Greetings Colleagues, The following two opportunities from the US Department of Education relate to professional development and teacher education. --Iwan Title III National Professional Development (NPD) program Assistance Listing Number 84.365Z Letter of Intent due March 21,2022; Full Proposal due April 29, 2022. Estimated funding range: $350,000-600,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $464,000 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/28/2022-04175/applicati... Purpose of Program: Under the NPD program, the Department awards grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or public or private entities with relevant experience and capacity, in consortia with State educational agencies (SEAs) or local educational agencies (LEAs). The purpose of these grants is to provide professional development activities that will improve classroom instruction for English learners (ELs) and assist educational personnel working with such children to meet high professional standards, including standards for certification and licensure as teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs. Grants awarded under this program may be used— (1) For effective pre-service or in-service professional development programs that will improve the qualifications and skills of educational personnel involved in the education of ELs, including personnel who are not certified or licensed and educational paraprofessionals, and for other activities to increase teacher and school leader effectiveness in meeting the needs of ELs; (2) For the development of program curricula appropriate to the needs of the consortia participants involved; (3) To support strategies that strengthen and increase parent, family, and community member engagement in the education of ELs; (4) To develop, share, and disseminate effective practices in the instruction of ELs and in increasing the academic achievement of ELs, including the use of technology-based programs; (5) In conjunction with other Federal need-based student financial assistance programs, for financial assistance, including costs related to tuition, fees, and books for enrolling in courses required to complete the degree involved, to meet certification or licensing requirements for teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs; and (6) As appropriate, to support strategies that promote school readiness of ELs and their transition from early childhood education programs, such as Head Start or State-run preschool programs, to elementary school programs. Priorities Absolute Priority: Providing Professional Development to Improve Instruction for ELs. Projects that provide professional development activities that will improve classroom instruction for ELs and assist educational personnel working with ELs to meet high professional standards, including standards for certification and licensure as teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs. Competitive Preference Priority 1—Moderate Evidence. Projects supported by evidence that meets the conditions in the definition of “moderate evidence” (as defined in this notice). Competitive Preference Priority 2—Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities. Projects designed to promote educational equity and adequacy in resources and opportunity for underserved students in early learning programs that examine the sources of inequity and inadequacy and implement responses, and that may include establishing, expanding, or improving learning environments for multilingual learners, and increasing public awareness about the benefits of fluency in more than one language and how the coordination of language development in the school and the home improves student outcomes for multilingual learners. Invitational Priority 1—School Readiness. Projects that support strategies that assist educational personnel working with ELs to promote school readiness of ELs and their transition from early childhood education programs, such as Head Start or State-run preschool programs, to elementary school programs. Invitational Priority 2—Family Engagement. Projects to develop or implement evidence-based policies or strategies that assist educational personnel working with ELs in implementing ongoing, robust family or community involvement. Notes: In the previous 2021 NPD competition, applicant institutions were limited to being lead on only one funded grant per institution. UTSA was awarded one grant and became subaward on two additional grants. The 2022 NPD Federal Register post doesn’t state such a limit. The full funding announcement and dates for the pre-application webinar have yet to be released. Please contact me if you wish to discuss applying. Teacher Quality Partnership Grant (TQP) program, Assistance Listing Number 84.336S Letter of Intent due March 28,2022; Full Proposal due April 26, 2022. Estimated funding range: $500,000-$2,000,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000 for the first year of the project. Funding for the second, third, fourth, and fifth years is subject to the availability of funds and the approval of continuation awards https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/25/2022-03889/applicati... Purpose of Program: The purposes of the TQP program are to improve student achievement; improve the quality of prospective and new 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 teachers who meet applicable State certification and licensure requirements; and recruit highly qualified individuals, including individuals of color and individuals from other occupations, into the teaching force. Absolute Priorities: All applications must address one of the four absolute priorities. Absolute Priority 1—Partnership Grants for the Preparation of Teachers. Under this priority, an eligible partnership must carry out an effective pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation program or a fifth-year initial licensing program that includes all of the following: (a) Program Accountability. Implementing reforms, described in paragraph (b) of this priority, within each teacher preparation program and, as applicable, each preparation program for ECE programs, of the eligible partnership that is assisted under this priority, to hold each program accountable for—(1) Preparing—(i) New or prospective teachers to meet the applicable State certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (including teachers in rural school districts, special educators, and teachers of students who are limited English proficient); (ii) Such teachers and, as applicable, early childhood educators, to understand empirically based practice and scientifically valid research related to teaching and learning and the applicability of such practice and research, including through the effective use of technology instructional techniques, and strategies consistent with the principles of universal design for learning, and through positive behavioral interventions and support strategies to improve student achievement; and (iii) As applicable, early childhood educators to be highly competent; and (2) Promoting strong teaching skills and, as applicable, techniques for early childhood educators to improve children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. In addressing paragraph (a) of this priority, applicants may either discuss their implementation of reforms within all teacher preparation programs that the partner IHE administers and that would be assisted under this TQP grant, or selected teacher preparation programs that need particular assistance and that would receive the TQP grant funding. [see complete details in the original notice] Absolute Priority 2—Partnership Grants for the Establishment of Effective Teaching Residency Programs I. In general. Under this priority, an eligible partnership must carry out an effective teaching residency program that includes all of the following activities:(a) Supporting a teaching residency program described in paragraph II for high-need subjects and areas, as determined by the needs of the high-need LEA in the partnership. (b) Placing graduates of the teaching residency program in cohorts that facilitate professional collaboration, both among graduates of the teaching residency program and between such graduates and mentor teachers in the receiving school. (c) Ensuring that teaching residents who participate in the teaching residency program receive—(1) Effective pre-service preparation as described in paragraph II; (2) Teacher mentoring; (3) Support required through the induction program as the teaching residents enter the classroom as new teachers; and (4) The preparation described below: (i) Incorporate year-long opportunities for enrichment, including—(A) Clinical learning in classrooms in high-need schools served by the high-need LEA in the eligible partnership, and identified by the eligible partnership; and (B) Closely supervised interaction between prospective teachers and faculty, experienced teachers, principals, other administrators, and school leaders at ECE programs (as applicable), elementary schools, or secondary schools, and providing support for such interaction. (ii) Integrate pedagogy and classroom practice and promote effective teaching skills in academic content areas. (iii) Provide high-quality teacher mentoring. II. Teaching Residency Programs. (a) Establishment and design. A teaching residency program under this priority is a program based upon models of successful teaching residencies that serves as a mechanism to prepare teachers for success in the high-need schools in the eligible partnership, and must be designed to include the following characteristics of successful programs: (1) The integration of pedagogy, classroom practice, and teacher mentoring. (2) Engagement of teaching residents in rigorous graduate-level course work leading to a master's degree while undertaking a guided teaching apprenticeship. (3) Experience and learning opportunities alongside a trained and experienced mentor teacher—(i) Whose teaching must complement the residency program so that classroom clinical practice is tightly aligned with coursework; (ii) Who must have extra responsibilities as a teacher leader of the teaching residency program, as a mentor for residents, and as a teacher coach during the induction program for new teachers; and for establishing, within the program, a learning community in which all individuals are expected to continually improve their capacity to advance student learning; and (iii) Who may be relieved from teaching duties as a result of such additional responsibilities. (4) The establishment of clear criteria for the selection of mentor teachers based on measures of teacher effectiveness and the appropriate subject area knowledge. Evaluation of teacher effectiveness must be based on, but not limited to, observations of the following—(i) Planning and preparation, including demonstrated knowledge of content, pedagogy, and assessment, including the use of formative and diagnostic assessments to improve student learning. (ii) Appropriate instruction that engages students with different learning styles. (iii) Collaboration with colleagues to improve instruction. (iv) Analysis of gains in student learning, based on multiple measures that are valid and reliable and that, when feasible, may include valid, reliable, and objective measures of the influence of teachers on the rate of student academic progress. (v) In the case of mentor candidates who will be mentoring new or prospective literacy and mathematics coaches or instructors, appropriate skills in the essential components of reading instruction, teacher training in literacy instructional strategies across core subject areas, and teacher training in mathematics instructional strategies, as appropriate. (5) Grouping of teaching residents in cohorts to facilitate professional collaboration among such residents. (6) The development of admissions goals and priorities—(i) That are aligned with the hiring objectives of the LEA partnering with the program, as well as the instructional initiatives and curriculum of such agency, in exchange for a commitment by such agency to hire qualified graduates from the teaching residency program; and (ii) Which may include consideration of applicants who reflect the communities in which they will teach as well as consideration of individuals from underrepresented populations in the teaching profession. (7) Support for residents, once the teaching residents are hired as teachers of record, through an induction program, professional development, and networking opportunities to support the residents through not less than the residents' first two years of teaching. (b) Selection of individuals as teacher residents. Absolute Priority 3—Partnership Grants for the Development of Leadership Programs in Conjunction With the Preparation of Teachers Under Absolute Priority 1 Under this priority the Secretary gives priority to applications from eligible partnerships that propose to carry out an effective school leadership program that will prepare individuals enrolled or preparing to enroll in those programs for careers as superintendents, principals, ECE program directors, or other school leaders (including individuals preparing to work in LEAs located in rural areas who may perform multiple duties in addition to the role of a school leader). An eligible partnership may carry out the school leadership program either in the partner high-need LEA or in further partnership with an LEA located in a rural area. Absolute Priority 4—Partnership Grants for the Development of Leadership Programs in Conjunction With the Establishment of an Effective Teaching Residency Program Under Absolute Priority 2 Under this priority the Secretary gives priority to applications from eligible partnerships that propose to carry out an effective school leadership program that will prepare individuals enrolled or preparing to enroll in those programs for careers as superintendents, principals, ECE program directors, or other school leaders (including individuals preparing to work in LEAs located in rural areas who may perform multiple duties in addition to the role of a school leader). An eligible partnership may carry out the school leadership program either in the partner high-need LEA or in further partnership with an LEA located in a rural area. Competitive Preference Priorities Competitive Preference Priority 1—Increasing Educator Diversity (4 Points) Under this priority, applicants must develop projects that are designed to improve the recruitment, outreach, preparation, support, development, and retention of a diverse educator workforce through adopting, implementing, or expanding one or both of the following: (a) High-quality, comprehensive teacher preparation programs in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (eligible institutions under part B of title III and subpart 4 of part A title VII of the HEA), Hispanic Serving Institutions (eligible institutions under section 502 of the HEA), Tribal Colleges and Universities (eligible institutions under section 316 of the HEA), or other Minority Serving Institutions (eligible institutions under title III and title V of the HEA) that include one year of high-quality clinical experiences (prior to becoming the teacher of record) in high-need schools (as defined in this notice) and that incorporate best practices for attracting, supporting, graduating, and placing underrepresented teacher candidates. (b) Reforms to teacher preparation programs to improve the diversity of teacher candidates, including changes to ensure underrepresented teacher candidates are fully represented in program admission, completion, placement, and retention as educators. Competitive Preference Priority 2—Supporting a Diverse Educator Workforce and Professional Growth To Strengthen Student Learning (3 Points) Projects that are designed to increase the proportion of well-prepared, diverse, and effective educators serving students, with a focus on underserved students, through increasing the number of teachers with certification or dual certification in a shortage area, or advanced certifications from nationally recognized professional organizations. Competitive Preference Priority 3—Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs (2 Points) Projects that are designed to improve students' social, emotional, academic, and career development, with a focus on underserved students, through creating a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe climate at institutions of higher education, through one or more of the following activities: (a) Fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for underserved students. (b) Implementing evidence-based practices for advancing student success for underserved students. Competitive Preference Priority 4—Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities (2 Points) Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that the applicant proposes a project designed to promote educational equity and adequacy in resources and opportunity for underserved students—(a) In one or more of the following educational settings: (1) Early learning programs. (2) Elementary school. (3) Middle school. (4) High school. (5) Career and technical education programs. (6) Out-of-school-time settings. (7) Alternative schools and programs. (b) That examines the sources of inequity and inadequacy and implement responses, and that may include pedagogical practices in educator preparation programs and professional development programs that are inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status so that educators are better prepared to create inclusive, supportive, equitable, unbiased, and identity-safe learning environments for their students. Invitational Priority: Partnership Grants for the Establishment of Grow Your Own Programs Projects that establish Grow Your Own programs that are designed to address shortages of teachers in high-need areas, schools, and/or geographic areas, or shortages of school leaders in high-need schools and increase the diversity of qualified individuals entering the teacher, principal, or other school leader workforce. An eligible applicant must be an “eligible partnership” as defined in section 200(6) of the HEA. The term “eligible partnership” means an entity that must include—(i) A high-need LEA; (ii) (A) A high-need school or a consortium of high-need schools served by the high-need LEA; or (B) As applicable, a high-need ECE program; (iii) A partner institution; (iv) A school, department, or program of education within such partner institution, which may include an existing teacher professional development program with proven outcomes within a four-year IHE that provides intensive and sustained collaboration between faculty and LEAs consistent with the requirements of title II of the HEA; and (v) A school or department of arts and sciences within such partner institution; and (2) May include any of the following: (i) The Governor of the State. (ii) The State educational agency (SEA). (iii) The State board of education. (iv) The State agency for higher education. (v) A business. (vi) A public or private nonprofit educational organization. (vii) An educational service agency. (viii) A teacher organization. (ix) A high-performing LEA, or a consortium of such LEAs, that can serve as a resource to the partnership. (x) A charter school. (xi) A school or department within the partner institution that focuses on psychology and human development. (xii) A school or department within the partner institution with comparable expertise in the disciplines of teaching, learning, and child and adolescent development. (xiii) An entity operating a program that provides alternative routes to State certification of teachers. Notes: Only one grant will be funded per institution for the five-year period of the grant (although the institution may be a subaward on multiple grants). The full funding announcement and dates for the pre-application webinar have yet to be released. Please contact me if you wish to discuss applying. Mr. Iwan Notowidigdo Senior Grant Development Coordinator The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Education & Human Development (COEHD) iwan.notowidigdo(a)utsa.edu (Mobile: 347-231-5931) [cid:b57f5388-befe-4497-b7b3-cf5c98bb1fe6]