Improving Educator Quality Conference

PARTNERSHIPS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:  THE IMPROVING EDUCATOR QUALITY STATE GRANT PROGRAM CONFERENCE

November 13-14, 2006
Marriott Griffin-Gate
Lexington, Kentucky

IEQ 2006 CONFERENCE AGENDA

Kentucky’s Public Agenda for Postsecondary and Adult Education, Five Questions, One Mission: Better Lives for Kentucky’s People, calls for a profound shift in the way the postsecondary system approaches its work. The Improving Educator Quality State Grant Program addresses Question 1 of this five-question agenda, “Are more Kentuckians ready for postsecondary education?” IEQ is an integral part of Kentucky’s effort to ensure that all P-12 educators receive high-quality professional development that focuses on improving student achievement in the Commonwealth.

The Council on Postsecondary Education has managed the IEQ program, authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, since 2002. This program awards grants to partnerships that deliver research-based professional development programs to P-12 teachers and administrators. The Council has awarded over $4.8 million through the IEQ program, enabling these partnerships to serve more than 1,500 teachers in more than 70 counties in Kentucky.

On November 13 and 14 the Council will be hosting its first conference on IEQ at the Marriott Griffin-Gate in Lexington.  This “share” conference will focus on projects that are taking place in Year 4 of the program.  Project directors will present on the successes and challenges of their projects and project participants will discuss the impact of these projects on the classroom.  Each session will conclude with a question and answer period.  The goal of the conference is to share best practices; facilitate the dissemination of information learned in these projects; link former, current, and new grantees for networking purposes; increase the visibility of the IEQ program; and continually improve the impact of higher education on teacher professional development.