DIGITAL

CHALKBOARD

The Improving Teacher Quality (ITQ) State Grants program, established under Title II - A of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, is an evolution of the former Eisenhower Grants program. An ITQ grant is a multi-year partnership between one or more institutions of higher education (colleges, universities) and one or more local education agencies (school districts, county education offices) in high-poverty areas. Funds are targeted to improve student achievement by improving the quality of instruction and increasing the professional attainment of school faculty and other staff. The primary goal of each grant is to increase K-12 educators' pedagogical and academic content knowledge through high quality professional learning opportunities. A secondary goal is to expand knowledge of successful professional learning models and techniques through evaluation research and dissemination of findings.

This program was administered by the CA Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC), the State Agency for Higher Education (SAHE). It closed its doors on November 18, 2011 as a result of the Governor's decision to eliminate the agency's funding. The federal ITQ-SAHE program was transferred to the CA Department of Education and is currently housed in the Professional Learning Support Division.  

For additional information please contact Marcia Trott at (916) 323-8901 or mtrott@cde.ca.gov. The original CPEC web site includes additional information and resources and can be accessed at  http://www.cpec.ca.gov/FederalPrograms/TeacherQuality.asp.

Current Initiatives:

Teacher-Based Reform (T-BAR) Pilot Program - Resourcing Professional Learning Systems

California Education Leadership Professional Learning Initiative

California Elementary Mathematics and Science Professional Learning Initiative