NWEA Launches Educators for Equity Grant Program to Foster Equity in Educational Opportunity and Outcomes for PreK-12 Students
Inaugural Program Will Award Grants to School Districts and Organizations to Support Academic Growth of Underserved Students
Portland, Ore. – March 14, 2019 – NWEA, the not-for-profit provider of assessment solutions, announced today the launch of its Educators for Equity Grant Program, a new initiative for helping schools foster academic growth and achievement for preK-12 students who face systemic barriers to academic opportunities. The program will award grants of up to $10,000 to schools, school districts, and non-profit organizations to help fund initiatives and programs designed to support the academic development of underserved students.
Educators, including teachers, principals, and education specialists, may apply for grant awards for their schools or districts to fund programs and activities that directly support the academic progress of students. This can include curricula as well as programs that support student engagement in the classroom; help facilitate dialogue amongst educators, students and families about high academic expectations; and provide needed academic supports, such as academically-focused after-school programs. For 2019, at least three grants in amounts up to $10,000 will be awarded.
“We are very excited about the launch of our first-ever NWEA grant program,” said Chris Minnich, CEO, NWEA. “Our goal with this program is to support educators in their work to foster equity in educational opportunity and outcomes, so all students leave secondary education prepared with choices to further their academic growth and workforce participation. We look forward to working collaboratively with these schools and organizations to support student growth and achievement.”
To be eligible for a grant, applicants must be a U.S. school serving students from pre-K through 12th grade and either a public school or not-for-profit organization. Applications will be evaluated on the extent to which the award will benefit students who face systemic barriers to academic opportunities, including students who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, or Asian/Pacific Islander; students learning English and speaking a language other than English fluently; and students experiencing economic disadvantage. In addition, programs will be evaluated based on evidence base; equity mission; cultural relevance; and academic focus. Use of NWEA products and services is not required for eligibility and will not be considered when selecting grant recipients.
For more information on the NWEA Educators for Equity program or to apply, please visit http://www.nwea.org/equitygrant. The application deadline is June 30, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
NWEA will also be available to discuss the program in booth 1631 at ASCD Empower19, March 16-19 in Chicago, Illinois. If you are interested in setting up a meeting with NWEA at ASCD, please email jmoritz@0to5.com.
About NWEA
NWEA® is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency— and provide insights to help tailor instruction. For more than 40 years, NWEA has developed innovative Pre-K–12 assessments, professional learning that fosters educators’ ability to accelerate student learning, and research that supports assessment validity and data interpretation. Educators in more than 10,000 schools, districts, and education agencies in 141 countries rely on our flagship interim assessment, MAP® Growth™; our progress monitoring and skills mastery tool, MAP® Skills™; and our reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP® Reading Fluency™.