MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew LaPlant 561-297-3022, alaplant@fau.edu

FAU's Teaching and Leadership Center Awarded $1.9 Million Grant

BOCA RATON, FL (July 18, 2005) - The School Board of Broward County, through the Florida Atlantic University Teaching and Leadership Center, has been awarded a $1.9 million No Child Left Behind Transition to Teaching grant to be funded over three years by the U.S. Department of Education.

The grant will go towards a Transition to Teaching Program. The project goal of the program is to expand the pool of mid-career professionals and recent college graduates to teach in Broward County's high need schools. This project streamlines the district's hiring, placement and new staff support systems for alternative certification candidates by creating a streamlined one stop center for all alternative candidates seeking information, training and support.

A component of this initiative is the Superb Teacher Attracting and Recruiting (STAR) Program, an intensive alternative teacher preparation pre-service program for prospective secondary non-education trained candidates in mathematics, science, English/language arts and special education. STAR includes a 70-hour field experience under the guidance of a National Board certified teacher or experienced teacher in a high need school to ensure program participants are well trained and ready to enter the classroom. STAR participants who complete the pre-service program will be eligible to receive up to $1,000 in tuition reimbursement for courses leading to professional certification. STAR participants are selected twice per year in May and January.

For more information, contact the Teaching and Leadership Center at 954-236-1319 or visit www.fau.edu/tlc.

-FAU-