You asked for summary of the purpose of, and spending requirements for, the teacher quality grants established in the recently enacted federal "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (P. L. 107-110).

SUMMARY

The new federal law establishes a Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund to help states and local school districts improve the quality of their teachers and principals and thereby improve student achievement. The new law authorizes $ 1. 375 billion for the fund for FFY 2002 and whatever sums are needed for FFYs 2003-2008. All but 1% of the federal money is to be distributed in formula grants to states, which must, in turn, distribute 95% of what they receive in formula grants to local school districts. The remaining 5% of each state's grant must be used for specified state activities and for competitive grants to partnerships between higher education institutions and needy school districts.

Grant recipients must use federal funds to train and recruit new teachers and school principals, retain qualified teachers and principals, and provide professional development for educators to help them improve student achievement and help schools and districts meet the law's accountability standards.

GRANT PURPOSE AND FUNDING

The new fund's purpose is to boost students' achievement by improving the quality of their teachers and principals; help school districts by expanding the number of highly qualified teachers, principals, and assistant principals in schools; and hold districts and schools accountable for improving student achievement.

P. L. 107-110 authorizes $ 3. 175 billion for the fund for federal FY 2002 and "necessary sums" for the succeeding five fiscal years (FFYs 2003-08). Except for a 1% set-aside for U. S. territories and Indian reservations, the act requires all the federal money to be distributed to states.

STATE GRANTS

Distribution Formula

States must apply to the federal government for the money each year. Each state must receive at least as much as it received in FFY 2001 under the Eisenhower Professional Development and Class Size Reduction programs. (The new act combines the two. ) Additional funding is allocated according to the following formula:

· 35% based on state school-age population (aged five to 17)

· 65% based on state school-age population from families with low incomes (below the federal poverty line).

Each state must receive at least 0. 5% of the additional funds. If any state does not apply for funding in any year, its money must be reallocated to the other states according to the formula.

State Grant Allocations

States must use 95% of their grants for subgrants to local school districts, 2. 5% (up to a maximum of $ 125 million per year) for subgrants to eligible partnerships, and the remaining 2. 5% for eligible state activities.

The state education and higher education agencies may use up to 1% of the grant for planning and administration. Neither the state nor local school districts may use federal money to supplant state or local funding.

Eligible State Activities

States may use their federal grants for any of the following activities, which they may carry out through grants or contracts with nonprofit or for-profit entities.

1. Reforming teacher certification and recertification to ensure that:

a. teachers have necessary subject knowledge and skills;

b. principals have necessary instructional leadership skills to help teachers and students;

c. teacher certification and recertification requirements are aligned with state academic standards; and

d. teachers and principals have skills, including technological skills, needed to help students meet challenging standards.

2. Supporting programs for teachers and principals, including:

a. teacher mentoring, team teaching, reduced class schedules, and intensive professional development and

b. standards or assessments for beginning teachers consistent with state standards for student achievement and teacher professional development program standards under the act (see below).

3. Establishing, expanding, or improving alternate route to certification (ARC) programs for teachers and principals, especially in math and science.

4. Helping school districts and schools recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, principals, and pupil services personnel. Funds may be used to recruit and retain pupil services personnel only if the state is progressing towards meeting the annual measurable objectives the act requires for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and principals in all core subjects.

5. Reforming tenure, implementing teacher subject testing, and implementing pre-certification testing.

6. Providing professional development for teachers and principals and, if the state wishes, providing the same type of professional development for pupil services personnel.

7. Measuring the effectiveness of various professional development programs and developing ways to document their effect on gains in student achievement or increased teacher mastery of their subjects.

8. Administering teacher training and recruitment programs and providing technical assistance to school districts.

9. Teacher and principal licensing reciprocity projects with other states, as long as the projects do not weaken any state's licensing requirements.

10. Developing, or helping districts develop and use, proven, cost-effective, and accessible professional development programs through such means as technology, peer networks, and distance learning.

11. Teacher and administrator training to integrate technology into curricula and instruction, including training in data collection and analysis to improve teaching, decision-making, school improvement, and accountability.

12. Merit-based performance systems and higher pay and bonuses for teachers who work in shortage subjects or in high-poverty schools and districts.

13. Professional development programs for principals including school leadership academies for aspiring or current principals and school superintendents.

14. Multiple career paths with increased pay for teachers.

15. Helping teachers meet requirements to become highly qualified by the end of the fourth year for which the state receives a federal grant.

16. Ensuring teachers can use state standards and assessments to improve instructional practices and student achievement.

17. Encouraging men to become elementary school teachers.

18. Establishing and expanding statewide teacher recruiting and placement clearinghouses and programs to improve teacher recruitment and retention.

LOCAL DISTRICT GRANTS

Distribution Formula

School districts must apply to the state education agency (in Connecticut, the State Department of Education) each year for a grant. Each district must receive at least as much as it received in FFY 2001 under the Eisenhower Professional Development and Class Size Reduction programs or, for districts that did not participate in those programs, the amount they would have received if they had.

States must allocate new funding according to the following formula:

· 20% based on the district's school-age population

· 80% based on the district's school-age population from low-income families.

Other Requirements

Districts must target funds to schools that (1) have the lowest proportion of highly qualified teachers (as defined in the act), (2) have the largest classes, or (3) are identified as needing improvement under the federal law. Teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other relevant school personnel, and parents must collaborate in planning district activities.

A district must also include in its grant application an assessment of local professional development and hiring needs that the district and school staff have identified. The assessment must be conducted with teacher involvement (including teachers in federal Title I programs) and take into account activities required to give teachers and principals the means to allow students to meet challenging state and local standards.

Eligible Local Activities

Districts may use their grants for activities in four categories: recruitment, professional development, retention, and other activities to improve the teaching force. They may implement their programs through grants or contracts with nonprofit or for-profit entities.

The following recruitment activities are eligible:

1. Helping schools to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers; principals; and, if the school is meeting its annual targets for having highly qualified teachers, pupil services personnel. Recruitment and retention activities for pupil services personnel must be consistent with those for teachers and principals.

2. Recruiting initiatives, including scholarships, signing bonuses, higher pay, or other financial incentives, for teachers in shortage subjects and for schools lacking highly qualified teachers.

3. Recruiting qualified teachers to reduce class sizes, especially in the early grades.

4. Training and hiring regular and special education teachers, including hiring special education teachers to team-teach in classes with regular and special education students.

5. Training and hiring highly qualified teachers for special needs children and teaching specialists in core subjects to give students more individualized instruction.

6. Recruiting highly qualified professionals from other fields, including highly qualified paraprofessionals, and providing ARCs for such people.

7. Expanding applicant pools, including identifying teachers certified through ARCs and using intensive screening to hire the most qualified applicants.

8. Increasing opportunities for minorities, disabled people, and other people underrepresented in teaching.

Districts may also use federal funds to improve teachers' and principals' and, where appropriate, paraprofessionals', knowledge of:

1. subjects;

2. teaching methods and skills;

3. instructional methods involving collaborative groups of teachers and administrators;

4. ways to teach children with disabilities, special learning needs (including gifted and talented children), limited English, and different learning styles;

5. ways to improve students' classroom behavior and identify and intervene early for students with special needs; and

6. ways to promote parental involvement, especially by immigrants and those with limited English.

The following teacher retention activities and programs are eligible:

1. Mentoring from exemplary teachers, principals, and superintendents.

2. Support for teachers and principals in their first three years.

3. Incentives, including financial incentives, to retain teachers who have been successful in helping low-achieving students improve their academic performance.

4. Incentives, including financial incentives, to retain principals who have a record of improving achievement by all students, but especially those who are disadvantaged, minority, or disabled.

Districts may also fund other activities to improve the teaching force, including:

1. Innovative professional development programs to train teachers and principals to integrate technology into curricula and instruction and improve their "technology literacy. "

2. Proven, cost-effective strategies to implement professional development, such as through technology and distance learning.

3. Tenure reform.

4. Merit pay programs.

5. Testing teachers in their subjects.

6. Professional development programs for principals and superintendents, including developing and supporting school leadership academies.

7. Hiring highly qualified teachers, including those who graduate from state and local ARC programs, and special education teachers, to reduce class sizes, especially in the early grades.

8. Programs that promote professional growth and emphasize multiple career paths and increased pay for teachers, such as by becoming a career teacher, mentor teacher, or exemplary teacher (see definition below).

9. Programs and activities related to exemplary teachers.

GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIPS

Requirements

The federal law requires state higher education agencies (in Connecticut, the Department of Higher Education) to provide competitive grants to "eligible partnerships. " To be eligible for a grant, a partnership must include at least a state or private higher education institution and its teacher preparation program, a school of arts and sciences, and a high-need school district. It may also include any of the following:

1. a second school district,

2. a public charter school,

3. an elementary or secondary school,

4. an educational service agency,

5. a nonprofit educational organization,

6. a second higher education institution and its school of arts and sciences and teacher preparation program,

7. a nonprofit cultural institution,

8. an entity carrying out a pre-kindergarten program,

9. a teacher organization, and

10. a principal organization.

Eligible Activities

Partnerships may use their grants to engage in or provide any of the following:

1. Professional development activities in core academic subjects to ensure that teachers, highly qualified paraprofessionals, and, if appropriate, principals know the subjects teachers teach (including use of computers) and that principals have instructional leadership skills.

2. Professional development that ensures teachers, principals, and highly qualified paraprofessionals can use state standards and assessments to improve instruction and achievement.

3. Intensive programs to train people who will, in turn, provide professional development to others at their schools.

4. Activities designed to improve teaching and learning at low-performing schools.

FEDERAL DEFINITIONS

The federal law defines several terms for purposes of the teacher quality grants.

Highly Qualified Teacher

In general, a highly qualified teacher is fully certified and licensed to teach in the state (or, if a charter school teacher and exempt from certification, one who meets the charter school's requirements) and not teaching under any form of certification waiver or temporary or provisional credentials.

Exemplary Teacher

An exemplary teacher:

1. is a highly qualified teacher, such as a master teacher;

2. has taught for at least five years in public or private school;

3. is recommended by administrators and other teachers who know his performance;

4. is currently teaching in public school; and

5. helps other teachers to improve instructional strategies and teaching skills, does teacher mentoring, develops curricula, and offers other professional development.

Highly Qualified Paraprofessional

A highly qualified paraprofessional has at least two years of classroom experience and either two years of post-secondary education or a demonstrated competence in a shortage field or subject.

Professional Development

Professional development must include activities that:

1. improve a teacher's knowledge of the subject he teaches and enable him to become highly qualified;

2. are integral to school and district-wide improvement plans;

3. give teachers, principals, and administrators the knowledge and skills to help students meet achievement standards;

4. improve classroom management skills;

5. are high-quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused;

6. are more than one-day or short-term workshops and conferences;

7. support recruiting, hiring, and training of highly qualified teachers, including those qualified through ARCs;

8. advance teachers' understanding of instructional strategies that are (a) scientifically based, (b) designed to improve student achievement or substantially increase teachers' knowledge and teaching skills, and (c) related to state standards and assessments and the programs and curricula tied to them;

9. are developed with extensive participation from teachers, principals, parents, and administrators of the schools to be served;

10. if appropriate, offer knowledge and skills needed to provide appropriate language and academic support to children with limited English;

11. if appropriate, provide technology training;

12. are regularly evaluated for their impact on teacher effectiveness and student achievement, with the findings used to improve the professional development programs; and

13. include methods of teaching students with special needs, using data and assessments in classroom practice, and ways to work more effectively with parents.

Professional development may also include activities that:

1. involve partnerships with higher education institutions to establish school-based teacher training programs;

2. create programs that enable paraprofessionals to become certified teachers; and

3. provide follow-up training to teachers.

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