Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Commits $350 Million Nationally, Starting in Washington State, to Help Students Succeed in the Classroom.

Helping all students achieve by developing strong leadership of teachers and administrators is a key objective of these education grants.

Seattle, WA-- Students across the nation, starting in Washington state, will be the beneficiaries of a new series of education grants announced today by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Foundation is making the three-year, $350 million commitment based on the belief that every child deserves a quality education and the opportunities it provides. The grants aim to help all students achieve at high levels by improving teaching and learning, and enhancing access to technology.

"The investments we are making in education all derive from a core beliefthat all students can achieve if you provide the right leadership, the right learning environment, and the right tools," said Tom Vander Ark, executive director for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "These education grants will develop classroom, school and district leadership, and give schools the resources to make changes necessary to help all students achieve."

The Foundation announced today four new grant programs, all designed to strengthen leadership in the classroom and on the district level.

Four new programs to support great teaching, strong schools

1. State Challenge Grant for Leadership Development: The Foundation is investing more than $100 million to ensure that administrators across the nation have access to quality leadership development, focusing on improving student learning through technology. This program is modeled after Washington states successful Smart Tools Academy, a partnership among the Gates Foundation, the University of Washington, and the Seattle non-profit Technology Alliance.

Because this program has yielded positive results, the Foundation will offer similar opportunities to every superintendent and principal in the country by making grants to consortiums in every state.

2. Teacher Leadership Grants: In Washington state, the Foundation will continue its commitment to train teachers on how to use technology in the classroom so they can help their students not only meet the states newly adopted standards, but also create strong learning environments based on active inquiry, in-depth learning and high expectations. A $45 million grant will expand the existing Teacher Leadership Project, providing training and professional development to 1,000 K-12 teachers, each year for the next three years. An additional $25 million will be awarded to support national efforts to improve teaching and teacher quality.

3. School Grants: Over $30 million will be awarded to Washington state schools to improve teaching and learning, and enhance student access to technology.

4. Districts Grants: More than $150 million will be invested in school districts to improve teaching and learning, and enhance student access to technology. This funding will support 10 districts in Washington state and another 20 districts nationally.

The State Challenge Grant for Leadership Development is a national effort, while the other three grant programs will use Washington state as an early adopter, discovering what works well before extending efforts nationally.

Award-winning Stanford University Professor of Teaching and Teacher Education Linda Darling-Hammond says the announcement today, "validates what we all know to be true: that if we want to survive as a democracy in a knowledge-based economy, we can no longer allow the quality of any childs education to be a matter of chance."

"If all students are to succeed, teachers must have a solid base of knowledge in their content area, as well as intensive preparation in how people learn and develop and how to teach effectively," Darling-Hammond continues. "We all need to work together to help American schools and teachers. I commend the Gates Foundation for their commitment to improving education in this country, and hope their gift inspires other foundations and individuals to do their part."

Application information

Complete eligibility requirements and applications are available at the Foundations web site at

www.gatesfoundation.org/learning/education. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts consisting of administrators and classroom teachers, as well as Foundation staff.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), March 16, 2000

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