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:
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.
Project Description | Grant 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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