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Center for Educational Innovation Inc

New York, NY · EIN 134113613 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE B03 · Education · Large ($10M-$50M) · the-cei.org
revenue
$12.5M
expenses
$14.9M
net assets
$5.4M
employees
83
volunteers
4
program ratio
86%
mission · from form 990

To Support initiatives that will provide a quality education to children in NYC and Other communities

profile · synthesized from sources

The Center for Educational Innovation Inc supports public schools in underserved communities through customized consulting, leadership development, and professional learning for educators. It partners with schools across New York City to improve teaching and learning, with a focus on equity and innovation. Programs include community schools, arts-integrated instruction, and enrichment initiatives serving students and families citywide.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $3.07M
    Public School Consulting- Includes customized services, technical assistance, school improvement planning and implementation, leadership development and content area support to superintendents, school leaders, teacher teams, coaches, teachers, and all members of the school community. By design, with aligment to the mission, with a renewed focus on equity and innovation, experienced team members work to build capacity to create the model schools their children need to succeed. Service is delivered in a multitude of modalities including mentoring and coaching, facilitated professional learning in small and large groups, modeling and delivering leadership development and pedagogical support in all content areas tp ensure for improved teaching and learning with measured improvements in student achievement and all areas of the school community.
  2. #2 $1.79M
    Other programs - include school improvement activities through our field supportservices, grant funded academic and enrichment services such as NYC Immigrant andCASA funded enrichment and NYC DYCD Summer Rising, which are all consistent with themission of the Organization. The Organization is now a lead agency with contractsfor two NYC Community Schools. This citywide school improvement strategy supports services delivered by the lead agency, community partners and the school community.This organization's mission is aligned to this initiative and with a focus onacademic improvement, provides comprehensive support in all areas, aligned with thetraditional school day, coordinating all programs and services, and infuses itsphilosophy, with a focus on equity and innovation, to develop model communityschools in all neighborhoods. The Community Schools program supports the wholechild and the childs family, with learning both inside and outside of the classroom. The Organization supports the staffing to identify and coordinate all partnerships,delivery of direct academic and enrichment service including elements of ProjectBOOST, professional learning for school staff as well as all partners and theirstaff, the greater school community including parents. The lead agency works toseamlessly bridge the school day with before, during, and after school support tothe entire school community with strong measurable outcomes in all areas of childdevelopment, community, family engagement and academic achievement. This is amulti-year contract with the NYC Department of Education with potential for growthin the future.1) META/Meridian - CEIs Meridian (formerly META) program is funded by an Assistancefor Arts Education (AAE) $6M five-year grant awarded in 2021 by the Office ofElementary and Secondary Education of the United States Department of Education.Meridian is a professional learning program for K-5 teachers of students withdisabilities in New York City (NY), Rochester (NY), San Juan (PR), Baltimore (MD)and Bridgeport (CT). The program builds on the success of the Organizations ETAprogram and expands its scope by utilizing an art integrated, differentiatedcurriculum, and providing teachers with workshops, PLC sessions and modeling. Thecurriculum includes innovative projects in music and visual art that teach literacy and math and strengthen SEL skills. There are six versions of every project andmaterials include, curriculum maps, lessons, implementation slide decks, modelingvideos, resources, and materials, and supporting documents. Meridian also includes(1) training classroom teachers to be teacher leaders in arts integration and tofacilitate PLC sessions; (2) hosting national annual conferences to disseminate thework; and (3) building a digital repository of all curricular materials.2) Charter Schools - Given the history of the Organization and its foundersinfluence in the development of Charter School Law, Charter School Support remainsone of the main programs of the Organization.Following several cycles of federal funding sunsetting, the Organization continuesto support charter Boards and school leaders via school-based contracts and grantfunding to become highly effective and grow successful charter schools in three keyareas:Educational SuccessOrganizational SoundnessFaithfulness to Charter and LawWith alignment to the mission and continued focus on school transformation, theOrganization continues to support the development of new charters, lead the renewalof charters, and explore and lead the expansion of charter schools. TheOrganization continues its support of struggling charter schools with schoolimprovement planning and implementation. With several long-term whole school reformprojects and multiple short-term engagements, the Organization continues its focus on leadership development, supporting improved performance as well as compliancewith autonomy to achieve continuous academic improvement with alignment to publicschool accountability in all areas. The Organizations team of experts work closelywith Charter School leadership and Boards in all areas of the NYS performanceframework: student performance, teaching and learning, culture, climate and studentand family engagement, financial condition, financial management, Board oversightand governance, organizational capacity, mission and key design elements,enrollment, retention and retention, and legal compliance.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Community Schools
Leads a network of 17 Community Schools in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan, integrating academics, health, youth development, and family empowerment with collaborative leadership and expanded learning time.
Education Through Art (ETA)
Arts-integrated program using visual art and music to teach ELA and math while strengthening SEL skills for grade 3-5 students with disabilities in NYC District 75.
Meridian (formerly META)
Professional learning program for K-5 teachers of students with disabilities in New York City and Rochester, funded by a $6M U.S. Department of Education grant.
Project BOOST
Enrichment program providing coding, robotics, esports, and mural art to over 1,000 students, integrating STEAM and literacy skills.
Public School Consulting
Provides technical assistance, school improvement planning, leadership development, and content-area support to NYC school leaders and teachers.
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Teacher Professional Development 3 activities
    • Deliver school transformation and professional learning services
      Provides customized technical assistance, leadership development, pedagogical support, and job-embedded professional learning to improve teaching and learning in public schools, with demonstrated improvements in student achievement. Serves over 150 NYC public schools through school transformation initiatives and leadership mentoring.
    • Implement Meridian professional learning initiative
      Leads the Meridian program, a federally funded ($6M) professional learning initiative for K–5 teachers of students with disabilities in New York City and Rochester, aimed at improving instructional practices and student outcomes.
    • Provide capacity-building support to schools and educators
      Partners with over 2,200 schools to deliver customized professional learning, coaching, and capacity-building support for school leaders, teachers, and parents. Equips educators with arts-based strategies for teaching literacy and math.
  • Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
    • Deliver arts-integrated education programs
      Provides arts education residencies in music, dance, drama, spoken word, and visual art that connect creativity with academic learning in literacy and math. Uses visual art and music to teach ELA and math while strengthening social-emotional learning (SEL) skills for students with disabilities in grades 3–5.
  • After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 1 activity
    • Lead and coordinate Community Schools initiatives
      Acts as lead agency for two NYC Community Schools and leads a network of 17 Community Schools in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan, integrating academic, health, and family support services to serve the whole child through coordinated before, during, and after-school programming.
  • Comprehensive Student Enrichment Programs 1 activity
    • Operate Project BOOST enrichment programs
      Runs Project BOOST, a flagship student enrichment program offering tutoring, coding, robotics, esports, live theater, social action art, and mentorship to help students build confidence and pursue meaningful futures. Enriches over 1,000 students through hands-on STEAM and creative learning experiences.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$12.54M
Contributions & grants$11.69M93%
Program service revenue$784K6%
Investment income$6K0%
Other revenue$59K
expenses
Total expenses$14.95M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$7.76M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$13.75M
Cash$152K
Investments$561K
Liabilities$8.32M
Net assets$5.43M
Liquid reserves0.6 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -6.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 6
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Michael Kohlhagen CEO, President 40 $340K
Dr Meisha Ross Porter Vis. Sr. Fellow 40 $250K
Alexandra Leff Dir. of Arts 40 $214K
Virginia Connelly Exec Dir Sch Trans 40 $163K
Nicholas Overton Dir. of Soft. Dev 40 $153K
Jeff Brisard Chief of Staff 40 $153K
board members · 11
  • Allan McLennan — Trustee
  • Anthony Coles — Vice Chairman
  • Gail Badillo — Secretary
  • Joe DeMatteo — Trustee
  • Judy Roth Berkowitz — Trustee
  • Patrick Duff — Board Chair
  • Pedro Ramos — Treasurer
  • Robert Sancho — Trustee
  • Ruchi Hazaray — Trustee
  • Seymour Fliegel — President 12/24
  • Steve Sussman — Trustee
relationships · 6

Who they work with

  • 2,200+ schools Partner — Schools partnering with CEI to advance educational innovation
  • Domingo Zapata Partner — Internationally known visiting artist collaborating on social action art programs including Benchmarks and Walls for Change.
  • Dr. Michael Kohlhagen Government — CEO of Center for Educational Innovation Inc
  • NYC Department of Education Government — Has multi-year contracts for Community Schools initiatives
  • Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Funder — Awarded a $6M five-year Assistance for Arts Education grant for the Meridian program
  • Office of Innovation and Improvement Funder — Awarded a $2.5M four-year Assistance for Arts Education Development and Dissemination grant for the Education Through Art program
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Arts-Integration for Academic and Socioemotional Learning
    methodology: arts_integration
    By embedding the arts into core academic instruction, we improve student engagement, critical thinking, and social-emotional development because creative expression deepens learning and strengthens confidence and community connections.
  • Context-Adaptive Professional Learning for Educator Empowerment
    methodology: context_adaptive_learning
    By delivering tailored, job-embedded professional learning that adapts to local contexts and modalities, we improve instruction and school climate because educators are more likely to adopt and sustain practices that are relevant and practically integrated into their daily work.
  • Innovation-Centered Learning for Future Readiness
    methodology: innovation_centered_learning
    By engaging students in AI, robotics, esports, and real-world problem solving, we build STEAM competencies and collaboration skills because hands-on, relevant learning increases motivation and prepares students for modern workforce demands.
  • School-Led Transformation through Access, Innovation, and Accountability
    methodology: school_led_transformation
    By shifting accountability to schools and partnering with educators, families, and students, we drive sustainable improvement because locally grounded efforts centered on equitable access, innovation, and shared responsibility produce more responsive and effective schools.
  • Whole-Child, Community-Based School Model
    methodology: whole_child_community_school
    By integrating academic, health, youth development, and family services within schools, we support student success because addressing the full range of student needs—academic, social, emotional, and familial—removes barriers to learning and fosters equitable outcomes.