Race to the Top
by Doug Callahan and Lesley Pendleton
What happened to RT3?
Key Elements of Race to the Top
Originally authorized in 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, RTT encourages states to develop and implement key reform strategies around four core components:
- Adopting rigorous college- and career-ready standards and assessments
- Recruiting, evaluating, and retaining highly effective teachers and principals
- Building data systems that measure student success and inform teaching and learning
- Turning around low-performing schools
Pros
- Wide-spread educational reform
- More rigorous educator evaluation systems
- Improvement of assessments and more rigorous college and career ready standards
- Turn-around of failing schools through increased emphasis and resources
- Support that allows teachers and staff to be more effective
- Better methods for tracking progress of both students and teachers
Cons
- Nearly every state delayed implementation of new evaluation programs due to lack of time to develop rubrics and train employees.
- RT3 funds represent only a tiny fraction of state education budgets.
- Evaluation systems intended to improve instruction focused solely on standardized test data.
- Funds were provided through competitive grant programs rather than benefiting all students in the country during a major recession.
- Certain states, including Georgia, were flagged by the Federal DOE for failing to deliver on promises made in grant application.
- Critics argue that the requirements in the grant applications were not based in research, but in policy preferences held by Democrats currently in power.
References
2.ed.gov,. (2015). Race to the Top Fund. Retrieved 8 November 2015, from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop
American Progress (2015). Four Years Later, Are Race to the Top States on Track?. Retrieved 8 November 2015, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2014/03/24/86197/four-years-later-are-race-to-the-top-states-on-track/
Capitalnewyork.com,. (2015). As Race To The Top ends, controversy continues. Retrieved 8 November 2015, from http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/07/8572178/race-top-ends-controversy-continues
csg.org/pubs/capitolideas/enews/issue29_2.aspx
Edweek.org,. (2015). Race to the Top - Education Week. Retrieved 8 November 2015, from http://www.edweek.org/topics/racetotop/
edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/03/31/27harris.h29.html
Education Week - Politics K-12 (2015). Evaluating Race to the Top As It Nears the Finish Line. Retrieved 8 November 2015, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2015/04/race_to_the_top_is_almost_over
Gao.gov,. (2015). Retrieved 8 November 2015, from http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/669571.pd
politico.com/story/2013/09/race-to-the-top-for-education-a-flop-report-finds-096709
USA TODAY,. (2015). Obama report claims success for 'Race to the Top'. Retrieved 8 November 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/25/obama-arne-duncan-race-to-the-top-report/6839475/
Washington Examiner (2015). Obama's budget abandons Race to the Top. Retrieved 8 November 2015, from http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obamas-budget-abandons-race-to-the-top/article/2559682