The House Rules Committee has published the draft of a bill encompassing President Biden’s Build Back Better framework. In addition to the high-profile universal pre-K program, the draft bill includes several education-related provisions that address teacher and school leader quality, personnel development for special educators and Native American language educators, and career and technical education.
Following are key education-related provisions of the Build Back Better draft.
1. Grow Your Own programs (Section 20001): The draft proposes nearly $113 million available through FY 2025 to support Grow Your Own programs authorized by Section 202(g) of the Higher Education Act to address teacher or school leader shortages in high-need areas and also encourage increased diversity in the education workforce.
2. Teacher residencies (Section 20002): The draft proposes $112 million for grants available through FY 2025 to develop and support high-quality teacher residency programs that pair new teaching candidates with experienced classroom educators who serve as mentors.
3. Support school principals (Section 20003): The draft proposes $112 million for grants available through FY 2025 to develop and support school leadership programs authorized under ESEA Section 2243.
4. IDEA, Part D personnel development (Section 20005): The draft proposes nearly $161 million for grants available through FY 2025 for the personnel development program authorized under IDEA Section 662.
5. Grants for Native American language teachers and educators (Section 20006): The draft proposes $200 million for grants available through FY 2031 to prepare, train, and provide professional development to Native American language teachers and early childhood educators to preserve Native American languages.
6. Career and technical education (Section 22102): The draft proposes $600 million for grants available through FY 2027 for CTE programs authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as well as $100 million over the same time period to carry out an innovation and modernization program authorized by Perkins.
7. Universal preschool (Section 23002): The draft proposes $4 billion in FY 2022, $6 billion in FY 2023, and $8 billion in FY 2024 to the Department of Health and Human Services to provide to states for universal preschool services for 3- and 4-year-old children. States must submit a state plan to be eligible to receive funding. It would provide a total of $10 billion from FY 2023 through FY 2027 for preschool grants to localities, a total of $10 billion from FY 2023 through FY 2027 for expansion of Head Start programs in nonparticipating states, and a total of $15 billion through FY 2027 to improve compensation for Head Start staff.
8. Expanding community eligibility (Section 24001): The draft proposes an increase to 2.5 for the USDA multiplier for SY 2022-23 through SY 2025-26 for community eligibility reimbursement for school meals. The multiplier is used to determine the reimbursement rate for students not directly certified to receive school meals, but who would be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
It is currently set at 1.6 percent and would revert to that rate after June 30, 2026. The draft would also establish a statewide community eligibility option for SEAs that use non-federal funds to ensure LEAs in the state provide free meals to 100 percent of enrolled students.
Charles Hendrix covers education funding and other Title I issues for LRP Publications.
