Invitation to join teacher evaluation program

PDE to launch Phase II of the teacher evaluation program

Building upon its Phase I pilot, the PA Department of Education will conduct a Phase II teacher evaluation pilot program during the 2011-12 school year and seeks participants for the initiative.

PDE invites school districts, charter schools, intermediate units and career and technical centers to join them in the development of a new teacher evaluation system, which is scheduled to be formally introduced during the 2012-13 school year.

(Reposted from TEAM PA Foundation newsletter)

Wallace Foundation supports principal initiative

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Wallace Foundation has announced the launch of a five-year, $75 million initiative designed to help six urban school districts develop and groom qualified principals and determine whether the investment improves student achievement, especially in high-need schools.

Based on ten years of research, Wallace has identified four key parts of a "principal pipeline" that it believes can develop and ensure the success of a sufficient number of principals to meet a school district's needs: rigorous job requirements, high-quality training, selective hiring, and on-the-job evaluation and support. The initiative will provide the participating districts with up to $12.5 million over the next five years to develop, hire, and support effective school principals. Funding from Wallace, however, will account for only two-thirds of the total investment; the districts will be required to make up the remaining third as a condition of the grants.

Selected from a pool of ninety candidates, the six districts are Charlotte-Mecklenburg in North Carolina; Denver; Gwinnett County in Georgia; Hillsborough County in Florida; New York City; and Prince George's County in Maryland. In the initiative's first phase, Wallace will distribute a total of $21.35 million, including up to $17 million to build the pipeline in the six districts and up to $3.5 million for independent research that will examine the districts' efforts and answer a number of questions.

The foundation also will make additional grants to provide the districts with needed expertise and learning opportunities, including $600,000 to the Education Development Center to work with each district to assess the quality of its leader training programs and $250,000 to the New York City Leadership Academy to help create a "learning community" that will enable participants to exchange ideas, discuss common problems, and engage with evaluators and other experts.

“The Wallace Foundation Launches Major 'Principal Pipeline' Initiative to Help School Districts Build Corps of Effective School Leaders.” Wallace Foundation Press Release 8/23/11.

Motorola invests $5.5M in STEM

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Motorola Solutions Foundation in Schaumburg, Illinois, has announced grants totaling $5.5 million to one hundred nonprofits working to provide science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education programs to students across the United States.

Awarded through the foundation's Innovation Generation initiative, the grants will support interactive afterschool programs and camps, science and math clubs, and mentoring programs for more than a hundred thousand teachers and students, from preschool to university.

This year's grantees all support the initiative's four focus areas, which include teaching STEM subjects while also developing innovative thinking and creative problem-solving skills; focusing on girls and minorities, who are currently underrepresented in STEM fields; engaging students and teachers in innovative, hands-on activities; and leveraging the skills and experience of Motorola Solutions employees by involving them in volunteer programs where they can help teach and inspire students.

Two recent studies from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration found that those working in STEM fields experience lower rates of unemployment and earn 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts. Furthermore, women working in STEM fields, who account for fewer than 25 percent of total jobs in the field, earn 33 percent more on average than do women in other fields.

“Motorola Solutions Foundation Announces 2011 Innovation Generation Grant Recipients.” Motorola Foundation Press Release 8/15/11.

Lowe's Toolbox for Education

[from Philanthropy News Digest]

The Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant program, funded by the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, provides grant awards of up to $5,000 to support school improvement projects at public schools throughout the U.S. Now in its sixth year, the program has donated over $25 million to more than five thousand K-12 schools, benefiting over two million schoolchildren.

For the 2011-12 program, basic needs will take priority. There is a preference for funding requests that have a permanent impact such as facility enhancement (both indoor and outdoor) as well as landscaping/cleanup projects. Projects that encourage parent involvement and build stronger community spirit will be favored. Please note the grant money cannot be used to pay for memorials, stipends, salaries, artists in residence, field trips, scholarships, or third party funding.

Sample project ideas include reading gardens, vegetable gardens, physical fitness areas, school landscaping projects, school nature trails, parent involvement centers, peer tutoring centers, playgrounds, and rotating student art exhibits.

Any individual U.S. public K-12 school or nonprofit parent group associated with a public K-12 school is eligible to apply. Parent groups that are applying (PTO, PTA, etc.) must have an independent EIN and official 501(c)(3) status from the IRS. Groups without 501(c)(3) status should apply through their school. Preschools are not eligible.

Grant request must be between $2,000 and $5,000 per school. Lowe's will donate $5 million to schools and school parent/teacher groups at more than one thousand different schools during the school year.

The deadline for submitting applications for the fall 2011 grant cycle is October 14, 2011. However, if 1,500 or more applications are received before the application deadline, the application process will close.

Visit the Toolbox for Education Web site for complete program guidelines, application materials, sample project ideas, and successful sample grant application.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP