ED Opens Competition for ELL Professional Development Grants

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 01/07/16

The United States Department of Education is taking on professional development of teachers and others working with English language learners (ELL). The federal agency recently unveiled a multi-million dollar competitive grant program specifically for colleges and universities to team up with their states or districts to provide professional development activities intended to improve instructional practices in ELL.

Professional development may include preservice or in-service activities for educators of English learners, including teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals or others educators working with these students.

The department expects to issue 53 awards ranging from $350,000 to $550,000 per year for up to five years. The institutions of higher education will work as the fiscal agents for the funding, though the application process requires those schools to obtain a memo of understanding from the local education agencies they intend to work with on their training programs.

This isn't the first competitive program addressing the English learner segment. Since 2008 the department has awarded an estimated $328 million in National Professional Development Program grants to help educators working with students learning the English language.

"These grants are a smart investment in biliteracy, family and community engagement and expanding professional development for educators working to meet the needs of English learner students," said John King, acting secretary of education, in a prepared statement. "With this funding, we continue to deliver on our promise of equity, excellence and opportunity in supporting educators, students and families across the country."

The deadline for submitting applications is February 19, 2016. The program is hosted at ed.gov.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • digital learning resources including a document, video tutorial, quiz checklist, pie chart, and AI cloud icon

    Quizizz Rebrands as Wayground, Announces New AI Features

    Learning platform Quizizz has become Wayground, in a rebranding meant to reflect "the platform's evolution from a quiz tool into a more versatile supplemental learning platform that's supported by AI," according to a news announcement.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Survey: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    A recent Intel-commissioned report identifies a significant shift in AI adoption, moving away from the cloud and closer to the user. Businesses are increasingly turning to the specialized hardware of AI PCs, the survey found, recognizing their potential not just for productivity gains, but for revolutionizing IT efficiency, fortifying data security, and delivering a compelling return on investment by bringing AI capabilities directly to the edge.

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    Nonprofit LawZero to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.