Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High-Quality Teachers and Principals  

What is Title II?

The purpose of Title II is to provide grants to State Education Agencies and subgrants to districts to:

• increase student achievement consistent with the challenging state academic standards

• improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders

• increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools

• provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders.

Title II is an ESSA program that places a major emphasis on teacher quality as an integral factor in improving student achievement. This program is designed to increase the number of highly effective teachers and principals. The purpose of Title II is to improve teacher and leader quality and focuses on preparing, training, and recruiting high-quality teachers and principals.

What can Title II fund?

Title II funds must be used to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities which shall address the learning needs of all students, including children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted and talented students.

Programs and activities may include, among others:

• Rigorous, transparent, and fair evaluation and support system

• Initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining effective teachers to improve within district equity in the distribution of teachers

• Recruiting qualified individuals from other fields

• Providing high-quality teacher induction and mentorship programs

• Reducing class size through the recruiting and hiring of additional effective teachers

• Providing high-quality, personalized professional development to school leaders, teachers, and paraprofessionals that is focused on improving teaching and student learning and achievement

• Increasing the ability of teachers to effectively teach children with disabilities and English learners

• Providing training, technical assistance, and capacity-building for school leaders, teachers, and paraprofessionals in selecting and implementing formative assessments, designing classroom-based assessments and using data from such assessments to improve instruction and student academic achievement