CNA Education, in partnership with school districts, wins federal “Investing in Innovation” grant

Alexandria, Va., August 5, 2005 -- U.S. Department of Education has announced the 49 winning applications for its $650 million Investing in Innovation (i3) grant program, with CNA Education to serve as the external evaluator for one winning proposal, the Northeast Tennessee College and Career Consortium. Nearly 1,700 consortia of school districts, foundations, and private groups applied for these funds.

Total cost for the project will come to $37.8 million, including $15.6 million in commitments from 15 participating school districts and $4.4 million in private sector matching funds. The Education Department will provide more than $17.7 million in grant funding over five years, with $3.4 million allocated to CNA for formative and summative evaluations.

The Consortium’s objectives include expanding access to rigorous high school courses (including Advanced Placement), increasing the numbers of students graduating high school with at least a semester’s worth of college credit, and increasing the region’s rates of college enrollment and persistence. To achieve these objectives, the Consortium will create a regional coordinating body to analyze rigorous course supply and demand; scale up successful practices in online learning, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment with local higher education institutions; and provide college counselors to assist students in preparing for and applying to college.

These initiatives will address persistent poverty and low levels of educational attainment in Northeast Tennessee. The Niswonger Foundation, a local family foundation that supports education, will direct the project from Tennessee.

Click here for more information on the i3 grant program and a full project description for the:  Northeast Tennessee College and Career Consortium