Title II Part A of NCLB IMPROVING TEACHER

Title II Part A of NCLB IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY GRANT PROGRAM

WHAT IS ITQ? ? n n n Federally funded initiative Provide grants to public and private higher education institutions Train and retrain elementary and secondary teachers and principals. The largest federal initiative of professional development as a way to improve teaching Reauthorized as Title II, Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

According to the NCLB Act… Projects funded under the Title II, Part A program should: n Be aligned with challenging state academic content standards as well as student performance standards; n Reflect recent research on teaching and learning; n Include strong academic content and pedagogical components;

According to the NCLB Act…(con’t) Projects funded under the Title II, Part A program should: n n n Incorporate effective strategies, techniques, methods and practices for meeting the educational needs of diverse student populations; Be of sufficient intensity and duration to have positive and lasting impact on the teachers’ performance in the classroom and the principals’ instructional leadership skills; and Create an orientation toward continuous improvement throughout the school

Content Focus: n This year, projects should focus on providing teachers with an opportunity to understand strengthen their content knowledge regarding STEM subjects for grades 9 -12. Pedagogical Focus: n Successful proposals will provide specific instruction in the practices embedded within the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM). More information about the TEAM model can be found at: http: //team-tn. org/

Basic Program Requirements n n Minimum of 30 contact hours Minimum of 15 teachers May not exceed $75, 000. 00 The term of the project is from January 2016 to December 2016

Eligible Partnerships n n n The division of the institution of higher education that prepares teachers and principals; A college/school of arts and sciences; or, for this competition, engineering (since the focus is STEM)* A high-need local educational agency; * Will re-verify during technical assistance call

What is a “High Need LEA? ” A “high-need LEA” is defined as an LEA: (A) (i) that serves not fewer than 10, 000 children from families with incomes below the poverty line; or (ii) for which not less than 20 percent of the children served by the agency are from families with incomes below the poverty line; and (B) (i) for which there is a high percentage of teachers not teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that the teachers were trained to teach; or (ii) for which there is a high percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or licensing ***Per the guidelines, the teacher qualification requirement applies to LEA’s in which less than 100% of teachers meet the NCLB definition of “highlyqualified”

Evaluation Criteria n n n Goals & Objectives – content and pedagogical focus* Quality of Partnership Program Plan – recruitment and instructional plan Evaluation – quantitative and qualitative Budget/Budget Narrative *Proposals are expected to provide specific instruction in the practices embedded within the TN Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM). http: //team-tn. org/

How can I improve my funding chances? n n n Follow all of the guidelines set forth by THEC Align project with TEAM model / learning expectations Strong institutional or department buy in The most participation for the money Letter of commitment for participation from high need LEA is MANDATORY.

THEC Budget Development n n n Salaries may not exceed 20% of the total grant amount, including fringes. Participant Stipends: $100/full day and $50/half day. Do not exceed state rates: Mileage -. 46/mile Hotel - $77/night* Meals & Incidentals - $46/day *For more info, go to: http: //www. tn. gov/assets/entities/finance/attachments/policy 8. pdf

THEC Budget Development, cont. n n n Grant funds cannot pay for tuition and fees. If you plan to offer course credit, please notify ORSP so that we can get a signed letter to include in your application. Indirect costs – we have permission to use an 8% rate. 50% rule – no single partner may “use” more than 50% of total grant dollars. See guidelines for additional clarification.

2015 GRANT TIMELINE n Secure partnerships with high-need LEAs – ASAP!! n August 20 – Notify ORSP if you plan to submit. n August 24 – Notice of Intent to Submit due to THEC by email before 5: 30 pm EST. (See RFP for details. ) n August 24 – Send ORSP materials needed for HCDE School Board approval n September 2 – Notify ORSP if you will need a tuition waiver OR if you plan to offer continuing education credit. n September 7 – provide ORSP with a draft of the budget and narrative for review and to secure Chancellor’s signature n September 8 – Start TERA-PAMS entry for UTC internal approvals

2015 GRANT TIMELINE, cont. n n By September 16 – Provide OPSP with a final copy of all proposal materials and stop by OPSP offices to sign the final copy September 21 (Monday) – 4: 30 pm (CST) deadline for receipt of all proposals at THEC October 16 – Grantees are notified of their selection, other applicants notified of denial. November 17 (10: 00 am – 1: 00 pm, CST) Mandatory Project Director’s workshop

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