Narrow the focus of Title IIA

A new report from the American Institutes of Research argues that in reauthorizing the ESEA, Congress must reengineer Title IIA to focus strictly on the continuous performance improvement of staff and schools. Title IIA sends $2.5 billion per year to all states and nearly all districts to "(1) increase student academic achievement through strategies such as improving teacher and principal quality and increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in the classroom and highly qualified principals and assistant principals in schools; and (2) hold local educational agencies and schools accountable for improvements in student academic achievement." Currently, state, district, and school leaders can use funds on a long list of permissible activities (including tenure reform, student loan forgiveness, and educator bonuses), though most districts spend Title IIA dollars on professional development and class-size reduction. Research shows that teacher professional development, as defined in the law and pursued across the country, has had disappointing impacts on teacher practice and student learning. Thirteen years after introduction and some $30 billion later, Title IIA has not had the effect on teacher and principal quality or student achievement once hoped. The report recommends that Congress redefine "professional development," focusing Title IIA strictly on continuous performance improvement, and keep implementation flexible. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.