Title II Part A Preparing, Training and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals

The purpose of Title II – Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals is to provide financial assistance to increase student academic achievement through strategies such as improving teacher and principal quality and increasing the number of highly qualified teacher in the classroom and highly qualified principals in schools.

Bloomfield Schools uses Title II Part A funds in the following “allowable activities”:

· Support the development and implementation of mechanisms to assist schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, including specialists in core academic subjects and principals.

· Address the “Qualification for Teachers and Paraprofessionals” as described in Section 1119 of the NCLB act.

· Provide professional development activities that improve the knowledge of teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases, paraprofessionals concerning:

1. One or more of the academic subjects that the teachers teach,

2. Effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills,

3. Use of the State academic standards and benchmarks, and State assessments,

4. Use of data and assessment to improve classroom practices and student learning.

5. How to teach and address the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly student with disabilities, students with special learning needs, and students with limited English proficiency,

6. Provide training to enable teachers and principals to involve parents in their child’s education, especially parents of limited English proficient and immigrant children.

· Involve the hiring of highly qualified teachers in order to reduce class size, particularly in the early grades.

District activities supporting above “allowable activities”

· Reimbursement for NMTA fees for elementary and content areas. Reimbursement for coursework taken to meet waiver requirements.

· Partial District Math Specialist to work with K – 8 classroom teachers in math content.

· Three one-hour graduate courses in EPSS focus areas and professional training in Differentiated instruction for grades 4 – 8 teachers.

· Contract service with San Juan College to administer the Parapro test and provide test preparation training.

· Reimbursement for Parapro fee

· Stipend for Portfolio class to be offered at San Juan College fall 04

· Fee for La Prueba testing for new bilingual teachers

· Mentoring stipends

· Membership for San Juan County Administrators Academy.

· Recruiting expenses

· Class size reduction @ 3.5 fte