Laurens County School District 55 (LCSD 55) and the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) Partner to Receive Grant
June 13, 2023
Since 2020, Laurens County School District 55 (LCSD 55) has been in partnership with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) in implementing the Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Program. The said program is a three-year grant which supported the training and coaching of principals in advancing equity for all students. Five other South Carolina school districts participated in the SEED Program. Through SEED, 150 administrators in 95 schools positively impacted 58,000 South Carolina students.
Under the SEED Program, LCSD 55 was able to take part in the South Carolina Principal Leadership Network (SCPLN), a two-year cohort-based program. LCSD 55 administrators received professional development opportunities on social-emotional learning (SEL) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). LCSD 55 SCPLN principals and assistant principals received high-quality virtual professional development, quarterly on-site coaching, and quarterly networking opportunities via virtual communities of practice. Through SCPLN, Laurens 55 has strengthened the instructional leadership skills of its school leaders, creating a cadre and pipeline of effective school leaders.
LCSD 55 and NIET seek to continue creating impactful and innovative improvements in educator effectiveness. As the three-year SEED Program comes to an end, NIET and LCSD 55 are working together to proactively seek funding from the United States Department of Education under the Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Fund program. If awarded, NIET anticipates that the grant program could bring approximately $5 million in support for Laurens 55 to invest in its teacher effectiveness strategy over the next three years.
The TSL Incentive Fund program can make a meaningful difference in the success of educators and students in LCSD 55. The goal is to utilize the funds to build the capacity of school administrators’ instructional leadership through collaborative professional learning and classroom coaching. LCSD 55 administrators will be empowered to effectively support classroom teachers and increase teacher effectiveness.
LCSD 55 Superintendent Dr. Ameca C. Thomas is excited about this new collaboration with NIET. She said, “I am honored to have been invited by the CEO of NIET, Josh Barnett, to participate in this grant program. This partnership will allow us to further support and uplift our dedicated teachers and school leaders, while positively impacting the academic growth and success of our students. The Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Fund program is a grant that aims to positively impact the academic growth and success of students by providing funding to support the recruitment, retention, and recognition of highly effective teachers and principals in high-needs schools. It focuses on teacher effectiveness and student achievement. This grant program incentivizes educators and provides high-quality professional development as educators invest in the academic and social-emotional growth of their students, leading to increased student achievement and success.”
Dr. Thomas has also been appointed by NIET to serve on its 2023-2024 Educator Advisory Board. Dr. Thomas is one of the educational leaders whose experience and expertise help NIET achieve its mission to support great classroom teaching and learning in every classroom.
