The D.A.T.E. grant program was created to enable districts that apply for the grants to reward educators for improving student performance and achievement.
The money received is split between rewarding teachers for increasing student performance and funding programs such as staff training and additional incentives. Awards announced Tuesday by the governor’s office were:
nTemple ISD received $551,075
nBelton ISD received $533,522
nSalado ISD received $83,159
nMoody ISD received $51,605
“There is no financial measure for a young life that is changed, inspired and set on course to fulfill its potential,” Gov. Rick Perry said in a press release. “We must reward those teachers that break away from the pack and make a positive and lasting influence on our students’ education and lives.”
The school districts determine which schools have the greatest need for the funds provided by the grants. The awards to the teachers will be decided by attaining TAKS test score goals set by the individual districts.
Belton High School and Waskow High School were targeted by Belton ISD as an incentive to increase the math and science test level scores in the high schools, said Susan Kincannon, deputy superintendent of Belton ISD.
Temple High School, Wheatley Alternative Education Center and Temple High School Accelerated Academy will use grant money awarded to Temple ISD to help increase math and science scores.
“The decision was made for the high schools because of the challenge to find math and science teachers,” said JJ Villarreal, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Temple.
Each school was required to submit to its school board and grant committee a plan of where the grant money would be used.
The 2008-09 school year is the first year the D.A.T.E. program has been available and any school district that applied was eligible. The amount awarded is determined by dividing the total amount available in the program - $147.5 million - by the number of students in the applying school districts.
Of the amount awarded to a district, at least 60 percent of it must reward teachers who are considered by the district to have increased students’ academic performance, according to the press release. The teachers who will be receiving this incentive will be decided after the current school year.
The rest of the amount may be used for approved activities such as incentives for other school staff or retention and recruitment of teachers.
@temple-telegram.com
