WCS Receives $450K Grant For Professional Development Of Teachers
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Schools will be able to provide professional development to its teachers in the areas of math and science thanks to a three-year $450,000 grant. “Warsaw was one of the top choices” for the Mathematics and Science Partnership grant, according to Jeremy Eltz, Indiana Department of Education science specialist, Friday morning. “The application process is pretty tough. That weeds a lot of people out. It’s a partnership grant so they’re expected to have partnerships with higher education and businesses,” Eltz said. “There were 25 applications, and each was 60 to 100 pages. It’s a difficult process. We will only fund the most innovative applications.” This is the second time in less than a week that the IDOE has announced WCS was the recipient of a grant of more than $400,000. Friday, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett announced WCS would be recommended for a $435,000 Excellence in Performance for Teachers grant. In January 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act became law, according to the Indiana Department of Education website. Title II, Part B of the act authorizes a Mathematics and Science Partnership competitive grant program. The intent of this program is to encourage institutes of higher education, local school corporations, elementary schools and secondary schools to participate in professional development activities that increase the subject matter knowledge and teaching skills of mathematics and science teachers, the website states. Professional development activities must be sustained, intensive, classroom-focused and aligned with state and local standards and mathematics and science curricula. These activities must result in a measurable improvement in student academic achievement in mathematics and science. In Indiana, according to the website, these funds are used to improve and upgrade the status and stature of mathematics and science teaching and learning in kindergarten to eighth grade. Eltz said the $450,000 Partnership grant is for three years. Each school gets to decide how they want to distribute the money. As part of receiving the grant, there are several requirements, he said. They have to provide 80 hours of summer development and provide ongoing development through the school year. Grant recipients must maintain a partnership with higher education and must partner with a science, technology, engineering and math faculty member. “The money has to go to the professional development of teachers,” Eltz said. The application process opened at the beginning of October and applications were due by Nov. 14. With the change of leadership at the IDOE because Bennett lost the election to Glenda Ritz, Eltz said the applications were not reviewed until December. The grants were awarded Jan. 4. Since it is a federal grant, the money is provided to the states usually in summer, he said. Indiana received just more than $3 million. “Warsaw can start spending the money right now,” Eltz said. The grant was backdated to November, and it is a reimbursement grant. David Hoffert, Warsaw Community Schools chief academics officer, said Friday the grant will provide professional development for sixth-grade through high school teachers. “We will partner with Ball State University and Manchester University,” he said, and BSU will lead the professional development. According to a summary of Warsaw’s grant application, provided Friday by WCS Instructional Coach Christine Bonifield, “Ball State University will conduct professional development with the goal to deepen our math and science teachers’ content knowledge and improve our instructional practices. Ball State faculty will guide grade level math and science teams in the research and collaborative design of integrated and relevant problems that capture students’ natural curiosity. Manchester University will conduct the external evaluation. “BSU mathematics and science faculty will facilitate unpacking key Indiana State Standards and the Common Core State Standards (including the eight mathematical practice standard and content literacy standards) for math and science at each grade level. Professors will provide professional development in engineering design processes as well as training in reflective analysis of the work. Teachers will solve problems and present to their colleagues. Our students will develop the mindset of a problem solver, who analyzes, perseveres and defends solutions with 21st Century skills,” it continues. “By capitalizing on the natural curiosity of students to solve relevant problems and developing the capacity of our teachers with improved STEM knowledge as well as inquiry, problem based learning, and reflection skills, our students will be ready to pursue their dreams and conquer new challenges.” Bonifield said the grant money will provide summer institutes of professional development for teachers in 2013, 2014 and 2015 of 80 hours each. Taking part in those programs will be math and science teachers, support teachers and administrators. “The goal will be to dive deep in the state Common Core Standards,” Bonifield said. “We will take math and science problems deeper, to a higher level. Then make it relevant (for the students).” Bonifield emphasized the grant will benefit all Warsaw schools. “All schools will have a STEM presence with professional support and training in how to develop young scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians,” she said. The development of the grant application was a collaboration between teachers and administrators, who then presented their vision to BSU, she said. “I love it was a true collaboration effort with teachers and administrators and Ball State University at the table. It was a true team effort,” Bonifield said. Along with Bonifield, the grant writers included WCS Professional Learning Communities coach Lorinda Kline, Instructional Coach Kyle Carter and Edgewood Middle School Principal JoElla Smyth.
