INDIANAPOLIS — The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) announced today that it has been awarded a five-year, $47 million grant from the federal Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Program to expand and sustain work to support teachers and improve students’ academic success in three Indiana school districts: Perry Township Schools, Goshen Community Schools, and Brown County Schools.
“Our partnerships across Indiana and nationally show that when teachers and principals lead schools with a focus on excellence, reflection, and collaboration, students excel,” said NIET CEO Dr. Candice McQueen. “This grant is a win for educators and students and will create a lasting impact in these school communities. We look forward to deepening the work in Perry, Goshen, and Brown and building on their progress to strengthen teaching and learning in every classroom every day.”
Specifically, the Teacher and School Leader Incentive grant will support the implementation of the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement across the districts’ combined 32 K-12 schools, serving more than 25,000 students, 1,500 teachers, and 80 school leaders.
TAP helps build educators’ effectiveness and enables schools to develop teachers as instructional leaders, plan weekly professional learning tailored to individual needs of teachers and students, create a shared vision for improving teacher practice and student achievement, and implement strategic compensation systems. TAP has shown success in schools in Indiana and across the country with closing achievement gaps, increasing student achievement, improving teacher retention, and strengthening teachers’ abilities.
Additionally, the grant opportunity will support all students’ equitable access to excellent teachers and work to increase the percentage of teachers of color. NIET and the districts are committed to this opportunity as evidenced by the 61 letters of support provided from national, district, school, and community groups who see this opportunity to transform educational opportunities for every student.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
