America's Promise Alliance and ING Foundation Invite Entries for 100 Best Communities for Young People Program

[From Philanthropy News Digest] Deadline: June 1, 2010

America's Promise Alliance and the ING Foundation are accepting entries for this year’s 100 Best Communities for Young People competition.

The program is designed to honor the hundred American cities and towns whose top priority is keeping children in school and helping end the nation's dropout crisis through innovative programs that address the everyday challenges facing young people and create better places for them to live and grow.

Winning communities receive national recognition and media exposure, financial and logistic support to celebrate their selection at a local event, commemorative awards to be displayed in the community, access to Alliance partner resources and the insights of other winning communities through an online space and invitations to exclusive online informational events featuring Alliance partners.

Interested communities are invited to visit the America's Promise Web site for information.

Link to Complete RFP

Promise Neighborhoods

FIE supports nationally significant programs to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education at the State and local levels and help all children meet challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards. The purpose of Promise Neighborhoods is to improve significantly the educational and developmental outcomes of children in our most distressed communities, and to transform those communities by-- (1) Supporting efforts to improve child outcomes and ensure that data on those outcomes are communicated and analyzed on an ongoing basis by leaders and members of the community; (2) Identifying and increasing the capacity of eligible entities (as defined in this notice) that are focused on achieving results and building a college-going culture (as defined in this notice) in the neighborhood; (3) Building a complete continuum of cradle-through-college-to-career solutions (continuum of solutions) (as defined in this notice), which has both academic programs and family and community supports (both as defined in this notice), with a strong school or schools at the center. Academic programs must include (a) High-quality early learning programs designed to improve outcomes in multiple domains of early learning (as defined in this notice); (b) programs, policies, and personnel for children in kindergarten through the 12th grade that are linked to improved academic outcomes; and (c) programs that prepare students for college and career success. Family and community supports must include programs to improve student health, safety, community stability, family and community engagement, and student access to 21st century learning tools. The continuum of solutions also must be linked and integrated seamlessly (as defined in this notice) so there are common outcomes, a focus on similar milestones, support during transitional time periods, and no time or resource gaps that create obstacles for students in making academic progress. The continuum also must be based on the best available evidence including, where available, strong or moderate evidence (as defined in this notice), and include programs, policies, practices, services, systems, and supports that result in improving educational and developmental outcomes for children from cradle through college to career; (4) Integrating programs and breaking down agency ``silos'' so that solutions are implemented effectively and efficiently across agencies; (5) Supporting the efforts of eligible entities, working with local governments, to build the infrastructure of policies, practices, systems, and resources needed to sustain and ``scale up'' proven, effective solutions across the broader region beyond the initial neighborhood; and (6) Learning about the overall impact of Promise Neighborhoods and about the relationship between particular strategies in Promise Neighborhoods and student outcomes, including a rigorous evaluation of the program.

Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM

The Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM (ABP) solicitation includes the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, Bridge to the Doctorate (LSAMP-BD) Activity, LSAMP educational research projects, and the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program. This portfolio of programs seeks to increase the number of students successfully completing quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Particular emphasis is placed on transforming STEM education through innovative academic strategies and experiences in support of groups that historically have been underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African-Americans, Alaskan Natives, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders. The educational research portfolio contributes to the body of literature of successful practices in student recruitment, retention, persistence, and attainment of STEM undergraduate and graduate degrees, especially for populations underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African-Americans, Alaskan Natives, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders.Managed synergistically, the ABP cluster enables seamless transitions from the STEM baccalaureate to attainment of the doctorate and entry to the STEM professoriate. ABP support begins at the baccalaureate level through the LSAMP program. LSAMP emphasizes development of broad-based regional and national alliances of academic institutions, school districts, state and local governments, and the private sector to increase the diversity and quality of the STEM workforce. Eligible LSAMP undergraduate students may receive continued support for up to two additional years of STEM graduate study through the Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity. The Bridge to the Doctorate provides significant financial support for matriculating candidates in STEM graduate programs at eligible alliance sites.Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) further the graduate education of underrepresented STEM students through the doctorate level, preparing them for fulfilling opportunities and productive careers as STEM faculty and research professionals. AGEP also supports the transformation of institutional culture to attract and retain STEM doctoral students into the professorate.Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) projects enable faculty, administrators, and others in institutions to think and act strategically about the creative integration of NSF-funded awards, with particular emphasis on awards managed through programs in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), but not limited to those awards. For Fiscal Year 2010, proposals are being solicited in nine EHR programs that advance I3 goals: CREST, GSE, HBCU-UP, ITEST, LSAMP, MSP, Noyce, RDE, and TCUP.

America's Promise Alliance Receives $1 Million From AT&T to Address Dropout Crisis

[From Philanthropy News Digest] The America's Promise Alliance in Washington, D.C., has announced a $1 million grant from the AT&T Aspire initiative — a $100 million effort launched by AT&T and the AT&T Foundation to help American students succeed in high school, the workforce, and life.

According to a study from Arizona State University's School of Social Family Dynamics, high school teens spend more than half their time in the company of their peers; indeed, the credibility, authority, power, and influence of peers is greater during adolescence than at any other time in life. Funding from AT&T will help the Alliance create a new grants program designed to empower youth to develop and implement their own program ideas for increasing graduation rates and workforce readiness among teens.

Through the My Idea program, the Alliance will award local grants ranging from $500 to $1,500 to youth in one of ten Alliance-identified communities with high dropout rates and national grants of up to $20,000 to youth in all fifty states for community-wide projects. Youth participating in the program will be paired with Alliance partners to carry out their initiatives.

The grant from AT&T also will support Grad Nation, the next phase of the Alliance's Dropout Prevention Campaign. The ten-year initiative will focus on areas of the country where need is greatest, especially communities surrounding the nation's two thousand lowest-performing high schools, which account for approximately 50 percent of all young people who drop out of school.

"Grad Nation offers us an opportunity to build on the terrific summit work and start driving real change in our communities to help kids stay in school," said America's Promise Alliance CEO Marguerite Kondracke. "To be successful we must have partners like AT&T who are committed to helping students prepare for a productive and fulfilling life. This partnership is the perfect opportunity to engage our young people and give their voices and ideas the support and spotlight they deserve."

“AT&T Contributes $1 Million to America's Promise Alliance Grad Nation Initiative to Support Student-Developed Programs That Help Tackle the High School Dropout Crisis.” America's Promise Alliance Press Release 4/07/10.

Up to $350 Million in Race to the Top Funds Available for Assessments

[From Philanthropy News Digest] The U.S. Department of Education has announced that up to $350 million in Race to the Top funds is now available for consortia of states to develop and implement a new generation of assessments.

The Race to the Top Assessment program is designed to fill the need for valid, instructionally useful assessments that provide accurate information about what students know and can do and which are anchored in standards that enable every student to gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college or the workplace by the time he or she graduates from high school.

Funds will be awarded to consortia that create assessments which measure standards that are rigorous, globally competitive, and consistent across states in the consortium; provide accurate information about what students know and can do, including both students' progress in meeting standards and their academic growth from year to year; reflect and support good instructional practice; include all students; and present data to everyone who needs it in ways that are clear, useful, and actionable.

In addition to funding the development of a new generation of standardized assessments to replace current tests, the department will award up to $30 million to fund better assessments for high schools.

"States are leading the way in creating new standards designed to ensure that students graduate from high school ready for success in college and careers," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "To fully realize this vision, states need new assessments that measure a broader range of students' knowledge and skills."

“$350 Million Now Available to Help Consortia of States Create Next Generation of Assessments.” U.S. Department of Education Press Release 4/06/10.

Math - Science Partnerships

Current Closing Date for Applications: Jul 08, 2010 Full Proposal Deadline(s): July 08, 2010 Institute Partnerships, MSP-Start Partnerships, Phase II Partnerships, RETA Projects October 14, 2010 Targeted Partnerships

Expected Number of Awards: 27
Estimated Total Program Funding: $42,000,000
Award Ceiling: $10,000,000
Award Floor: $300,000

The Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program is a major research and development effort that supports innovative partnerships to improve K-12 student achievement in mathematics and science. MSP projects are expected to raise the achievement levels of all students and significantly reduce achievement gaps in the mathematics and science performance of diverse student populations. In order to improve the mathematics and science achievement of the Nation's students, MSP projects contribute to what is known in mathematics and science education and serve as models that have a sufficiently strong evidence/research base to improve the mathematics and science education outcomes for all students. NSF's MSP program coordinates its effort with programs of the U.S. Department of Education in the expectation that effective innovations in mathematics and science education will be disseminated into wider practice. Through this solicitation, NSF seeks to support five types of awards:Targeted Partnerships focus on studying and solving teaching and learning issues within a specific grade range or at a critical juncture in education, and/or within a specific disciplinary focus in mathematics or the sciences;Institute Partnerships - Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century focus on meeting national needs for teacher leaders/master teachers who have deep knowledge of disciplinary content for teaching and are fully prepared to be school- or district-based intellectual leaders in mathematics or the sciences;MSP-Start Partnerships are for awardees new to the MSP program, especially from minority-serving institutions, community colleges and primarily undergraduate institutions, to support the necessary data analysis, project design, evaluation and team building activities needed to develop a full MSP Targeted or Institute Partnership;Phase II Partnerships are for prior NSF MSP Partnership awardees to continue implementation on specific innovative areas of their work where evidence of the potential for significant positive impact is clearly documented. The intent is that there will be focused efforts to carry out the necessary research to advance knowledge and understanding in the specific area(s); and Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (RETA) projects (a) study the relationships among MSP activities and student learning using theoretically informed, methodologically rigorous methods; (b) develop and validate instruments of teacher or student knowledge that MSPs and others can use to assess the impact of their work, or (c) provide technical assistance to MSP projects to help them rigorously evaluate their work.

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 10-556

Lumina Foundation for Education Launches $8 Million Program to Encourage Adult Degree-Seekers

[From Philanthropy News Digest] The Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation for Education has announced the launch of a program that will award up to $8 million in grants over the next four years to support large-scale efforts aimed at increasing degree completion among adults who have already earned some college credits.

Through the Adult Degree Completion program, Lumina will expand its efforts to increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025. To date, Lumina has worked to achieve that goal by identifying and supporting effective higher education practices, advocating for public policy changes, and using its communications and convening power to build the public's awareness of the need for change.

The economic downturn has already funneled hundreds of thousands of Americans age 25 and older into postsecondary education — a trend that is likely to intensify as the global knowledge-based economy demands workers with ever-higher levels of education and training. Lumina argues that the adult-learning boom must be embraced — and degree-seeking adults encouraged — for the United States to return to a position of global leadership in college degree attainment.

"Given demographic trends and attainment rates among young adults, it is highly unlikely that the nation can meet its growing need for college-educated workers by focusing primarily on recent high school graduates," said Lumina president and CEO Jamie P. Merisotis. "All states need to increase the postsecondary participation and success of adults, many of whom have some college credits but lack a degree."

“Lumina Launches $8 Million Effort to Help Adults Complete College Degrees.” Lumina Foundation for Education Press Release 4/01/10.