State Among Six to Get School Improvement Grants

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that six states and the District of Columbia will receive more than $38 million to continue efforts to turn around their persistently lowest-achieving schools through new awards from the Department’s School Improvement Grants (SIG) program. Those receiving these new awards are: Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Mississippi, Nebraska, Virginia, and WestVirginia.

“When schools fail, our children and neighborhoods suffer,” Duncan said. “Turning around our lowest-performing schools is hard work but it’s our responsibility, and represents a tremendous opportunity to improve the life chances of children. We owe it to our children, their families and the broader community. These School Improvement Grants are helping some of the lowest-achieving schools provide a better education for students who need it the most.”

School Improvement Grants are awarded to State Educational Agencies (SEAs) that then make competitive subgrants to school districts that demonstrate the greatest need for the funds and the strongest commitment to provide adequate resources to substantially raise student achievement in their lowest-performing schools.

Under the Obama Administration, the SIG program has invested up to $2 million per school at more than 1,500 of the country’s lowest-performing schools. Early findings show positive momentum and progress in many SIG schools. Findings also show that many schools receiving SIG grants are improving, and some of the greatest gains have been in small towns and rural communities.

States announced today and their grant amounts are:

Delaware $1,454,995

District of Columbia $1,424,316

Georgia $16,476,501

Mississippi $5,645,842

Nebraska $2,453,597

Virginia $7,593,473

West Virginia $3,177,082