November 23, 2011

Oakland Unified School District One of 23 Districts Named as 2011 Grant Recipients by U.S. Department of Education

Contact: Kristal DeKleer (202) 225-1882

Oakland, CA– Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-09) is pleased to announce that U.S. Department of Education has named Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) one of the 23 highest-rated Investing in Innovation grant applicants in the nation, setting the district up to receive vital federal funding to improve student performance.

OUSD was among 600 applicants for the 2011 Investing in Innovations funding.  As a highest-rated applicant, OUSD stands to receive $3 million in funding, provided that the district is able to secure the equivalent of 15 percent of the award in matching funds by December 9, 2011.

Under the grant’s guidelines, the U.S. Department of Education will award funding to districts that work to improve the participation and success of underserved students in advanced academic programs, develop new interim assessment strategies for students, and use the results of assessments to implement innovative educational programs.

“It is a tribute to the leadership of OUSD that the district is among 23 finalists in the nation selected for this important grant program,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “As we all know, investing in innovative educational programs helps to dramatically improve student achievement and increases their chances of securing a college education.”

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