On March 18, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that 10 states will receive School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds to support efforts to turn around schools that are consistently low-performing. Since 2009, SIG grants have helped efforts to turnaround more than 1,300 of the lowest-performing schools in the nation. SIG funding is awarded to State Educational Agencies that then offer competitive subgrants to local school districts that demonstrate the greatest need for resources and commitment to increase educational attainment and increase academic performance. The states receiving awards in this latest round to run a new competition include Indiana, Nebraska, Colorado and Louisiana. The states receiving continuation funds for the third year of implementing a SIG model include Alaska, Iowa, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.

Link(s): Press Release