States
High schools where education is centered on the learner. Communities that generate and sustain innovation. States with strategies to expand progress and policies to support it.
In our approach to achieving national transformation to a world of learning, states play a crucial role. They’re where legislative leadership can clear the way for new approaches and innovation efforts can build to a tipping point.
Ohio: Ohio Education Matters
Ohio Education Matters (OEM) acts as a catalyst of education transformation in Ohio. Through research, advocacy, policy development and community engagement, OEM is helping create a system that supports and sustains education innovation.
Ohio Education Matters is committed to helping Ohio target education resources to the strategies research shows to be most effective. It provides leadership on school funding, high school transformation, school turnaround, workforce development and other education issues.
OEM is leading our work with the Ohio Department of Education to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the state’s K-12 education system that will lay the groundwork for the state to enact reforms in education efficiency and effectiveness. This collaborative, nonpartisan effort will ensure that Ohio is meeting the student-centered goals of the state’s education reform program at a time when every dollar is critically important.
Indiana: New Tech High School network
Indiana has become a national leader in employing the New Tech model to revitalize high school education. Through a collaboration with state leaders and the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis, we are part of a statewide strategy to improve academic achievement and economic development.
The partnership is a robust one. Indiana’s governor and state superintendent have been vocal in their support for New Tech, working across agencies and with the state legislature to provide funding and policy waivers that made it possible for New Tech schools to deliver innovative and effective instruction. CELL has provided strong and consistent leadership, partnership and advocacy across the state.
KnowledgeWorks has provided a grant to support the further development of a strong statewide network of New Tech High Schools.
Eight New Tech schools opened in Indiana over a three-year period starting in 2007, with more than 15 additional schools scheduled in coming years. These schools are supported through the Indiana New Technology High School Network, which provides leadership and coordination in everything from resource sharing to professional development.
New York: Early College High Schools
Our EdWorks subsidiary is working with the State University of New York (SUNY) to broaden horizons for New York students by expanding access to early college high schools.
The SUNY/EdWorks partnership is based on a shared commitment to using research-based practices to make measurable improvements in the number of students who attend and complete college, especially among those historically underrepresented in the college population.
Under the Smart Scholars initiative, funded through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are creating 11 early college high schools across New York.
