In 2018, the Department of Education awarded 18 EIR grants, totaling more than $115 million.

A majority of the 2018 EIR awardees have a focus on STEM education as the department leveraged the program as one aspect to fulfill President Trump's directive to invest $200 million in high-quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), including computer science, education.

The Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program, established under section 4611 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), provides funding to create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students; and rigorously evaluate such innovations. The EIR program is designed to generate and validate solutions to persistent educational challenges and to support the expansion of effective solutions to serve substantially larger numbers of students.

There are three types of grants under this program: “Early-phase” grants, “Mid-phase” grants, and “Expansion” grants.  These grants differ in terms of the level of prior evidence of effectiveness required for consideration for funding, the expectations regarding the kind of evidence and information funded projects should produce, the level of scale funded projects should reach, and, consequently, the amount of funding available to support each type of project.

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* 1. How Would You Describe Your Organization?

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* 2. Are you generally aware of the Department of Education's Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant program?

Below are the STEM-based awardees for 2018 followed by a few questions evaluating the projects through various aspects. More information on the awards can be found here.
THE EARLY MATH INITIATIVE: SCALING AN INNOVATIVE INTERVENTION TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS (expansion grant- WestEd): A purposive and random sampling design will create a national profile of high-need (low-income) children in public preschool programs. An experimental design will be used to assign classrooms to treatment and business-as-usual control conditions. A hierarchical linear modeling framework will be used to address research questions about the effects of the treatment on ECLS-B and ECLS-K: 2011 measures of child math outcomes. Classroom observations of teacher math practices will be conducted to determine whether the professional development we provide impacts teacher practices as found previously (ES=1.70), and, if so, whether the expected impacts mediate student learning. The project will serve 40,000 high-need students in public preschool programs in four multi-state regions of the United States.

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* 3. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 4. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
Math for All: Broadening and Sustaining Effective Teacher Professional Development to Support Rigorous Personalized Mathematics Instruction for High-Need Students in Grades K–5 (mid-phase- Education Development Center, Inc.): Math for All (MFA) is a professional development (PD) program that helps teachers personalize high-quality mathematics education to better meet the needs of a wide range of diverse learners. The overall goal of this project is to implement, test, and refine strategies for regionally expanding MFA in a variety of settings and with diverse populations in Illinois.

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* 5. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

Not at all aligned Perfectly Aligned
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 6. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
Harmony “LEAF to STEM” (mid-phase- Harmony Public Schools): Launching Elementary Academic Foundations (LEAF) to STEM is design to address a critical need for STEM-ready college graduates. LEAF to STEM will expand Harmony’s successful middle and high school STEM-focused project-based learning (PBL) model to 16 HPS elementary campuses serving 7,000+ students in grades K-5 using three evidence-driven strategies: adapting STEM students on Stage PBL curriculum for teachers to implement in grades K-5; launch a professional development institute for elementary teachers, focused on delivering Harmony's PBL inquiry-based STEM curriculum with fidelity; and introduce unique STEM-focused peer-to-peer mentoring programs for elementary teachers.

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* 7. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

Not at all aligned Perfectly Aligned
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 8. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
Lone Star STEM Project (mid-phase- Jobs for the Future): The Project will demonstrate an exemplary approach to enhancing STEM education by scaling, across Texas, evidence-based College and Career Readiness Models (CCRMs) that incorporate dual enrollment, with a specific focus on computer science (CS). Key activities include: a competitive grant process for schools to implement CCRMs, with a special focus on rural schools; providing training to help teachers obtain CS skills and certification; sharing best practices via peer learning communities; and developing tools to help scale Lone Star STEM best practices within and beyond Texas.

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* 9. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

Not at all aligned Perfectly Aligned
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 10. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
Playground Physics: Scaling and Sustaining a Technology-Enhanced Middle-School Physics Program (mid-phase- NY Hall of Science): This project proposes to address the need for richer opportunities for physics learning in high-need districts in New York State (NYS) through the implementation of Playground Physics (PP). PP—an iPad app, a curriculum, and professional development activities—is uniquely designed to engage middle school students in standards-aligned physics activities proven via a randomized control trial in NYC to significantly increase physics achievement. The goal is to refine and test a train-the-trainer strategy for scaling and sustaining PP in 50 schools.

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* 11. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

Not at all aligned Perfectly Aligned
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 12. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
Leadership of STEM: The PreK-12 Pathway (PreK-12 STEM) (early-phase- Community Training and Assistance Center, Inc.): PreK-12 STEM provides students a STEM project-based curriculum that is engineering- and computer science-centered. It ensures that every student has a STEM learning trajectory that progresses through elementary, middle, and high school. Moreover, it increases the number of high needs, underrepresented students engaged in STEM learning. Activities include fundamentally redesigning the curriculum, training teachers in new pedagogical approaches, and providing classroom and field-based STEM learning experiences to students.

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* 13. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

Not at all aligned Perfectly Aligned
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 14. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
ExpandED STEM Options (early-phase- ExpandED Schools): The project will advance national STEM education interests by demonstrating a sustainable, replicable strategy featuring: 1) credit-bearing apprenticeships in STEM fields; 2) student-driven, project-based learning and 3) teaching internships for high school students designed to equip them with the STEM skills and sustained interest to compete for and succeed in 21st century jobs. The project will serve 320 students in grades 10-12, where students will participate in 60-hour STEM-focused work-based learning experiences beyond traditional classrooms that seek to increase engagement and interest in STEM careers.

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* 15. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 16. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
Think About It: SySTEMatiCally Preparing Students for the Workforce (early-phase- Knox County Schools): The project will work to support high-needs students with programming backed by a rationale (Absolute Priority One) and impacting high-needs students through Field-Initiated Innovations – Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) Education, with a Particular Focus on Computer Science (Absolute Priority 3). TAI will work with schools to identify, recruit, and engage 100 5th grade students in Year 1 and an estimated 570 total 3rd – 5th grade students; selection of scale-up schools will be largely determined by initial evaluation. High-needs students may include minorities, economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, or disabled. The independent evaluation will be conducted by partner organization, WestEd.

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* 17. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

Not at all aligned Perfectly Aligned
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 18. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
Rural ACCESS: AP, College, and Career Excellence in STEM and Computer Science (early-phase- National Math and Science Initiative): This project will accelerate the number of rural students engaged and prepared for STEM postsecondary STEM coursework and entry into STEM careers by deploying an innovative blended delivery model (with in-person and online components) of NMSI’s proven College Readiness Program (CRP). The program partners with schools to help them become centers of college readiness and career exploration through teacher, student, and school-wide supports to overcome historical barriers.

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* 19. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

Not at all aligned Perfectly Aligned
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 20. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
Developing a Student-Driven STEM and Computer Science Curriculum for Rural Students (early-phase- Sonoma State University): Sonoma State University is partnering with six rural LEAs in northern California to propose an early-phase EIR grant titled Learning by Making (LbyM). LbyM will conduct field-initiated innovations in STEM with a focus on computer science (AP3). LbyM partnerships will provide students access to industry partners, work-based learning opportunities, and college and career awareness activities. LbyM demonstrates a rationale (AP1) that strategies and interventions will improve outcomes for rural and high-need students. Furthermore, LbyM offers personalized learning with an instructional design that centers on student-driven projects.

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* 21. How well-aligned is this program to potentially address/support solutions to the STEM challenges specific to your organization/community?

Not at all aligned Perfectly Aligned
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 22. How likely is your organization/entity to benefit from this project's evaluation and potentially replicate a similar initiative to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 23. Does your organization plan to apply for future EIR awards?

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* 24. How could the Department of Education and other organizations enhance awareness for the EIR program and potential support for STEM education?

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* 25. Any other comments? 

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