Bringing Out the Best in All Our Students. Partnerships/Goals 2000, Consortia Addressing Statewide Systemic Issues (CASSI) Grants and Local Improvement (LIG) Grants Progress Reports, 1995-1998.

N

232

Academic Standards; Elementary Secondary Education; Grants; Incentive Grants; School Districts; School Effectiveness

This report summarizes the accomplishments of local education grants that have balanced the need for high standards, accountability, parent involvement, and flexibility. The document examines results from two funding opportunities supported by the Goals 2000 Educate America Act: the Consortia Addressing Statewide Systemic Issues (CASSI) and Local Improvement grants. CASSI comprised five grants, funded for a 2-year period. They addressed broad issues that are key to implementing standards statewide, whereas Local Improvement grants were designed to build local capacity to implement standards and increase student achievement. The results show that all the grants addressed professional development, with over 1,000 teachers and 20,000 students having been affected by inquiry-based professional development in math and science. Over 80 percent of grantees used the funding to develop or implement assessments linked to academic-content standards, which will prove important in student evaluation. Grantees shared their efforts with educators and communities across the state, and professional development tools that have resulted from these grants were also distributed. The progress report emphasizes ways to sustain the impact of these local grants beyond the funding cycle. Throughout the report, advice on how to implement standards, based on lessons learned by the grantees, is provided. (RJM)

1999

ED429347