Strategic Initiatives
The Department of Higher Education administered funding from the Title II: Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 for several professional development partnerships through the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Improving Teacher Quality State Grant Program.
2001 – 2018
Title II: Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
Various
Each funded partnership included at least one institution of higher education as the lead, a high-need school district, and one or more non-profit education partners serving children in the school districts. Funds were used to conduct professional development activities in core academic subjects and the science of early learning to ensure that teachers, paraprofessionals, and principals have content knowledge that will enhance children’s learning. Awards were made for up to four years, on conditions of yearly progress and continued federal appropriation. The ESEA grant has been replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) grant, which does not include an allocation to state higher education authorities. The grant ended in September 2018.
The Early Learning Projects Toolkit is a digital ‘how-to’ resource that can be utilized for any entity wishing to improve learning experiences and outcomes for children from preschool through grade 3. The ELP Toolkit focuses on an ecological frame for the professional development and education of the early childhood workforce in a publicly funded mixed delivery system. It includes a project overview including the central concept for the projects and chapters on the four essential structural elements that contributed to the success of the projects—Higher Education, Communities, Classrooms and the ECE Workforce.
Funding for the development of the ELP Toolkit was included in Year 4 of projects in the most recent grant cycle. As a resource developed by funding from the US Department of Education and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, it is available to the public at no cost.
On August 16, 2013, the Department of Higher Education announced several grants for proposals submitted in the new cycle of the federal Title II Part A: Improving Teacher Quality Grant Program. The funds were used for professional development activities in Early Learning to ensure that early educators increase content and pedagogical knowledge in the science of early learning, in ways that would serve to help prevent and close achievement gaps for children.
| Institution(s) | Project Name | Year 1 Award 2014 | Year 2 Award 2015 | Year 3 Award 2016 | Year 4 Award 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
|
Berkshire Early Learning Lab | $107,827 | $107,827 | $399,461 | $323,564 |
University of Massachusetts Boston
|
Chelsea Achieves in Mathematics | $116,480 | $116,480 | $277,948 | $194,459 |
University of Massachusetts Boston
|
Higher Order Teaching | $147,374 | $147,374 | $147,374 | $225,137 |
Worcester State University
|
Using Science to Strengthen and Align Early Childhood Teaching | $95,461 | $110,062 | $120,903 | $97,931 |
On August 16, 2013, the Department of Higher Education announced several grants for proposals submitted in the new cycle of the federal Title II Part A: Improving Teacher Quality Grant Program. The funds were used for professional development activities in Early Learning to ensure that early educators increase content and pedagogical knowledge in the science of early learning, in ways that would serve to help prevent and close achievement gaps for children.
| Institution(s) | Project Name | Year 1 Award 2014 | Year 2 Award 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holyoke Community College | Great Explorers and Readers Science Literacy Program | $111,038 | $111,038 |
| Lesley University | Professional Development for Elementary School Leaders and First Grade Teachers for Early Literacy Impact | $156,000 | - |
On March 15, 2010, the Department of Higher Education announced five grants totaling $1,217,014 over a three-year period from the Improving Teacher Quality Grant Program. The funds were used for professional development activities in mathematics and writing to ensure that high school educators have appropriate subject matter knowledge in these academic subjects and an understanding of the current national dialogue around "college readiness." The following partnerships were awarded funding in May 2010 for up to three years of support. These initiatives are focused on College Readiness.
| Institution | Project Name | Year 1 Award 2010 | Year 2 Award 2011 | Year 3 Award 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark University | College Readiness Numbers and Words Project | $73,338 | $68,338 | $68,338 |
| College of the Holy Cross | Foundational Mathematical Concepts for the High School to College Transition | $45,000 | $75,000 | $120,000 |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | PRIME-A Partnership for Readiness in Math and English | $110,000 | $112,000 | $110,000 |
| Wellesley College/MassBay CC/Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Quantitative Reasoning to Engage Students and Prepare Them for College and Life: A Professional Development Workshop | $105,000 | - | - |
| Worcester State College | Improving Teacher Quality in Mathematics and English in New Bedford and Southbridge | $110,000 | $110,000 | $110,000 |
| Institution | Project Name | Year 1 Award 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Wellesley College | Quantitative Reasoning to Engage Students and Prepare Them for College and Life: A Professional Development Workshop | $74,213 |
| Institution | Project Name | Year 1 Award 2008 | Year 2 Award 2009 | Year 3 Award 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American International College | Physics First! for Teachers | $110,000 | $110,000 | $110,000 |
| Boston University | Improving the Quality of Teachers of Physics | $120,000 | $120,000 | $120,000 |
| Clark University (Hiatt Center) | Main South Curriculum and Knowing Program | $64,669 | $64,669 | $64,669 |
| College of the Holy Cross | Summer Mathematics and Science Teacher Professional Development Workshops | $51,084 | $49,458 | $49,458 |
| Fitchburg State College | Science Content Institutes and Integrating Science Inquiry for Grades 5-12 Teachers | $86,694 | $87,678 | $87,627 |
| Tufts University | Problem Solving with Discrete Mathematics | $95,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | Enhancing Math Collaboration: School-University Initiative for Professional Development | $84,953 | $84,948 | $84,984 |
| Urban Ecology Institute | Providing In-depth Teacher Preparation in Science Through Content Training, Professional Development, and Access to Inquiry Based Curriculum Resources | $90,000 | $115,000 | $115,000 |
| Wheelock College | Outdoor Science: environmental science Professional development for elementary teachers | $72,218 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
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