Current policy continues this approach through provisions in Title II, Part A of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA, P.L. 89-329, as amended). Title II-A consists of two major components: (1) a competitive grant program that supports certain reforms in a small number of programs that prepare prospective teachers, and (2) reporting and accountability provisions that require states to track and report on the quality of all teacher preparation programs within their jurisdiction. The authorization of appropriations for Title II-A expired at the end of FY2011 and were extended for an additional fiscal year under the General Education Provisions Act. Along with many HEA programs whose authorizations have lapsed, Title II-A authorities have continued to be funded under a variety of appropriations legislation and continuing resolutions; most recently under P.L. 115-245 , which provides full-year FY2019 appropriations for the Department of Education (ED), among other agencies. Context

Historically, pre-service teacher preparation in the United States has mainly occurred at institutions of higher education (IHEs). HEA Title II, Part A

Title II-A of the HEA has two components: (1) a competitive grant program that provides funds to support the types of programs that Congress has identified as models to be replicated, and (2) reporting and accountability provisions that require the reporting of data on program characteristics, state standards for teacher licensing and certification, and information on the quality of teacher preparation. Teacher Quality Partnerships

Title II-A of the HEA authorizes the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program, which funds competitive grants to eligible partnerships involved in teacher preparation. The TQP program has received annual appropriations in recent years of about $42 million, which supports grants to about two dozen partnerships. Under these provisions, states and IHEs that operate teacher preparation programs are required to report information on the performance of their programs. States must do so as a condition for receiving HEA funds. Section 207 of the HEA further requires states to establish criteria to evaluate teacher preparation programs, report the results of these evaluations for traditional and alternative route programs, and identify programs determined to be low-performing or at risk of being classified as low-performing. Some of the issues that may receive consideration during this process include the following: 
the appropriate role for the federal government to play in supporting innovations and reforms for teacher preparation programs; the optimal mix of TQP authorized activities such as support for clinical practice, induction, mentoring, and pre-service assessment; and the extent to which current reporting and accountability provisions encourage program quality.
Approximately 26,000 state-approved teacher preparation programs are in operation across the United States. Among these, about 70% are traditional teacher preparation programs—that is, they are contained within schools of education at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Of the remaining, alternative routes to teacher preparation, about two-thirds are based at an IHE and about one-third are operated independent of an IHE.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA, P.L. 89-329, as amended), includes financial support and accountability provisions intended to improve the quality of teacher preparation programs. Specifically, Title II, Part A of the HEA consists of two major components: (1) a competitive grant program intended to support a select group of programs that prepare teachers, and (2) reporting and accountability provisions intended to track and improve the quality of all teacher preparation programs.
Title II-A authorizes the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program, which provides grants to about two dozen partnerships of teacher preparation programs and local educational agencies. The TQP receives annual appropriations of about $42 million. Title II-A also requires states (as a condition for receiving HEA funds) to report information on the performance of their teacher preparation programs and identify programs determined to be low-performing or at risk of low performance. This information is compiled by the Department of Education (ED), which annually issues a report on the quality of teacher preparation in the United States.
The authorization of appropriations for Title II-A expired at the end of FY2011 and was extended for an additional fiscal year under the General Education Provisions Act. Along with many HEA programs whose authorizations have lapsed, Title II-A authorities were provided additional appropriations under a variety of appropriations legislation and continuing resolutions; most recently under P.L. 115-245, which provides full-year FY2019 appropriations for ED, among other agencies.
The 115th Congress has considered legislation to reauthorize the HEA, including provisions in Title II, but has yet to do so. These efforts may resume in the 116th Congress. Some of the issues that may arise during this process that relate to Title II include consideration of the following:
the appropriate role for the federal government to play in supporting innovations and reforms for teacher preparation programs; the optimal mix of TQP-authorized activities such as support for clinical practice, induction, mentoring, and pre-service assessment; and the extent to which current reporting and accountability provisions encourage program quality.