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State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. today announced the State University of New York (SUNY) colleges at Cortland and Oswego have received preliminary funding for the Undergraduate Clinically Rich Teacher Preparation Pilot Program from the "Race to the Top" grant.Ìý SUNY Cortland, partnering with Binghamton High School in the Binghamton School District, and SUNY Oswego, partnering with the Syracuse City School District, will receive a combined award of $982,685.

"Our goal is to prepare every student to graduate college and career ready," King said. "These grants will help teachers help students toward that goal.Ìý Better trained teachers make better classroom teachers. And better classroom teachers make better, well-prepared students."

King said the grant is part of the State Education Department’s (SED) implementation of State Board of Regents reforms.Ìý The grants are targeted to prepare teachers to educate students in high-needs schools in the targeted certification titles of Math 7-12, Science 7-12 (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Science) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Preparing teachers in a clinical method will increase retention of teachers and positively affect student achievement.

King noted research shows that a clinically based approach of placing candidates in residencies with partner schools increases teacher retention and helps prepare teachers for the realities of working in high-needs schools.Ìý The grants, awarded on the basis of a Request for Proposals process, will be used to develop clinically rich pilot programs for undergraduate teacher preparation programs to address teacher shortages.

SUNY Cortland and SUNY Oswego, through partnerships with high-needs schools, will create a corps of teachers who will improve student performance through content integration, professional knowledge and clinical experience.Ìý

The grants require approved principal and teacher evaluation plans. Binghamton City School District and Syracuse City School District submitted APPR plans to the State prior to the July 1, 2012 submission date. The APPR plans for both districts have been approved by the State.

The Undergraduate Level Clinically Rich Teacher Preparation Pilot Program and its activities are supported, in whole or in part, by a grant from the 91°µÍøÆƽâ°æ from the State’s Race to the Top federal funds.