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

Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants
(Higher Education Act Title II)

The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 respond to the nation's critical need for high-quality teachers by enacting much of the Clinton administration's proposal to improve teacher recruitment and preparation. Our nation's schools will need to hire 2.2 million teachers over the next decade, more than half of whom will be first-time teachers. These teachers need to be well-prepared to teach all students to the highest standards. Title II of the HEA provides new opportunities to invest in the recruitment, preparation, licensing, and support of teachers.

The Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant programs are designed to increase student achievement through comprehensive approaches to improving teacher quality.

Funding levels

• Funding level for FY1999: $75 million
• Funding level for FY2000: $98 million (a $23 million increase)

Overview of current grantees

Three types of competitive grants were awarded for a total of 77 grantees in 1999:

• 24 State Grants to support comprehensive statewide reforms to improve teacher quality;
• 25 Partnership Grants to bring about fundamental change and improvement in traditional teacher education programs; and
• 28 Teacher Recruitment Grants to reduce shortages of qualified teachers in high-need school districts.

Number and types of partners involved in the 1999 grant cycle:

• 145 four-year institutions of higher education
• 37 two-year colleges
• 309 high-need school districts
• 55 businesses
• 90 state agencies
• 29 professional associations
• 34 partners of other types

Impact of the 1999 grants over the grant period (3-5 years):

• Partnerships Grants will improve the preparation of over 17,000 new teachers.
• Recruitment Grants will recruit and prepare about 3,000 new teachers.
• State Grants will have an impact on virtually all new teachers in these states.

Contact Information:
Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/heatqp/
Program director: Ed Crowe, Phone number: (202) 502-7762
Key staff person: Lou Venuto, Phone number: (202) 502-7763
Fax number: (202) 502-7699

Examples

The Teacher Recruitment for Urban Schools of Tomorrow (TRUST)
Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey

Project Abstract:
The Montclair University Teacher Recruitment for Urban Schools of Tomorrow (TRUST) project is a postsecondary and professional development program. It consists of the following partners: Montclair State University; School of Arts and Sciences; Newark Public Schools; and Paterson Public Schools. Montclair University, in collaboration with its partners, is engaging in the following activities: recruiting, preparing and providing induction support for 25 new math and science teachers at the secondary level, and providing 15 high school math and science in-service teachers from partner school districts with a quality leadership program to improve their capacity to teach these subject areas and to mentor program participants. Additionally, TRUST includes an innovative post-bachelor's degree teacher prep program and a quality teacher leadership program that focuses on teaching for critical thinking.

Specific program goals include: increasing the number of teacher education candidates in math and science who elect to work in high-need schools; improving delivery of high school science and math through culturally responsive teaching strategies; improving induction, support and retention of new teachers; and improving student achievement as measured by standardized test scores.

Teacher Recruitment Initiative
Bank Street College of Education, New York, New York

Project Abstract:
The Bank Street College of Education, in partnership with the Stevens Institute of Technology and two of New York City's high-need local educational agencies, Community Districts 5 and 3, has created the Teacher Recruitment Initiative (TRI). The TRI recruits, trains and places 75 new teachers. These teachers are recruited from Teach for America, uncertified teachers and career changers. TRI gives these 75 teachers full scholarships, and academic support services to earn master's degrees with Bank Street.

TRI participants are trained to use technology and internet-based applications to enhance instruction in math, reading and science. The project also is restructuring Bank Street math, reading and science preparatory courses to infuse them with technology and align them with district pedagogical curriculum goals. Additionally, TRI is supporting new teachers with a web-based mentoring program that will contain advice from veteran teachers and Bank Street faculty.

Saginaw Valley State University's Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality
Saginaw Valley State University, Saginaw, Michigan

Partners:
Saginaw Valley State University Board of Fellows (50 regional businesses), the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce, the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance for Bay County Schools Corporation, and the Business Education Coordinating Council

Project Abstract:
Saginaw Valley State University, in partnership with the University Colleges of Education, Arts and Behavioral Sciences, as well as Science, Engineering and Technology, along with 15 regional independent school districts and 12 chartered schools, is working to revamp teacher preparation and meet the vital needs of the region. Through the use of Title II funds, the partnership is developing five major innovations in addressing these needs. These innovations include: 1) 50 new university course models and 200 K-12 subject area unit models with application materials and resources in core content areas and areas of education for use within the teacher preparation program and K-12 classrooms; 2) 25 new in-service models with application materials and resources in core subject areas for K-12 schools, especially in the areas of reading/writing, mathematics and sciences; 3) 100 workshop models per year, sustained mentoring, and support resources for new teacher development ; 4) 25 action-oriented leadership institute models for K-12 teacher-leaders and administrators; and 5) an alternative university process for certification. As a result of Title II-funded efforts, K-16 students and pre-service teachers demonstrate higher achievement on all national and state-mandated exams. Furthermore, over the five years of Title II funding, the partnership will directly affect 1,200 university pre-service teachers, 47,000 current teachers and 366,000 students in partner high-need schools in 147 school districts.

Publications

For more information on Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants, please visit: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/heatqp/index.html

• Promising Practices: New Ways to Improve Teacher Quality. U.S. Department of Education: September 1998.

• Quality Counts 2000: Who Should Teach? January 2000. Education Week in collaboration with the Pew Charitable Trusts.

• To Touch the Future--Transforming the Way Teachers Are Taught: An Action Agenda for College and University Presidents. September 1999. American Council on Education/Center for Policy Analysis.

• Designing Effective Professional Development: Lessons from the Eisenhower Professional Development Program
  Describes portfolios of Eisenhower activities and program operations, as well as the quality and self-reported effects of teachers' experiences in Eisenhower activities. This is the second publication from the congressionally mandated National Evaluation of the Eisenhower Professional Program that is being conducted under contract by the American Institutes for Research (AIR).

• Information Kit on the Importance of Investing in Teaching
  An information kit designed for educators and policymakers who want to speak out publicly about the importance of investing in teaching in America. It provides information—including charts and graphs—about the state of the nation's teaching force, coming challenges, national efforts to improve teacher quality, next steps for communities, and contact information.

• Teacher Quality Report
  National Center for Education Statistics survey of 4,094 full-time public school teachers on several indicators of teacher quality such as preservice learning and teaching assignment, professional development opportunities, work environment, and teachers' feelings of preparedness.

• Assessment and Teacher Quality
  A National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study that examines existing assessments used for teacher licensure and recommends better ways of assessing teacher quality. The committee's work proceeds in two stages: in the first stage, the committee critically analyzes tests currently in use to license new teachers; in the second, the committee explores possible alternative methods of measuring the quality of new teachers.

[College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and High School Equivalency Program (HEP)]

[ Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology Program (PT3) ]