FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service Announce New School Turnaround Americorps Program
As education leaders from across the country gather at the Grad Nation Summit in Washington, D.C., we are pleased to announce a new collaboration between our agencies: School Turnaround AmeriCorps.
This competitive, three-year grant program is designed to strengthen and accelerate interventions in our nation’s lowest-performing schools. The new initiative will engage hundreds of AmeriCorps members in turnaround schools across the country. AmeriCorps members will help students, teachers, and principals to transform struggling schools by providing opportunities for academic enrichment, extended learning time, and individual supports for students. These interventions will lead to increased academic achievement and improved high school graduation rates and college readiness among our most disadvantaged students.
We know that students are most successful when they have personal, attentive support. We believe this initiative is an important step forward in the effort to provide our lowest-performing schools with the additional resources that they need to improve.
Turning around struggling schools is challenging work that requires everyone to play a part – from teachers, administrators, and counselors to business leaders, the philanthropic sector, and community members. This partnership will expand the role of AmeriCorps members in helping students, teachers, parents, and school administrators to transform persistently underachieving schools into models of success.
Public or private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and other community groups; schools or districts; institutions of higher education; cities and counties; Indian Tribes; and labor organizations are eligible to apply to this program, along with partnerships and consortia of these entities.
