New-Schools Group Rethinks Its Strategy To Cast a Wider Net

By Jonathan Weisman

ARLINGTON, VA.--Responding to concerns from educators and philanthropists, the New American Schools Development Corporation has decided to cast a wider net to snare more ideas on how to revamp the nation's schools, but to commit far fewer initial dollars to the research effort.

Rather than offering three to seven research grants of up to $30 million each, the group now plans to award 20 to 30 contracts that would be much smaller than originally planned.

The new-schools corporation, a private, nonprofit organization proposed by the Bush Administration as part of its America 2000 education package, was launched this summer to raise $200 million from the private sector to spur the radical transformation...