UofL to Spend the $96K Felner Left Behind

This from Nancy Rodriguez at C-J:

UofL to use grant for

teacher quality study

The University of Louisville has received permission from the U.S. Department of Education to use the remaining $96,318 from a federal grant that was allegedly misappropriated by the school's former education dean to conduct teacher quality research.

The news was originally reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, which devoted several pages of its latest issue to the criminal case involving Robert Felner, the former dean of U of L's College of Education and Human Development...

U of L and Jefferson County Public Schools officials confirmed yesterday they are working in partnership to use the money to study teacher performance and effectiveness in the school district.

"I'm delighted that U of L does want to partner with us and that they came up with this idea," said Bob Rodosky, the school system's director of accountability, research and planning. "I think this is the way that a partnership should evolve between us and the university. We are talking to one another and we are signing off on each other's work and moving forward and hopefully focusing on kids."

According to an e-mail between Bob Ronau, a professor of mathematics education and associate dean of research at U of L's College of Education, and Ron Arson, a program officer at the U.S. Department of Education, the university will use the school system's "information related to demographics, achievement, attendance, funding, teacher characteristics and variables" in its research.

"By identifying variables associated with effective teachers, JCPS can adjust a number of current practices, from hiring to professional development," Ronau said...