Teacher & Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship (TPRA)

What is the Teacher & Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship program?

The Teacher & Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Program is a new grant opportunity that provides additional opportunities for current high school students and adult paraeducators to earn credentials all while learning and working in the classroom.

Current high school students will be able to earn a paraeducator certificate and associates degree, and paraeducators will be able earn their bachelor's degree. The program will begin in the 2022-2023 school year.

Funding

The Iowa Department of Education (DOE) and Iowa Workforce Development Agency (IWD) will use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to create the model program which will train and educate current high school students and paraeducators for the next step in their teaching careers while they learn, work, and get paid in Iowa schools.

Covered Costs	Paraeducator program tuition and full salary for students working as an aide and 50% of salary when working for the district as a classroom aide after graduation and completing coursework (Maximum $40,500 per participant)Teacher preparation program tuition and 50% of salary while working for the district as a paraeducator and completing coursework (Maximum $47,000 per participant) In order to be eligible for grant funds in the teacher track, a candidate must be a certified paraeducator or have an Associate's degree or Bachelor's degree.
Adding of New District	If an awarded Sponsor district that is part of a larger consortium chooses to request an additional Partner district(s) to join their established consortium after the initial award, the additional district(s) and/or apprentice(s) will have no effect on the total awarded amount. The additional district(s) wishing to join an established consortium must submit a letter of request to the Sponsor district formally requesting to become a Partner district under the consortium. If the Sponsor district chooses to add the district(s) to the consortium, the Sponsor district must submit a formal letter of support to Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) requesting to add the additional district(s) as a formal Partner district under the awarded consortium. The requested Partner district(s) must have an MOU agreement with a higher education partner (RTI) included with their request that is an established RTI provider within the consortium. No new RTI providers will be eligible to be added to the consortium based on the additional district(s). The MOU agreement must contain the same requirements as stated in the contract agreement between IWD and the Sponsor district.

Resources

Guidance: Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Education (IDE) will host a webinar for awardees to discuss next steps.

For more information, contact us at RegisteredApprenticeship@iwd.iowa.gov or use our contact form.

IowaWorks Employer Registration Guide.pdf (256.75 KB)

IowaWorks Provider Registration Guide.pdf (292.46 KB)

TPRA Memorandum of Understanding Template.pdf (142.49 KB)

TPRA Q &A - #1.docx (24.06 KB)

TPRA Webinar I - Fiscal Agents and Contracts.pdf (594.35 KB)

WPS K-12 Teacher Registered Apprenticeship.pdf (231.2 KB)

WPS Paraeducator (Teacher Aide) Registered Apprenticeship.pdf (133 KB)

Webinar - "Mentoring & TPRA Success"

Watch the "Mentoring & TPRA Success" webinar to learn about the importance of mentors in your Teacher/Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship program. The webinar was recorded on Feb. 2, 2023.Kyle Whitaker, Acting State Director, U.S Department of Labor/Office of Apprenticeship in Iowa, will talk about the responsibilities of mentors. Stacey Cole, Storm Lake Superintendent, will share how her school district is adapting those responsibilities to fit local needs. Maryam Rod Szabo, Iowa Department of Education (IDoE) Administrative Consultant, Educator Quality, will speak to IDoE’s role regarding TPRA and mentoring. Their brief overviews will be followed by Q &A. More information is available at www.EarnAndLearnIowa.gov

"Mentoring & TPRA Success" Webinar Q&A

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