National Board Certification, Take One! professional development and other NBPTS programs are well positioned to be at the forefront of national school reform efforts and benefit from current federal funding opportunities, including as part of state and local implementation of the following programs detailed below:

• Education Jobs
• State Fiscal Stabilization Fund
• Race to the Top
• Race to the Top Assessment Program
• Investing in Innovation Fund
• Title I School Improvement Grants
• Teacher Incentive Fund
• Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
• Title II-A of ESEA (Improving Teacher Quality State Grants)
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• Title VII of ESEA (Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native Education)

Education Jobs Fund

On August 10, 2010, President Obama signed into law $10 billion in funding to help states save educator jobs across the country.  The U.S. Department of Education (ED) published guidance and the state application on August 13th.  States have until September 9th to apply.  ED plans to approve each application within two weeks of submission. 

States must allocate all but two percent of their allocation to local educational agencies (LEAs).  To receive the Education Jobs funding, a state must provide data related to the four education reform assurances (teacher equity, data, standards and assessments, and struggling schools) originally required as part of the Recovery Act’s State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF).  A state that has a recently approved SFSF Phase II application does not need to provide further assurances.  As of August 2010, however, 17 states (AL, CA, CT, HI, ME, MD, MS, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, WI) did not have an approved Phase II application.

According to the statute, LEAs may use Ed Jobs funds only for “compensation and benefits and other expenses, such as support services, necessary to retain existing employees, to recall or rehire former employees, in order to provide early childhood, elementary, or secondary educational and related services.”  ED guidance is slightly more specific – LEA use of funds “includes, among other things (emphasis added), salaries, performance bonuses, health insurance, retirement benefits, incentives for early retirement, pension fund contributions, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment assistance, transportation subsidies, and reimbursement for childcare expenses.”  The ED guidance also states that the Governor may not direct how an LEA uses its Education Jobs funds. 

Depending on whether a school district opts to use its Education Jobs funding allocation for professional development or performance-based compensation, there may be an opportunity to leverage NBPTS activities at this level.  These activities could take the form of compensation tied to National Board Certification or professional development that includes Take One! or providing mentoring opportunities for National Board Certified Teachers.

Additional background is available at this link: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/educationjobsfund/applicant.html.  

State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF)

To the extent funding is still available, advocate for school districts to use their State Fiscal  Stabilization Fund allocations on professional development and school reform efforts that include significant roles for National Board Certified Teachers, and that the evidence-based process and standards of the National Board be used as a model for these efforts.  See additional background at these links: http://www.nbpts.org/get_involved/american_recovery_and_re/national_board_certifica (NBPTS document) or http://www2.ed.gov/programs/statestabilization/applicant.html.

Race to the Top (RTTT)

The 10 winners for the second (and as of now, last) round of Race to the Top (RTTT) funding were named by ED on August 24, 2010: District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island.  Delaware and Tennessee were announced as winners of the first round in March 2010.  Additional background is available at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html. 

Eight of the 10 winning applications mentioned National Board certification.  To the extent funding was awarded to your state in August, advocate for inclusion of National Board Certified Teachers in the development and implementation of teacher professional development, evaluation, and compensation systems; that the evidence-based process and standards of the National Board be used as a model for these systems; and that teachers achieving National Board certification be compensated with additional pay.  

Race to the Top Assessment Program

Applications for this program were due on June 23, 2010.  ED received three eligible applications – two for the Comprehensive Assessment Systems competition (one is led by WA with participation of 31 total states and the other by FL with participation of 26 states) and one for the High School Course Assessment competition (includes 12 states).  Winners are expected to be announced in September.   Additional background is available at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-assessment/index.html

To the extent funding is awarded to state in your jurisdiction is September, advocate for alignment of these new standards to NBPTS standards.

Investing in Innovation Fund (i3)

On August 5, 2010, ED announced that 49 school districts, nonprofit education organizations and institutions of higher education were selected from among nearly 1,700 applicants for Investing in Innovation (i3) grants.  To receive funding, the winning applicants must secure a commitment for a 20 percent private sector match by September 8th.  Additional background is available at this link: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/index.html. 
 
To the extent funding is awarded to a school district, nonprofit organization, or institution of higher education in your jurisdiction in September, advocate, as applicable, for inclusion of National Board Certified Teachers in the development and implementation of teacher professional development, evaluation, and compensation systems;  that the evidence-based process and standards of the National Board be used as a model for these systems; and that any compensation system developed or enhanced through these funds reward teachers who obtain National Board certification with additional pay.  

Title I School Improvement Grants (SIG)

As the Title I School Improvement Grant program (SIG, 1003(g)) is formula funding, all states receive funding upon an approved application.   To receive SIG funding, states had to choose from four models for turning around their lowest performing schools: turnaround, transformation, restart, or school closure.  The turnaround and transformation models specifically require the use of job-embedded professional development, which may provide a leverage point for implementing Take One!  The transformation model also requires the development of a teacher evaluation system – another good leverage point for advocating that this system be based on the process and standards of the National Board, and be developed and implemented in collaboration with National Board Certified Teachers.   Additional background is available at this link: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/index.html.

Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF)

NBPTS has a pending application for a Teacher Incentive Fund grant to initiate 23 Schools of Excellence in Maine and Richmond, Virginia.  Applications were due on July 6, 2010.  A date for announcement of the winners of this competition has not been set yet.  Additional background is available at this link: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherincentive/applicant.html.

EXISTING FEDERAL FUNDING STREAM OPPORTUNITIES

Continue to advocate, where applicable, that funding received by states and school districts through

• Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
• Title II-A of ESEA
• the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Title VII of ESEA

include significant roles for National Board Certified Teachers in professional development and school reform efforts; that the evidence-based process and standards of the National Board be used as a model for these efforts; and that any compensation system developed or enhanced through these funds reward teachers who obtain National Board certification with additional pay.  
See additional background in NBPTS document at http://www.nbpts.org/get_involved/american_recovery_and_re/national_board_certifica. 
 

For more information, contact Seth Gerson at sgerson@nbpts.org