No Child Left Behind Title IID
Enhancing Education Through Technology
FY 2008 Competitive Grants to Focus on Enhancing Capacity
School Administrative Units Eligible to Participate
On July 1, 2007, the Maine Department of Education was awarded a grant of $1,317,349 under the No Child Left Behind Act Title IID, Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech). The State is permitted to retain 5% of the award amount to provide technical services and administer the grant program. The remaining amount of the award is divided in two. Half of the amount was distributed to School Administrative Units in a formula grant program at the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year. The remainder, $625,741.00, will be used to provide technology integration training free of charge to selected SAUs.
The requirements of Title IID direct that SAUs be ranked according to the number of students from families whose annual income qualifies the students for free or reduced cost lunch programs. This free professional development is being offered to the upper fifty percent of those SAUs that have the largest percentage of qualifying families. A link to the list of qualifying SAUs appears on the NCLB page of the Department's website. A letter is being sent directly to each superintendent of a qualifying SAU.
The technology integration professional development is designed to increase the capacity of teachers to assist students in achieving Maine 's Learning Results and reaching school goals for numeracy and literacy. The professional development will be delivered by MLTI/eMINTS regional trainer/mentors and other professional development providers at no charge.
SAUs choosing to participate in the professional development initiative will be required to develop a multi-year professional development action plan using an evidence-based planning process. The Department will provide training for members of the SAU leadership team to aid the development of the plan. The planning process will include a needs assessment to identify SAU and school learning goals. A Memorandum of Understanding will be submitted to the Department by participating SAUs identifying the team of teachers who will be participating in the professional development. It is anticipated that the professional development program will be composed of approximately eight multi-hour sessions presented over the course of the 2008-2010 school years and will include the opportunity for participation in the MLTI Spring and Summer Teacher Leader Institutes.
Local school districts are required to have approved technology plans in order to receive either competitive or non-competitive grants. Competitive grants encourage the use of 100% of funds for training and development. Twenty –five percent of all Ed Tech grant funds must be used for training and development. The funds cannot be used for administrative purposes, developing a local technology plan or to supplant existing programs
Ed Tech Competitive Grants
Competitive grants are offered to LEAs that meet two specific criteria: (1) a poverty rate established by the State and/or (2) have a “High Needs” school or Continuous Improvement Priority School within in the LEA.
Each project is evaluated using locally chosen criteria such as Maine Education Assessment scores or other appropriate outcomes to determine success. Proposals target one or more of the NCLBA goals and the results of projects are often changes that might not have occurred without this funding source.
Ed Tech Non-Competitive (Formula) Grants:
Non-competitive grants to a district are allocated on a statewide based on the percentage of Title IA funds that the district receives.
Tech Home Page
