STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT.

SEC. 115. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT. The Head Start Act is amended by inserting after section 648 (42 U.S.C. 9843) the following new section: “SEC. 648A. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT. “(a) Classroom Teachers.— “(1) Degree requirements.— The Secretary shall ensure that not later than September 30, 1996, each Head Start class-room in a center-based program is assigned one teacher who has— “(A) a child development associate (CDA) credential that is appropriate to the age of the children being served in center-based programs; “(B) a State-awarded certificate for preschool teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements for a child development associate credential; “(C) an associate, a baccalaureate, or an advanced degree in early childhood education; or “(D) a degree in a field related to early childhood education with experience in teaching preschool children and a State-awarded certificate to teach in a preschool program. “(2) Waiver.— On request, the Secretary shall grant a 180-day waiver of the requirements of paragraph (1) with respect to an individual who— “(A) is first employed after September 30, 1996, by a Head Start agency as a teacher for a Head Start class-room; “(B) is enrolled in a program that grants any credential, certificate, or degree specified in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1); and 108 STAT. 644 “(C) will receive such credential under the terms of such program not later than 180 days after beginning employment as a teacher with such agency. “(3) Limitation.— The Secretary may not grant more than one such waiver with respect to such individual. “(b) Mentor Teachers.— “(1) Definition; function— For purposes of this sub-section, the term ‘mentor teacher’ means an individual responsible for observing and assessing the classroom activities of a Head Start program and providing on-the-job guidance and training to the Head Start program staff and volunteers, in order to improve the qualifications and training of classroom staff, to maintain high quality education services, and to pro-mote career development, in Head Start programs. “(2) Requirement.— In order to assist Head Start agencies in establishing positions for mentor teachers, the Secretary shall— “(A) provide technical assistance and training to enable Head Start agencies to establish such positions; “(B) give priority consideration, in providing assistance pursuant to subparagraph (A), to Head Start programs that have substantial numbers of new classroom staff, that are experiencing difficulty in meeting applicable education standards, or that lack staff of a similar cultural back-ground to that of the participating children and their families; “(C) encourage Head Start programs to give priority consideration for such positions to Head Start teachers at the appropriate level of career advancement in such programs; and “(D) promote the development of model curricula, designed to ensure the attainment of appropriate competencies of mentor teachers in Head Start programs. “(c) Family Service Workers.— In order to improve the quality and effectiveness of staff providing in-home and other services (including needs assessment, development of service plans, family advocacy, and coordination of service delivery) to families of children participating in Head Start programs, the Secretary, in coordination with concerned public and private agencies and organizations examining the issues of standards and training for family service workers, shall— “(1) review and, as necessary, revise or develop new qualification standards for Head Start staff providing such services; “(2) promote the development of model curricula (on subjects including parenting training and family literacy) designed to ensure the attainment of appropriate competencies by individuals working or planning to work in the field of early childhood and family services; and “(3) promote the establishment of a credential that indicates attainment of the competencies and that is accepted nationwide. “(d) Head Start Fellowships.— “(1) Authority.— The Secretary may establish a program of fellowships, to be known as Head Start Fellowships’, in accordance with this subsection. The Secretary may award the fellowships to individuals, to be known as ‘Head Start Fellows’, who are staff in local Head Start programs or other 108 STAT. 645individuals working in the field of child development and family services. “(2) Purpose.— The fellowship program established under this subsection shall be designed to enhance the ability of Head Start Fellows to make significant contributions to pro-grams authorized under this subchapter, by providing opportunities to expand their knowledge and experience through exposure to activities, issues, resources, and new approaches, in the field of child development and family services. “(3) Assignments of fellows.— “(A) Placement sites.— Fellowship positions under the fellowship program may be located (subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C)— “(i) in agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services administering programs authorized under this subchapter (in national or regional offices of such agencies); “(ii) in local Head Start agencies and programs; “(iii) in institutions of higher education; “(iv) in public or private entities and organizations concerned with services to children and families; and “(v) in other appropriate settings. “(B) Limitation for fellows other than head start employees.— A Head Start Fellow who is not an employee of a local Head Start agency or program may be placed only in a fellowship position located in an agency or pro-gram specified in clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (A). “(C) No placement in lobbying organizations.—Head Start Fellowship positions may not be located in any agency whose primary purpose, or one of whose major purposes, is to influence Federal, State, or local legislation. “(4) Selection of fellows.— Head Start Fellowships shall be awarded on a competitive basis to individuals (other than Federal employees) selected from among applicants who are working, on the date of application, in local Head Start pro-grams or otherwise working in the field of child development and children and family services. “(5) Duration.— Head Start Fellowships shall be for terms of 1 year, and may be renewed for a term of 1 additional year. “(6) Authorized expenditures.— From amounts appropriated under this subchapter and allotted under section 640(a)|(2)(D), the Secretary is authorized to make expenditures of not to exceed $1,000,000 for any fiscal year, for stipends and other reasonable expenses of the fellowship program. “(7) Status of fellows.— Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, Head Start Fellows shall not be considered to be employees or otherwise in the service or employment of the Federal Government. Head Start Fellows shall be considered to be employees for purposes of compensation for injuries under chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code. Head Start Fellows assigned to positions located in agencies specified in paragraph (3)(A)(i) shall be considered employees in the executive branch of the Federal Government for the purposes of chapter 11 of title 18, United States Code, and for purposes 108 STAT. 646of any administrative standards of conduct applicable to the employees of the agency to which they are assigned. “(8) Regulations.— The Secretary shall promulgate regulations to carry out this subsection. “(e) Model Staffing Plans.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary, in consultation with appropriate public agencies, private agencies, and organizations and with individuals with expertise in the field of children and family services, shall develop model staffing plans to provide guidance to local Head Start agencies and programs on the numbers, types, responsibilities, and qualifications of staff required to operate a Head Start program.”.