AUTHORIZATION:

Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Title II, Part A.

OBJECTIVES:

To improve student achievement; improve the quality of new and prospective teachers by improving the preparation of prospective teachers and enhancing professional development activities for new teachers; hold teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs) accountable for preparing highly qualified teachers; and recruit highly qualified individuals, including minorities and individuals from other occupations, into the teaching force.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Awards may be used to reform teacher preparation programs through either the Pre-Baccalaureate Program and/or the Teaching Residency Program. Additionally, funded programs have the option of implementing a School Leadership Program as well as establishing a Partnership with a Digital Education Content Developer.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   States and partnerships that consist of at least one institution of higher education with a teacher preparation program, one school of arts and sciences, and one high-need local educational agency. A high-need local educational agency; is an agency that serves an elementary school or secondary school located in an area containing:

(1) A high percentage of individuals or families with incomes below the poverty line,

(2) a high percentage of secondary teachers not teaching in the content area that they were trained to teach, or

(3) a high teacher turnover rate. An accredited institution of higher education, with a teacher training program must demonstrate the following:

(A) A graduate from the teacher training program exhibits strong performance on State-determined qualifying assessments for new teachers through demonstrating that 80 percent or more of the graduates of the program intending to enter the field of teaching have passed all of the applicable State qualification assessments for new teachers including an assessment of each prospective teacher's subject matter knowledge in the content area or areas in which the teacher intends to teach;

(B) be ranked among the highest-performing teacher preparation programs in the State as determined by the State;

(C) the teacher training program requires all the students of the program to participate in intensive clinical experience that meets high academic standards in the case of secondary candidates to successfully complete an academic major in the subject area in which the candidate intends to teach;

(D) competence through a high level of performance in relevant content area;

(E) successful completion of an academic major in the arts and sciences in the case of elementary school candidates, or

(F) competence through a high level of performance in core academic subjects areas. (Note: Entities that may constitute a partnership are specifically listed in the Law.).

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Benefiting are students and school communities in high-need schools and school districts.

Credentials/Documentation:   No Credentials or documentation are required. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Pre-application Coordination:   Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure:   This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. In any fiscal year in which funds are available for new awards, the Department of Education publishes a notice in the Federal Register inviting applications and establishing a deadline date.

Award Procedure:   Peer review panels composed of representatives from public and private higher education, State and local educational agencies with expertise in teacher education are designated to review applications.

Deadlines:   Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   

Notification usually is made within four months of the deadline for submission of applicants.

Appeals:   

Not Applicable.

Renewals:   

Applications for renewal of multi-year projects are processed and funded before those for new projects. Renewals are subject to the availability of funds.

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ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   

This program has no statutory formula. Matching Requirements: This program has statutory requirements as follows: eligible partnerships are required to match 100 percent of the grant. Eligible partnerships may submit a request to waive the 100 percent match requirement for the first two years of the grant. The Secretary has the authority to grant this waiver to eligible partnerships as authorized under section 203(c)(2) of the HEA, as amended. MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   

Grants are awarded for a performance period of five years, subject to the availability of funds. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Electronic transfer.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Annual and final performance report are required. No cash reports are required. No progress reports are required. No expenditure reports are required. No performance monitoring is required.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Contact the program office.

Records:   Records supporting claims under a grant must be maintained for 5 years after termination of the awards.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:  

91-0204-0-1-501; 91-0201-0-1-502.

Obligations:   (Project Grants) FY 08 $33,662,000; FY 09 est $50,000,000; FY 10 est $50,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  

Estimated average award is $1.5 million per year.

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