U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced Nov. 6 during a visit in Greensboro that North Carolina New Schools has been awarded a $20 million grant to expand its work with early college strategies in North Carolina as well as several other states.

The grant represents the largest of 26 grants nationally this year under the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation (i3) competition, aimed at developing innovative approaches to improve student achievement and replicating effective strategies across the country. Together, the 26 grants for 2014 total $129 million.

Duncan had scheduled his visit Thursday to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to meet with students from a number of rural high schools across the state participating in the NC New Schools-led Rural Innovative Schools initiative, which applies early college strategies in traditional high schools to raise expectations and college readiness for students. The initiative is funded by a 2011 $15 million Investing in Innovation grant and $1.5 million in funding from private donors.

Duncan surprised educators and students at the event with news of the grant award.

Read the full story and links to media coverage, or watch the complete video from the event.