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25 Programs To Receive $134 Million in Federal Funds

The United States Department of Education recently published its list of the 25 programs that will receive funding in the fourth round of the Investing in Innovation (i3) competition. Those programs will receive a combined total of $134 million before the end of the year.

The Investing in Innovation Fund provides funding through competitive grants designed to encourage programs that boost student achievement and college readiness, improve science education, turn around low-performing schools and support teacher and administrator effectiveness.

A total of 618 applications were received in this latest round. The 25 recipients had the highest rated programs among all the applications and were able to secure matching private sector funds, a requirement for the i3 program.

In the latest round, two types of grants were awarded:

  • Development grants, which provide up to $3 million per grant, to support new concepts that are deemed worthy of further study (reasonable hypothesis);
  • Validation grants, which provide up to $15 million per grant, for programs that have already shown promise but need additional evidence of effectiveness (moderate evidence).

Seven validation grants were awarded. Recipients included:

  • Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound;
  • Jacksonville State University;
  • Teachers College, Columbia University;
  • The Regents of the University of California, Irvine;
  • Spurwink Services;
  • SRI International; and
  • Waterford Institute.

The remaining 18 grants were awarded in the development category. Recipients included:

  • Cabarrus County Schools in North Carolina;
  • Carroll County Schools in Georgia;
  • CASA de Maryland;
  • Center for Applied Linguistics;
  • Challenger Center for Space Education;
  • ConnectED: The California Center for College and Career;
  • Maricopa County Education Service Agency;
  • National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform;
  • NYC Leadership Academy;
  • Pennsylvania State University;
  • Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles;
  • Seneca Family of Agencies;
  • Sonoma State University;
  • The Children's Aid Society;
  • The Providence Plan;
  • United Way of Greater Atlanta;
  • University of Massachusetts Boston; and
  • University Public Schools/ASU Prep.

"In this era of rapid change, these i3 awards will help grantees prepare students for the rigor and changing demands of the global job market," Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a prepared statement. "The collaborative efforts of these grantees and their private-sector partners will further our focus on ensuring students are successful in education and careers."

Additional details about the program and the recipients can be found on ED's site.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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