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State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. today announced the State Education Department (SED) is accepting applications for a second round of the competitive Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE) grant program. STLE grants are targeted to support school districts and charter schools utilizing, as part of their implementation of an Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) plan, a comprehensive approach to recruitment, development, support, retention and equitable distribution of effective teachers and school leaders.

"STLE grants are an important piece of the Board of Regents Reform Agenda," New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said.��"Ensuring every classroom is led by an effective teacher and every school is led by an effective principal��is the key to getting more students to graduate college- and career-ready. STLE grants are focused on strengthening teacher and principal effectiveness at all levels."

“Our goal is to prepare��all students to graduate college and career ready,” Commissioner King said. “Research shows the best way to help students succeed is to have an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective principal in every school building.�� STLE grants will help school districts recruit, support and retain effective teachers and leaders for their struggling schools.”

In order to ensure the grant resources help high need students in the broad range of districts envisioned in the State's Race to the Top application, public school districts and charter schools with at least 25 percent of students from low-income families are eligible for the STLE grants. Consortiums meeting the criteria, including those led by BOCES with one or more eligible component districts are also eligible. All applicants must have approval for, and be fully implementing, an approved APPR plan as required by Education Law §3012-c during the entire grant period. The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the grants, totaling approximately $49 million for the period of October 2013 through June 2015, is available at: . Please refer to the RFP for a complete list of eligibility requirements and a link to the eligibility list.

King said the grants are part of the Board of Regents’ statewide effort to strengthen educator effectiveness at all levels. SED aims to support districts and charter schools in identifying ways for the most effective teachers and principals to extend their influence by helping other educators as well as advancing their own abilities and skills.

Applications for the STLE grants must include a career ladder for both teachers and principals, including at least three “rungs” as follows: Novice (Novice Teacher and Novice Principal), Professional (Professional Teacher and Professional Principal), and Leader (Teacher Leader and Principal Leader). Applicants may also choose to incorporate additional career ladder positions that may be funded through the grants.

The grants will also fund additional activities to support the development and implementation of a career ladder, such as evaluator training; training to prepare educators on the career ladder for new duties and responsibilities; and technology and training supports to help districts and charter schools effectively implement the teacher and principal evaluation system. Applicants may also choose to fund recruitment or transfer awards to provide financial incentives to attract teachers and/or principals with a demonstrated track record of success (or if they are new educators, demonstrated potential based on district selection criteria) into hard-to-staff and specialty subject areas, as well as into high need or low-performing schools.

There are currently 47 active STLE Round 1 grant programs that were awarded in the fall of 2012. More information on these programs, which will be completed in June 2014, is available at: .

The STLE grants and activities are supported, in whole or part, by New York State’s Race to the Top federal funds.