NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Partnerships for Innovative Troops to Teachers Programs to Expand Pennsylvania's Teacher Workforce in Subject Shortage Areas Guidelines

[47 Pa.B. 3852]
[Saturday, July 15, 2017]

 The Partnerships for Innovative Troops to Teachers Programs to Expand Pennsylvania's Teacher Workforce in Subject Shortage Areas guidelines are established to provide direction to partnerships as they submit applications focusing on innovative and alternative pathways for military veterans to complete a teacher preparation program, apply for a Pennsylvania instructional certificate and teach in a subject shortage area or in a local education agency (LEA) with the greatest shortages, which are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Subject Shortage Areas and LEAs with Greatest Shortages

Subject Shortage Areas	School Districts with Greatest Shortages	Area Vocational Comprehensive Technology Centers and Charter Schools with Greatest Shortages	Intermediate Units with Greatest Shortages
English as a Second  Language PreK—12 Fine and Performing Arts  PreK—12, including Art,  Music and Theater Foreign Languages  PreK—12, including all  world languages Hearing Impaired PreK—12 Sciences 7—12, including  Biology, Chemistry, Earth  and Space Science,  General Science and  Physics Mathematics 7—12 Special Education PreK—12 Speech and Language  Impaired PreK—12 Visually Impaired PreK—12 Vocational Education 7—12	Allentown City Council Rock Hazleton Area North Penn Philadelphia City Pittsburgh Public	Frederick Douglass Mastery  CS Lehigh Career and  Technical Institute Mastery CS—Gratz Campus Olney Charter HS York County School of  Technology	Capital Area IU 15 Central Susquehanna IU 16 Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 Montgomery County IU 23 Chester County IU 24 Delaware County IU 25

 Applications submitted in response to these guidelines are limited to Statewide partnerships aimed at providing alternative pathways for veterans to become classroom teachers. Competitive applications submitted under these guidelines will:

 1. Expand this Commonwealth's educator pipeline by utilizing alternative pathways to prepare a cohort of retired military personnel to become certified to teach in LEAs that have critical vacancies in subjects that are difficult to fill with appropriately qualified teachers.

 2. Implement specially-designed alternative certification pathways that include a year-long residency program. These alternative pathways will start with knowledge and skills that are critical and essential for a novice teacher to have (that is, classroom management, analyzing student data, application of different teaching strategies, learning multiple ways to assess student learning, leadership skills, ability to collaborate with adults, strong professional dispositions appropriate for teaching, learning strategies designed for educating children from backgrounds that are diverse, dual language learners and to advance the development and learning of children who have specialized developmental or learning needs, such as children with disabilities or learning delays). Providing immediate opportunities for the skills and knowledge to be practiced and applied in a real high-poverty/minority classroom setting is essential in preparing effective teachers.

 3. Develop sustainable relationships that culminate in high quality practice-based/clinical experiences for this Commonwealth's future teachers who will teach in high-poverty/minority schools.

 4. Recruit veterans and implement successful outreach services¹ and strategies for veterans to provide intensive support to veterans during their first year of teaching by matching them with a classroom teacher who holds the same type of certification and has demonstrated abilities in helping all children learn. Student teacher supervisors, cooperating teachers and principals will learn effective coaching strategies to use with new and current teachers.

 5. Connect veterans with the Pennsylvania's Troops to Teachers office (office) for additional outreach and one-on-one support. The office will collaborate with any LEA participating in a partnership to establish hire-in-advance agreements. Additionally, through the assignment of a designated staff person, the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality will assist veterans as they navigate the Commonwealth's certification requirements and Teacher Information Management System.

 Each partnership will designate a teacher preparation entity as the lead organization responsible for all aspects of the project.

 Approximately $200,000 is available on a competitive basis under this grant application for one funding cycle beginning in fall 2017 and ending spring 2018. Additional grant funds may be available for up to 5 years if the Department of Education (Department) succeeds in submitting a proposal that is accepted for funding.

Eligibility Requirements

 Partnerships under the application guidelines are created to expand the teacher workforce in this Commonwealth's LEAs that struggle to hire and retain new classroom teachers. To be eligible to submit a proposal under these guidelines, a partnership shall include:

 1. Multiple teacher preparation entities across this Commonwealth strategically located in close proximity to partner LEAs.

 2. Multiple LEAs previously listed in Table 1.

 Additional partners may include:

 1. A Commonwealth intermediate unit.

 2. A nonprofit cultural or educational organization.

 3. Teacher organizations.

 4. Business and community members.

 It is the intent of the Department to fund Statewide partnerships that include a network of institutions of higher education and LEAs, as well as other entities and organizations that may add value to the work of the partnership.

Application Deadline

 Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 31, 2017.

 The grant application guidelines and forms will be available on the Department's web site on July 17, 2017.

 Questions concerning the grant application should be addressed to Stephanie Stauffer, Division of Professional Education and Teacher Quality, Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality, Department of Education, 333 Market Street, 12th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333, (717) 783-6763, TDD (717) 783-8445, sstauffer@pa.gov.

PEDRO A. RIVERA, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 17-1166. Filed for public inspection July 14, 2017, 9:00 a.m.]

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¹  Vision of ''every service member interested in a career in teaching will receive assistance to transition his or her leadership, training and core values to teaching in kindergarten through grade twelve schools'' (www.proudtoserveagain.com).

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