Special Report

Turnaround Watch

The School Improvement Grant Program
April 15, 2012
Education Week, the Education Writers Association, and The Hechinger Report partnered with 18 news outlets in 16 states to examine how $3 billion in federal School Improvement Grants is being used in efforts to revitalize some of the nation’s lowest-performing schools. In interviews with scores of teachers, students, researchers, and education officials at all levels of government, reporters set out to determine how the money is being spent and whether the changes the SIG program sparks are likely to last.
  • Teaching Profession Teacher Evaluation a Hurdle for SIG Schools
    Many in the School Improvement Grant program have yet to overhaul teacher rating and reward systems.
    Sarah Garland, the Hechinger Report, April 15, 2012
    5 min read
    Seventh grader Jasmine Dukes, center, waits in line with classmates at Friendship Preparatory Academy in Baltimore. The school used federal School Improvement Grant money for improvements such as installing white boards, painting the hallways, replacing flooring, and paying for classroom libraries.
    Seventh grader Jasmine Dukes, center, waits in line with classmates at Friendship Preparatory Academy in Baltimore. The school used federal School Improvement Grant money for improvements such as installing white boards, painting the hallways, replacing flooring, and paying for classroom libraries.
    Matt Roth for Education Week
    Federal School Turnaround Push Still a Work in Progress
    Two years in, the federal School Improvement Grant program shows momentum, but sustaining gains may be a challenge.
    Alyson Klein, April 15, 2012
    16 min read
    School & District Management SIG Aid Gives Schools Budget Relief—For Now
    School Improvement Grant recipients are anxious about sustaining gains once the funds run out.
    Andrew Brownstein, April 15, 2012
    4 min read