The Education Program’s work seeks innovative designs that use people, time, money and technology differently in secondary and higher education. We support a portfolio of promising school models—especially those with aspects that have a strong research basis. And we invest in the growth of charter schools, with an emphasis on the use of technology and other innovations to provide more personalized and effective instruction.

The Corporation works with partner organizations to carry out reform at the system level, eradicate barriers to bringing innovation to scale, and increase adoption of documented effective practices aimed at raising graduation rates among historically underserved students. An important new area for the Corporation is advancement of next generation learning (NGL), a term educators use for new teaching and learning practices that prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges, which would enable our education system to prepare more students for productive adult lives in the 21st century. 

Priorities for the coming year include:

• Continuing to support organizations that enable the nation’s schools and school systems to design and carry out strategic reforms and implement innovative school models at scale. 
• Supporting our investment in the Shared Learning Collaborative (SLC) through active engagement in the development of its governance and the building of a sustainable non-profit organization for long-term management, communicating about its potential to support new, blended school designs to the field, and partnering with other funders.  

• Strengthening the alignment between K-12 and higher education, including development of clear educational and career pathways for under-served students.