Title II Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant
Connecticut's Title II Grant: An Overview
The goal of the Connecticut's Title II Teacher Quality
Enhancement Grant Program is to provide professional development
workshops and funding to Connecticut's teacher preparation programs
to support developing
performance-based assessments, and revise curricula accordingly, to
ensure that future teacher candidates demonstrate competencies
related to their field of study based on state and national
standards. The $2 million grant was awarded to the CSDE in the fall
of 1999 through December 31,2003.
An important factor in teacher preparation is the preparation
program approval process. In 1998, Connecticut enacted regulations
to adopt program approval standards effective July 1, 2003, which
include those developed by the National Council for Accreditation
of Teacher Education (NCATE). These standards outline expectations
for educator preparation institutions to develop assessment systems
for monitoring educator candidates at different stages of the
preparation program through authentic, performance-based
assessments. Beginning in 2003, the state program approval will be
based upon the institution's demonstration of candidate
competencies. Therefore, teacher programs will need to be
re-conceptualized to address these new requirements and provide
performance based data about the competency of their candidates.
The key players in the implementation of the state grant are
workgroups of faculty of Connecticut's educator preparation
institutions, ideally working with faculty of the arts and sciences
and with selected teachers and administrators in the public
schools. Workgroups of these educators will be formed to collaboratively
develop performance assessments that inform the reconceptualization of the
curriculum to focus on competency based preparation.
For information about all Title II TQE Grants issued by USDOE, click here.
State Grant Objectives
- 10 Faculty Workgroup Grants (see Workgroup Studies) focused on Developing and Piloting Performance Assessments for Teacher Candidates
- A Student Teaching Evaluation Workgroup who developed an instrument and training for Cooperating Teachers and University Supervisors to assess student teaching performance
- Professional Development Workshops and Conferences focused on Competency/Performance Based Teacher Preparation
- Connecticut-England Exchange regarding Performance Based Assessment Teacher Preparation and Induction
- Alternate Route to Certification (ARC) Recruitment and Training for Urban School Districts and Shortage Areas
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If you require further information, please contact: Georgette Nemr Title II Project Director Bureau of Educator Preparation and Certification Connecticut State Department of Education P.O. Box 150471 - Room 243 Hartford, Connecticut 06115-0471 Telephone: (860) 713-6969 Fax: (860) 713-7017 |