School Improvement Grants

Contents

School Improvement Grants are a type of funding provided by the United States Department of Education to support the improvement of low-performing schools in the United States. These grants are aimed at helping schools that are struggling to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act, with the goal of improving student outcomes and closing the achievement gap. The program is administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and has been supported by Barack Obama, Arne Duncan, and other education leaders, including Diane Ravitch and Linda Darling-Hammond. The grants are also aligned with the goals of the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the Race to the Top program.

Introduction to School Improvement Grants

School Improvement Grants are designed to support the implementation of school reform models, such as the Turnaround Model, the Restart Model, and the Transformation Model, which were developed by the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Education Association. These models are based on research by Frederick Hess, Chester Finn, and Eric Hanushek, and are intended to help schools improve their academic achievement, graduation rates, and college readiness. The grants can be used to support a range of activities, including professional development for teachers, curriculum development, and community engagement, as outlined by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the International Reading Association. The program has been influenced by the work of Ted Sizer, Deborah Meier, and Alfie Kohn, and has been supported by organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

The School Improvement Grants program was established in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law by Barack Obama. The program was designed to provide funding to support the improvement of low-performing schools and was influenced by the work of Richard Elmore, Michael Fullan, and Andy Hargreaves. The program has undergone several changes since its inception, including the introduction of new school reform models and the development of new accountability measures, as outlined by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the American Educational Research Association. The program has been supported by John King, John B. King Jr., and other education leaders, including Randi Weingarten and Dennis Van Roekel.

To be eligible for a School Improvement Grant, a school must be identified as a low-performing school by its state education agency, as defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The school must also develop a school improvement plan that outlines its goals and strategies for improvement, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act. The plan must be approved by the state education agency and the United States Department of Education, and must be aligned with the goals of the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the Race to the Top program. The application process typically involves a request for proposal (RFP) process, in which schools submit a proposal outlining their plan for improvement, as outlined by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of School Psychologists.

School Improvement Grants can be used to support a range of activities, including professional development for teachers, curriculum development, and community engagement, as outlined by the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Science Teachers Association. The grants can also be used to support the implementation of school reform models, such as the Turnaround Model and the Transformation Model, which were developed by the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Education Association. Additionally, the grants can be used to support the development of data systems and assessment tools, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act, and to support the work of school counselors and school psychologists, as outlined by the American School Counselor Association and the National Association of School Psychologists.

The impact of School Improvement Grants has been evaluated by several research studies, including those conducted by the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. These studies have found that the grants have had a positive impact on student achievement and graduation rates, particularly in schools that have implemented school reform models, as outlined by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the American Educational Research Association. However, the studies have also found that the grants have had limited impact in some schools, particularly those that have struggled to implement the school reform models, as noted by Diane Ravitch and Linda Darling-Hammond. The evaluation of the grants has been influenced by the work of Frederick Hess, Chester Finn, and Eric Hanushek, and has been supported by organizations such as the Brookings Institution and the Center for American Progress.

The School Improvement Grants program has faced several challenges and controversies, including concerns about the effectiveness of the school reform models and the sustainability of the grants, as noted by Ted Sizer, Deborah Meier, and Alfie Kohn. Some critics have argued that the grants have been too focused on test-based accountability and have not done enough to address the root causes of low-performing schools, as outlined by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. Others have argued that the grants have been too limited in scope and have not provided enough support for high-need schools, as noted by John King and Randi Weingarten. Despite these challenges, the program has been supported by many education leaders, including Arne Duncan and Linda Darling-Hammond, and has been influenced by the work of Richard Elmore, Michael Fullan, and Andy Hargreaves. The program has also been aligned with the goals of the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the Race to the Top program, and has been supported by organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Ford Foundation.