Are You a College With a “Low-Performing” or “At-Risk” Teacher Preparation Program? Want a Grant For Programs with “High-Quality Teacher” Programs? No Problem.

I’m reading about the new proposed Federal Teacher Preparation Rules.  (They look ok to me, so far.)  In any case, I came across this.  It is reminiscent of the program I wrote about here.

(See Note below.)

“…a teacher preparation program must provide high-quality teacher preparation in order to be eligible to award TEACH Grants. However, of the 38 programs identified by States as “low performing” or “at-risk,” 22 programs were based in IHE’s [Institutions of Higher Education] participating in the TEACH Grant program….”

(“…The TEACH Grant program…provides grants to eligible IHEs, which…use the funds to provide grants…to eligible teacher preparation candidates who agree to serve as full-time teachers in high-need fields and schools…”)

(Italics added for emphasis.)

From: Executive Summary

of

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Parts 612 and 686

RIN 1840-AD07

[Docket ID ED-2014-OPE-0057]

Teacher Preparation Issues

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

 NOTE:  In 2009, there were 721 Teach-Grant-Eligible programs.  I know how math, and probably most subjects, are taught in three of those schools.  I don’t believe they are “high-quality”.  Maybe,  I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.