NW States Win Funds to Design Tests
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded grants to two groups of states to develop a new generation of tests. The new tests will be aligned to the Common Core State Standards that were recently developed by governors and chief state school officers and have been adopted by 36 states. One of the grantees is the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, a coalition of 31 states led by Washington State that will receive $160 million. Coalition members include Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.
A Closer Look at The Phase 2 RttT Top Scores
This Ed Money analysis looks at the winners (and losers) in the second round of Race to the Top grants. Not all policymakers and stakeholders approve of all of the winning states and some supposed shoe-ins were denied grants entirely. Of the 19 finalists in Phase 2, nine states and the District of Columbia won grants. These states include Massachusetts, New York, Hawaii, Florida, Rhode Island, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio.
Beaverton Schools Get $4 Million in Federal Money, But Only if $800,000 is Raised Locally
The Beaverton (OR) School District was one of only 49 districts in the nation to be awarded a $4 million Investing in Innovation (i3) grant to use arts education to boost student achievement. This Oregonian article reports that the i3 grant hinges on the district and its partners raising $800,000 in matching funds by September 8. That deadline requires a commitment by donors, not the actual cash: Those who contribute have until 2011 to pay their first installment, which is when the five-year program kicks off.
School Districts’ Perspectives on the Economic Stimulus Package
This Center on Education Policy report highlights the extent to which school districts have experience implementing the four federally mandated school reform models intended to improve the nation’s lowest performing 5 percent of schools. Approximately $3 billion was provided under the ARRA grants to districts to carry out these models. As of last school year, fewer than 12 percent of the nation’s school districts had implemented any of the four reform models. Among these districts, there were varying degrees of success with the models.
RttT Grades Put Washington Near Bottom of Class
Skeptics said there was no way Washington could win money in the Race to the Top competition because it doesn’t allow charter schools. Apparently they were right. This News Tribune article reports on where Washington’s application for $250 million fell short.
Continue the Race
The Obama administration’s Race to the Top initiative has shown that competitive grant programs can be a powerful spur to innovation in education. According to this New York Times editorial, Most of the 12 states that were awarded grants this year — and the more than 30 states that changed education policies in hopes of winning grants — would never have attempted reform on this scale without the promise of federal help.