Education Department Invests in Round Two Innovation

News

K-12 | Policy

Posted November 28, 2011

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act established two high-profile programs that have continued, thanks to subsequent funding from Congress. The first of these, Investing in Innovation (i3), awards three types of grants to incubate and test promising innovations in education. While the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires schools to use programs that are supported by research, very few products or programs in education meet this standard. The What Works Clearinghouse, a separately funded federal effort, compiles the research on commonly used educational programs and gives each a rating based on the strength of the research base, in other words, the evidence that the program actually makes a difference in student achievement.

The gap between the requirement to use research-based programs and the absence of such programs simply shows how far ahead of the curve this policy is. So the requirement has been largely ignored, or watered down to the standard that research was consulted when a program was designed—a standard that is nearly impossible not to reach.

When the Education Department first announced the i3 grant competition, with $650 million available, it received 1,698 applications and awarded 49 grants. The second competition—despite having much less funding to award, with $150 million available, elicited nearly 600 applications. On November 11, the Department announced the preliminary list of 23 awardees (the awards are not final until they secure a non-Federal funding match).

Applications had to focus on one of five absolute priorities: promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education; increasing achievement and high school graduation rates in rural schools; supporting effective teachers and principals; implementing high standards and high-quality assessments; and turning around persistently low-performing schools.

Extra points were given to applicants that intended to improve early learning outcomes, increase college access and success, address the unique needs of students with disabilities and limited English proficient students, or improve productivity or technology.

The preliminary awardees are the following:

Awardee	Location	Project
Aspire Public Schools	Oakland, CA	Transforming Teacher Talent: Aspire Public Schools Comprehensive Approach to Effective Teaching in Low-Income Schools
Baltimore City Public Schools	Baltimore, MD	Middle School STEM Summer Learning Program
Berea College	Berea, KY	Accelerating Academic Achievement in Appalachian Kentucky
Boston Public Schools	Boston, MA	Turnaround using Increased Learning Time (TILT)
The College Board	New York, NY	Student Success in AP Biology: Expanding the STEM College Readiness of High-Need Students (SSAP-BIO)
Del Norte Unified School District	Crescent City, CA	Responding Effectively to Assessments with Curriculum and Teaching (REACT)
Fresno County Office of Education	Fresno, CA	From Rhetoric to College Readiness: The Expository Reading and Writing Course
Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative	Hazard, KY	Career and College Readiness Transformations
KnowledgeWorks	Cincinnati, OH	Creating a Corridor of Innovation: Changing the Equations of Success in Rural, High Need High Schools
The Metropolitan Education Commission	Tucson, AZ	The Wisdom Project
National Math and Science Initiative	Dallas, TX	Partnership to Increase Student Achievement and College Readiness in STEM Education
New York City Board of Education	New York, NY	InnovateNYC
New York Hall of Science	New York, NY	SciGames: A Technology-Enhanced Model for Bridging Informal and Formal Science Learning
New Visions For Public Schools, Inc	New York, NY	New Visions—Accessing Algebra Through Inquiry
North Carolina New Schools Project	Raleigh, NC	Validating Early College Strategies (VECS)
Oakland Unified School District	Oakland, CA	Oakland Accelerates
Old Dominion University Research Foundation	Norfolk, VA	Technology-Facilitated Scale Up of Proven Model of Math Instruction in High Need Schools
Ounce of Prevention Fund	Chicago, IL	Ounce Professional Development Initiative (PDI)
Success for All Foundation	Baltimore, MD	Around the Corner: A Technology-Enhanced Approach to Early Literacy
Temple University	Philadelphia, PA	Exceptional Coaching for Early Language and Literacy -Enhanced (ExCELL-E): Refining an Effective, Research-Based Teacher Professional Development Model
Texas Tech University	Lubbock, TX	Competency-Based Educator Preparation and School Intervention
University of Minnesota	Minneapolis, MN	Midwest Expansion of the Child-Parent Center Education Program, Preschool to Third Grade
University of Alaska Statewide Office of K-12 Outreach	Fairbanks, AK	Alaska Statewide Mentor Project Urban Growth Opportunity