Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, today commended Denver Public Schools and St. Vrain Valley School District for winning Investing in Innovation (i3) grants from the U.S. Department of Education. The grants are awarded to applicants with a record of improving student achievement and attainment.
“This is excellent news for these school districts that worked so hard and have produced successful results,” Bennet said. “As a former schools superintendent, I know it is important to spur innovation that supports our school leaders, teachers and has proven to increase student performance.”
The grants are awarded through the Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation Fund. The purpose of the program is to provide competitive grants to applicants with a record of improving student achievement and attainment in order to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that are demonstrated to have an impact on improving student achievement or student growth, closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high school graduation rates, or increasing college enrollment and completion rates.
Denver Public Schools has won a validation grant, which is worth up to $30 million, and St. Vrain Valley School District Priority Schools has won a development grant worth up to $5 million. The school districts must secure a 20 percent private-sector match by Sept. 8 to secure their funding and to determine exactly how much each applicant won.