NonPublic Schools Federal Programs

Title II A: Improving Teacher Quality

Schools have the opportunity to describe their goals and objectives for professional development with Title II A funds in their application (see below).  Federal legislation through the No Child Left Behind act establishes the following guidelines for Title II A:

1.  Professional development activities should improve the knowledge of teachers and principals concerning:

  • One or more of the core academic subjects they teach
  • Effective instructional strategies
  • The use of assessments to improve student achievement
2.  Activities should also include collaborative groups of teachers and administrators.  Training should include:
  • How to address the needs of students with different learning styles, especially students with disabilities, those with limited English proficiency, and those who are gifted and talented
  • Methods for improving  student behavior in the classroom and identifying early and appropriate interventions for students with different learning styles
  • How principals and teachers involve parents in their child's education, including promoting the idea that parents are true partners in their child's education and providing parents with specific suggestions on an ongoing basis about ways to encourage learning at home
  • Helping teachers and principals understand and use data and assessments to improve classroom practice and student learning

The following information must be addressed as part of the school's application.

Schools must describe the professional development activities that will be made available to teachers and principals under this program and how the LEA will ensure that the professional needs of teachers and principals will be met.

The description should include an explanation of why and how the activities are expected to improve overall student achievement.

Effective professional development must:

  • improve and increase teachers' content knowledge of the academic subject they teach
  • be an integral part of broad school-wide educational improvement plans
  • improve classroom management skills
  • be high-quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused to have a positive and lasting impact on classroom instruction and the teacher's performance in the classroom
  • not be one-day or short-term workshops or conferences
  • advance teacher understanding of effective instructional strategies that are based on scientifically-based research and strategies for improving student academic achievement,  or substantially increasing the knowledge of teaching skills of teachers
  • be developed with extensive participation of teachers, principals, parents, and administrators of schools
  • be regularly evaluated for their impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved student academic achievement, with the findings of the evaluations used to improve the quality of professional development, and include instruction in the use of data and assessments to inform and instruct classroom practice
  • include instruction in ways that teachers and principals may work more effectively with parents

Title II A funds MAY NOT be used to pay for substitute teachers who replace classroom teachers while they attend professional development activities.

All applications and forms must be submitted through the web-based system using the link below.  Schools wishing to use their allocation must have a completed Application on file with AIU for the 11-12 term before they may begin to use funds.

Non-Public Schools Title II A Federal Programs Application [web-based]  Deadline: September 15, 2012 

If you have questions, please email Nancy Olenik.


 

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