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OER Innovation Project

Synopsis of Program

grant imageCESA 4 is providing instructional resource projects of $10,000 each to support Wisconsin educators through WISELearn. Materials will be shared for others to use as Open Educational Resources (OER) via the WISELearn Resources Library. These projects are exclusively for Wisconsin public school districts or CESAs partnered with a consortium of schools. There are two different types, which are detailed below.

ELA, Math, and Science Projects

These projects support professional learning for and implementation of these instructional materials for Wisconsin public educators. Teachers deserve high-quality instructional materials and ongoing support to implement those materials. Mounting evidence suggests that providing teachers with access to high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials and curriculum-based professional learning can result in improvement in student outcomes, making this a research-based school improvement strategy. 

For more information as well as the application for the ELA, Math, or Science grant, please review: 2023-2024 WISELearn Innovation Project Application

All Subject Areas (Except ELA/Math/Science)

This project supports teaching and learning through the creation and implementation of high quality open educational resources (OER) that will be shared in the WISELearn Resources Library. OERs are teaching and learning materials that have been made easier to use via licensing them (usually under Creative Commons) to be freely used, distributed without restriction, and often modified without additional permissions.

For more information as well as the application for the All Subject Areas grant, please review: 2023-2024 WISELearn Innovation Project Application

Proposal Requirements

In order to be considered for funding, proposals must show a plan of action to address one or more of the following areas:

1. Mathematics/English Language Arts/Science (at least 60% of projects)

  • Selection and/or adoption of high-quality instructional materials. The target area of the proposed OER to be adapted/created/distributed is selecting or adopting high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials according to nationally recognized, third-party reviewers (e.g. EdReports.org). For instructional materials that have not been reviewed by a nationally recognized, third-party reviewer (e.g. publisher claims materials are aligned to standards), the target area of focus is engaging in a review of the instructional materials to determine their quality and alignment to standards using a nationally recognized standards alignment rubric like EdReports.org or IMET.

  • Implementation on high-quality instructional materials. The target area of the proposed OER to be adapted/created/distributed is implementing high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials according to nationally recognized, third-party reviewers or alignment rubrics like EdReports.org or IMET. Such implementation should include planning for and/or implementing on-going, job-embedded professional learning focused on meeting the needs of every learner and using the high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials.

2. Other Content Areas (no ELA, Math, or Science)

  • Create open resources, providing wide-scale dissemination of district-generated instructional materials available through WISELearn.
  • Collaborate to develop and identify open resources, supports, and best practices to help in the ongoing implementation of OER instructional materials for use across the state via WISELearn.
  • Curate and adapt top quality existing OER to create instructional materials in specific content area(s) within WISELearn.

Award and Budget Information

Type of Award

$10,000 projects for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Submission Details

Submissions may come from a Wisconsin public school, district office, or CESA. Only one proposal may be submitted per organization.

Application submissions are due June 16, 2023.

Questions?