Funding Sources for Teacher Training
Research documents that less than 15% of teachers are effectively integrating technology
in their classroom curriculums. Training teachers to effectively use and integrate technology
is receiving major emphasis from both federal and state governments.
There are a number of funding sources that schools and school districts can use to pay for teacher training.
These include (1) state funds, (2) locally raised district funds (bond issues, sales tax, etc),
(3) thousands of grant programs, including many major ones, like the Microsoft and Intel grant programs;
and finally (4) federal programs. Federal funding programs are described below.
Title I and Title II Education Funding Programs
The Title I and Title II federal programs are funded at a staggering $19 billion for fiscal year 2002.
Each year, funds for these two programs will increased and are projected to exceed $32 billion by fiscal year 2007.
This means that during the next six years, these two programs will be appropriated at approximately $125 billion.
States and school
districts/schools can use funds from these programs to pay for Teachers
Discovering Computers
TDC online course for their teachers and administrators. Below is detailed information on these two programs.
For fiscal year 2002, $13,500,000,000 is authorized and appropriated for local educational agency grants throughout
the country with the sole purpose of carrying out Title I - Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged.
The Title I program is designed to help disadvantaged students meet high standards in core subject areas.
The Title I Statement of Purpose says that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a
high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and assessments.
Of the twelve ways this purpose can be accomplished, as stated under SEC. 1001 - Statement of Purpose for Title I –
Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged,
four apply directly to using Title I funds for the Teachers Discovering Computers (TDC) online course.
(1) Ensuring that high-quality academic assessments, accountability systems, teacher preparation and training,
curriculum, and instructional materials are aligned with challenging State academic standards so that students, teachers,
parents, and administrators can measure progress against common expectations for student academic achievement.
(5) Distributing and targeting resources sufficiently to make a difference to
local educational agencies and schools where needs are greatest.
(7) Providing greater decision making authority and flexibility to schools and teachers
in exchange for greater responsibility for student performance.
(10) Significantly elevating the quality of instruction by providing staff in participating schools
with substantial opportunities for professional development.
There are also Title II - Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals
monies available and these funds can be used to pay for TDC online course.
The Title II - Part A - Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund
is authorized and appropriated at $3,175,000,000 for the fiscal year 2002. More funds for TDC.
The Title II - Part B - Mathematics and Science Partnerships is authorized and appropriated at $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
The purpose of this part is to improve the academic achievement of students in the areas of mathematics and science and one way
they encourage schools to do this is to participate in programs that improve and expand training of mathematics and science teachers,
including training such teachers in the effective integration of technology into curricula and instruction.
TDC has specific curriculum tracks for math and science teachers.
The Title II - Part D - Enhancing Education through Technology
is authorized and appropriated at $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
This program is designed specifically for educational technology.
Most of the purposes of this part directly impact TDC. They are:
(1) To provide assistance to states and localities for the implementation and support of a comprehensive system that
effectively uses technology in elementary schools and secondary schools to improve student academic achievement.
(4) To promote initiatives that provide school teachers, principals, and administrators with the capacity
to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction that are aligned with challenging state academic
content and student academic achievement standards, through such means as high-quality professional development programs.
(5) To enhance the ongoing professional development of teachers, principals, and administrators
by providing constant access to training and updated research in teaching and learning through electronic means.
(7) To support the rigorous evaluation of programs funded under this part,
particularly regarding the impact of such programs on student academic achievement,
and ensure that timely information on the results of such evaluations is widely accessible through electronic means.
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) recently announced what
is required of states
as they apply for their share of the new educational
technology block-grant program
for this and coming years. New grant program, Enhancing Education through Technology,
or "Ed Tech"
for short, was created after Congress combined several
existing school technology programs,
including the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund and
Technology Innovation Challenge Grants,
under the newly reauthorized Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA).
For additional information and links on this program,
please visit the following US Department of Education press release:
"The goals of the new
program, which is included in the No Child Left Behind Act,
are to improve student
academic achievement through the use of technology in elementary schools
and secondary schools; assist
students in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that they are
technologically
literate by the time they
finish the eighth grade; and ensure that teachers are able to integrate
technology
into the curriculum to
improve student achievement."
"Our mission should be
about the quality of education, not the quantity of computers.
We must focus on how we use
technology to get results. And that’s what this program is designed to
do,"
said Education Secretary Rod
Paige.
One final and important note on Title I and Title II – Congress made many changes to the Title I
and Title II programs this year. In the past, the funds were basically distributed to the states and
the states followed very broad guidelines for spending the funds. Times have definitely changed.
The current program contains very specific guidelines and one of these is the funding must be
spend by states on “research-based” programs. TDC is an extensively research-based course
and possibly the only fully research-based technology course being offered to teachers today.
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