A year has passed since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) reports that, in addition to supporting more than 300,000 education jobs, stimulus funds contributed to progress in the four reform priorities at the core of all ARRA education grants:

• College- and career-ready standards and assessments
• Recruitment, training, and retention of effective teachers and leaders
• Statewide longitudinal data systems
• Interventions to turn around the lowest performing schools

“Examples of such momentum include the fact that 12 states passed significant legislative reforms in line with these reform priorities, 40 states and the District of Columbia applied for the Race to the Top fund, and ARRA funds have been used for substantial investments in innovative professional development and classroom technology practices aimed at improving student achievement,” cites a recent ED press release.

According to Education Northwest’s Deputy Executive Officer Steve Fleischman, “From Alaska to Idaho—despite the support provided by ARRA—2009 was a tough year for educators in our region. This year will also be a difficult one,” he predicts. “But, even as there are signs that an economic recovery is underway, there are new opportunities for Northwest educators to promote innovation and turn around low-performing schools. Education Northwest continues to support these efforts through our NW Education Recovery Clearinghouse, publications, research and evaluation efforts, and technical assistance and training services. We stand ready to help educators through this rough patch.”

The latest mechanism for supporting Education Northwest constituents is the ARRA Newsflash. This weekly e-newsletter features national, regional, and state news and information pertinent to local, tribal, and state education agencies in the Northwest. Education Northwest members and other stakeholders will automatically receive this free resource. Sign up to receive the ARRA Newsflash or subscribe to the RSS feed at the NW Education Recovery Clearinghouse.