2014 Investing in Innovation (i3) Validation and Scale-Up Competition

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the 2014 grant competition for the Investing in Innovation (i3) program’s Scale-up and Validation categories that can help close achievement gaps and improve educational outcomes for the neediest students. The i3 program aims to develop and expand practices that accelerate student achievement and prepare students to succeed in college and their careers.

• Validation grants fund the expansion of projects supported by moderate evidence of effectiveness (as defined by the ED) to the national level.
• Scale-up grants fund the expansion of projects supported by strong evidence of effectiveness (as defined by the ED) to the national or regional level. In addition to improving outcomes for an increasing number of high-need students, Scale-up grants will generate information about students and contexts for which a practice is most effective.

School districts and nonprofit organizations, in partnership with districts or schools, are eligible to compete for up to $12 million in Validation grants to fund projects with moderate evidence of effectiveness, and up to $20 million in Scale-up grants to fund projects with strong evidence of effectiveness and enable expansion across the country.

Applications for the Scale-up and Validation grants are due June 24, 2014.

2014 i3 Grant Competition Launched

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced the start of the 2014 Investing in Innovation (i3) program. The announcement invites pre-applications for Development grant funding. With a total of $134 million for the 2014 i3 program, Development grants are expected to provide up to $3 million each in funding.

Focused on improving student achievement, the i3 program is designed to generate and validate solutions to persistent educational challenges and to support the expansion of effective solutions across the country. As in past years, the i3 program will continue to fund innovative strategies within three distinct categories:

• Development grants fund the development or testing of practices that are supported by evidence of promise or theory (as defined by ED). Development grants will support new or substantially more effective practices for addressing widely shared challenges.
• Validation grants fund the expansion of projects supported by moderate evidence of effectiveness (as defined by ED) to the national or regional level.
• Scale-up grants fund the expansion of projects supported by strong evidence of effectiveness (as defined by ED) to the national level. In addition to improving outcomes for an increasing number of high-need students, Scale-up grants will generate information about the students and contexts for which a practice is most effective. 

Pre-Applications for Development grants are due April 14, 2014. Applications for the Validation and Scale-Up grant opportunities will be announced in late spring 2014. For more information, check out the ED website.

2013 Investing in Innovation Development Grant Update

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has invited 119 pre-applicants to submit a full application for the 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) Development Grant.

This chart lists the highly rated pre-applicants that have been invited to submit a full application. The pre-application process was launched in March 2013. The full application deadline is August 16.

Click here to access materials from a Q&A webinar that took place in July for entities interested in submitting a full application.

For more information on i3, click here.

i3 Funding Announced: Validation and Scale-Up Grants

The U.S. Department of Education has announced funding for the 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) Scale-Up and Validation grants. This announcement follows the March 2013 release of the i3 Development grants.

Focused on improving student achievement, the i3 program is designed to generate and validate solutions to persistent educational challenges and to support the expansion of effective solutions across the country. Now in its fourth round of funding, the 2013 i3 program is designed to target several priorities, including parent and family engagement. Complementing the Administration's efforts to increase access to high-quality early learning opportunities for more children—especially those from disadvantaged communities—this year's grant funding includes an invitational priority in both the Scale-up and Validation categories for applicants working on delivering high-quality early learning programs.

This year, Validation grants will provide up to $12 million to fund projects with moderate levels of evidence, and Scale-up grants will award up to $20 million for proposals that have strong evidence of improving student achievement. Validation grantees must secure a private-sector match comprising 10 percent of their budget; Scale-up grantees must secure 5 percent. Applications for both grants are due July 2, 2013.

To learn more about the 2013 Scale-Up grants, click here.

To learn more about the 2013 Validation grants, click here.

2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) Competition Launched

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced the start of the 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) program. With a total of $150 million in funding, ED has released the pre-application for the i3 Development grant category.

Focused on improving student achievement, the i3 program is designed to generate and validate solutions to persistent educational challenges and to support the expansion of effective solutions across the country. As in past years, the i3 program will continue to fund innovative strategies within three distinct categories:

• Development grants fund the development or testing of practices that are supported by evidence of promise or theory (as defined by ED). Development grants will support new or substantially more effective practices for addressing widely shared challenges.
• Validation grants fund the expansion of projects supported by moderate evidence of effectiveness (as defined by ED) to the national or regional level.
• Scale-up grants fund the expansion of projects supported by strong evidence of effectiveness (as defined by ED) to the national level. In addition to improving outcomes for an increasing number of high-need students, Scale-up grants will generate information about the students and contexts for which a practice is most effective. 

The pre-applications for the Validation and Scale-Up grants will be announced in spring 2013. 

The guidance released by ED includes the 2013 program priorities, which target specific areas of need. This year’s priorities for the Development grant category include: 

• Improving the Effectiveness of Teachers or Principals 
• Improving Low-Performing Schools 
• Improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education 
• Improving Academic Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
• Improving Academic Outcomes for English Learners (ELs)
• Improving Parent and Family Engagement
• Effective Use of Technology
• Serving Rural Communities. 

In 2012, more than 650 potential grantees submitted pre-applications for Development grants. Pre-applications for the 2013 i3 Development grants are due April 26, 2013. ED will conduct a peer review process of the pre-applications. Those pre-applications that are highly rated will be invited to apply for the Development competition and will be given additional time to complete the full application.

To learn more about the 2013 i3 grants, click here.

Stay tuned to our blog for updates about the 2013 Investing in Innovation Competition.

20 Highest-Rated Investing in Innovation Applications Announced

The U.S. Department of Education has announced the 20 highest-rated applicants in the 2012 Investing in Innovation (i3) competition. The 20 potential grantees announced today must secure match funds by December 7, 2012 in order to receive a share of the $140 million available for this year’s i3 program.

Focused on improving student achievement, this year’s Investing in Innovation program aims to fund programs and strategies that support effective teachers, promote STEM (science, technology, math and engineering) education, implement high academic standards and increase parent and family engagement strategies.  Of the 20 potential grantees announced today, eight are “Validation Grant” applicants and have the opportunity to receive up to $15 million to fund innovations that have moderate levels of evidence of effectiveness. Match funds are required to meet 10% of the federal award. The remaining 12 potential grantees are “Development Grant” applicants and have an opportunity to receive up to $3 million to fund promising, yet untested, strategies. Match funds are required to meet 15% of the federal award. This year’s Development Grant competition required grantees to submit pre-applications in an effort to reduce the burden for applicants. A total of 124 pre-applications were received.

For more information about the Investing in Innovation (i3) program, including a list of the 20 potential grantees, please click here.

124 Pre-Applicants Invited to Apply for 2012 "Investing in Innovation" Funding

The Department of Education (ED) has invited 124 high-scoring Investing in Innovation (I3) pre-applicants to apply for 2012 i3 Development grants. This announcement comes just a few months after ED announced the availability of funding for the 2012 i3 program.

With the intention to fund innovative and groundbreaking strategies that will improve student learning and achievement, the i3 program has received incredible interest from states and individual schools throughout the nation in recent years. Unlike past years, this year’s award process required applicants to submit a “pre-application,” allowing ED to simplify and streamline the application process and provide timely feedback about the competitiveness of the applications. A total of 650 pre-applications were received for the Development grant – an increase of 40% compared to 2011. According to ED, the Development grants, which fund high-potential and relatively untested practices/programs, has attracted the greatest participation every year.

The 124 applicants invited to submit an application for the 2012 i3 Development grants focus on the following areas: 

• 23 on teacher and principal effectiveness 
• 39 on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education 
• 32 on parent and family engagement 
• 20 on school turnarounds 
• 10 on rural education 

These 124 applicants are eligible to receive awards of up to $3 million. Awards will be announced in late December.

Stay tuned to our blog for upcoming information about the i3 grant program, including announcements about the pre-applicants invited to apply for Scale-Up and Validation i3 funding.

Department of Education Announces Scale-Up and Validation i3 Funding

The Department of Education (ED) has released a notice inviting applications (NIA) for the 2012 Scale-Up and Validation Investing in Innovation (i3) grants. Up to $25 million is available for Scale-Up grants, which will be awarded to projects that have demonstrated strong evidence of success in improving student achievement. Similarly, i3 has made $15 million available for Validation grants, which will fund programs that have generated moderate evidence of success and require further research. Earlier this month, ED released the pre-application for i3 Development grants, which funds untested, high-potential programs that will improve student achievement.

As in past years, the 2012 Scale-Up, Validation and Development grants will fund programs and initiatives that support effective teachers and principals, improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, implement high academic standards and turn around low-performing schools. In addition, competitive preference will be given to Scale-Up and Validation grant applications that address up to two of the following priorities: 

• Improving early learning outcomes
• Increasing college access and success
• Addressing the needs of students with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency
• Improving productivity 
• Using technology 

Pre-applications for the Scale-Up and Validation grants are due May 29th. Pre-Applications for the Development grant are due April 9th. The highest-rated applications will be announced in the fall. These applicants will be required to secure a private sector match of 15% for Development grants, 10% for Validation grants and 5% for Scale-Up grants in order to be awarded an i3 grant.

Please click here for more information about the i3 program, as well as more detailed information about the pre-applications process.

Department of Education Launches Pre-Application for 2012 Investing in Innovation Development Grants

The Department of Education (ED) has announced the third year of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant program. This most recent announcement invites pre-applications for i3 “Development” grants, which will fund high-potential and relatively untested practices and/or programs whose effectiveness should be studied further. 

An initiative that focuses on improving student achievement by expanding, implementing and investing in innovative practices that have demonstrated success, the i3 initiative continues to generate significant interest throughout the education community. During the 2010 and 2011 grant competitions, nearly 2300 applications from all 50 states were received for i3 funding to support various initiatives, including the promotion of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives, early learning programs, implementing high quality student standards, turning around low-performing schools and supporting effective teachers and principals.

This year, ED has introduced “Parent and Family Engagement” as an absolute priority in the 2012 i3 Development grant competition. Recognizing that parent and communities play a shared and critical role in the academic success of students, ED hopes that the 2012 i3 Development grant recipients will highlight new and promising practices that can be implemented in schools throughout the nation.

In addition, ED has introduced a “pre-application” as part of the 2012 i3 grant competition. In order to simplify and streamline the application process, applicants must submit a pre-application, which will include a shortened narrative and require fewer supporting documents compared to applications in previous years. Once pre-applications are reviewed, the highest-rated applicants will be asked to submit a longer and more complete application.

Eligible i3 applicants include: local education agencies (LEAs), nonprofits in partnership with LEAs or a consortium of schools. The deadline to submit a “Notice of Intent to Apply” for the Development grant is March 15th, 2012 and the full pre-application is due April 9th, 2012. Applicants that are invited to submit a full application will receive information about these deadlines after the pre-applications have been reviewed. Notices for the “Scale-Up” and “Validation” i3 grants will be available in the coming weeks.

For more information about the i3 program or to review the Notice Inviting Applicants for the i3 Development Grants, please click here.

Stay tuned to our blog for updates about the i3 program and the NIAs for the “Scale-Up” and “Validation” i3 grants.

Investing in Innovation (i3) Finalists Secure $18 Million in Matching Funds

The 23 finalists in the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition have secured $18 million in private donations.  With only four weeks between the announcement of finalists and the deadline for private donations, all 23 finalists acquired the donations needed to meet the grant’s matching requirement and are officially eligible to receive part of the $150 million in i3 grants.  This financial support from foundations, philanthropists, corporations and individuals will aid each of the i3 grantees as they strive to create innovative strategies that will improve student achievement.

For a complete list of applicants and their matching funds, please click here.

With over 600 applications for the FY 2011 grant competition, the i3 program has sparked incredible interest throughout the country.  Congress recently passed a spending bill for FY 2012 that provides another $150 for the program.

For more information on in i3 program, please click here.

Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant Awards Announced

The Department of Education has announced the 23 finalists in the second round of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition. Selected from over 600 applications, the 23 finalists represent individual school districts, groups of districts and nonprofit partnerships focused on developing innovative strategies that address various educational initiatives, including supporting effective teachers and turning around persistently low-performing schools. Each award is contingent on the applicant’s ability to secure a private match of a portion of their grant total, which may range from 5 to 15 percent based on the grant proposal.

This year’s i3 grant competition offered $150 in total funding – only 25% of the nearly $650 million available in 2010 – and included an emphasis on improving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, as well as increasing graduation rates in rural areas. The largest grant was awarded to Old Dominion University Research Foundation, which received $25 million in a “scale-up” grant to provide high-need middle school students with access to quality math courses. In addition to “scale-up” grants, 5 “validation” grants were awarded, which will support efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs, and 17 “development” grants were awarded, which will support the evaluation of new practices and programs. One such “development” grant was received by The Ounce of Prevention Fund, which has partnered with Chicago Public Schools to implement and evaluate a professional development initiative that will improve classroom instruction and school leadership in early-education programs.

For more information, including a complete list of finalists, please click here.

A Look at the i3 Applicants

The Department of Education recently released data on the applicants applying for the 2011 Investing in Innovation (i3) grants. Last year, 1,698 applicants applied for the $650 million of available funding. This year, with a smaller pool of $150 million available, the number of 2011 applicants has also decreased to 587. Applications came from every state and the District of Columbia and were concentrated in large states, including California, New York and Texas.  Twenty-eight percent of the applications focus on projects to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (also known as STEM); while the rest of the applications are spread almost evenly amongst the other priorities of supporting effective teachers and principals, implementing high quality standards and assessments, turning around low-performing schools and improving achievement and graduation rates in rural districts.  Eighty-one percent of applicants are pursuing a development grant. For a closer look at the 2011 applicants and a comparison with last year, see the EdWeek analysis.

For more information on the applicants, please also visit the DOE data page here.

Second Round i3 Competition Announced

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) announced that $150 million will be available for another round of Investing in Innovation (i3) grants. Individual school districts, groups of districts, and nonprofits in partnership with districts or a consortium of schools are invited to apply.  The same three categories of grants will be available through the second round:

• Up to $25 million each will be available for Scale-up grants to applicants with the strongest evidence and track records of success;
• Up to $15 million each will be available for Validation grants to verify effectiveness for programs with moderate levels of evidence;
• Up to $3 million each will be available for Development grants to support new and high-potential practices whose impact should be studied further.

This is a decline from the $650 million available in the first round of i3 grants that were funded through ARRA, but was added to DOE's budget for FY 2011 after approval of the final CR. The second round offers some important changes and opportunities for eligible applicants.  For example, one major change is the match required of applicants.  Grant recipients will be required to secure private sector matching funds of 5%, 10%, or 15%, respectively depending on the grant category.  In addition, the NOFA includes two new absolute priorities: one focused on achievement and high school graduation rates in rural schools and the other on promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.  Having a focus on rural communities as one of the priorities likely is in response to concerns from the prior competition that rural communities were at a disadvantage in competing on an equal platform with urban communities that had more resources and capacity.

The other three absolute priorities are the same as last year's competition: supporting effective teachers and principals, implementing high standards and quality assessments, and turning around persistently low-performing schools. All applicants must address one of these five key areas of reform.

This is an important opportunity for communities seeking to implement education reforms in partnership with local school districts. Information about FY 2010 grantees can be found here. Another resource to examine for potential opportunities is the i3 Foundations Registry, created last year when a number of foundations came together to facilitate matching support for FY 2010 applicants.

The full notice can be found here. Applications are due August 2, 2011.

Other Resources:

Investing in Innovation, Department of Education

Rules Set for Fresh Round of 'i3' Grants

Birth-to-Third-Grade Learning Still a Priority In the New i3

DOE i3 Grantees Announced

On August 5, 2010, the Department of Education announced the final awardees for the Investing in Innovation (i3) grants.

Some characteristics of grantees:

• 49 school districts, nonprofit education organizations and institutions of higher education were selected from among nearly 1,700 applicants.  
• Grantees will serve 42 states and 2 territories with more than half intending to serve students with disabilities and limited English proficient students and 37 percent intending to serve rural school districts.
• Award type: 4 in Scale-Up, 15 in Validation, and 30 in Development.
• Absolute Priority:
• 12 (24 percent) of the highest-rated applications addressed Absolute Priority 1 (Innovations that Support Effective Teachers and Principals), including two Scale-Up, four Validation, and six Development applications;
• 9 (18 percent) of the highest-rated applications addressed Absolute Priority 2 (Innovations that Improve the Use of Data), including two Validation and seven Development applications;
• 15 (31 percent) of the highest-rated applications addressed Absolute Priority 3 (Innovations that Complement the Implementation of High Standards and High-Quality Assessments), including five Validation and 10 Development applications; and
• 13 (27 percent) of the highest-rated applications addressed Absolute Priority 4 (Innovations that Turn Around Persistently Low-Performing Schools), including two Scale-Up, four Validation, and seven Development applications.
• Competitive Preference:
• 13 (27 percent) of the highest-rated applications addressed Competitive Preference Priority 5 (Innovations for Improving Early Learning Outcomes), including three Scale-Up, three Validation, and seven Development applications;
• 20 (41 percent) of the highest-rated applications addressed Competitive Preference Priority 6 (Innovations that Support College Access and Success), including one Scale-Up, five Validation, and 14 Development applications;
• 28 (57 percent) of the highest-rated applications addressed Competitive Preference Priority 7 (Innovations to Address the Unique Needs of Students with Disabilities and Limited English Proficient Students), including four Scale-Up, three Validation, and 19 Development applications; and
• 18 (37 percent) of the highest-rated applications addressed Competitive Preference Priority 8 (Innovations that Serve Schools in Rural LEAs), including three Scale-Up, eight Validation, and seven Development applications.

Significantly, in recognition of the enormous interest and quality of applications the Department of Education has promised to host a summit in November 2010, "to continue to support innovation and evidence based practices" for other "promising" applicants.  The Department plans to invite potential funding partners that may be able to support the efforts that the Department was not able to. More information on the event will be provided. It is also important to note that the Administration has requested an additional $500 million in funding for this program in FY 2011.

Foundations Pledge $500 Million for Education Innovation

To support promising innovations in education, a dozen foundations have pledged $500 million to leverage the DOE’s $650 million Investing in Innovation (i3) grant opportunity. Although each foundation will remain autonomous in determining which programs will receive funding, the “historic” collaboration between the foundation community and the Department of Education will result in over $1 billion in available funds for i3 applicants-non-profits, local education agencies, and public schools.

Participating foundations include: The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; Charles Stewart Mott Foundation; Ford Foundation; John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Lumina Foundation for Education; Robertson Foundation; The Wallace Foundation; The Walton Family Foundation; The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation; and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

According to the DOE press release, the $500 million foundation committment in 2010 will help support and scale-up education innovations in three main categories:

• $233,212,635 in Innovation in the Classroom Funds will be used to scale practices and programs that recruit and train effective teachers and school leaders, improve the use of data for professional development and high quality assessments, complement the implementation of high standards, improve early learning outcomes, support college access & success, improve education in Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM), support the unique needs of English language learners and students with disabilities and promote digital learning models.

• $178,114,911 in Innovative School Models Funds will go towards expanding effective practices in turning around low-performing schools; providing support for high-quality school choices including charters and alternative school designs; as well as for digital learning and supporting extended learning time.

• $95,059,728 in Sustainability of These Innovations Funds will help ensure that innovations have long-term impact and become a part of the broader education landscape. Funds will be used for research and evaluation of the effectiveness of the innovations and for growing the public support and capacity necessary for a more robust innovation sector. Funds in this category will also be used to develop platforms to share information across jurisdictions to continuously improve the field.

In addition, the foundations have launched an i3 registry intended to simplify the process for organizations seeking matching funds for the i3 grant opportunity. The i3 registry can be found here.

Overview of Final i3 Grant Notice

In a press release today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the release of both the final priorities and the grant application details for the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund (i3). The purpose of the i3 fund is to provide competitive grants to applicants with a record of improving student achievement, in order to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that have a demonstrated impact on improving student achievement and student growth for high‐need students. CSSP is  working with partners at Foundations, Inc. and The Finance Project to help interested Making Connections sites and school districts capitalize on the opportunity to use i3 Development grants to scale up and evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to improve third grade reading. I3 Innovation Fund and Opportunities for Taking to Scale and Evaluating a Strategy to Improve Third Grade Reading Proficiency provides an overview of the i3 grant program and third grade reading strategies.

A Look at the Investing in Innovation Fund

The Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) is part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and is focused on improving student achievement and student growth for high-need students. The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) is offering school districts that are working with Making Connections a challenge grant for part of the match to apply for an i3 Development grant.

By partnering with districts on this proposal, Making Connections sites will have the opportunity to strategically expand the CHAPSS and “focus school” work to a cluster of schools and ultimately throughout the entire district. It is also an opportunity for districts to work within a “national” learning community with the other Making Connections and Casey-affiliated sites and their districts that apply for the i3 Development grant, making these proposals stronger and more competitive than districts that apply alone.