Last week the U.S. Department of Education awarded grants totaling $25 million to charter school management organizations that have been successful at raising student achievement in extremely difficult conditions. Among?the winners included?Cleveland's Breakthrough Charter School Network, a successful network of schools in the Cleveland area.
This week the U.S. Department of Education and Arne Duncan announced a second round of awards totaling nearly $5 million. This round of grants went to 23 charter schools around the country that have demonstrated the ability to produce outstanding results. The grants are to be used to help these schools assist in their planning to expand and open new high quality charter schools. ?The grants will also provide the opportunity for three high -performing charters to partner with non-charter public schools to improve their academic performance and share effective practices.
Among the list of high-performing schools to receive this prestigious grant was Fordham-authorized Columbus Collegiate Academy. CCA received a grant totaling $600,000 for the next three years.? Over 94 percent of CCA students are?economically disadvantaged and since opening their doors in 2008, they have become the highest performing middle school in Columbus. The school's ability to continue to make tremendous student gains has caused it to rank among the best charter schools in the country. CCA is planning to use this grant money to open a new school and spread their successful practices in the near future. ?
Fordham's director of charter school sponsorship Kathryn Mullen Upton noted:
"We are delighted that Andrew Boy and his team will receive a federal start-up grant to help replicate the highly successful Columbus Collegiate Academy. The grant process is quite competitive, and receipt of one of only two Ohio awards for start-up funds speaks to the overall quality of the program."
This is the second award this year for CCA. In March they were awarded a Gold-Gain Epic award by New Leaders for New Schools for dramatic gains in student achievement.
Two other charter schools in Ohio also?received federal grants under this program. The Graham School in Columbus received the start-up portion of the grant, while the ISUS Institute of Health Care in Dayton received a slightly different grant for dissemination. These grants are extremely competitive and all three schools deserved to be recognized.
Congratulations!
-Bianca Speranza
