What are the purposes of the programs included in the Professional Development Block Grant?
Instructional Time and Staff Development Reform. The purpose of this program is to provide staff development for classroom teachers and aides in kindergarten through grade twelve. Funds may also be used for release time for teachers and aides to attend staff development. Teaching as a Priority. The purpose of this program is to provide funding to local educational agencies to recruit and retain fully credentialed teachers, especially in schools that are ranked in deciles one through five on the Academic Performance Index. Eligible expenditures include but are not limited to signing bonuses, improved work conditions, teacher compensation, housing subsidies, and expenditures to defray the cost of examinations or course work leading to certificates to teach English learners (CLAD and BCLAD certificates). Intersegmental Programs. These include the College Readiness Program and the Comprehensive Teacher Education Institute. The purposes of the Intersegmental Programs were not established in
