If your school is like thousands of schools across the country, finding
the money to fund professional development programs is a constant struggle.
One way to alleviate that struggle is to make sure that your school district
is receiving any funding that it is entitled to under federal professional
development funding programs.
Both the Improving
America's Schools Act of 1994 (IASA) and the Goals
2000: Educate America Act of 1994 authorize the funding of teacher
education programs. Rather than imposing limited, specific categorical
restrictions like previous laws, both of these acts allow educators to
be flexible and creative in their use of this federal funding.
In particular, The Eisenhower
Professional Development Program, authorized under the IASA, supports
funding in all core curriculum subjects with an emphasis on math and science.
To qualify, states must submit a plan outlining the goals of their professional
development programs, timelines for achieving these goals, and how the
programs will help students to meet student performance standards. If
a state's plan is approved, the funds may be used for a wide-range of
activities including creating peer review and instruction programs, building
partnerships between schools and local universities, and implementing
teacher use of technology for classroom instruction.
If local teachers submit an assessment of professional development needs,
local education agencies are also entitled to funding under the Eisenhower
Program. If the locality's plan is approved, funds are available to promote
local teacher interaction, develop activities to insure that advances
are incorporated into the curriculum, and provide resources to support
new teachers.
Similar opportunities for educational development exist under the Goals
2000 Act. Under this act, states are allowed to offer sub-grants to localities.
Localities must use these sub-grants to educate teachers in subjects that
help students meet state content standards. Localities may also use these
funds to reduce the costs for teachers who participate in professional
development programs.
Finally, under the federal laws, teachers may receive training and technical
assistance from one of 15 Regional
Technical Assistance Centers. The main purpose of the centers is to
assist schools develop curriculum that helps students achieve state educational
standards.
To ensure that your school is receiving all the available professional
development funding to which it's entitled, check with your local and
state educational agency. Request information on all available funding
programs and deadlines. Contact national educational associations like
The National Foundation
for the Improvement of Education and the Clinical Schools Clearinghouse.
These organizations provide valuable information and resources to assist
educators.
Related Resources
Related Sites
Private Funding Sources:
Article by Cristal Metta-Gallagher
Education World®
Copyright © 2006 Education World
07/06/1997
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