The Nevada Department of Education Announces $20.7M Investment to Incentivize Pathways to Teaching

NDE is providing grants to 3,840 pre-service educators completing coursework or student teaching through an educator preparation program

November 23, 2021

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada Department of Education (NDE or Department) today announced the “Incentivizing Pathways to Teaching” Grant Program (IPT Grant Program), which will grow Nevada’s educator workforce by providing stipends to support pre-service educators as they complete coursework or student teaching at a Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institution or other approved educator preparation program.

The IPT Grant Program provides financial supports to ensure qualified educator candidates complete their educator preparation programs. Too often, educator candidates are unable to complete their programs and graduate licensure-ready due to the financial hardship of giving up part-time work to accommodate a student teaching schedule. With the IPT Grant Program, NDE seeks to address this issue and provide additional resources to bolster Nevada’s educator pipeline.

“The single most important in-school factor affecting a student’s education is their teacher, and it is a key priority of the Department to grow our State’s educator workforce with effective and diverse educators,” said Jhone Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “NDE’s Incentivizing Pathways to Teaching project prioritizes equitable access to qualified teacher candidates by removing financial constraints, directly supporting many Nevadans on their journey to become educators. I extend my gratitude to Governor Sisolak and the Nevada Legislature for recognizing and supporting this need, as well as to NSHE for their ongoing collaboration and partnership.”  

“My administration is continuing to focus on investing in our educators to help our students achieve at higher levels, and this program is one more way we can continue to support our hardworking educators," said Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. "I am excited to see this program get off the ground and I am grateful to the Nevada Department of Education for their work on this project.”

Through the IPT Grant Program, support will be provided to pre-service educators as either stipends for student teaching or tuition assistance for educator preparation programs. Students may receive up to $2,000 for tuition assistance at any time during the final three semesters of their program, and up to $8,400 in stipends during their student teaching semester. If accepted, each candidate who receives these funds must obtain a Nevada standard teaching license and seek employment in a public school in the State of Nevada. Priority will be given to candidates who have financial need and/or identify as a person of color.

“The importance of collaborating between our K-12 and higher education organizations cannot be overstated in growing a sustainable educator workforce for Nevada,” said Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Melody Rose. “I am grateful for the work we have been able to accomplish with the Nevada Department of Education and Superintendent Ebert, and I am thrilled at the impact this grant program will have on our students. Everyone enrolled in an educator preparation program at one of Nevada’s higher education institutions should take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Nevada Department of Education has teamed up with the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) to address Nevada’s teacher pipeline and expand the number and diversity of licensure-ready teachers in the State. Both the NSHE Teacher Pathways Task Force, launched in April 2021, and the IPT Grant Program are products of this ongoing collaborative work.

The IPT Grant Program was approved in spring 2021 by the Interim Finance of the Nevada Legislature. The Program launched in fall 2021 and will run for two calendar years, until the end of spring 2023. The fall 2021 cohort of pre-service educators included stipends for 265 teachers during their student teaching, and tuition assistance for 764 teachers.

NDE anticipates the IPT Grant Program will support 2,000 pre-service teachers with student teaching stipends and 1,840 teachers with education preparation program tuition assistance throughout its lifetime. In total, the Program has the potential to support 3,840 pre-service Nevada educators for Nevada.

Nevada received more than $1.5 billion in federal relief funding for education, translating to Statewide projects and programs aligned with NDE’s four strategic investments to recover and renew education from the COVID-19 pandemic. Those strategic investments are: Teacher Recruitment and Retention; Advancing Equity; Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health; Efficiencies for Long-term Success.

In March 2021, the Nevada Department of Education released a Report on Nevada Class Sizes and Educator Workforce, which indicated that Nevada needed an additional 3,000 teachers to improve core class sizes to the ratios recommended by the State Board of Education. Due to Nevada’s need to grow its number of licensed educators, NDE prioritized $20.7 million in federal relief funding from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II) out of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) for the IPT Grant Program which represents approximately 43% of all CRRSA funds available to NDE for Statewide activities. Other work to support the educator pipeline includes the NSHE Teacher Pathways Task Force and the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Advisory Task Force established by the Legislature.

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ABOUT THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) leads and collaborates with Nevada’s 17 school districts and the State Public Charter School Authority to advance educational equity Statewide. With offices in Carson City and Las Vegas, NDE oversees all pre-K-12 education in the State, working to achieve its mission to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness by ensuring opportunities, facilitating learning, and promoting excellence. Under the leadership of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, NDE impacts the achievement of nearly half a million children and 30,000 educators.