Description
The No Child Left Behind Act, the 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, replaces the Eisenhower Professional Development Grants program and the Federal Class Size Reduction programs with the Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund, also known as Improving Teacher Quality State Grants program. This program provides grants to states and subgrants to local education agencies (LEAs) and eligible partnerships to spend on a wide range of activities to improve teacher quality and raise student achievement in core subject areas. Funds generally can be used to prepare, recruit, induct and train teachers.

To receive a subgrant, LEAs must perform a local needs assessment and submit an application to the California Department of Education (CDE). LEAs may use funds for professional development activities; efforts to recruit, hire and retain teachers; induction activities; class-size reduction; and other activities to enhance teacher quality and raise student achievement. In their application, LEAs must describe how their plan will be aligned with the state content standards and will have a measurable impact on student achievement. All plans must include districtwide and school site-specific professional development plans. In addition, eligible partnerships between LEAs, institutes of higher education and other educational agencies may apply to CDE for a subgrant under this program. Subgrant funds may be used to support professional development and technical assistance activities to improve teacher quality.

LEAs are required to show progress toward increasing the number of “highly qualified” teachers and the number of teachers receiving “high-quality” professional development. The state of California is responsible for defining these terms.

Funding
This program is funded at $315 million in 2002–03. Program funds must supplement, and not supplant, other existing funds to carry out all proposed activities.

Additional Resources

• References for Title II, Part A — Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund