Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants (Title II, Part A of the Higher Education Act): Overview and Reauthorization Issues

Publication Date: July 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area:

Type:

Abstract:

The Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants program (Title II, Part A of the Higher Education Act) seeks to improve K-12 teacher preparation programs at higher education institutions. The 108th Congress is considering this authority along with the rest of the Higher Education Act (HEA) for reauthorization. On July 9, 2003, the House passed legislation to amend and reauthorize HEA Title II (H.R. 2211, Ready to Teach Act of 2003).

Title II Part A authorizes three types of competitively awarded grants -- state grants, partnership grants, and recruitment grants -- with the annual appropriation divided 45%, 45%, and 10% respectively among these kinds of grants. State grants are one-time, 3-year grants for such activities as holding teacher preparation programs accountable for quality of their graduates or reforming teacher certification requirements. Partnership grants are one-time, 5-year grants to partnerships that must include at least three entities: an institution with a high performing teacher preparation program, a school of arts and sciences, and a high need school district. Among required uses are teacher preparation program accountability and professional development. Recruitment grants are one-time, 3-year grants to states or partnerships, supporting scholarships with a teaching service requirement or activities to recruit highly qualified teachers for high need districts and schools.

States receiving HEA funds must report annually on the quality of teacher preparation, including information on the pass rates of graduates on initial certification assessments. Higher education institutions enrolling HEA-aided students in their teacher preparation program must report annually detailing, among other things, the certification exam pass rates of graduates. States must establish procedures for identifying low-performing teacher preparation programs. If states withdraw approval or funding due to this designation, the affected programs cannot enroll students receiving HEA Title IV federal student aid.

During the HEA reauthorization process, the following grant-related issues may be considered: program effectiveness; mandated division of the annual appropriation when most states have received these one-time only grants; and the mix of kinds of grants and kinds of activities. Issues regarding the general accountability provisions may include: inconsistency across states in standards for identifying low-performing teacher preparation programs; effectiveness of a pass rate-based accountability framework for teacher preparation programs; the reporting by states and institutions of 100% pass rates; and possible alternatives to the current framework.

Among its provisions, H.R. 2211 as passed by the House focuses on the preparation and recruitment of highly qualified teachers as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, drops the one-time only limit on state grants, emphasizes recruitment and preparation of minority teachers, somewhat expands activities preparing teachers to use technology, and broadens the pool of students for whom pass rates are calculated.