Professional Development for Arts Educators Program
Grant: Professional Development for Arts Educators Program
Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Division: Office of Innovation and Improvement
Deadline: Notice of Intent to Apply due March 21, 2011; Final applications due April 8, 2011.
Description: This program supports the implementation of high-quality model professional development programs in elementary and secondary education for music, dance, drama, media arts or visual arts for educators and other arts instructional staff of K-12 students in high-poverty schools. The purpose of this program is to strengthen standards-based arts education programs and to help ensure that all students meet state standards in the arts.
This competition includes one absolute priority, two competitive preference priorities and one invitational priority. The absolute priority supports professional development programs for K-12 arts educators and other instructional staff that use innovative instructional methods and current knowledge from education research and focus on the development, enhancement or expansion of standards-based arts education programs or the integration of standards-based arts instruction with other core academic area content. Only applications that address the absolute priority will be considered. In order to meet this priority, applicants must demonstrate that their project is linked to state and national standards.
Up to 10 additional points will be awarded per competitive preference priority, depending on how well each application meets the priorities. The first competitive preference priority is for projects that are designed to collect, analyze and use data to improve instructional practices, policies and student outcomes in elementary or secondary schools. The second is for projects that have evidence of effectiveness.
Applications that meet the invitational priority are not given preference over other applications. The invitational priority is for projects that are designed to improve high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates for students in rural local educational agencies and/or for high-need students.
Applicants to this program must propose to carry out professional development programs for arts educators of K-12 low-income children and youth by implementing projects in schools in which 50 percent or more of the children enrolled are from low-income families. Arts educator is defined as a teacher who works in music, dance, theater, media arts or visual arts, including folk arts.
Fit for Public Broadcasting: The goal of this program aligns with the expertise of many public media stations. Funds from this program will support professional development programs for K-12 arts educators. Stations that have experience providing teacher training and expertise in arts education are well positioned to apply. Local education agencies (LEAs) must be the lead applicants for this program, but they are required to partner with another organization. Public media stations are eligible to be the partnering organization, so stations should approach their local LEAs to discuss a partnership for this program.
Eligibility: Local education agencies (LEAs) that are acting on behalf of an individual school or schools that meet the poverty criterion with respect to children from low-income families are eligible to apply if they work in partnership with one or more of the following:
- A state or local nonprofit or governmental arts organization.
- A state educational agency (SEA) or regional educational service agency.
- An institution of higher education.
- A public or private agency, institution or organization, including a museum, an arts education association, a library, a theater or a community- or faith-based organization.
Anticipated funding: The Administration's budget request for FY 2011 does not include funds for this program. In place of this and several other, sometimes narrowly targeted, programs focused on student achievement in specific subject areas, the Administration has proposed to create, through reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), a broader program, Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education, that would support activities to improve student achievement and teacher effectiveness in arts and other subject areas. The U.S. Department of Education is still, however, inviting applications for this program, so that if Congress appropriates funds for this program, applicants will have enough time to complete the grant process.
The estimated range of awards is $150,000 to $350,000 for the first year of the project. The estimated average size of awards is $252,000, and there will be an estimated 28 awards. The project period for this program is up to 36 months.
How to apply: The U.S. Department of Education strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department by sending a short e-mail indicating the applicant's intent to submit an application for funding. Application packages can be accessed online and must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov. Online submission requires registration, a process that usually takes three to five business days but can take as long as four weeks. Be sure to visit Grants.gov and begin registering well in advance of the deadline.
To do business with the U.S. Department of Education, applicants must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and must register both numbers with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database. Active CCR registration with current information must be maintained while applications are under review and during the project period, if a grant is awarded.
Resources:
Program notice
Program website
Previous grant recipients
