Investing in Innovation Fund (i3)
The purpose of the i3 program is to provide competitive grants to applicants with a record of improving student achievement, in order to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that are demonstrated to have an impact on student growth for high-need students, closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high school graduation rates, or increasing college enrollment and completion rates.
Grants will allow eligible entities to expand and develop innovative practices that can serve as models of best practices; work in partnership with the private sector and the philanthropic community; and identify and document best practices that can be shared and taken to scale based on demonstrated success.
Eligible entities for i3 grants include (1) an LEA, or (2) a nonprofit organization working in collaboration with one or more LEAs or with a consortium of schools.
The AVID College Readiness System is a good fit with a number of the i3 2012 priorities. AVID would be pleased to be a vendor on an LEA's i3 project and offers:
- A 32 year record of closing the achievement gap and significantly improving academic achievement for all students
- A proven data system to measure and document outcomes
- An extensive teacher and student support system - including intensive professional learning for teachers, counselors and administrators
- A system of school-wide reform that often results in the transformation of the academic, college-going culture of a school
- A comprehensive system that once implemented can be sustained without significant ongoing expenditures.
You can also use our Grant Writing Resources for information on the AVID system, its components, history, data, professional learning and more to be used in your grant proposals.
In the Federal Register on February 24, 2012, the Department of Education opened the competition for the i3 Development grants. Announcements for Validation and Scale-up grants are expected later in March 2012 with deadlines in June 2012.
FY 2012 i3 Development Competition
Pre-application due April 9, 2012; first time using short pre-application
Applicants with highest evaluation ratings will be asked to submit full applications.
Awards: up to $3,000,000; 10-20 awards expected
Term: 36-60 months
Website: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/index.html
Notice of Deadline to Apply: March 15, 2012; form at http://go.usa.gov/Qvd
Development grants provide funding to support high-potential and relatively untested practices, strategies, or programs whose efficacy should be systemically studied. An applicant must provide evidence that the proposed practice, strategy, or program, or one similar to it, has been attempted previously albeit on a limited scale or in a limited setting, and yielded promising results that suggest that more formal and systemic study is warranted.
An applicant must provide a rationale for the proposed practice, strategy or program that is based research on findings or reasonable hypotheses, included related research or theories in education and other sectors.
Absolute Priorities: MUST PICK ONLY ONE & focus project on achieving goals in this area
Absolute Priority 1 - Improving the Effectiveness and Distribution of Effective Teachers or Principals
Absolute Priority 2 - Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
Absolute Priority 3 - Improving School Engagement, School Environment, and School Safety and Improving Family and Community Engagement
Absolute Priority 4 - Innovations That Turn Around Persistently Low-Performing Schools
Absolute Priority 5 - Improving Achievement and High School Graduation Rates (Rural Local Educational Agencies)
Competitive Priorities: MAY PICK UP TO 2 to earn extra points
Competitive Preference Priority 6 - Innovations for Improving Early Learning Outcomes (zero or one point)
Competitive Preference Priority 7 - Innovations That Support College Access and Success (zero or one point)
Competitive Preference Priority 8 - Innovations to Address the Unique Learning Needs of Students With Disabilities and Limited English Proficient Students (zero or one point)
Competitive Preference Priority 9 - Improving Productivity
Competitive Preference Priority 10 - Technology (zero or one point)
Selection Criteria for the Development Grant Pre-Application
Project narrative is limited to seven pages; budget narrative two pages.
Note from Federal Register: In responding to the selection criteria, applicants, for pre- and full applications, should keep in mind that peer reviewers may consider only the information provided in the written application when scoring and commenting on the application. Therefore, applicants should draft their responses with the goal of helping peer reviewers understand:
- What the applicant is proposing to do, including the single Absolute Priority under which the applicant intends the application to be reviewed;
- How the proposed project will improve upon existing products, processes, or strategies for addressing similar needs;
- What the outcomes of the project will be if it is successful; and
- What the proposed project will cost and why the proposed project is an effective use of funds.
Components of Pre-Application
An applicant may earn up to a total of 20 points based on the selection criteria for the pre-application.
A. Quality of Project Design (up to 10 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the project design, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the proposed project has a clear set of goals and an explicit strategy, with actions that are (a) aligned with the priorities the eligible applicant is seeking to meet, and (b) expected to result in achieving the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (2010 i3 NFP)
(2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210)
Note: In responding to this criterion, the Secretary encourages the applicant to describe what the applicant proposes to do in the proposed project, how the applicant will do it, what the project costs are, and why those costs are sufficient and reasonable to achieve the goals, objectives, and outcomes.
B. Significance (up to 10 points).
The Secretary considers the significance of the project. In determining the significance of the project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the proposed project represents an exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the competition. (34 CFR 75.210)
(2) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the field of study. (34 CFR 75.210)
Resources for i3 Applicants
AVID i3 Overview FY2011
i3 Website
i3 Pre-App Workshop
i3 At a Glance
i3 FAQ
i3 Application - Development Grant 2012
i3 Federal Register Notice - Development Grant 2012
i3 Federal Register Notice - Validation Grant 2011
i3 Federal Register Notice - Scale-up Grant 2011