Phase I IES ‘From Seedlings to Scale’ award granted to design a new model for personalized, competency-based middle school math instruction
BISMARCK (January 15, 2026) – The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) and New Classrooms Innovation Partners, Inc. (New Classrooms) have received a federal grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to develop an innovative new model for math education in North Dakota. Awarded through IES’s From Seedlings to Scale program, the grant will fund the design, testing, and refinement of a learning model that integrates advanced technology, teacher empowerment, and forward-thinking education policy aimed at transforming math learning statewide and serving as a model for the nation.
“North Dakota has already made significant progress towards personalizing learning experiences for students in our schools,” said Ann Ellefson, NDDPI’s director of academic support. “This partnership with New Classrooms will explore these practices specifically in math—aligning instruction, technology, and policy so that every student can make meaningful progress toward math proficiency.”
From Seedlings to Scale is a national IES initiative designed to nurture innovative education ideas from early-stage concepts (“seedlings”) into proven, scalable solutions. The program provides three phases of support—each with increasing funding and duration—to help grantees refine and expand their ideas. In Phase One, grantees focus on clarifying the problem, refining their proposed solution, and developing a detailed plan for further research and development. Based on the results of this work, selected projects may advance to Phase Two and beyond, ultimately scaling their solutions and testing their impact in multiple contexts.
The NDDPI–New Classrooms team will use its Phase One award to gather insights and data from a variety of stakeholders to investigate the precise roadblocks stalling the adoption of personalized math learning models. In a personalized learning model in math, students move forward based on their mastery of specific skills rather than on seat time or grade level alone. Lessons are tailored to each learner’s strengths and needs, helping students fill foundational gaps and progress toward higher-level math concepts at their own pace. Teachers use data and technology tools to personalize instruction, while schools build systems that ensure all students reach proficiency, no matter where they start.
This work represents a key step in addressing student learning needs in mathematics. Many students enter middle school with unfinished learning in math, making it difficult to succeed in algebra and beyond. This partnership aims to give schools a cohesive framework that helps students catch up, accelerate, and thrive, while giving educators the support, tools, and flexibility they need to make it happen.
Established in 2011, New Classrooms is a national leader in the movement to design, develop, and implement innovative learning solutions. While New Classrooms’ assets, including technology and aligned content, will inform the design work, the model developed with NDDPI will be new.
“It’s a true privilege to partner with a state so deeply committed to innovation and student success,” said Joel Rose, Co-Founder and CEO of New Classrooms. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to build on North Dakota’s national leadership in personalized, competency-based learning to co-design a model that meets the needs of students, teachers, and families.”
The total budget for the project is $534,462, of which $500,000 (93.6%) is federal funding, and $34,462 (6.4%) is non-federal funding.
About New Classrooms Innovation Partners
Founded in 2011, New Classrooms Innovation Partners Inc. is a national nonprofit organization that aims to personalize education for each student through its Teach to One innovative learning solutions. Teach to One was born out of the visionary work of the founders within NYC Public Schools called School of One, which TIME named one of the Best Inventions of the Year in 2009. Teach to One ensures each student learns the right math lesson at the right time and in the right way that best meets their strengths and needs. It is currently used by thousands of students in schools nationwide. To learn more about Teach to One, visit www.teachtoone.org. To learn more about New Classrooms, visit www.newclassrooms.org.
Contact: Jacob Waters
Senior Director of Communications
jwaters@newclassrooms.org
609-658-8147