Teacher Quality Partnerships, Recovery Act (84.405)

Program

84.405 Teacher Quality Partnerships, Recovery Act

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Education

Authorization

Higher Education Act, as amended, , Title II, Part A, 20` U.S.C 1021; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Public Law 111-5.

Program Number

84.405

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

The Teacher Quality Partnership Program seeks to improve student achievement, improve the quality of prospective and new teachers working in high need local educational agencies (LEAs) and high need schools, hold teacher preparation programs accountable for preparing highly qualified teachers, and recruit highly qualified individuals from other occupations into the teaching force by creating successful and high quality Pre-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation programs and Teaching Residency programs. Projects may also include a school leadership component to train superintendents, principals, early childhood educators program directors, or other school leaders in high-need or rural LEA's. Initiatives to support development of digital education content, to improve the quality of pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs, and /or to enhance the quality of pre-service training of prospective teachers are also supported.

Types of Assistance

Project Grants

Uses and Use Restrictions

Grant funds must be used for one or both of the following purposes: (1) to strengthen pre-baccalaureate teacher education programs and/or (2) to develop one-year teaching residency programs, which enable participants (who are paid living stipends) to earn master's degrees and teacher certification. In addition, projects may also add a leadership component to train superintendents, principals, early childhood educator program directors, and other school leaders, and/or a component to develop digital education content for the purpose of improving the quality of pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs or to enhance the quality of pre-service training for prospective teachers.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

None

Beneficiary Eligibility

None

Credentials/Documentation

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

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

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 review. 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. Each institutions must submit an application through Grant.gov covering the entire 5 years of program implementation.

Award Procedure

Peer review panels, composed of representatives from public and private institutions of higher education, state and local educational agencies, and other entities with expertise in teacher or early childhood education, are designated to review applications. Applications are reviewed for quality and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. Awards will be made in rank order to those institutions scored highest by the review panels.

Deadlines

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

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 120 to 180 days. Notification usually is made within 4 months of the deadline for submission of applications.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

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

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching Requirements: Each eligible partnership receiving a grant shall provide, from non-federal sources, an amount equal to 100 percent of the amount of the grant, which may be provided in cash or in-kind, to carry out the activities. Under no circumstances may matching contributions be made with federal funds, or for non federal funds used as match in another federal grant program. In addition, unrecovered indirect costs may not be used as match. Grantees whose approved application/budgets identify an amount of match that exceeds the statutory minimum for any project period must meet that higher amount.Grantees can request a waiver of the required match due to special circumstances.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grants are awarded for up to 5 years, subject to the availability of funds. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Electronic transfer.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Grantees are required to submit an annual program and performance reports on or about May 15th of each fiscal year so the Department may determine whether substantial progress has been made and a continuation award is warranted. A final report is required upon termination of funding. Other reporting is required under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act . Guidance will be provided on these requirements at a later date, but will include, at a minimum, at the end of each quarter, the amount of grant funds obligated and expended; all activities for which those funds were obligated and expended; the completion status of those activities; the estimated number of jobs created or retained by the project and those activities; and detailed information on any contracts awarded with grant funds. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

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. Any additional auditing requirements may be included in grant award documents.

Records

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

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: N/A. Fiscal Year 2009: In FY 2009, approximately 75 awards will be made. Fiscal Year 2010: N/A.

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-0196-0-1-502.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $0; FY 09 est $100,000,000; FY 10 est $0

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

For FY 2009, the estimated range of awards is $1,000,000 to $3,000,000.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Contact the Program Office for additional information.

Related Programs

84.336 Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Peggi Zelinko Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, Teacher Quality Partnerships, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington , District of Columbia 20202 Email: Peggi.Zelinko@ed.gov Phone: (202) 260-2614

Web Site Address

http://www.ed.gov/programs/heatqp/

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Contact the Program Office for this information.