Sponsored by:

University OUTREACH
College of Continuing Education

The University of Oklahoma
www.ou.edu

Grants and Funding Awards

PCS Awarded Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center

The University of Oklahoma's (OU) College of Continuing Education has been awarded one of 15 U.S. Department of Education grants to establish a regional Comprehensive Center authorized by Title II of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002. The new Comprehensive Centers will serve as field agents for the U.S. Department of Education to help State Departments of Education understand and implement the provisions and purposes of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and related federal programs. The University of Oklahoma's five-year, $11 million grant will fund the Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center (MC3) in the Public and Community Services Division of the OU College of Continuing Education in Norman.

The center will serve the four-state region of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The Comprehensive Centers have been authorized by Congress to provide technical assistance to State Departments of Education as States work to help districts and schools close achievement gaps between and among students in core content areas and raise achievement in schools, especially those in need of improvement, using proven practices and approaches. Because State Departments of Education have the primary responsibility for school improvement efforts, the Comprehensive Centers will focus their technical assistance efforts on helping States increase their capacity to provide sustained support to districts and schools.