Education Secretary Duncan Announces $43 Million in Grants to Improve Teaching in High-Need Schools
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FOR RELEASE:
September 30, 2009
Contact: Stephanie Babyak or Jane Glickman
(202) 401-1576 or press@ed.gov

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of $43 million for 28 new five-year Teacher Quality Partnership grants to improve instruction in struggling schools. These grants will be used to reform traditional university teacher preparation and teacher residency programs.

"The Obama Administration is committed to giving teachers the support they need to succeed in the classroom," Secretary Duncan said. "The Teacher Quality Partnership grants will improve student academic achievement by strengthening teacher preparation, training and effectiveness and help school districts attract potential educators from a wide-range of professional backgrounds into the teaching profession."

The partnerships include high-need school districts, their high-need schools, institutions of higher education and their colleges or departments of education, arts and sciences. It is a unique collaboration of the key stakeholders to improve the quality of teaching in public elementary and secondary schools where children are in greatest need of support to accelerate their learning.

Research shows that teacher quality is the most important factor in improving student achievement. As part of the Administration's efforts to engage, support, and grow the pool of talented teachers, Secretary Duncan will participate in three teacher education events planned for the month of October:

Through an additional $100 million provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a second slate of Teacher Quality Partnership grants will be announced early in 2010.

Of the grants announced today, nine will focus on reforming traditional university teacher preparation programs, 12 will focus on creating teaching residency programs, and seven will focus on both. The teaching residency programs follow a medical model in which residents are placed in schools with extensive induction and support. All programs include rigorous candidate selection criteria, a commitment to recruiting candidates from diverse populations, and extensive and ongoing support for teacher candidates. Teaching residents are paid a living wage and expected to teach for three years in the partnering high-need schools.

The Improving Teacher Quality State Grants under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act offer some $2.9 billion in formula grants to states as a major source of flexible funds to help states and school districts strengthen the skills of the teaching force, meet the highly qualified teacher requirements, and ensure qualified teachers are placed in high-need, underserved classrooms.

"Highly effective teaching is crucial to student success," Secretary Duncan said. "These grants offer an opportunity to develop new models for how teachers are prepared and supported. They will create and implement a variety of pathways, including the teaching residency model, to bring talented individuals in to the classroom. This investment will reap long-term benefits for schools and children."

A list of grantees follows, alphabetical by state, and includes program name, director, and first-year funding amount.

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Last Modified: 11/06/2009