It is widely acknowledged that Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is broken. This portion of the act, designed to "ensure that all teachers are qualified and effective," has produced mixed results since 2002, when the program was reauthorized by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). I got to see this inconsistency first-hand during my service at the U.S. Department of Education from 2002-2006. Our team at the Department had great hopes that states and school districts would leverage the wide flexibility of the new Title II program to reform dysfunctional teacher preparation, certification systems and tenure systems; develop bold ways to recruit and retain effective teachers and principals; and implement high-quality professional development that results in improved practice and increased student achievement. Some did. Most did not.?

Earlier this week, the Center for American Progress published an issue brief titled "Ineffective Uses of ESEA Title II Funds." The brief once again makes clear that the original intent of Title II is not producing the intended results. In the brief, authors Robin Chait and Raegan Miller recommend that Title II, Part A funds be repurposed into a new competitive grant program.

NSDC has a simple policy fix to increase return on Title II, Part A investments and other programs that focus on professional development: revise the definition of professional development during reauthorization of the law, and require grantees to tie investments to rigorous evaluation of the impact of professional development on educators and students.

We need you to join with us in advocating for this common-sense proposal to increase teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Visit the NSDC advocacy page to learn how you can get involved.?

Rene Islas is NSDC's Policy Advisor.