Title I School Improvement Grants Offer Another Funding Source for Low-Performing Schools

On the heels of previewing the Investing in Innovation Fund, Secretary Duncan has announced the draft requirements for the Title I School Improvement Grants. With over $3.5 billion from 2009 appropriations and ARRA funding, the grants offer state education agencies another resource for helping turnaround the lowest performing schools.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Friend of Education

AEP joins the education community in mourning the passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a lifelong friend and champion of education.

As one of the foremost advocates for equal access to a quality education, he was committed to reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, working each time to improve our school systems. In addition, as an original cosponsor of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Senator Kennedy fought for the right of children with disabilities to have a free and appropriate public education in every state.

AASA Survey Shows How Schools Are Using Stimulus Funds

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) conducted a survey during July and August, 2009, of 160 school administrators in 37 states with 63% located in rural areas, using a 16-question survey, entitled “Schools and the Stimulus: How America’s Public School Districts Are Using ARRA Funds.”

AASA claims that much of the ARRA monies for schools are going to plug the holes in state, district, and school budgets, but there is a lack of flexibility in uses of ARRA funds. Hence, the dollars cannot be put to optimal use in many places.

Do micro-payments motivate people to make more purchases?

In this new blog series from AEP, “What’s Keeping You Up At Night?, experts offer their advice on the most pressing issues facing the educational publishing industry. AEP members may sign up for a free half-hour consultation with the experts for 30 days after their entry is posted.

The following question was posed to our current featured expert, Sameer Shariff of Impelsys Inc.

Q. Do micro-payments motivate people to make more purchases?

A. We are in global recession, budgets are in free-fall, and readers are becoming increasingly price sensitive. In times like these, publishers must experiment with different business models to discover what works best for them. One model that invites further exploration and experimentation is micro-payments.

To start exploring this model, publishers should first identify untapped market segments that are willing to pay a small price for a limited time access to content.

Dept. of Ed Announces Investing in Innovation Fund

On August 20 at the America’s Choice Superintendent’s Symposium Secretary Duncan announced the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3), a $650 million competitive grant program designed to “support efforts to bring to scale educational practices with significant evidence of success in improving student achievement and support the development, implementation, replication, and further evaluation of promising innovative practices.” While the proposed guidance has not been issued yet, the Secretary and Jim Shelton, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, wanted to start the conversation early so that eligible Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and non-profits could start to find each other and form partnerships for applications. (This program is not open to corporations.)