Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants (84.336)

 

Program

84.336 Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants

 

Federal Agency

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 

Authorization

Higher Education Act of 1965, Title II, Part A, Public Law 105-244.

 

Program Number

84.336

 

Last Known Status

Active

 

Objectives

To improve student achievement; improve the quality of the current and future teaching force by improving the preparation of prospective teachers and enhancing professional development activities; hold institutions of higher education accountable for preparing teachers who have the necessary teaching skills and are highly competent in the academic content areas in which the teachers plan to teach, such as mathematics, science, English, foreign language, history, economics, art, civics, Government, and geography, including training in the effective uses of technology in the classroom; and recruit highly qualified individuals, including individuals from other occupations, into the teaching force.

 

Types of Assistance

Project Grants (Discretionary).

 

Uses and Use Restrictions

Awards may be used to reform teacher preparation programs, reform certification and licensure requirements, provide alternatives to traditional preparation for teaching, create alternative routes to State certification, develop and implement effective mechanisms for recruitment, pay, and removal of teachers, address the problem of social promotion, and to recruit teachers.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible States and partnerships consist of high-need local educational agencies; this refers to 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; (F) successful completion of an academic major in the arts and sciences in the case of elementary school candidates, or (G) 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 communities within the high-need area.

Credentials/Documentation

None.

 

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

This program is eligible under Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact their 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

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. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.

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

The deadline date is published in the Federal Register.

 

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Appeals

None.

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.

 

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has statutory requirements as follows: State applicants are required to match 50 percent of the grant. Partnership applicants are required to match at 25 percent the first year of the grants, 35 percent in the second year of grant, and 50 percent in the third through fifth years of the grant.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grants may be awarded for up to 3 years for State applicants and for up to 5 years for partnership applicants, subject to the availability of funds.

 

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

A final performance report is required.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a hear in Federal awards are exempt from Federal Audit requirements for that year, except as noted in circular No. A-133.

Records

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

 

Program Accomplishments

In fiscal year 2002, approximately 74 awards were made. Twenty one State grants, 33 partnerships, and 20 teacher recruitment grants.

 

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-0201-0-1-502.

Obligations

(Grants) FY 02 $90,000,000; FY 03 est $89,415,000; and FY 04 est $90,000,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

The fiscal year 2002 average continuation award for State grants is $1,128,000; for continuation partnership grants $1,226,000; and for teacher recruitment continuation grants $379,000.

 

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Contact the Program Office for additional information.

 

Related Programs

None.

 

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

Not applicable.

Headquarters Office

Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Teacher Quality Programs, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202. Contact: Luretha Kelley. E-mail Address teacherquality@ed.gov. Telephone (202) 502-7878.

Web Site Address

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/heatqp/

 

Examples of Funded Projects

Not available.

 

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Contact the Program Office for this information.