No Child Left Behind's Commitment to Teachers — Title II

Both research and common sense tell us that for all students to meet achievement goals, they need to have highly effective teachers. Unfortunately many schools throughout America-particularly low-achieving schools-have difficulty recruiting and retaining the very teachers they need in order to be successful.

Every district that receives Title II funds is required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to develop a needs assessment of professional development and hiring to determine how best to spend these funds. School administrators must involve classroom teachers, particularly those in Title I programs, in developing the needs assessment, and the U.S. Department of Education encourages teachers to make their voices heard in how their districts spend their Title II funds.

A vital aspect of NCLB is the nearly $3 billion in funding provided through Title II to support improving teacher quality. Title II funds can be spent on high-quality, ongoing professional development, financial incentives for teachers in high-need locations and subjects, effective mentoring and induction programs, teacher testing, teacher advancement initiatives, and many other activities that support good teachers and good teaching. These funds may be used to improve the quality of principals as well.

In Chattanooga, Tenn., the school district is using Title II funds to pay bonuses to teachers who are significantly improving student achievement. The bonuses are based on Tennessee's "value-added" assessment scores, which give teachers and administrators detailed information on how much each teacher is raising the achievement of his or her students. Bonuses are paid to teachers in schools where their average value-added score exceeds a determined benchmark. Along with the help of other local initiatives, district officials have witnessed an increase in collaboration among teachers, reduced teacher turnover, and improved student achievement.

Tools for Teachers

Joshua Benton, a writer for the Dallas Morning News, highlights the steps schools in Chattanooga are taking to improve student achievement. Click here to view the article

In Mobile, Ala., district officials are also using federal funds under Title II to provide incentives for teachers to teach in underachieving schools. Click here to view the article