiple commenters expressed support for the proposed priorities but recommended we add language that specifically references sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to add clarity around what is meant by the term diversity.
Discussion: We appreciate the importance of being clear about the meaning of diversity. The Department has chosen to use the term diversity to describe and embrace all students and educators without exception. Thus, we do not think that it is necessary to revise the priorities in response to these specific recommendations.
Changes: None.
Final Priorities:
Priority 1Supporting Educators and Their Professional Growth.
Projects that are designed to increase the number and percentage of wellprepared, experienced, effective, and diverse educatorswhich may include one or more of the following: Teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or other school leaders as defined in section 810144 of the ESEAthrough
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