Two of the 15 schools that will receive grants are in Western Mass. The 21st Century Skills Academy (West Springfield) will receive $25,000 and the Springfield Renaissance School will receive $50,000 in funding to support the application of new education tools.
Funding for these implementation grants was made available as part of a total of $2 million in support from the state’s successful Race to the Top proposal and additional support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation funding supports schools that utilize Innovation School flexibilities and autonomies, while also incorporating the elements of the Next Generation Learning Model – in particular, the inventive use of technology and real-time and ongoing student assessments.
Schools receiving implementation grants include elementary, middle and high schools from across the state that have taken advantage of the autonomy and flexibility that Innovation Schools offer by extending learning time for students, providing alternative pathways to college and career readiness, empowering teachers through differentiated teacher roles in school leadership, creating STEM focused curriculum, instituting dual language programs, offering hybrid virtual programs and individualizing curriculum and instruction for students.
For more information about Innovation Schools, please visit www.mass.gov/edu/innovationschools.
