Teacher Quality

OII’s Teacher Quality Programs (TQP) office works to implement Department initiatives that support and test innovations to improve teacher and principal quality. TQP funds support the preparation, support, and retention of effective teachers and school leaders through a range of efforts, including partnerships between districts, institutions of higher education, and nonprofits.


Our Programs:

American History and Civics Academies

rttd_thumbThe American History and Civic Academies program seeks to improve the quality of American history, civics, and government education by educating students about the history and principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights; and the quality of the teaching of American history, civics, and government in elementary schools and secondary schools. Funds will support summer Presidential academies for teachers and summer Congressional academies for students. Read More

Race to the Top District (RTT-D)

rttd_thumbThe Race to the Top-District program supports bold, locally directed improvements in learning and teaching that will directly improve student achievement. Program grantees serve as innovation laboratories, advancing new ways to educate our students through a personalized approach. The competition invited applicants to demonstrate how they can personalize education for all students in their schools. The program is aimed squarely at classrooms and the all-important relationship between educators and students. Read More


School Leadership Program (SLP)

schoolleadership_tumbThis program provides grants to support the development, enhancement, or expansion of innovative programs to recruit, train, and mentor principals (including assistant principals) for high-need LEAs. The School Leadership program provides competitive grants to assist high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) with recruiting, training, and retaining principals and assistant principals. Read More


Supporting Effective Educator Development Grant Program (SEED)

supportingeffective_thumbThe Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Grant Program provides funding for grants to national non-profit organizations for projects that are supported by at least moderate evidence to recruit, select, and prepare or provide professional enhancement activities for teachers, principals, or both. Read More


Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL)

STEMStartsEarlyThe TSL program builds on the former Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) program and promotes performance-based compensation and comprehensive human capital management systems for teachers, principals, and other school leaders. Support of these systems in intended to catalyze improvements in a district’s human capital management system to drive increased student outcomes. In recognition of the importance that effective school leadership has on student achievement, TSL also promotes comprehensive Evaluation and Support Systems for all Educators within an LEA, especially those serving in high-need schools. Read More


Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF)

teacherincentive_thumbThis program supports efforts to develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools. Projects develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools. Performance-based compensation systems must consider gains in student academic achievement as well as classroom evaluations conducted multiple times during each school year among other factors and provide educators with incentives to take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles. Five percent of the funds for the grants is available for technical assistance, training, peer review of applications, program outreach, and evaluation activities. Read More


Teacher Quality Partnership Program (TQP)

teacherquality_thumbThe Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) Grant Program aims to increase student achievement by improving the quality of new prospective teachers by enhancing the preparation of prospective teachers and the professional development activities for current teachers; holding teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs) accountable for preparing highly qualified teachers; and recruiting effective individuals, including minorities and individuals from other occupations, into the teaching force. Read More


Transition to Teaching (TTT)

transition_thumbThe program provides grants to recruit and retain highly qualified mid-career professionals (including highly qualified paraprofessionals) and recent graduates of Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), as teachers in high-need schools, including recruiting teachers through alternative routes to teacher certification. It also encourages the development and expansion of alternative routes to certification under state approved programs that enable individuals to be eligible for teacher certification within a reduced period of time, relying on the experience, expertise, and academic qualifications of an individual or other factors in lieu of traditional course work in the field of education. Read More