Title II, Part A of the Higher Education Act (HEA) includes programs and provisions intended to improve the overall quality of the K-12 teacher preparation programs currently administered by higher education institutions, hold these programs accountable for the quality of their graduates, and strengthen recruitment of highly qualified individuals to teaching. 105-244 ) provides for three competitively awarded grants to improve K-12 teacher quality—state grants, partnership grants, and recruitment grants. Appropriated funds are to be divided as follows: 45% to state grants, 45% to partnership grants, and 10% to teacher recruitment grants. Partnership Grants

These one-time, five-year grants are awarded competitively to partnerships that must include at least three entities: a partner institution, a school of arts and sciences at a higher education institution, and a high need local educational agency (LEA). Teacher Recruitment Grants

These one-time, three-year grants are awarded competitively to states or eligible partnerships (meeting the eligibility criteria for the partnership grants). State Reports

States receiving funds under the HEA must prepare an annual report card for the Secretary of Education on the quality of teacher preparation including information on
the pass rate of graduates on all assessments used for teacher certification; waivers of certification requirements, particularly for teachers serving in high and low poverty school districts and in different subject areas; state teacher licensing assessments and requirements; state standards for initial certification; alignment of state teacher assessments with state standards and assessments for students; alternative routes to teacher certification and the pass rates of individuals following such routes; and criteria being used to assess the performance of teacher preparation programs. Low-Performing Teacher Preparation Programs

To continue receiving HEA funds, a state must establish procedures for identifying low-performing teacher preparation programs and for providing them with technical assistance. An institution of higher education with a teacher education program that has lost state approval or funding because of its designation as low-performing is ineligible for professional development funding from ED, and cannot enroll any students receiving assistance under HEA Title IV (source of the major federal student aid programs) in its teacher preparation program. During the reauthorization process, the Congress may consider where the emphasis should be placed among these kinds of grants or the kinds of activities being supported. Teacher Preparation Program Accountability Issues

The general accountability provisions of Title II, Part A applicable to states and higher education institutions with teacher preparation programs have generated significant debate since their inception.
The Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants program (Title II, Part A of the Higher Education Act, or HEA) seeks to improve K-12 teacher preparation programs at higher education institutions. Title II Part A authorizes three types of competitively awarded grants—state grants, partnership grants, and recruitment grants—with the annual appropriation divided 45%, 45%, and 10% respectively among these kinds of grants.
State grants are one-time, three-year grants for such activities as holding teacher preparation programs accountable for the quality of their graduates or reforming teacher certification requirements. Partnership grants are one-time, five-year grants to partnerships that must include at least three entities: an institution with a high performing teacher preparation program, a school of arts and sciences, and a high need school district. Among required uses are teacher preparation program accountability and professional development. Recruitment grants are one-time, three-year grants to states or partnerships, supporting scholarships with a teaching service requirement or activities to recruit highly qualified teachers for high need districts and schools.
States receiving HEA funds must report annually on the quality of teacher preparation, including information on the pass rates of graduates on initial certification assessments. Higher education institutions enrolling HEA-aided students in their teacher preparation program must report annually detailing, among other things, the certification exam pass rates of graduates. States must establish procedures for identifying low-performing teacher preparation programs. If states withdraw approval or funding due to this designation, the affected programs cannot enroll students receiving HEA Title IV federal student aid.
During the HEA reauthorization process, grant-related issues may include program effectiveness; mandated division of the annual appropriation when most states have received these one-time only grants; and the mix of kinds of grants and activities. Accountability issues may include inconsistency across states in standards for identifying low-performing teacher preparation programs; effectiveness of pass rate-based accountability for teacher preparation programs; reporting by states and institutions of 100% pass rates; and possible alternatives to the current framework.
This report will be updated as events warrant.