A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Contact:
Stephanie Babyak (202) 401-2311
Jane Glickman (202) 401-1307

ED FUNDS 52 NEW GRANTS TO IMPROVE TEACHER QUALITY,
RECRUITMENT AND PREPARATION

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley today announced the award of $43 million for 52 new grants to improve the quality of the nation's teaching force and reduce teacher shortages in high-need areas.

"Research shows a direct link between effective teaching and student achievement," Riley said. "At the same time, many of our schools - especially those serving disadvantaged students and diverse populations - face critical teacher shortages and are plagued with high teacher turnover. If we expect to attract and retain high quality individuals to the field of teaching, we must reinvigorate the profession and give teachers the support they need to keep learning new and better ways to prepare today's students for the challenges of tomorrow's workforce. The grants we are announcing today are the critical first steps needed to improve teacher quality and help our states and communities put effective teachers in every classroom."

Two types of teacher quality enhancement grants are being awarded: $33.4 million for 24 state grants and $9.6 million for 28 teacher recruitment grants. The state grants will support comprehensive statewide reforms that tackle critical system changes. These initiatives include:

• strengthening teacher certification and licensing standards to ensure that new teachers have a higher degree of both academic content knowledge and teaching skills;
• implementing reforms that hold entire institutions of higher education - not just schools of education - accountable for preparing high-quality teachers with both content knowledge and teaching skills; and,
• establishing and strengthening alternative pathways into teaching for highly qualified individuals, including mid-career professionals and former military personnel.

The governor or the designated state agency responsible for teacher certification must submit the state grant application. States must match 50 percent of the Title II award with cash or in-kind support and are eligible for three years of funding.

For example:

California will reform state licensure and certification policies, developing new performance assessments for all teacher licensure candidates. The state will use Title II funds to take steps to reduce the number of teachers now working under emergency permits and to reduce teacher shortages in mathematics in high-need school districts.

North Carolina will implement its new performance-based licensure system. Funds will be used to train assessors who will fan out across the state to evaluate the classroom teaching performance of new teachers. University-based teacher preparation programs will be redesigned, and a new statewide Alternative Licensure Network will be created to provide quality training for those in non-teaching careers to become teachers.

The teacher recruitment grants will support partnerships between universities and school districts that aim to attract new students to the teaching profession and reduce shortages and teacher turnover in high-need areas. Grants are awarded to states or teacher recruitment partnerships that must include, at a minimum, a college or university with a teacher training program, a school or college of arts and sciences, and a high-need school district as defined by statute. States must match 50 percent of the award with cash or in-kind support. The recruitment partnerships, which may receive up to three years of funding, must also match with either cash or in-kind support at 25 percent for the first year, 35 percent for the second, and 50 percent for the third.

Teachers who leave the profession in their first few years of teaching often cite a lack of support in helping them become successful teachers. These grants attempt to address that issue by providing a variety of support services to students who agree to teach in high-need schools, including scholarships, needed academic support during their preparation, and critical school-based support once they are in the classroom.

For example:

• The Bank Street College of Education, New York City, in partnership with the Stevens Institute of Technology and two school districts in the city -- Community Districts 3 and 5 -- will use its teacher recruitment grant to recruit, train, and place 75 new teachers who are currently uncertified, are changing careers, or who are from the Teach for America project. They will receive full scholarships to earn Master's degrees and extra training in the use of technology to enhance instruction in math, reading and science. The new teachers will have the extra support of a web-based mentoring program that connects them with veteran teachers and faculty from Bank Street.
• The Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Va., in partnership with Norfolk and Portsmouth public schools, will use the grant to recruit and train 100 teacher aides, substitute teachers, military personnel and other mid-career professionals interested in teaching as a second career. The emphasis will be on recruiting qualified minorities committed to the urban classroom. The grant will provide an array of support services for the prospective teachers, both during teacher preparation and their first three years of employment. These support services include tutoring, book stipends, evening childcare facilities, mentoring and computer laboratories.

The Teacher Quality Enhancement Program was created under Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1998.

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Note to Editors: Following are two lists of grantees, one for each program.

State Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants

TEACHER RECRUITMENT PARTNERSHIP GRANTS

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