The Charles R. Drew charter school, serving Atlanta students, won a $700,000 state grant to improve teacher and student performance.

Drew will start a program aimed at eliminating students’ summer learning loss, increase teachers’ content knowledge and support a full-day summer program for targeted rising 1st through 3rd graders.

It is one of 12 Innovative Fund grants, totaling $4.1 million, for local schools.

“I am confident this funding will help give schools and education groups a greater opportunity to focus on STEM development and student growth,” Deal said.

Those who won the grants will evaluate the effectiveness of their programs and submit their findings to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. The state will use these findings to determine best practices in science, technology, engineering and math, applied learning, early language and literacy development and blended learning.

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