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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: 

  1. Mentoring Standards, Curriculum, and Professional Learning Creation Grant: Awarded to Western Michigan University.
  2. Program Evaluation Grant: Awarded to American Institutes for Research. 
  3. Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant: Awarded to 121 districts. View the complete list of awardees here: Section 27h Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant Awardees.

Updates

  • District Grant: Awards announced for the Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant. View the complete list of awardees here: Section 27h Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant Awardees. If you have questions regarding your application status or would like to file an appeal, please contact MDE-EdWorkforceGrants@Michigan.gov. Round 2 to open in 2026.
  • Standards: The new Standards for Mentoring and Induction of New Teachers, School Counselors, and Administrators are open to public comment. Go to the public comment page to share your feedback. The window to provide feedback is November 13 – December 22, 2025.
  • Evaluation: Initial Evaluation Survey to be released in December 2025.

Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant

Grant Award

Timeline

  • Grant awarded: November 2025
  • Appeals window: November 21 to December 21, 2025
  • Second round: Open in 2026

Purpose

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

There will be multiple rounds of funding. The funds awarded through the first round of the grant are able to be spent between October 1, 2025 –  September 30, 2026. These funds may be used for the following purposes: 
  • 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.

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. 

Timeline

  • Grant awarded: June 2024 to Western Michigan University
  • Public Comment for Standards: November 13 – December 22, 2025. Share your feedback for Mentoring and Induction of New Teachers, School Counselors, and Administrators here: Public Comment page.

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.

Grant Information

Awardee 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)
  • Initial Evaluation Survey: Released in December 2025