Teacher Training

The Delta Teachers Academy was established in 1992 to help improve the quality of elementary and secondary school teaching in the Lower Mississippi Delta, one of the poorest, least developed regions in the nation. Agriculture Department (USDA) financial support for the Academy has nearly doubled from $2 million in fiscal year 1994 to nearly $4 million in fiscal year 1995. The Academy expects to increase the number of teacher training days by 130 percent, from more than 5,000 training days for 371 teachers in fiscal year 1994 to more than 12,000 training days for 665 teachers in fiscal year 1995. Teachers participating in the program have generally given it high marks.

GAO found that: (1) the Department of Agriculture's funding for the Delta Teachers Academy has nearly doubled to almost $4 million in fiscal year 1995; (2) the Academy expects to increase the number of teacher training days from about 5,000 for 371 teachers in 1994 to 12,000 days for 665 teachers in 1995; (3) teachers participating in the Academy program generally view it as positive and effective in increasing the understanding of academic subjects and providing new teaching skills; and (4) the National Faculty has not yet evaluated the impact of the Academy on participants' teaching practices, but it is planning more comprehensive evaluations of the program's impact and effectiveness.