OII Program Offices

The Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) is a strategically designed group of program offices, each serving specific education constituencies with grants, services and information. More than 20 competitive grant programs are administered by five program offices. Additionally, OII is home to services to non-public education and has an office that oversees its financial management and the performance measurement of its grant programs and services.

OII programs can also be found in a list by subject.

Charter Schools Programs

The Charter School Programs (CSP) supports the creation and development of a large number of high-quality charter schools that are free from State or local rules that inhibit flexible operation, are held accountable for enabling students to reach challenging State performance standards, and are open to all students. The purpose of the CSP is to increase national understanding of the charter schools model and to expand the number of high quality charter schools available to students across the nation by planning, program design, and initial implementation of public charter schools; evaluation of the effects of charter schools; and dissemination of information about charter schools and successful practices in charter schools. The Office is responsible for:

Improvement Programs

The Office of Improvement Programs oversees activities that support and test innovations throughout the K-12 system, including high school reform, the arts, and reading. This Office practices "venture philanthropy" by supporting and evaluating promising innovations in education. The Office is responsible for the following discretionary programs:

Investing in Innovation (i3)

The Investing in Innovation Program Office administers three grant programs:

  • The Investing in Innovation grant program (i3) provides 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. i3 grants, which are open to local education agencies (LEA) or non-profits working in partnership with LEAs or with consortia of schools, allow eligible entities to develop and test innovative practices; identify and document effective programs, practices, and strategies that can be shared and taken to scale based on demonstrated success; and encourage partnerships with the private sector and the philanthropic community;
  • The Fund for the Improvement of Education Program supports discretionary grants to nationally significant programs and projects to improve the quality of education and assist all students to meet challenging academic standards; and
  • Ready to Learn Television

Office of Non-Public Education

Liason to the non-public school comunity for the U.S. Department of Education

ONPE Mission and Activities

ONPE fosters maximum participation of non-public school students and teachers in federal education programs and initiatives. Since the initial passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965, private school students and teachers have been eligible to participate in certain federal education programs. ONPE’s activities reflect this mission and direction by:

  • Representing the U.S. Department of Education to the non-public school community;
  • Offering advice and guidance within the Department on all matters affecting non-public education;
  • Communicating with national, state and local education agencies and associations on non-public education topics;
  • Communicating the interests and concerns of the non-public school community to the Department;
  • Providing parents with information regarding education options for their children; and
  • Providing technical assistance, workshops and publications.

Parental Options and Information 

The Office of Parental Options and Information oversees activities that support alternatives in education including full-service community schools, magnet schools, and public school choice. It also supports community organizations that work with schools and the community to meaningfully engage parents in their children's education. The Office is responsible for:

Teacher Quality Programs 

Teacher and Principal Quality Programs oversees activities that support and test innovations in the area of teacher and principal recruitment preparation, and professional development. It has lead responsibility for the following discretionary programs:

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