AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that 26 school districts, public charter schools and education service centers have been awarded a Texas Education Agency 2018-2019 Principal Preparation grant. The grant can be used by districts to cover preparation and certification costs for aspiring principals.

The 26 applicants selected to receive a Principal Preparation grant: Crowley ISD; Calallen ISD; Chapel Hill ISD (Smith County); Clint ISD; Cypress-Fairbanks ISD; Del Valle ISD; Freer ISD; Grand Prairie ISD; Jean Massieu Academy (Arlington); Kirbyville CISD; Lamesa ISD; North East ISD; Northside ISD (San Antonio); O'Donnell ISD; Region 2 Education Service Center (Corpus Christi); Region 5 Education Service Center (Beaumont); Region 11 Education Service Center (Fort Worth); Region 12 Education Service Center (Waco); Region 13 Education Service Center (Austin); Region 14 Education Service Center (Abilene); Region 16 Education Service Center (Amarillo); Spring ISD; Vidor ISD; Waco ISD; Waxahachie Faith Family Academy; and Westwood ISD.

“The goal of the Principal Preparedness Grant Program is to support efforts that provide an opportunity to build strong campus leaders through principal residencies,” said Commissioner Morath. “This initiative comes as a direct result of work from our Texas Rural Schools Task Force, whose members identified this area of concern.”

Created by Commissioner Morath in 2016, the Texas Rural Schools Task Force was charged with identifying current challenges and best practices for the state’s rural school districts. Information on the task force (including its final report) can be viewed here: https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Educator_Initiatives_and_Performance/Rural_Schools_Task_Force.

Commissioner Morath noted that the 2018-2019 Principal Preparation grant program was among the first from the agency to pilot a new streamlined application process, which represented an 80 percent reduction in paperwork for applicants. This streamlined approach was in direct response to Rural Schools Task Force recommendations. In addition, priority points were awarded to school districts with smaller enrollments, also in response to the Task Force’s recommendations.

Based on information shared in the applications of grant recipients, Principal Preparation grants will fund:

• 284 principal residents who will participate in a year-long residency (including authentic campus-based leadership experiences and support from a campus mentor); and
• 26 District-Educator Preparation Program partnerships that will provide the principal residents with training focused on best practices in campus leadership (including a concentrated focus in instructional leadership and certifications).

The 2018-2019 Principal Preparation grant program supports TEA’s Strategic Priority to recruit, support, and retain teachers and principals. To learn more about the agency’s strategic priorities, visit https://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Welcome_and_Overview/TEA_Strategic_Plan.

An opportunity to apply for the 2019-2020 Principal Preparation grant program will come later this year. Grant application information will be posted to TEA’s Grant Opportunities page on the TEA website in the fall. 

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