Dept. of Ed Announces 2017 National Professional Development Grant Competition

Washington, D.C.— The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), announced recently in the Federal Register, the availability of $20 million for its National Professional Development (NPD) grant competition to support educators of English Learner (EL) students.

“These grants are great investments in helping prepare new teachers improve their content skills to better serve the needs of English learner students,” said Supreet Anand, deputy director of OELA. “Our English Learners benefit by having competent and capable instructors in the classroom.”

The NPD program provides grants for eligible institutions of higher education or public or private entities with relevant experience and capacity, in collaboration with states or districts, to implement professional development activities that will improve instruction for ELs. Professional development may include preservice or in-service activities for educators of ELs including teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals or other educators working with ELs. Professional development activities may also include teacher education programs and training for other education professionals that lead to certification, licensing or endorsement for providing instruction to ELs.

The deadline for submitting an Intent to Apply is Mar. 13, 2017. The deadline for submitting the applications is Apr. 24, 2017.

Since 2008, the Department has awarded an estimated $370 million in NPD grants to assist educators working with English Learner students.

Featured

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne Opens New Student Housing Complex

    Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) in Fort Wayne, Ind., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, 600-bed student housing complex on campus, according to a news release.