FY 1999 GRANTS PROGRAM

PROGRAM PURPOSE

In August of 1999, the U. S. Department of Education will award $75 million for grants to prepare tomorrow’s teachers to use modern learning technologies. To guarantee that teachers are proficient in the technologies they will find in their 21^st century schools, teacher preparation programs must ensure that their students master the instructional strategies, learning styles, and content applications enabled by these new learning tools. These efforts might include collaborative partnerships among higher education faculty working with undergraduate and graduate students, and the teachers and students in a local school district. Such teams of faculty, teachers and students assisted by professional associations, foundations and business partners could join forces to adapt or create technology-rich content and instructional strategies that would be mastered by the future teachers participating in these teams. Consortium partnerships might also engage in efforts to incorporate instructional technology performance and content standards into graduation, certification and recruitment requirements for new and reentry teachers.

THREE KINDS OF GRANTS

Teacher preparation programs are at various levels of readiness to meet the demand for well-prepared technology-proficient teachers who have mastered appropriate content, learning styles and instructional strategies. To provide suitable levels of support, three kinds of grants will be available in this program: Capacity Building Grants, Implementation Grants, and Catalyst Grants.

• Capacity Building Grants: Approximately 200 to 250 one-year grants will be awarded to institutions and consortia that need resources and time to scale-up to full programmatic implementation of a technology-based teacher preparation improvement initiative. Grantees may use these funds to lay the initial groundwork for a comprehensive program reform strategy. Such activities might include faculty development, curriculum redesign (including the creation of new courses), the formation of cross-disciplinary partnerships among departments and between institutions of higher education and the P-12 educational community. Capacity Building Grantees are encouraged to use their grants to cultivate other funding sources for their efforts. During Spring 2000, Capacity Building Grantees will have an opportunity to compete for implementation grants that will provide two years of support for full-scale deployment of a teacher preparation improvement initiative.

• Implementation Grants: Two types of Implementation Grants will be awarded. Approximately 75 three-year Implementation Grants will be awarded in the summer of 1999 to applicants who are ready to begin a full-scale program improvement initiative this year. An additional 75 two-year Implementation Grants will be awarded in the Summer of 2000 to Capacity Building Grantees and others who have demonstrated successful capacity building during a competition that will occur during Spring 2000.

The first wave of Implementation Grants (awarded in August 1999) will support institutions and consortia that are engaging in systemic teacher preparation reform by implementing or significantly expanding a program to improve the technology proficiency of future teachers. Grantees should employ multidisciplinary program strategies (e.g. School of Education with a discipline in Arts and Sciences) that involve active partnerships with P-12 institutions. Successful grantees must be prepared to commit significant matching resources (generated from their own funds and through partnership sources). These three-year Implementation Grants will support full-scale program implementation during their first two years of activity. In their third year, these grants will support long-term institutionalization strategies and wide-spread dissemination of successful practices and lessons learned.

The second wave of Implementation Grants awarded during June of 2000 will be awarded to support two years of implementation activity by successful Capacity Building Grantees and others who have been building effective capacity with their own resources. These Second-Wave Implementation Grantees may receive technical assistance and mentoring support from First-Wave Implementation Grantees and from selected Catalyst Grantees.

 

• Catalyst Grants: During August 1999, approximately 30 Catalyst Grants will be awarded to support three years of work by regional or national consortia with established track records and promising strategies for systemic improvements in the preparation of tomorrow’s teachers to use technology. These partnerships must be prepared to marshal their resources to stimulate and support significant reforms, and innovative large-scale improvements in the preparation and certification of well-prepared technology-proficient teachers for 21^st century schools. Consortium partners could include institutions of higher education, school districts, state education agencies, business partners, professional associations, foundations, school districts, private schools and others. Selected Catalyst grantees will be called on to provide vital technical assistance and mentoring support to Capacity Building Grantees, Institutional Grantees, and others who are working to achieve systemic improvements in the preparation of teachers to use modern technologies for improved learning and achievement.

ELIGIBILITY

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) in collaboration with Schools of Education, school districts, and others may apply for support to develop and implement innovative improvements in teacher preparation programs for preservice and reentry teachers. Nonprofit organizations may also apply on behalf of consortia developing significant reform strategies and innovative improvements in the preparation or certification of well-prepared technology-proficient future teachers. Eligible consortia may include professional associations, foundations, private sector businesses, IHEs, State Education Agencies, community colleges, school districts, private schools, and others. Any nonprofit member of the consortium may serve as the applicant on behalf of the consortium, and that member will serve as the grant’s fiscal agent and administrator in the event of an award.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Post Application to Web Site March 15

Application Workshops March 31 – April 16

Closing Date May 24

Field Reading -- First Tier for all three grant types June 14 –16

Implementation & Catalyst Clarification Questions June 21

Tier II Review for Implementation & Catalyst Grants July 8-9

Announce 200 To 250 Capacity Building Grants; August 16

75 Implementation Grants; and 30 Catalyst Grants

Program Director:

Thomas G. Carroll, Ph.D.
Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology
U.S. Department of Education, Higher Education Programs / OPE
1280 Maryland Ave., Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20202

Ph 202-708-8596
Fax 202-260-8412
Tom_Carroll@ed.gov

Information:

Ray Myers, Ed.D.
Office of Educational Technology

202-205-9942
Ray_Myers@ed.gov