Innovation Awards

Innovation Awards

Recognizing innovative practices and programs

In each of the College Board's six regions, three exceptional initiatives—one each in the categories of Getting Ready, Getting In, and Getting Through—will receive special recognition for their innovation and demonstrated efficacy in increasing the percentage of low-income students who get ready for, get into, or get through college successfully.

Winning submissions will receive an award of $5,000 to help expand or sustain the program. Innovation Awards will be presented at the College Board Regional Forums in February 2012.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR PROGRAM.

The deadline for submissions to be considered for the Innovation Awards program is September 30, 2011.

Goals

• Disseminate information about effective practices so they can be replicated, adapted, and improved.
• Recognize exemplary programs that have proven effective in improving success for low-income students.
• Mobilize educators, institutional leaders, and policymakers to promote policies and practices that expand opportunities for low-income students to get ready for, get into, and get through college.

Criteria for selection

Submissions will be judged on the following criteria:

• Relevance: Alignment to the principles and priorities outlined in the Compact
• Innovation: New, creative, and sustainable strategies for advancing the goals of the Compact
• Impact: Demonstration of meaningful progress toward stated goals of the initiative
• Potential: Opportunity for replication and adaptation by other educators, institutions, and policymakers

Eligibility

• Only representatives of CollegeKeys Compact member institutions may submit effective practices. (See instructions to join the Compact.) There is no limit to the number of effective practices any one institution may submit.
• The program or practice must be designed to target students who meet the definition of "low-income" as outlined in the Compact (.pdf/748K)(pgs. 7-9).
• To be considered for the Innovation Awards program, the initiative must have been implemented for at least 12 months prior to submission and demonstrate quantitative and qualitative results toward stated goals. The institution must intend to continue the initiative beyond the current academic year.
• Innovation Awards recipients shall:
  • Deliver a presentation about the winning initiative at the annual College Board Regional Forum in their home region.
  • Submit a progress report one year after receiving the award.
• Previous recipients of Innovation Awards will not be eligible for an award in the same category (Getting Ready, Getting In, or Getting Through), but entries in a new category will be considered.

Review committee

Innovation Awards recipients will be selected by a committee of College Board members representing K-12 and Higher Education in each region. Committee members will first evaluate submissions from outside their region and then select the top three practices in each category to be considered by the full committee. Winning institutions will be notified in January 2012.

Timeline

Submit your practice

For consideration in the Innovation Awards program, please complete the CollegeKeys Compact Effective Practices Submission Form. If you have questions, please contact the CollegeKeys office at (202) 741-4702 or collegekeys@collegeboard.org.