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.

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