In an effort to expand innovative practices that have a demonstrated impact on student achievement, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released draft guidance on the Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The draft guidance will be published in the Federal Register and open for public comment through November 7.

“We're making an unprecedented investment in cutting-edge ideas that will produce the next generation of school reforms,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “The i3 competition will provide seed money for fresh ideas, help grow promising programs with a good track record and scale up programs with proven results to a national level.”

The draft guidance proposes the priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria that will be used to award $650 million in grants to school districts or nonprofit associations working in cooperation with school districts or a consortium of schools. Three types of grants could be awarded:

• Scale-up grants for which there is strong evidence that the proposed initiative will have a statistically significant effect on improving student achievement;
• Validation grants for which there is currently only moderate evidence that the proposed initiative will have a statistically significant effect on improving student achievement; and
• Development grants for new, high-potential, and relatively untested initiatives whose efficacy should be systematically studied.

Eight priorities have been identified for the i3 grants, and ED is expected to approve applications in this order.

1)      Innovations that support effective teachers and school leaders, including initiatives that identify, recruit, develop, place, reward, and retain highly effective teachers and school leaders;

2)      Innovations that improve the use of data, including initiatives that encourage and facilitate the evaluation, analysis, and use of student achievement or student growth data to inform decisionmaking and improve instruction;

3)      Innovations that complement the implementation of high standards and high-quality assessments, including initiatives that that support states’ efforts to transition to college- and career-readiness standards and assessments;

4)      Innovations that turn around persistently low-performing schools, including whole-school reform and targeted interventions such as expanded learning time, integrated student supports, and multiple pathways to high school graduation;

5)      Innovations for improving early learning outcomes, including initiatives to improve young children’s school readiness, aligning developmental milestones and standards with appropriate outcome measures, and improving transitions between early learning programs and elementary schools;

6)      Innovations that support college access and success, including initiatives that that enable high school students, to successfully prepare for, enter, and graduate from a two- or four-year college;

7)      Innovations to address the unique learning needs of students with disabilities and limited English proficient students, including initiatives that are designed to improve academic outcomes and increase graduation rates; and

8)      Innovations that serve schools in rural districts.

After reviewing the public comments, ED will release the final guidance and an invitation for applications to districts and nonprofit organizations later this fall. To read the full guidance, go to: http://www.ed.gov/programs/innovation/draft-federal-register-10062009.pdf.