The Institute for Excellence in Education (IEE) is proud to be identified as a preferred provider for the Michigan Department of Education’s Title II, Part A, Teacher and Leader Instruction Competitive Grants Program. This grant provides schools and districts with the opportunity to apply for funding to support projects in three categories; 1) Building and District Leader Supports, 2) Teacher Supports, or 3) Educator Evaluation System Supports. The grant requires that schools work with a provider for this grant process.
IEE has a long history of providing high quality professional learning experiences which yield academic results. As an approved provider, IEE is well positioned to support your school/district in the application process and the implementation of professional development as required by the RFP. Districts must submit the grant proposal via MEGS+. IEE has begun drafting grant language to support the submission process.
IEE is available to work with your district to customize an approach should that be of interest. However, to support a quick response time, IEE has put together some options for your consideration. If you are interested in learning more about working collaboratively with IEE on this project, take a look at the suggested offerings below and then fill out this short survey (Click here for the link) An IEE team member will reach out to you to keep this process moving.
1) Building and District Leader Supports
Distributed Leadership Development
IEE is in the final months of a U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) grant focused on developing a distributed leadership model which shifts school climate and culture and ultimately improves student academic outcomes. Preliminary data indicates that there has been academic growth in project schools in Michigan and Kentucky. This is an evidence-based approach to building leadership capacity. The proposed project under this focus area would model that project.
The demands on principals are great. It has become clear that one person cannot address all of the needs of the school. To that end, distributed leadership provides schools with consistent support at every level improving the buildings climate and culture. School leadership teams, consisting of the building principal and four teacher leaders, learn how to work collaboratively to set academic goals, monitor student progress and reflect on school level outcomes. School leadership teams participating in this focus area will engage in the following:
- Leadership Seminar Series (3 days during the 2019-2020 school year)
- Coaching Support (7 days during the 2019-2020 school year)
- Power of You Conference
- Self-Study Analysis (2 times during the 2019-2020 school year)
- Academic Data Analysis (2 – 3 times during the 2019-2020 school year)
Grant funding would cover all of the above activities plus substitute teachers’ expenses for the seminars. Elementary, middle school and high school leadership teams are welcome to participate.
2) Teacher Supports
Starting Off Strong – Beginning Teacher Practice
IEE team members believe in partnering with schools to support educators to improve their culture/climate and student achievement. We understand that schools know their own schools best and that the educators in the school have a vision for what they want for their students, educators and community. IEE seeks to empower educators to achieve their own goals because we believe that sustainable change happens from “the inside out.”
Teacher retention is a challenge which has been accelerated by the teacher shortage. Research tells us that teachers who receive appropriate supports during their first three to five years of teaching remain in teaching longer. IEE coaches provide expert support to build teacher efficacy and support their learning in key areas during the first three to five years of their career. These areas include classroom management, formative and summative assessment, instructional practices and student engagement. Each participating teacher will receive a one-to-one coach to support their professional growth.
Teachers participating in this focus area will engage in the following:
- Starting off Strong Seminar Series (3 days during the 2019-2020 school year)
- Coaching Support (On site and virtual during the 2019-2020 school year)
- Academic Data Analysis (formatively multiple times per year)
Grant funding would cover all of the above activities plus substitute teachers’ expenses for the seminars. Elementary, middle school and high school teachers are welcome to participate. It is recommended that schools/ districts identify a minimum of 5 teachers in their first 3-5 years of practice to participate in the project.
3) Educator Evaluation System Supports
Five Types of Feedback
Effective evaluation systems provide educators with meaningful feedback which guides individual continuous improvement through goal setting and reflection. Providing meaningful feedback requires that the educator understand the five types of feedback:
- Judgement- comments placing value positive or negative.
- Personal Observations-these comments come from an observer and may not hold true for others. They can be in many forms not limited to advice, suggestions, opinions.
- Inferences- These statements usually are from the observer and require someone to figure out what might be implied.
- Data- Specific, observable information that illicit reflection and response from an individual.
- Meditative Questions- Artfully asked questions that invite thinking, they are open-ended an are intended to mediate someone’s thinking.
Each of these types of feedback has a specific goal and yield different responses. It is important when district administrators or coaches give feedback to teachers that they are purposeful in the feedback type they select in order to support educator growth. This four-day seminar will support school leaders, coaches and mentors as they refine evaluations systems and practices to support continuous improvement. Participants in this focus area engage in the following:
- Five Types of Feedback Seminar (4 days during 2019-2020 school year)
- Evaluation Mentor (On-site and virtual during the 2019-2020 school year)
Grant funding will cover all of the above activities. It is recommended that districts send administrative and coaching teams.
Take the survey or call our office to begin the process!
