All students should graduate from high school ready for college, careers, and citizenship.
Achieve Receives New Grant from GE Foundation
Achieve Receives New Grant from GE Foundation to Strengthen Focus on Common Core Implementation Efforts
WASHINGTON – August 1, 2012 – Achieve (www.achieve.org), a nonprofit education reform organization, has received a three year, $7 million grant from the GE Foundation (www.gefoundation.com), the philanthropic arm of GE, that will greatly assist in implementation of the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Teachers in almost all states have begun or are beginning to teach to these college- and career-ready standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics.
The GE Foundation has a long and rich history of investing in communities through its Developing Futures™ in Education program and other philanthropic objectives with the goals of improving student achievement, particularly in mathematics and science; increasing college-going rates; and, now, ensuring the successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards, objectives that are entirely aligned with Achieve's mission. The grant will help Achieve provide states with the support necessary to ensure all students graduate from high school–and graduate ready for college, careers, and life.
"GE has tremendous respect for Achieve, its mission and leadership. This latest investment is especially noteworthy because the Common Core State Standards were voluntarily developed by states and their success depends on state action. This is where Achieve has a track record of success. We look forward to working with Achieve's leaders as they further engage governors and the business community in getting ready for the changes required by the Common Core. These standards are absolutely essential to ensure we have a strong, growing economy in the 21st century," says Robert Corcoran, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship and President and Chairman of the GE Foundation."
GE Foundation's grant to Achieve will:
- Promote deep business engagement and mobilization around CCSS through the development of business-centered tools and support for business-education partnerships and advocacy at the local, state and national levels in close partnership with the GE Foundation;
- Support states in the adoption and implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)–a set of common, state-developed K-12 science standards for which Achieve serves as the project manager–when they are completed in 2013;
- Engage states in Achieve's Educators Evaluating Quality Instructional Products (EQuIP), a cross-state collaborative aimed at identifying high-quality and CCSS- and NGSS-aligned units, lessons, and tasks and making them widely and readily available as open educational resources; and
- Support the GE Foundation's overall Common Core support strategy, including the Foundation's annual Developing Futures™ in Education Conference and the Business Education Summit, as well as the Foundation's other initiatives to assist in the implementation of CCSS.
"States and key stakeholders–including the business community–are closely collaborating on efforts to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. As it turns out, graduating from high school ready for college and careers is not only good for students but also for America's ability to compete in a global economy that increasingly values education," said Mike Cohen, President of Achieve. "The grant from the GE Foundation to Achieve will enable Achieve to ensure that the promise of college and career readiness is a reality for more students. We are grateful for the continued support and commitment to Achieve by the GE Foundation."
Ellen Morgenstern, GE Foundation, (203) 373-2363 or ellen.morgenstern@ge.com
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About Achieve
Created in 1996 by the nation's governors and corporate leaders, Achieve is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit education reform organization based in Washington D.C., that helps states raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. Achieve is leading the effort to make college and career readiness a national priority so that the transition from high school graduation to postsecondary education and careers is seamless. In 2005 Achieve launched the American Diploma Project Network. Starting with 13 original states, the Network has now grown to include 35 states educating nearly 85 percent of all U.S. public school students. Through the ADP Network, governors, state education officials, postsecondary leaders and business executives work together to improve postsecondary preparation by aligning key policies with the demands of college and careers. Achieve partnered with NGA and CCSSO on the Common Core State Standards Initiative and was selected by states to manage the PARCC assessment consortia. The PARCC consortium was awarded Race to the Top assessment funds to create next generation assessments in math and English aligned to the CCSS. Achieve is also managing a state-led process to develop K-12 Next Generation Science Standards based on the National Research Council's Framework for K-12 Science Education. For more information about the work of Achieve, visit www.achieve.org.
About GE Foundation
GE Foundation works to solve some of the world's most difficult problems. In coordination with its partners, GE Foundation supports U.S. and international education, developing health globally, the environment, public policy, human rights, disaster relief and community success around the globe. Through the Developing Futures™ in Education program, GE Foundation has committed nearly $200 million to seven U.S. school districts to improve student achievement through a rigorous math and science curriculum, professional development opportunities for teachers and management capacity improvement. For more information visit the Foundation's website at www.gefoundation.com.