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Professional Development
Title II, Part A
Title II, Part A Preparing, Training and Recruiting High-Quality Teachers
Title II, Part A of NCLB emphasizes the need to prepare, train, and recruit highly qualified teachers and principals in order to have a positive impact on student achievement. In order to ensure that all teachers meet the definition of "Highly Qualified” under Section 9101 of NCLB, the State, local education agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs) have the opportunity to join forces to develop alternative routes to certification to increase the number of highly qualified teachers, principals, and assistant principals.
Section 9101 of NCLB also provides an extensive definition of Professional Development that stresses the rigor of sustained, intensive, and job-embedded professional development that is in alignment with identified student needs. All professional development provided under NCLB must be based on current scientifically based research on teaching and learning in order to help all students meet the challenging State Content Standards. LEAs must also regularly evaluate all professional development to measure its impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved student academic achievement. The results of these evaluations must also be used to identify and plan for future professional development.
Title II expands the potential audience that may participate in high-quality professional development to include teachers, principals, and assistant principals as well as paraprofessionals and other school personnel. Title II has also been expanded to include all core subject areas such as English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics/government, economics, arts, history and geography. Districts may also elect to use Title II, Part A funds to hire highly qualified teachers in order to reduce the pupil/teacher ratio in all grades, especially K-3. This program was previously known as the Class Size Reduction Program under ESEA. The new legislation allows LEAs to determine the most effective placement of teachers without the limitation of the early grades.
The following are links to official U.S. Department of Education websites.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Improving America's Schools Act.
Title II Non-Regulatory Guidance
This guidance addresses only the program authorized under Title II, Part A, which we refer to as Improving Teacher Quality State Grants.
| For more information contact: |
| Janice Zube |
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Section Leader
janice.zube@la.gov
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(225)342-3379
(225)342-7367 Fax
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| Penny Black |
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Federal Programs Coordinator
penny.black@la.gov
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(225)342-3388
(225)342-7367 Fax
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