i3 Program Awards $113 Million in Grants
The
United States Department of Education has identified
the 13 highest-rated organizations and programs to qualify for
Investing in
Innovation (i3) funding. After obtaining some matching private funding,
the 13
will share $113 million on programs designed to boost student achievement and
college readiness, improve science education, turn around
low-performing
schools and support teacher and administrator effectiveness.
The Investing
in Innovation Fund, established under the 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aims to provide applicant
organizations
competitive grants in order to expand and improve the implementation of
innovative practices in education.
The 13 projects are scattered all over
the United States, ranging from the
After-School Corp. in New York City and the Association of Alaska
School Boards to the Children's Literacy Initiative based in Philadelphia and the New
Teacher
Center in Santa Cruz, CA.
"Through i3, educators are dramatically improving
outcomes for students,
and we are committed to providing teachers and school leaders with the
resources they need to continue this important work," said John King a
senior
advisor with the U.S. Department of Education.
Assuming it obtains its private matching funds,
for instance, the National
Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) will receive nearly $20 million in
federal
funding to expand its College Readiness Program (CRP) — whose goal is
to
increase the number of underserved students taking and earning
qualifying
scores on AP math, science and English exams — to 10 more urban and
rural
school districts in eight states.
"This grant will enable us to broaden CRP's reach
to 60,000 additional
students," said NMSI CEO Matthew Randazzo, "most of them from
historically
underserved populations, and help ensure that they have the knowledge
and
skills they need to thrive."
CRP already has programs in 800 schools in 30
states.
The 13 programs were picked from more
than 400 applications. Depending on
the focus of the program, each of the 13 winning initiatives must
receive
between 5 and 15 percent in matching funds by December 31.
Since its launch in 2009, i3 has awarded more than
$1.2 billion in federal
funding, matched by $200 million in private-sector grants.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.