589050 - Teachers Accelerating Learning (TAL) Grants Program
Funding Opportunity Details

Teachers Accelerating Learning

Final Application Deadline: Feb 21, 2025 11:59 PM

Description

• Teachers Accelerating Learning (TAL) Grants Program

   

  Application Overview:

   

  The Department is excited to offer a competitive opportunity for districts to develop measures of teacher effectiveness and recognize teachers who significantly accelerate student learning beyond one year’s growth with supplementary pay. This program will span both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.

   

  Participating Districts Commit to:

   

  • Develop systems to identify and recognize teachers who accelerate student learning beyond one year’s growth based on transparent and objective qualitative and quantitative metrics.

   

  • Develop a methodology for recognizing highly effective teachers, which must include EVAAS growth measure for grades 4-8.
    • Review, update, and validate classroom rosters for ISASP-tested grades and subjects.
    • Participate in training on the EVAAS system, reports, and classroom rostering.

   

  • Implement the district-proposed teacher evaluation system for at least two years, beginning in 2024-25, with all schools in the district participating by 2025-26.

   

  • Offer supplementary teacher pay for up to 10% of teachers who significantly accelerate student learning beyond one year’s growth.

   

  Total Available Awards:

   

  Awards support supplementary teacher pay for two years who demonstrably accelerate student learning beyond one year’s growth.

   

  • Max per district award (based on the number of teachers): $500,000/year; $1,000,000 total over two years
    • Administrative costs may not exceed 5% of the total award. 95% of the total award must support supplementary teacher pay.

   

  • Max per teacher amount: $2,500/year, $5,000 total over two years
    • Teacher is defined as instructional staff, including teachers, instructional coaches, and interventionists

   

  Application:

   

  Applications will be scored out of a 100 total possible points and evaluated based on the scoring rubric listed below in the attachments.

   

  • Up to 20 points will be awarded based on “Need, Local Support, and Expertise.”

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  • Up to 50 points will be awarded based on the “Description of the Teacher Evaluation System.”

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  • Up to 30 points will be awarded based on the “Description of the Implementation Plan.”

   

  It is the policy of the Iowa Department of Education not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, political party affiliation, or actual or potential parental, family or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code sections 216.9 and 256.10(2), Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C.§§ 1681 – 1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). 

  If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy by the Iowa Department of Education, contact the legal counsel for the Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0146, Telephone: 515-281-5295, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204-3582, Telephone: (303) 844-5695 FAX: (303) 844-4303, TDD 800-877-8339 Email: [email protected].

Attachments

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