Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Program

Overview

The SEED program provides funding to increase the number of highly effective educators by supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices that prepare, develop, or enhance the skills of educators. These grants will allow eligible entities to develop, expand, and evaluate practices that can serve as models to be sustained and disseminated.

This competition includes two absolute priorities. Applicants may address only one absolute priority and must clearly indicate the specific absolute priority their project addresses.

Absolute Priority 1: Supporting Effective Teachers -- This priority is for projects that will implement activities that are supported by moderate evidence. Applicants under this priority may propose one or more of the following activities: (1) Providing teachers from nontraditional preparation and certification routes or pathways to serve in traditionally underserved local educational agencies (LEAs); (2) Providing evidence-based professional development activities that address literacy, numeracy, remedial, or other needs of LEAs and the students the agencies serve; or (3) Providing teachers with evidence-based professional enhancement activities, which may include activities that lead to an advanced credential.

Absolute Priority 2: Supporting Effective Principals or Other School Leaders -- This priority is for projects that will implement activities that are supported by promising evidence. Applicants under this priority may propose one or more of the following activities: (1) Providing principals or other school leaders from nontraditional preparation and certification routes or pathways to serve in traditionally underserved LEAs; (2) Providing principals or other school leaders with evidence-based professional development activities that address literacy, numeracy, remedial, or other needs of LEAs and the students the agencies serve; or (3) Providing principals or other school leaders with evidence-based professional enhancement activities, which may include activities that lead to an advanced credential.

This competition also includes three competitive preference priorities. 
Competitive Preference Priority 1 focuses on increasing educator diversity in classrooms across the Nation. 
Competitive Preference Priority 2 encourages applicants to develop programs that promote equity in student access to educational resources and opportunities and that prepare teachers to create inclusive, supportive, equitable, unbiased, and identity-safe learning environments for students. 
Competitive Preference Priority 3 addresses the critical need to support a diverse educator workforce.

In addition, this competition includes two invitational priorities. 
Invitational Priority 1 promotes registered apprenticeship programs for K–12 teachers as a method to build on existing high-quality educator preparation pathways into teaching while reducing the cost of earning a teaching license. 
Invitational Priority 2 encourages applicants to explore professional learning supports for early elementary teachers and school leaders.

The Department must not award more than one grant under this program to an eligible entity during a grant competition. If an entity submits multiple applications for this competition, only the highest rated application will be considered for an award.

Applicants may address only one absolute priority and must clearly indicate the specific absolute priority their project addresses

Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to submit a notice of intent to apply by February 18, 2025. Applications are due March 18, 2025.

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000–$6,000,000 per project year. 
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3,500,000 per project year. 
Estimated Number of Awards: 16–20. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. 
Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Cost Sharing or Matching: Each grant recipient must provide, from non- Federal sources, at least 25 percent of the total cost for each year of the project activities. These funds may be provided in cash or through in-kind contributions.