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Section 27h Mentoring and Induction Grants

Section 27h Mentoring and Induction Grants

To help increase retention of new teachers, administrators, and counselors, Section 27h of the State School Aid Act authorized three separate grants totaling $50 million related to mentoring and induction for the 2023-24 fiscal year and beyond: 

  1. Mentoring Standards, Curriculum, and Professional Learning Creation Grant: $500,000 to an intermediate school district or other educational entity to assist the Michigan Department of Education to create standards, curricula, and professional learning for mentors of teachers, administrators, and counselors. "Other educational entities" is defined as a Michigan approved Education Preparation Provider or an established Michigan professional education organization.
  2. Program Evaluation Grant: $500,000 to evaluate effectiveness of mentoring and induction programs in Michigan.
  3. District Mentoring Support Grant: $49,000,000 to districts over a 5-year span (with no more than 10 million a year) to support mentoring and induction activities. 

To provide $49 million (up to $10 million per year over 5 years) to districts to support mentoring and induction programming for teachers, administrators, and counselors.

Eligible Applicants

 

Districts: Intermediate school districts and local education agencies, including both traditional public schools and public school academies

Grant Information

 

The funds awarded through this grant may be used for: 

  • Stipends to mentors of administrators, teachers, and counselors.
  • Training for mentor teachers, mentor school counselors, and mentor administrators.
  • Books, materials, professional learning expenses, and other resources necessary for mentoring and onboarding new teachers.
  • Staffing costs to cover time spent by both new and mentor teachers, school counselors, and administrators dedicated to mentoring and onboarding rather than being in the classroom or performing other job duties.
  • Contracting with 1 or more established state professional organizations to provide mentoring services to school administrators. Only $3,000.00 per administrator or the actual program cost, whichever is lesser.

Timeline

Application open: Winter 2024-25
Application close: Winter 2025
Application awarded: Early Spring 2025

 

Mentoring Standards, Curriculum, and Professional Learning Creation Grant

Purpose

Section 27h(5) gives $500,000 to an intermediate school district or other educational entity to assist the Michigan Department of Education to create standards, curricula, and professional learning for mentors of teachers, administrators, and counselors. 

 

Eligible Applicants

Intermediate school districts (ISDs) and other educational entities. For purposes of this grant, other educational entities are defined as a Michigan approved education preparation provider or an established Michigan professional education organization.

 

Grant Information

Applicants will need to demonstrate knowledge and experience in effectively supporting new teachers, administrators, and counselors, as well as a capacity to partner with MDE, meet deadlines, and complete the deliverables (mentoring standards, curricula, and professional learning modules).

 

Timeline

Grant awarded: June 2024 to Western Michigan University 

 

Mentoring Program Evaluation Grant

Purpose

To award $500,000 to a qualified evaluation entity to evaluate mentoring and induction programming in Michigan, including providing recommendations to improve programming. 

 

Eligible Applicants

Qualified evaluation entities. Qualified applicants will include entities that demonstrate each of the following: 

  • Prior success in program evaluation, including data collection and analysis using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • Capacity to conduct statewide program evaluation, meet deadlines, and complete deliverables.
  • Prior knowledge in the areas of study, including any or all of the following: Michigan’s education system, new educator mentoring, or educator induction practices.

Grant Information

Awardees of this grant will gather and analyze baseline data from current mentoring and induction programs and then conduct an evaluation of mentoring and induction programs in Michigan after the implementation of the grants awarded per Section 27h. The final evaluation needs to include a recommendation on how to improve programs. 

 

Timeline

Grant awarded: October 2024 to American Institutes of Research (AIR)