DATE: November 14, 2005

TO: Dean, College of Education

Chair, College of Education

FROM: Mary Beth Schroeder Fracek

Director, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Iowa Department of Education

The Iowa Department of Education was recently notified that the Department has been awarded a U.S. Department of Education grant through the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant Program. The grant began October 1, 2005. The grant proposal is a collaborative effort of the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, all 15 of Iowa’s Community Colleges, all Iowa private four-year institutions, Iowa Regent Universities, and PK-12 school districts. The project provides for a more complete and seamless transition among all levels of higher education, and strengthens partner relationships as it relates to PK-12 teacher education and teacher preparation among the institutions.

The goals of the grant are:

Goal 1: Strengthen teaching in the content areas

Goal 2: Improve teaching for diverse populations (i.e. teaching English language learners)

Goal 3: Provide for reform and improvement through rigorous evaluation of teacher education candidates and analysis of program performance data, resulting in more effective teacher education programs

Goal 4: Meet future challenges through collaboration

We currently have funding and program participation opportunities for three areas of the grant and would like to make you aware of those via this mailing. Attached you will find invitations to participate in activities for each goal above.

Goal One has a Request for Proposal (RFP) available on the Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Association of Colleges of Teacher Education web sites. It is called the Middle School Grant application. This grant will help establish a model program that is a collaborative partnership to demonstrate effective ways to teach the content areas of reading, math and science in the middle school. Up to three (3) grants in the amount of $20,000 to 50,000 each may be awarded to qualifying entities. The purpose of the grant is to encourage the implementation and use of research based strategies that have the highest probability of improving student achievement by demonstrating effective ways to teach the content areas of reading, math and science in the middle school. A collaboration of public school districts, Area Education Agencies, professional organizations, public and private teacher preparation institutions in Iowa are eligible to apply for these funds. The application is attached to this e-mail. For more information, contact Susan Fischer at susan.fischer@iowa.gov

Goal Two has the objective of building capacity of teacher educators and teacher candidates by:

1. Establishing a partnership with teams from the IHE and the members of the Administrators’ Second Language (L2) group.

2. Provide opportunities for teacher educators and teacher candidates to improve teaching for culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Attached is a flier describing the project and an application of intent. We are requesting that you send the application of intent by November 30^th 2005. For more information contact, Dr. Carmen Sosa at Carmen.sosa@iowa.gov

Goal Three offers an opportunity for private and public teacher preparation programs to apply for funds to establish or further develop a student assessment system in each higher education institution. An application is attached to this e-mail. For more information, contact Dr. Barry Wilson, University of Northern Iowa at barry.Wilson@uni.edu The application will also be placed on the web sites for the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.

Thank you.