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Federal Grants Awarded to Improve K-12 Teaching in Minnesota

Archive

4/20/2009


 

Contact: Sandy Connolly, Director of Communications
Office of Higher Education
(651) 259-3902

Twenty-three grants totaling over $1 million were awarded to Minnesota higher education institutions and a nonprofit organization to support improved K-12 instruction in mathematics, science, civics and government, economics, history and geography, the Office of Higher Education announced today.

The projects funded will provide the most up-to-date instructional strategies and technologies to promote student success. The classroom-focused nature of these year-long projects will advance teacher understanding of effective instruction for all students, regardless of individual learning styles or needs, said Nancy Walters, Program Manager for the Office of Higher Education.

The grants, totaling $1,166,688, were made available with federal funding from the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. With the funds designated for higher education under this initiative, each state's higher education agency awards competitive grants to colleges and universities working in partnership with one or more high-need school districts. The grants support professional development programs to assure that low-income students have access to quality instruction and experienced teaching professionals. (The number of children from families with incomes below the poverty line in a district determines its designation as a high-need school district.)

Grant recipients for 2009-2010 are:

  • University of Minnesota received nine grants totaling $503,722
  • Bemidji State University received four grants totaling $162,121
  • Hamline University received three grants totaling $160,741
  • Macalester College received two grants totaling $104,842
  • Minnesota Council on Economic Education received two grants totaling $104,748
  • The College of St. Scholastica received a grant of $48,056
  • Augsburg College received a grant of $42,000
  • St. Cloud State University received a grant of $40,458

The 23 grantees will have the opportunity to extend their work with program participants during the 2010-2011 academic year as they work to improve the effectiveness of the experiences that teachers provide their students.

List of projects funded for the fourth year under the Improving Teacher Quality Program of the No Child Left Behind Act
Project DescriptionGrant Amount
I. In-service Projects for Teachers in Mathematics
Number Theory for Middle and Senior High School Teachers
Macalester College
$44,842
Gearing Up for Algebra I for Middle School Teachers
Hamline University
$42,111
Probability, Statistics and Assessment for Middle and High School Teachers
Bemidji State University
$51,464
Foundations of Arithmetic I for Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals and Elementary and Middle School Teachers
Bemidji State University
$28,406
Foundations of Arithmetic II for Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals and Elementary and Middle School Teachers
Bemidji State University
$28,652
Number Sense & Number Theory for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
Bemidji State University
$53,599
Foundations of Algebra for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
University of Minnesota
$54,545
Supporting K-4 Teachers in Increasing Student Achievement in Mathematics
St. Cloud State University
$40,458
II. In-service Mathematics Projects for Teachers in Science
Monarchs & More: Insect Ecology for Elementary Teachers
University of Minnesota
$59,976
Investigating Environment to Understand Concepts of Science in Grades K-8 for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
University of Minnesota
$57,720
Evolution, Controversy & Standards for High School Teachers
University of Minnesota
$42,866
Inquiring Minds: Itasca Field Biology 2009 for Elementary Teachers
University of Minnesota
$59,966
Investigative Plant Biology for Elementary Teachers
University of Minnesota
$56,532
Renewable Energy and Bioproducts for Middle and High School Teachers
University of Minnesota
$53,866
Schoolyard Ecology Explorations for Secondary Teachers
University of Minnesotax
$59,576
Nanotechnology Education for Secondary Teachers
University of Minnesota
$58,675
Earth Science Systems for Teachers (Grades K-12)
Hamline University
$59,767
Biotechnology/Microbiology for Teachers in the Classroom (BioTIC) for Middle and High School Teachers
Hamline University
$58,863
III. In-service Projects for Teachers in Civics and Government, Economics, History and Geography
Teaching Minnesota Academic Standards in Geography and History via Authentic Pedagogy for Intermediate through High School Teachers
Macalester College
$60,000
Inquiry and Research: An Interdisciplinary History Institute for K-12 Teachers
The College of St. Scholastica
$48,056
Using Paideia Seminars in History, Civics, Geography, and Economics for Secondary Teachers
Augsburg College
$42,000
Enhancing Social Studies Curricula with Economics for Middle and High School Teachers
Minnesota Council on Economic Education
$49,922
Using Children's Literature to Teach Economics for K-8 Teachers
Minnesota Council on Economic Education
$54,826

In total, Minnesota received $38.5 million for 2009-2010 under the federal Improving Teacher Quality Program. The Minnesota Department of Education administers the larger portion of these funds for state and district-level teacher quality efforts. The federal award to state agencies and local school districts help ensure that teachers have subject-matter knowledge and teaching skills necessary to help all children achieve high academic standards.

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is a cabinet-level state agency providing students with financial aid programs and information to help them gain access to postsecondary education. The agency also serves as the state's clearinghouse for data, research and analysis on postsecondary enrollment, financial aid, finance and trends and administers this and other grant programs for educators.

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