Senior Official to Give Remarks on Innovation in Education Reform During Two-Day Meeting Hosted by U.S. Department of Education

Jim Shelton, assistant deputy secretary for the Office of Innovation and Improvement, will host an opening plenary panel at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 19, during an Investing in Innovation (i3) directors meeting at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va. Participants will include Martha Moorehouse, director of the Division of Children and Youth Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Robert Gordon, executive associate director for the Office of Management and Budget. The group will discuss evidence-based funding efforts through programs such as i3 and ways to solve pressing education problems at scale.

The directors meeting will focus on the successes and challenges of i3 project implementation, and help grantees build supportive relationships with other grantees across the country. To date, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded nearly $800 million in i3 grants through two rounds of funding. School districts and nonprofit organizations, in partnership with school districts or schools, were eligible to compete for the grants. Grant awards were made based on the strongest proposals for expanding promising or effective educational practices to improve learning for high-need students.

This fall, the U.S. Department of Education is expected to announce 2012 i3 grant winners. These new awards—approximately $150 million—will build on the fund’s growing portfolio of promising education programs that help close achievement gaps, personalize learning, and accelerate student achievement. To learn more about the i3 Fund, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/index.html.

NOTE: Reporters wishing to cover the session should RSVP to Liz Utrup, elizabeth.utrup@ed.gov.