Assignment 4-Katherine Ryan

Investing in Innovation Fund
APPLIED IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS
BY
Katherine Ryan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Investing in Innovation Fund is a program provides competitive grants

to expand innovative practices that have demonstrated impacts on
improving student achievement or student growth, closing achievement
gaps, increasing high school graduation rates, and increasing college
enrollment and completion rates. It aims to do this by collaborating with the
private sector to fund grants specifically focused at the policy domain of
education and the issue of lacking innovation in education. The policy goal
is utilization, the policy tool is capacity building and the target population is
local education agencies and not-for-profits that work with districts or
schools with a record of improving student achievement and attainment.
The logic of change is if the investing in innovation fund then student
achievement and growth will improve. Factors that could influence
successes are identified as the wicked problem to education in America, the
size and diversity of the target, the clarity of implementation instructions to
applicants, the social capital of collaboration with the private sector and the
low rate of public support.
INTRODUCTION
The policy being analyzed here is the Investing in Innovation Fund that was
unveiled during the Obama Administration. The program provides
competitive grants to expand innovative practices that have demonstrated
impacts on improving student achievement or student growth, closing
achievement gaps, increasing high school graduation rates, and increasing
college enrollment and completion rates. The Investing in Innovation Fund
engaged the private sector to fund these grants and awarded 79 school
districts and not-for-profits with grants. This is a national policy for the
United States of America. The policy domain here is education. The problem
the policy addresses is the lack of funding for innovation in the American
education sector.
DESIGN OF INVESTING IN INNOVATION FUND
The policy goal is utilization as it takes advantage of new policy

opportunities. The policy tool is capacity building as it gives individuals the
resources to do things they could not do before. The target population is
local education agencies and not-for-profits that work with districts or
schools with a record of improving student achievement and attainment.
The logic of change is if the investing in innovation fund then student
achievement and growth will improve.
INVESTING IN INNOVATION FUND – POLICY ELEMENTS
An example of inputs would be the funds needed to provide grants for the
program. An activity would be the process of reviewing applications who
could potentially receive the grants. An output would be the awarded grants
themselves. Outcomes would include increased college enrollment and
completion rates. Finally, impacts would include a higher GDP as there is a
better educated working class.
INVESTING IN INNOVATION FUND – KEY ACTORS
Three actors involved in this policy include The Department of Education,

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Cabarrus County Schools.
The Department of Education is a government entity operating at the

national level.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a nonprofit operating at the

national level.
The Cabarrus County Schools is operating as a local government entity.
INVESTING IN INNOVATION FUND – APPLIED IMPLEMENTATION

ANALYSIS
In the category of Problem and Target we have the problem addressed as
education in America under size and tractability of the problem. Also, under
Problem and Target there is the complication of students in America being a
diverse target within size and diversity of the target. For Policy and
Implementation System only 3.8% of applicants were eligible to receive
grants with clarity of implementation instructions. Finally, for
Socioeconomic and Political Conditions the Department of Education and
the foundations have aligned to improve student achievement within the
category of social capital. Finally, the confidence level for public education
among the public is only 31% under public support.
Problem and Target

Issues in the American education system can be considered a wicked
problem as it has many solutions, is interconnected with many other
problems, is a large economic burden among many other reasons. Because
of the nature of this problem education in America falls into the category of
size and tractability of problem. According to our model the larger the size
and the tractability of the problem the more negative impact it will have on
implementation. This is most likely to affect activities as the activities of the
program would need to be catered to the issues most hindering to a
successful education system in that region. Another influence from the
implementation framework would be the number of students in America.
America has long been known as a melting pot, which can be seen with the
diversity and number of students in our education system. The diversity of
students in America falls within the size and diversity of the target which
according to the implementation framework as size and diversity increases
the more negative impact it will have on implementation. This is also most
likely to impact activities as the activities will need to be catered to help
students from all sorts of diverse backgrounds succeed in their educations’.
Policy Solution and Implementation System

Among policy solutions and implementation systems there is the issue that
only 3.8% of applicants received grants. This means applicants applying for
this program were not clear in understanding the qualifications or the
directions were unclear. Therefor this falls in the category of clarity of
implementation instructions. According to the implementation framework as
there are more unclear implementation instructions there is less
implementation success. This is most likely to affect activities as people who
are reviewing the application have to weed through a plethora of
unqualified applications before finding ones that are eligible.
Socio economic and Political Factors

Within socio economic and political factors, the report states the
department of education and foundations have aligned to improve student
achievement. This cooperation falls within social capital which as there is
more it has a positive impact on implementation. This is likely to have the
biggest impact on inputs because as there is more collaboration with
foundations there will be more money that can be awarded with grants. The
report also mentions that public confidence in public education is only at a
31% confidence rate, which falls within public support. However, this
margin only indicates the confidence level of the current education methods
and makes no mention of approval rat or support for this new program.
According to the implementation framework as there is less public support
there is less success in implementation. This is most likely to impact
outcomes as if people do not believe in a program it is less likely to have a
successful outcome.

Assignment 4-Katherine Ryan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Assignment 4-Katherine Ryan

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Assignment 4-Katherine Ryan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Investing in Innovation Fund

APPLIED IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS

The Investing in Innovation Fund is a program provides competitive grants

DESIGN OF INVESTING IN INNOVATION FUND

The policy goal is utilization as it takes advantage of new policy

INVESTING IN INNOVATION FUND – POLICY ELEMENTS

INVESTING IN INNOVATION FUND – KEY ACTORS

Three actors involved in this policy include The Department of Education,

The Department of Education is a government entity operating at the

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a nonprofit operating at the

INVESTING IN INNOVATION FUND – APPLIED IMPLEMENTATION

Problem and Target

Policy Solution and Implementation System

Socio economic and Political Factors

You might also like