National-Louis University to Partner with Ohio State University on U.S. Dept. of Education i3 Scale Up Grant
U.S. Dept. of Education announces $45,593,170 national award for "Reading Recovery: Scaling Up What Works"
National-Louis University is one of 15 universities slated to work with 1,500 schools across 40 states under this five-year, $45,593,170 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant project awarded on August 5, 2010. Under this project, the participating universities will be able to offer financial support to improve instruction in the lowest-performing schools that opt to implement Reading Recovery, a research-based short-term literacy intervention for the lowest-achieving first graders.
Through an established network of university training centers that partner with school systems, Reading Recovery will be scaled up to increase student achievement levels in persistently low-performing schools by providing evidence-based, high-quality professional development services for practicing teachers.
National-Louis University in partnership with Illinois school districts has been the designated training center for Reading Recovery in Illinois since 1989. Over time, the Illinois Reading Recovery Center at NLU has developed a network of teacher leaders and school administrators in over 350 school buildings across the state. Approximately 6,000 Illinois first-grade children receive Reading Recovery services each year.
The Illinois Reading Recovery Center at NLU has been supported by the Illinois State Board of Education, but due to severe budget cuts, resources for this important work have been greatly reduced. Funding through the i3 grant will allow NLU to provide Reading Recovery initial teacher training and continuing professional development services to Illinois school systems for another five years. NLU will disseminate resources to qualifying school districts, provide training for teachers, and conduct project research. Mary Ann Poparad, director of the Illinois Reading Recovery Center at NLU, will administer the project in Illinois.
A national cross-section of 49 school districts, nonprofit education organizations and institutions of higher education were selected from among nearly 1,700 applicants for potential funding under the Investing in Innovation (i3) program. To receive a share of the $650 million in i3 grants, the winning applicants must secure a commitment for a 20 percent private sector match by Sept. 8.
"All across America, innovative entrepreneurs are finding solutions to our most pressing educational challenges," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "i3 will support creative thinkers who test good ideas and take proven approaches to scale so that more children can benefit."
University Partners on the i3 grant application: Reading Recovery: Scaling Up What Works: National-Louis University, Clemson University, Georgia State University, Lesley University, Oakland University, New York University, Ohio State University, Saint Mary's College of California, Texas Woman's University, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Connecticut, University of Kentucky, University of Maine, University of Northern Iowa and University of South Dakota.