Rockefeller Foundation Supports Office of Innovation Work to Help Schools

Photo Submitted

Denise Airola

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has awarded a grant of $75,000 to the Office of Innovation for Education at the University of Arkansas. The money is to support the collaborative development of a strategic approach to transforming the state's highest priority schools through innovative interventions.

The office will collaborate with the Arkansas Department of Education, as well as leaders, teachers, students, parents and community members from high priority schools. Denise Airola said schools labeled as priority schools were among the lowest 5 percent of schools based on three years of proficiency scores and lack of progress of all students. Airola directs the Office of Innovation for Education, which is based in the College of Education and Health Professions.

"The focus of the plan will be to provide a blueprint for innovative change based on opportunities we identify through this collaboration and to propose strategies for overcoming obstacles to innovative practices," Airola said.

She and her staff will analyze data to look for trends and patterns to determine needs that these schools share that could be addressed by systemwide improvements. They will meet with school and state education officials to identify barriers to change and with students, parents and community members to identify perceptions regarding solutions and challenges to change.

"We will develop a plan to integrate our findings into a plan of action and also a blueprint for proposals to request funding for innovative and transformative solutions," Airola said.