In 2006, 9 planning grants and one new cohort transition grant were made, totaling nearly $400,000, an average of $40,000 per grant In 2007, 3 additional grants will be made, also at $40,000
What did the planning grant proposals contain?
The proposals had to show that there is an “emerging consortium” of at least one college or university and one community organization that is committed to working together, that the participating schools have significant staffing needs, that the consortium has a preliminary plan for identifying and recruiting potential teacher candidates, and that the groups have a basic understanding of the Grow Your Own concept and the task of planning a program.
What are the expected results of the planning process?
At the end of the planning process, the consortium should be collaborating constructively, they should have a good implementation grant proposal, and should have identified enough potential participants to establish the initial cohort – 50 or more candidates is the number we use most often.
What needs to be done to recruit potential candidates?
The main steps are
** Publicize the program in the schools and the community
** Find lots of possible candidates
** Provide placement tests in math and English to the candidates
** Get transcripts of all previous college work and have them reviewed at the university that will provide the education degree
** Counsel each candidate on the basis of this review to help her/him decide on participation in the program
What are the provisions for developmental classes?
In 2006, some programs-in-planning were able to get funding to offer no-cost noncredit basic skill classes to potential candidates using local community colleges or the participating universities. A similar request is being considered by ISBE for 2007.
What kinds of help are available for organizations during the planning grant period?
Both before and after the planning grant proposals are completed, Grow Your Own Illinois will provide information and training, through its cadre of experienced “consulting organizers”. Each of the planning grant recipients has assigned organizers, who are available for planning meetings, phone consultation, and to broker other assistance.
Other resources on this web site are useful to planning grant recipie nts, including those that are referenced in the links above left.
What is a Grow Your Own Consortium?
Which partners are required for a Grow Your Own Consortium?
To be eligible for an implementation grant, a consortium must contain at least one higher education institution with a fully accredited program leading to the elementary teaching certificate; at least one school district with an identified set of schools serving low-income families that meet the criteria of “hard-to-staff” and/or “hard-to-fill” positions, and at least one community organization that has some documented experience working on education issues.
What other types of organization can be a part of a consortium?
A consortium can also include school employee unions and community colleges.
Who is eligible?
Eligible participants need to have a high school diploma or GED but not a bachelors degree and either be working in the schools as a “paraeducator” or be contributing as active parents or community members with “a significant history” of involvement in attempting to improve schools serving low-income students.
Why is the program targeted at people without BAs?
The legislature has already authorized a set of programs around the state under the title of “alternative certification” for people with B.A.s in fields other than education. These are accelerated programs that can move candidates into teaching within two years. We hope to work closely with these programs across the state. The Grow Your Own program is targeted at people who do not have the bachelors degree because this group does not have a current supported path to teaching.
Is this an accelerated program?
This program is designed to conform carefully to the current undergraduate education programs of the higher education institutions, so it is not an accelerated program. GYO teacher candidates will meet every requirement of the regular programs. We want to ensure that GYO teacher candidates receive the same training and perform to the same high standards as every other teacher candidate.
What’s a cohort?
The word “cohort” points to the fact that we expect that the main group of teacher candidates in any GYO program will provide each other mutual support. This concept has proved to be very powerful in keeping participants in similar programs engaged and committed to the process. In GYO projects, the candidates meet
Where will the classes be held?
Wherever possible, the early classes in a program will be held in or near the neighborhood where teacher candidates live and the participating schools are. In the model developed by LSNA/Chicago State, teacher candidates began taking classes offered by Chicago State University faculty in the Logan Square Neighborhood, and then gradually began to take some classes at the University as their programs shifted to education classes.
How will potential teacher candidates pay for these classes?
Potential teacher candidates will be enrolled as regular students, and will apply for grant aid under all available programs. Whatever tuition, fees, and book costs remain after all the grants will be paid from the GYO forgivable loan fund. These loans will be fully forgiven if the teacher candidate graduates and keeps teaching in schools in the target community for five years.
Currently funded grants
As of March 2007, 12 programs have been funded for operation through June 30, 2007.
How many new programs will there be?
For FY 2008, there could be as many as four new programs
How long will each cohort/program run?
Potential teacher candidates and institutions that are preparing them should be able to count on a minimum of five years of funding. We will try to win an appropriation that guarantees the full five years of funding.
What's the estimated amount of money per year per cohort?
Based on projections from current projects, the number most often quoted is $275,000 per year for a cohort of 40 participants, peaking in the third year of enrollment and then decreasing.
Can candidates be added to a program after it begins?
ISBE has permitted programs in place to fill slots of candidates who have left the program with students who are entering at a comparable level. One option being considered is to use incremental growth in existing programs in FY 2008 and beyond as a key element of the scaling up of the Grow Your Own Initiative to enable it to meet the goal of 1000 new teachers.
What can the money be spent for?
The money pays for the forgivable loans, for a full-time coordinator based in the community, for program support costs borne by the community organization, and for supportive services including tutoring and child care. Universities may not use the money for the direct costs of instruction, because the program is set up to give them full tuition for each participant, and they are expected to provide the resources they would ordinarily spend on education students.
