49 Innovation Grant Applicants Make the Grade

Out of nearly 1,700 Investing in Innovation grant applications, the Education Department picked 49 to win a share of the $650 million prize money.

Those 49 school districts, nonprofit education groups and higher education institutions plan to start or expand research-based programs that will improve student learning.

"We have to educate our way to a better economy," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, "and these players are going to help us get there.”

But they won't receive any money unless they find private-sector funding. They have until Sept. 8 to secure a 20 percent private-sector match, and some of them already have.

If all of them find the match, then four applicants will receive scale-up grants, 14 will receive validation grants, and 29 will receive development grants.

The scale-up grants focus on programs that could impact more than 100,000 students and present strong evidence of improving student achievement. The validation grant programs show evidence of their impact, but are ready to expand. And the development grants support new and promising practices that must be further studied to determine if they're effective.

"We have to drive innovation and not just perpetuate the status quo,” Duncan said. 

Investing in Innovation finalists

Technology projects

A number of applicants plan to drive innovation through technology. While only one applicant name is listed, most of these grants include multiple partners such as schools, districts, universities, education departments and nonprofit groups.

• New York City Department of Education: School of One
  New York City Board of Education
  New York
  Grant type: Development
  Score: 104.18
  Funding requested: $5 million
  Goal: Improve learning by customizing instruction to students' academic needs, interests and learning preferences.
  Technology: Support middle school math instruction at four new schools in 2011 by improving the School of One's adaptive and intelligent technology platform.
   
• CollegeYes
  Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  Los Angeles
  Grant type: Development
  Score: 99.94
  Funding requested: $4.99 million
  Goal: Prepare high-need Alliance middle and high school students for college by aligning specific common core standards and college and career ready standards with International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) technology, 21st Century and California content standards.
  Technology: Develop a virtual and real learning community, use a student technology leader program, and infuse technology into project-based learning.
   
• Write to Learn!
  Corona-Norco Unified School District
  Norco, Calif.
  Grant type: Development
  Score: 102.68
  Funding requested: $5 million
  Goal: Close a writing proficiency gap in English Language Arts scores between high needs and general students.
  Technology: Implement the online writing program CTe Writer in five schools. Develop online  lessons and courses for high schoolers to help them with the writing process.
   
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education (STEM) for the 21st Century
  Education Connection
  Litchfield, Conn.
  Grant type: Development
  Score: 103.87
  Funding requested: $4.47 million
  Goal: Fully develop, implement and evaluate a high school STEM academy that will grab the interest of high-need students and improve their learning in those subjects.
  Technology: Engage students with a blended learning environment that includes online coursework and guidance from classroom teachers.
   
• EngageME P.L.E.A.S.E.
  Forsyth County Schools
  Cumming, Ga.
  Grant type: Development
  Score: 97.14
  Funding requested: $4.74 million
  Goal: Increase student achievement and growth, as well as high school graduation rates.
  Technology: Integrate several systems into one data system that will include personal student learner plans. The plans will show longitudinal and immediate feedback data from prior courses, as well as learning preferences and intervention successes. An assessment engine will determine whether students master standards.
   
• North Star
  Montgomery County Public Schools
  Rockville, Md.
  Grant type: Development
  Score: 100.39
  Funding requested: $5 million
  Goal: Develop a curriculum and online professional learning community designed to nurture the skills and mindset that will guide children toward college readiness.
  Technology: Create professional development that lines up with the new curriculum and takes place in a collaborative online environment.
   
• eMINTS Validation Project
  The Curators of the University of Missouri
  Columbia, Mo.
  Grant type: Validation
  Score: 101.4
  Funding requested: $12.27 million
  Goal: Examine the impact of eMINTS professional development programs on the achievement of high-need rural Missouri middle school students through a random control trial.
  Technology: Give districts 250 hours of eMINTS professional development and classroom technology including interactive whiteboards, student computers and peripherals.
  
  
• Arts Achieve: Impacting Student Success in the Arts
  The Studio in a School Assocation Inc.
  New York
  Grant type: Development
  Score: 96.31
  Funding requested: $4.37 million
  Goal: Allow students and teachers to access content and assessment feedback through technology (one of three goals).
  Technology: Create online open educational resources and introduce technology into art classrooms to facilitate art creation, documentation, research, feedback, reflection, collaboration and file-sharing.

Stay tuned to find out whether these applicants will find matching private-sector funding and how their projects actually impact student learning.