Title II, Part A(3) Competitive Grant Program for Improving Teacher Quality Technical Assistance March 26, 2009 Webinar

Today’s Goals Summary of goals of this grant program (See application for specific requirements) Anticipating the data collection for funded projects Looking ahead to enhanced data collection How to apply using the MEGS system

Professional Development for teachers, principals, and/or paraprofessionals

Supports partnerships between high-need LEAs, college/departments of teacher education, and college/departments of arts and sciences

What is the Potential? Up to $200,000 for a 16 month period $770,000 4 awards At least $100,000 to serve teachers of small or rural LEAs as long as they meet the high poverty requirement.

Small, Rural and PSAs Rural—any LEA given a 7 or 8 locale code by virtue of its location within a community with population less than 25,000 and greater than or equal to 2,500. LEAs and PSAs – (Public School Academies or Charter Schools)

Deadline for Application Deadline for submission: 11:59 p.m. April 24, 2009

Categories Partnerships for Professional Learning Opportunities in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies Address MDE Content Expectations Build instruction delivery skills Build assessment skills – both teachers and principals Meet goals for all students, including implementation of UDL

Categories continued: Partnerships for Professional Learning Opportunities that Result in Highly Qualified Status or Endorsement for Grades 6-12 Special Education Teachers Partnerships for Professional Development to Increase the Skills of Middle School Pre-Algebra and Algebra Teachers and/or High School Algebra Teachers to Instruct Students of All Ability Levels

All partnership projects must address: MDE content expectations, educator professional learning needs, and learning needs of all students, addressing Michigan’s Vision and Principles of Universal Education

High Need LEA(s) LEA serving not fewer than 10,000 children from low income families OR 20.0% or more students living below the poverty line AND high percentage of teachers teaching outside their area of training OR high percentage of teachers teaching with an emergency, provisional, or temporary certification

Minimum Partners College of IHE that prepares teachers College of Arts and Sciences and One or more high need LEA

Remember …. Categories Nature of the partnership Tuition OR staff salary Increased data required Anticipate approval in May

Evaluation Changes State-level evaluation – 5.0% of each award Assessment of program and deeper analysis of artifacts (teacher, student) for a sample of awardees A plan to conduct lesson/classroom observations Extensive data requirements for everyone (may constitute the majority of the final report)

Of Special Note….. A minimum of 90 hours of content- based Professional Development LEA poverty as shown in the 2005 Census Evidence of planning with private, nonprofit schools and consultation before figuring budget

Of Special Note….. Professional development in deep content for the not-yet highly qualified. Must open to not-yet highly qualified up to registration maximum. (Deep content knowledge and improved instructional delivery are the goals.)

RFP Specifications Specifications are shown on MEGS, as well as Help Screens throughout the application.

Priorities Research-based, addressing Michigan’s Vision and Standards for Professional Development Data linking proposal to student learning and teacher need, based on student learning data Emphasis on Michigan’s content expectations to attain deep content knowledge Emphasis on improving instructional delivery, incorporating technology and Universal Design for Learning

Other required components for the proposed program Be collaboratively planned Address continuance of teacher development (novice through veteran) Incorporate Technology, UDL Be based on current, scientifically- based research

Important to Remember Intensity and focus are more important than large numbers of participants The nature of the partnership is a critical element. Small, direct partnerships rather than large, indirect alliances Budget – Special rule, i.e., no one partner USES more than 50% of the award

This grant opportunity is aligned with the following: NCLB-highly qualified teacher in every classroom SBE’s Strategic Goal-primary emphasis on priority schools and students SBE’s Task Force Recommendations- Ensuring Excellent Educators Elevating Education Leadership Embracing the Information Age

Summer Institutes Intense focus on specific content and instructional delivery strategies Must have follow-up provided periodically throughout the year 90 Hours for Highly Qualified Not a smorgasbord for PD grazing

Links Title II Guidance: RFP, Application and List of Qualifying Districts (Minimum of 20.0% Poverty): under GRANTS Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide, U.S. Dept. of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (Dec. 2003). d/rigorousevid.pdf

Links (cont’d) Rigorous Evidence: What Works in the Elementary School - whatworks.pdf whatworks.pdf What Works in the High School – whatworks.pdf whatworks.pdf

Links (cont’d) Rigorous evidence The What Works Clearinghouse – The Promising Practices Network – The International Campbell Collaboration – Social Programs That Work - =prppcsocial

About the grant program: Donna L. Hamilton at About MEGS: MEGS Help Manual at or Claudia Nicol at or