The Indiana Department of Education has awarded the Gary Community School Corp. an $800,000 Next Generation School Improvement Grant.
The funds are aimed at transforming student outcomes at Beveridge Elementary, Daniel Hale Williams Elementary, Frankie Woods McCullough Academy and Glen Park Academy for Excellence.
“We are incredibly excited about being awarded this significant grant to further serve our scholars,” said Dr. Yvonne Stokes, superintendent, in a press release. “Our team worked diligently to complete the application process which now positions the district for greater academic outcomes and school transformation at the elementary level.”
Indiana’s Next Generation School Improvement Grant is a competitive grant focused on school transformation. Beginning in 2021, the Indiana Department of Education implemented a new approach to awarding federal Title I school improvement funds. Rather than distributing money to several schools, the Indiana Department of Education invited applications and funded a few districts and schools at larger amounts to create proofpoints for academic acceleration and systems transformation. Gary has been awarded a planning year grant for Cohort 5 of this program.
The grant is separated into two phases: a planning year grant and an implementation grant. The planning year grant is for $800,000, which will be used to plan and pilot the following initiatives in 2025-2026.
- Personalize and differentiate learning experiences through a flexible daily schedule, personalized learning software and tutoring
- Increase leadership capacity through systems change science, beginning with visits to high-performing schools
- Leverage a dual-capacity framework for family engagement, establishing bi-directional learning opportunities between schools and our families
Based on the success of the planning year and completion of Indiana Department of Education benchmarks, Gary Community School Corp. anticipates being awarded a three-year implementation grant worth $3 to $8 million. The amount will be determined over the next eight to twelve months.
