U.S. Department of Education awards the Teacher Incentive Fund
BCPS wins $48.5 million grant to reward effective teachers and principals
Submitted by Nadine Drew
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) was awarded $48.5 million over a five-year period by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to recognize and reward effective teachers and principals. The 2012 Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants will pay for increased salaries and training for educators who work in high-need schools. BCPS is one of only six winning school districts in Florida and 35 districts nation-wide from a pool of over 120 applicants.
Districts were invited to develop proposals to provide opportunities for teacher leadership and career advancement, put district-wide evaluations in place that use multiple measures including student growth, and use better evaluations to improve decision making.
The District’s Office of Human Resources and Office of Talent Development will lead implementation of the project – Leading Excellence and Achievement in Performance (LEAP) – that will receive $18,155,918 in the first two years of funding. LEAP aims to enhance student achievement in 26 high-need schools by improving the effectiveness of the teachers and leaders who serve them and offering increased compensation to teachers and administrators based on effectiveness and progression over a career continuum.
Emphasis will be placed on specialized learning and professional development support at the school level in content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge for 26 identified TIF schools:
Project activities include:
• Continued district-wide implementation of the teacher and principal evaluation systems;
• Alignment of human capital decisions with evaluations;
• Professional development and learning programs;
• Implementation of teacher leadership and principal leadership career continua, including training programs to develop teacher and principal mentors, coaches, and peer reviewers; and
• Collaboration with stakeholders including the development of a dedicated position to serve as a liaison between
• Implementation of teacher leadership and principal leadership career continua, including training programs to develop teacher and principal mentors, coaches, and peer reviewers; and
• Collaboration with stakeholders including the development of a dedicated position to serve as a liaison between the District and the Broward Teachers Union.
The project also includes implementing a performance-based salary structure that offers increased compensation to teachers and administrators based on effectiveness and progression over a career continuum. LEAP will distribute salary supplements to effective or highly effective teachers of high-need subjects who transfer to TIF schools and will offer individualized professional development budgets as an incentive to teach in high-need schools.
TIF Schools
ELEMENTARY — Broward Estates Elementary, Cypress Elementary, Deerfield Park Elementary, Dillard Elementary, Martin Luther King Elementary, Larkdale Elementary, Morrow Elementary, North Fork Elementary, North Lauderdale Elementary, Park Lakes Elementary, Pompano Beach Elementary, Rock Island Elementary, Royal Palm Elementary, Sunland Park Elementary, Tedder Elementary, Walker Elementary and Westwood Heights Elementary
MIDDLE — Apollo Middle, Arthur R. Ashe Jr. Middle, Lauderhill Middle, Margate Middle, McNicol Middle, Parkway Middle and Silver Lakes Middle
HIGH — Boyd H. Anderson High and Coconut Creek High
the District and the Broward Teachers Union.
