While prep programs, districts, and states may be able to cover much of the cost for building a high-quality clinical practice experience, federal funds may also be a useful resource. The following are examples of how several states and districts have used federal funding for clinical practice experiences:
- Education Innovation and Research grants (EIR): This federal grant provides funding for “entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-needs students” and to “rigorously evaluate such innovations.” New Mexico won an EIR grant for its residency program. To learn more, read this overview document of the project, as well as the state’s press release.
- Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program: This federal grant seeks to improve student achievement “by improving the preparation of prospective teachers.” Eligible applicants must be a partnership. These funds do come with limitations; for example, they may not be used to pay teacher candidate stipends under one “absolute priority” but may be used for teacher resident stipends under another priority (although they may be used for mentor teacher stipends). Chicago Public Schools was the first school district to win funding under this grant program; most other grantees have been institutions of higher education.
- Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program: Apprenticeships follow a “learn and earn” model of workforce development. Apprenticeships are designed as partnerships between an employer, an education partner, and a sponsor. Registered Apprenticeships are vetted and recognized by either the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) or a USDOL-recognized state apprenticeship agency, meaning they meet the department’s standards for rigor and quality. A Registered Apprenticeship confers a nationally recognized credential for apprentices, along with worker protections like minimum pay rules, and unlocks state and federal workforce dollars to help fund the program, among other benefits. The “K–12 teacher” occupation was first made eligible for apprenticeships in 2021 and apprenticeships are now seen in more than 30 states.
- Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grant (SLDS): This grant is premised on the idea that “better decisions require better information.” The goal is to “propel the successful design, development, implementation, and expansion of K–12 and P–20W (early learning through the workforce) longitudinal data systems,” to help states, districts, schools, and other stakeholders make data-informed decisions to improve student outcomes and close achievement gaps. Tennessee, in conjunction with Matt Ronfeldt (a researcher and professor with the University of Michigan), used a portion of its funding from an SLDS grant to develop the Mentors Matter project to better understand the impact of cooperating teachers on teacher candidates’ effectiveness. Read Tennessee’s grant abstract here.
- Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title II, Part A: These grants are intended to increase student achievement, including by improving the quality and effectiveness of teachers. State education agencies may apply to receive these funds, which they can redistribute as subgrants to local education agencies. For example, in its 2023 state plan, Tennessee reports planning to use Title II, Part A, statewide resources to offer “competitive opportunities to eligible districts for implementation of teacher and/or principal residency programs.”