Governor Moore Announces $20 Million in Grants for Education Programs, First Awards Under Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs With Arnold Ventures

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Aug. 29, 2024)— Governor Wes Moore today announced $20 million total in grant awards for the Saga Education tutoring program and the ASSISTments online educational tool. The awards are the first under the Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs, an evidence-based philanthropic funding partnership between the State of Maryland and Arnold Ventures to scale and expand programs across the state that will help make progress on economic mobility and cradle-to-career outcomes for Marylanders.

“These programs have a proven track record of success,” said Gov. Moore. ​“We’ve seen the remarkable impact they can have in the lives and performance of students. The Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs allows us to bring those effective models to the state to support thousands of young people in reaching their full potential.”

Through the Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs, Arnold Ventures will provide up to $20 million over the next four years in matching funds to select programs engaged with governmental entities — such as state and local agencies, county and municipal governments, school districts, and public colleges and universities — to scale and expand proven effective social programs in workforce training, education, and crime prevention. Arnold Ventures will provide matching funds directly to the selected programs.

“High-impact tutoring is backed up by research and data when it comes to addressing the pandemic’s impact on student learning,” said State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright. ​“This investment in our students will pay off as we scale up successful strategies, moving more students towards better academic outcomes. We are excited to see the benefits of this partnership.”

Through the partnership’s inaugural grant allocation, the Maryland State Department of Education and Arnold Ventures will contribute $10 million each. Both ASSISTments and Saga Education have been shown to produce sizable, lasting gains in student math achievement based on outcomes from randomized controlled trials. 

“Based on extensive rigorous research on these programs, we are confident in their ability to yield positive and meaningful results for students,” said Arnold Ventures Executive Vice President of Evidence and Evaluation Justin Milner. ​“Directing philanthropic funding to scale up these proven programs empowers the state to apply these learnings to improve educational outcomes for the kids who can benefit the most.”

In the initial year, ASSISTments will be deployed in Baltimore County and Charles County, while Saga Education tutoring will be deployed in Baltimore City. ASSISTments is an online educational tool that supports middle school students with math independent practice and produces real-time reports for teachers on student performance. 

Saga Education is a nonprofit leader in high-impact tutoring, a small-group method that addresses issues of learning loss and educational disparities in high-poverty schools. The program seeks to address the achievement gap that sees some students fall behind and can lead to higher failure and dropout rates.

“To boost student achievement levels in math, it is critical that we employ innovative strategies to maximize the time students have to learn and practice their skills,” said Baltimore City Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises. ​“Our work with Saga will enable more high school students to focus more hours on math, particularly Algebra I, giving them greater opportunities to succeed today and in the future.” 

“Sustained and continuous math achievement has been one of the most stubborn metrics to move since the pandemic for schools and school districts everywhere. This additional support coming to ASSISTments and Baltimore County schools will provide the resources needed to extend mathematics fluency to more students, and more quickly, across Baltimore County Public Schools,” said Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers. ​“While we are seeing positive advancement in mathematics literacy, it is important to fortify our progress with the immediate student performance feedback and online assistance that ASSISTments offers.”

The nonprofit, nonpartisan Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy is supporting the State of Maryland and Arnold Ventures in their effort to identify promising programmatic opportunities, implement and expand proven programs, and sustain public funding. 

“Saga tutoring and ASSISTments are exceptional programs – both backed by strong evidence of sizable, sustained effects on math achievement, particularly for low-income students,” said Coalition President Jon Baron. ​“This initiative of Governor Moore and Arnold Ventures is incredibly exciting, as it shows how government can use rigorous evidence about ​‘what works’ to make progress at scale in a highly important policy area like math education.”

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Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives.

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