WestEd a Partner in Two i3 Grants: Projects Cover Algebra, Arts

(08/13/2010) WestEd was recently announced as a partner in two Investing in Innovation, or i3, grants from the U.S. Department of Education. One grant was awarded to ConnectEd for the STEM Learning Opportunities Providing Equity project. Another was given to the Beaverton (Oregon) School District Arts for Learning Lesson project. Both are Development grants worth up to $5 million.

Carole Gallagher, Senior Research Associate for Assessment & Standards Development Services, is the WestEd lead for the ConnectEd grant. ConnectEd's project delivers an innovative approach to learning by using a 3-tiered intervention for high school students: summer accelerated project-based pre-algebra plus college readiness, academic-year enriched algebra, and after-school support.

Sandy Sobolew-Shubin, Project Director for Evaluation Research, is the WestEd lead for the Beaverton grant. Beaverton School District's project integrates standards-focused, text-based content and arts strategies to improve student achievement in literacy learning and life skills. The project will serve all 3-5 grade students in the Beaverton School District over five years, emphasizing high-needs students such as English language learners, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged, and ethnic/racial minority students.

The i3 program is designed to expand the implementation of innovative practices that improve student achievement or student growth, close achievement gaps, decrease dropout rates, increase high school graduation rates, and/or increase college enrollment and completion rates.

In addition to partnering with ConnectEd and Beaverton, WestEd also won an i3 grant. The Strategic Literacy Initiative's Reading Apprenticeship project at WestEd was 1 of 49 winners in the competition for $650 million in federal Investing in Innovation (i3) grants. Reading Apprenticeship was chosen from among 1,698 entries competing for i3 grants. More



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About WestEd
WestEd, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. WestEd has 16 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona and California. Its corporate headquarters are in San Francisco. More information about WestEd is available at WestEd.org.

Contact Information

Matthew Spaur
415.615.3219
mspaur@wested.org