Teacher and School Leader Grant Awarded

LITTLE ROCK (September 25, 2023) - The Arkansas Public School Resource Center (APSRC) is pleased to announce its award of the Teacher and School Leader (TSL) grant through the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $4,911,936 for the 2024 fiscal year. This three-year grant is designed to promote educator effectiveness in rural Arkansas schools through the PEER Network.

The PEER Network was established with a 2021 TSL grant award through a partnership between the APSRC and Crowley’s Ridge Educational Service Cooperative (CRESC) to create opportunities for select rural Arkansas schools. This 2023 grant award will expand the original model (PEER 2.0) to additional schools. Through the PEER Network, partner schools receive training, coaching, and job-embedded support. Partner schools also receive personalized performance management to ensure schools, school leaders, and teacher leaders meet or exceed their goals. 

The PEER Network employs a Performance-Based Compensation System (PBCS) that provides incentives to schools when they meet their goals. The incentive structure is based on a holistic view of schools that includes student achievement and growth, the development of teacher leaders, the support of school leaders, and the use of recruitment and retention strategies to establish and maintain a diverse and highly qualified staff. The mission of the PEER Network is to meet the unique needs of rural Arkansas schools and build capacity by empowering teacher leaders in a learning community.

For additional information, contact the PEER Project Director, Rachel Horn, at (501) 554-0915, or by email at rhorn@crmail.k12.ar.us.