Content area
Section 3131 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), provides for a National Professional Development (NPD) program that will award grants on a competitive basis, for a period of not more than 5 years, to institutions of higher education (in consortia with State educational agencies or local educational agencies). Grants awarded under this program may be used-- (1) For pre-service professional development programs that will assist local schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to upgrade the qualifications and skills of educational personnel who are not certified or licensed, especially educational paraprofessionals; (2) For the development of program curricula appropriate to the needs of the consortia participants involved; and (3) In conjunction with other Federal need-based student financial assistance programs, for financial assistance, and costs related to tuition, fees, and books for enrolling in courses required to complete the degree involved, to meet certification or licensing requirements for teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs. In such projects, IHEs would collaborate with local educational agencies on activities such as: (1) Professional development to improve the ability of teacher preparation faculty and content faculty at IHEs in preparing prospective teachers to teach ELs; and (2) The development of teacher education curricula that-- (a) Are aligned with State content standards in academic subjects and State English language proficiency standards; and (b) Prepare all teacher candidates in an IHE to provide instruction that accelerates ELs' acquisition of language, literacy, and content knowledge.