RACE TO THE TOP: An Overview December 7, 2009

ABOUT RACE TO THE TOP Competitive grants to encourage and reward states implementing comprehensive reforms across four key areas: Adopting standards & assessments that prepare students for success in college & the workplace Recruiting, rewarding & retaining effective teachers & principals Building data systems that measure student success & inform teachers & principals how they can improve their practices Turning around the lowest-performing schools The $4.35 billion in competitive grants through RttT program is designed for the Federal government to create incentives for improving public schools. Under the guidelines, state seeking funds will be pressed to implement the 4 core reforms sometimes called the FOUR ASSURANCES

ABOUT RACE TO THE TOP Overarching goal of: Driving substantial gains in student achievement Improving high school graduation rates Narrowing achievement gaps

ABOUT RACE TO THE TOP The intent is to reward States that: Have demonstrated success in raising student achievement Have the best plans to accelerate reforms in the future Offer models for others to follow States will be reward based on a competitive structure: Final guidelines issued on November 18, 2009 States apply individually (no consortia) Two opportunities to apply Phase1: January 19, 2010 (Awards made by March 18, 2010) Phase 2: June 1, 2010 (Awards made by August 2, 2010) $4.35 billion in awards NC eligible for $200-$400 million Grant period up to 48 months 50% must go to LEAs The state applications requires a systematic approach to reform – to receive a grant the state plans must address all 4 areas of reform – cannot pick and choose Individual states are applicants and thus must apply individually and not as consortia States have 2 opportunities to apply (NC intends to apply in January. States that do apply in phase 1 and are not awarded may reapply for Phase 2 Nonbinding budget ranges have been developed as guides – each state has been sorted into 1 or 5 groups (or categories) based on their population of children aged 5-17. NC is in Category 2 (2nd highest) with a budget range of $200-$400 million. Applications may be made for more or less than the ranges. When a state receives funding – 50% must flow through to the LEAs in amounts based on the Title I formula and must be spent in ways consistent with the state’s plan. The remaining 50% can be used by the state and/or passed through to LEAs

ABOUT RACE TO THE TOP Selection Criteria (Total of 500 points) State Success Factors (125 points or 25%) Standards and Assessment (70 points or 14%) Data Systems to Support Instruction (47 or 9%) Great Teachers and Leaders (138 points or 28%) Turning Around the Lowest-Achieving Schools (50 points or 10%) General Selection Criteria (55 points or 11%) STEM Priority (15 points or 3%) Success Factors: articulating state’s reform agenda & LEAs participation in it building statewide capacity to sustain the plan Demonstrating progress in raising student achievement & closing gaps (largest single item – 45 pts – securing LEA commitment - MOU Standards & Assessments - common standards/adopting common (national) standards Data Systems: fully implementing a statewide longitudinal data system Great Teachers & Leaders: Group with largest amount of points improving teacher/leader effectiveness based on performance (adding a student growth component to the evaluation system) ensuring equitable distribution of effective teachers/leaders improving effectiveness & provision of support Turning Around Lowest-Performing Schools: ID and intervening General: making education funding a priority charter schools and other innovations (40 pts. – 2nd highest single) demonstrating other significant reform ACCOMPLISHMENTS = 260 PTS (52%) PLAN = 240 pts. (48%)

ABOUT RACE TO THE TOP Priorities Priority 1 (Absolute): Comprehensive Approach to Education Reform Priority 2 (Competitive Preference): Emphasis on STEM Priority 3 (Invitational): Improving Early Learning Outcomes Priority 4 (Invitational): Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Priority 5 (Invitational): P-20 Coordination and Alignment Priority 6 (Invitational): School-Level Conditions for Reform, Innovation, & Learning There are 3 types of priorities in the RttT competition Absolute: cuts across the entire application & is not addressed separately. It will be assessed in the state’s plan in its entirity. If the application has not met the priority, it will be thrown out. Competitive: also cuts across the entire application. All or nothing proposition 15 points or 0 points. Invitational: addressed in their own separate sections. While applicants are invited to write to the invitational priorities, these will not earn points. USED is interested in receiving applications that meet the invitational priorities, but do not give such applications preference over others.

NC STRATEGIC IMPROVEMENT GOALS Increase student achievement Increase high school graduation rates Produce more career-ready and college-ready graduates Increase the number of students completing challenging capstone courses Increase college-going rate Decrease need for remedial math and language arts courses Improve student achievement growth in low- performing schools

RttT – NEXT STEPS December 9, 2009: Local Board Chairs and Superintendents attend RttT information session December 11, 2009: Local NCAE Presidents attend RttT information session Ongoing: Information shared with ECPS Board members January 11, 2010: ECPS considers MOU January 19, 2010: Deadline for state application

QUESTIONS/ISSUES Adoption of national core standards and assessments, where available Development of a system of formative/diagnostic, benchmarking assessments aligned with summative assessments Development of student learning objectives assessment for areas not being tested Addition of a student growth component to the teacher evaluation process Obtaining signed MOUs ???