UTC NEWS RELEASE Friday, September 10, 1999 CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. UTC Awarded Fourth Grant for Teacher Preparation On Tuesday the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was awarded a five year Teacher Quality grant for $3,847,859, making it the only institution in the country to receive grants in all four categories awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to improve teacher preparation and better prepare children to succeed in college. Known as the Teacher Quality Urban Impact Grant, it will enhance the quality of teacher preparation through cooperation between the UTC College of Education and the content disciplines throughout the university. It will also emphasize working in urban schools. The U.S. Department of Education awards grants in the areas of Teacher Quality, Teacher Recruitment, Teacher Technology, and Gear Up. UTC has received grants in each of the four areas totaling more than 6 million dollars over a five year period. The grant program is part of U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley's efforts to better prepare new teachers to meet the demands of today's classrooms. "Effective teaching starts with effective training," Riley said. "Through partnerships between universities and school districts whose student populations face many learning challenges, these grants will revamp teacher preparation programs to ensure that tomorrow's teachers have the knowledge and skills to understand every child's strengths and weaknesses and to help each one reach his or her potential." The other U.S. Department of Education grants recently awarded to UTC to improve teacher education include: UTC received a one-year planning grant of $128,000 for Guide to Success, a Teacher Technology Grant to encourage the effective use of the Internet and other computer resources in classroom instruction. UTC is one of 28 partnership-leading institutions in the country to receive a $1,440,655 Teacher Recruitment Initiative In Tennessee (TRI IT!) grant that will recruit minority students into teacher preparation programs and expose them to innovative programs. This five-year grant will provide support for the new teachers will continue through their first years in the profession as veteran teachers advise and guide TRI IT! graduates through the exciting but trying introductory years in their new careers. UTC received $1,365,687 for GEAR UP, a five-year grant which focuses on three inner-city Chattanooga middle schools surrounded by high-crime, low-income communities. Gear-Up will increase the children's educational attainment and encourage then to pursue higher education through a system of support to the children, their teachers, and their parents.

Last updated: September 13, 1999.
Comments to: UTC Webdude