Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant Proposal
Raising Literacy Achievement by Establishing CLI Model Classrooms in Kindergarten Through Third Grades
This spring, Children’s Literacy Initiative submitted a $26.1 million proposal to the US Department of Education for an Investing in Innovation (“i3”) Validation grant. Finalists are required to raise 20% of the budget from the private sector (individuals, corporations, foundations). Our goal is to raise $4.35 million to be matched 5 times over with a $21.75 million federal grant.
If awarded, this grant will allow CLI to establish kindergarten through third grade Model Classrooms in 38 Camden, Chicago, Newark (NJ), and Philadelphia public schools. The project would train 456 teachers, reaching 45,600 students during the five-year grant period.
The objective of this grant is to validate how our Model Classroom intervention can improve student achievement, increase the number of highly effective teachers, use metrics to set standards of practice, and have a spillover effect to other teachers that generates a school-wide culture of excellent literacy instruction.
Our federal proposal has the following strong points:
- independent evidence of success in a controlled group study
- an implementation model that is measurable
- results that have been found to be an exemplar regarding cost-per-impact (University of PA Center for High Impact Philanthropy; Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy)
- and a standardized design that has been shown to be both replicable and scalable for any size school district
Further, in developing Model Classroom teachers, we help school districts build capacity without creating a dependency model. Unlike transient and episodic efforts to change curricula, administrations, or school configurations, learning high-impact instructional strategies gives teachers something permanent that actually improves over time. We work to perpetuate high-functioning learning communities with minimal continuing costs.
Learning in a CLI First Grade Model Classroom
This project is an unprecedented opportunity for private philanthropists seeking a meaningful return on investment: a chance to help teachers and have your dollars matched five times over by the federal government.
- Grant finalists will be announced by July 31, 2010 and are required to raise 20% of the budget from the private sector, including corporations, foundations and individuals.
- We will then have until September 1 to provide evidence of commitments totaling $4.35 million in order to garner $21.75 million federal dollars. However, if we are unable to secure the written commitments, the entire grant will be revoked
- Commitments can be paid out any time over the five years of the project.
- Should our proposal be denied, the funds raised will still be used to establish more Model Classrooms.
This opportunity goes to the heart of our mission to ensure that all children can read by third grade. It provides a chance to scale up our work and further prove its replicability.
To learn more about CLI’s i3 application and to make your pledge toward the 20% private sector match, please contact Jen Weikert, Director of Major Gifts, at 215-561-2676 X129 or JWeikert@ChildrensLiteracyInitiative.org.
