In Pennsylvania: $1.5 Million In Grants To Grow Special Education Teacher Workforce 

By Taj Magruder

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today announced that $1.5 million in grant funding is available to help schools create learning opportunities that will bolster the Commonwealth’s next generation of special educators. 

“The Shapiro Administration is laser-focused on growing and expanding the Commonwealth’s educator workforce, and we know that one of the areas of greatest need is in the field of special education,” said Secretary of Education Khalid N. Mumin, Ed.D. “This grant funding will complement the efforts we have already undertaken to create a pipeline of high-quality educators who can serve students from all walks of life and those with disabilities or different needs.”

UW-Madison Receives $2 Million for Education Research Project

By Laurel White

The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education has announced a $2 million grant from the Wallace Foundation to measure the process and outcomes of equity-centered leadership in schools.

The funding will support the Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning–Mapping Equity Indicators (CALL-MEI) project, co-led by UW-Madison Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis professors Rich Halverson and Christopher Saldaña and Columbia University Teachers College professor Alex Bowers. The two-year project aims to develop new equity indicators, evidence models, and data tools. To that end, researchers will work with eight school districts across the country and identify public datasets that can serve as evidence for equity indicators and develop visualization tools for district and school leaders to track the progress of equity-related leadership efforts.

U.S. Department of Education Announces $25 Million Teacher Quality Partnership Program Competition  

By U.S. Department of Education

On April 4, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced a Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the Teacher Quality Partnership program (TQP) in the Federal Register. This NIA will close on June 3, 2024.  

The Department plans to award approximately $25 million to eligible partnerships to support high-quality teacher preparation and professional development for prospective teachers and school leaders. TQP funds teacher preparation programs at the undergraduate or “fifth-year” level (Pre-Baccalaureate Models); and teaching residency programs for individuals new to teaching with strong academic and professional backgrounds (Residency Models). This NIA also includes two leadership priorities.   

In Illinois: ISBE Invests $4.3 Million To Cultivate Future Educators Through CTE Education Career Pathway Grants 

By Illinois State Board of Education

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today announced approximately $4.3 million in state funding for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Education Career Pathway Grants. The grant marks the fourth round of funding for the CTE Education Career Pathway Grant program, which has provided $5.6 million to date and served nearly 12,000 Illinois high school students across 212 school districts and three community colleges.   

The grant provides funding to prepare current high school students in Illinois for careers in teaching and aims to address the teacher shortage in Illinois by recruiting diverse students into the field of education. Participants are equipped for success in college-level teacher preparation programs through tailored coursework, field experiences, and work-based learning opportunities.  

In DC: OSSE Invests in Teacher Preparation, Pipelines, and Supports 

By The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (Washington DC)

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) announced the expansion of a popular and successful educator coaching program, which will provide free instructional coaching to 75 DC public and public charter teachers who have completed DC Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) programs and have fewer than five years of teaching experience. This work builds on OSSE’s 2023-24 school year school leader coaching, which served nearly 200 school leaders who support over 2,000 DC school-based educators. 

“OSSE is proud to provide this coaching opportunity for new teachers who have completed their teacher training right here in the District,” said State Superintendent Christina Grant, Ed.D. “To improve student outcomes, teachers must be well prepared and well supported from the minute they set foot in the classroom, and investing in this one-on-one coaching resource will provide new teachers with the support they need to improve their instructional practice and ultimately make a meaningful impact on the social and academic success of DC students.” 

College of Education Sets New College Record for Gifts Received on NC State’s 2024 Day of Giving

By Ryan Clancy

On NC State University’s sixth Day of Giving, March 20, 2024, donors made 992 gifts to the College of Education, the most gifts the college has ever received on the day. Additionally, for the third year in a row, the college won the Faculty and Staff Giving Challenge.  

The gifts will go toward benefiting students and ensuring they are prepared to become extraordinary educators by creating and expanding scholarships, funding high-impact student experiences and equity initiatives, and fostering educational innovation.  

“Thanks to donor support on Day of Giving, more students will pursue their dream of becoming educators, more students will deepen their education through high-impact experiences and the College of Education will expand its reputation as the college that prepares North Carolina’s best educators,” said Matt Friedrick, the college’s executive director of development. 

In North Carolina: 20 Public School Units to Receive Nearly $1 Million in STEM Grants

By North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

Twenty North Carolina public school units (PSUs) will benefit from nearly $1 million in grants intended to expand and enrich Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The Increasing Engagement in STEM grants, included in the most recent budget by the General Assembly, provide funds to PSUs to engage grades 6-8 students in experiential STEM education programs. 

The grant opportunity generated significant interest across the state, with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) receiving 68 applications — 43 from local education agencies (LEAs), or school districts, and 25 from charter schools. 

Calling All Holmes Scholars in Early Childhood Special Education Programs: Funding and Professional Development Opportunities

By Nicole Dunn

AACTE is proud to offer financial and professional development support to Holmes scholars enrolled in doctoral studies in early childhood special education to help them take their research and careers to the next level through our partnership program with the Early Childhood Intervention Personnel Center on Equity (ECIPC-E) at the University of Connecticut. This national initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, aims to enhance outcomes for infants and young children with disabilities and their families by bolstering the pipeline of skilled early childhood leaders and practitioners.

Oregon Expands Career Readiness with $7.6 Million Investment in Hands-On Learning for 74 Schools

By Marc Siegel

Seventy-four Oregon high schools — serving more than 36,000 students — have secured career readiness grants totaling $7.629 million, Oregon Department of Education Director Charlene Williams and Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson announced today.    

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Revitalization Grant funds from the State of Oregon will serve diverse communities around the state, with programs focused on advanced manufacturing, agricultural science, business, computer science, construction, cosmetology, engineering, firefighting, health sciences, hospitality, media, and natural resources. 

Central Michigan University: New NSF Grant For Core Teaching Practices Helps Prepare Student Teachers

By Hadlee Rinn

A group of teacher educators from the College of Education and Human Services and College of Science and Engineering at Central Michigan University (CMU) received a grant from the National Science Foundation to help college students become familiar with the core teaching practices, which are ideas or actions teachers follow to support learning. Additionally, the core teaching practices are demonstrated to have the greatest impact on student learning and were adopted by the Michigan Department of Education several years ago.  

“We chose to focus on [the core practices of] building respectful relationships with students and modeling and explaining content. […] I would argue these are two of the more important teaching practices [because] if you’re going to teach students and have them learn effectively, you need to have a good relationship with them,” Kevin Cunningham, Ph.D, the lead principal investigator on the project said. “The ability to take what is challenging content and make that clear and intelligible to students [is important].”

Virginia Department of Education Announces $1.52 Million in Grow Your Own Grants

By Virginia Department of Education

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) awarded its second round of Grow Your Own Grants totaling $1.52 million to 24 school divisions to assist in creating registered teacher apprenticeship programs to help recruit and train well-prepared future teachers within their communities.  A focused approach to helping school divisions deal with teacher recruitment challenges, Grow Your Own programs help future teachers work towards their bachelor’s degrees and fulfill all licensure requirements so that upon completion of the program participants will be ready to accept a full-time teaching position in their communities. 

The VDOE has partnered with the National Center for Grow Your Own to become a national leader in helping develop effective registered apprenticeship programs to assist school divisions in recruiting teacher candidates from their local communities. Under this model, aspiring Virginia teacher candidates can include paraprofessionals and other staff already working in the schools, dual-enrolled graduating high school seniors, or career switchers with an interest in classroom teaching. Twenty-eight Virginia school divisions have launched Grow Your Own registered teacher apprenticeship programs during the 2023-2024 school year.  

U.S. Department of Education Opens Applications for Two K-12 Mental Health Programs to Increase the Number of Mental Health Providers in Schools

By U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) opened applications for the School-Based Mental Health and Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant competitions to help bolster the pipeline of mental health professionals serving in schools and expand student access to school-based mental health services and supports. 

President Biden named tackling the mental health crisis, particularly among youth, a key pillar in his Unity Agenda for the nation. And, in line with the Administration’s goals, these programs play a key role in doubling the supply of qualified mental health professionals in our nation’s schools. These newly opened applications build on the progress made through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to integrate mental health services into our schools as part of the President’s National Mental Health Strategy. 

RIDE Receives $5 Million Federal Grant in Support of School Infrastructure Investments 

By Rhode Island Department of Education

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green announced the agency received nearly $5 million in school infrastructure grant funding through the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE)’s Supporting America’s School Infrastructure (SASI) program. The federal grants, totaling $47 million across the nation, will strengthen the capacity of RIDE’s ongoing priority of improving school facilities to ensure equitable access to modern learning environments for all students. Rhode Island is only one of seven State Education Agencies (SEAs) that received funding.   

“Modern and sustainable school facilities are critical in ensuring our students are able to learn year-round and be present in the classroom,” said Governor McKee. “Over the past few years, we have upgraded several school buildings across the Ocean State to support the best outcomes for students. Thank you to the U.S. Department of Education and the Biden-Harris Administration for offering this important funding to help ongoing school improvements across Rhode Island.”   

Administration Announces $25M in Grant Awards to Advance Career Connected High Schools

By U.S. Department of Education

The Biden-Harris Administration today is announcing 19 new grant awards totaling $25 million through the first-ever Perkins Innovation and Modernization, Career Connected High Schools (CCHS) grant program. 

This investment, issued by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), builds the capacity of education and workforce systems to partner with business and industry, to develop new high-quality career-connected high school programs for more students. Grantees will leverage four evidence-based strategies, or “keys,” to help students in unlocking career success including: providing postsecondary education and career guidance; increasing access to dual or concurrent enrollment programs; increasing work-based learning opportunities; and providing industry-recognized credentials. 

In Iowa: DOE Announces $1.7 Million in Grants to Support High Schoolers in Earning Industry-Recognized Credentials

By Iowa Department of Education

The Iowa Department of Education today announced that $1.7 million in competitive grants are available to Iowa school districts to align secondary career and technical education programs with industry-recognized credentials. The new Credentials to Careers grant will support high schoolers earning credentials with labor market value. 

“By expanding opportunities to attain an industry-recognized credential in high school, the Credentials to Careers grant helps connect the classroom to the workforce,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “Students earning portable, stackable credentials will be ready to succeed in high-wage and public-good careers, changing lives and strengthening communities.” 

Industry-recognized credentials are certifications, credentials, or licenses that are vetted by employers and endorsed by a nationally recognized trade association or organization in a particular industry. Credentials are available across many career pathways, including those in health sciences, information technology, construction, manufacturing, child development, culinary, and business.