Race to the Top

1. Race to the Top MASPA PRESENTATION By Flora L. Jenkins December 4, 2009

2. About Race to the Top • $4.35B competitive grant to encourage and reward states implementing comprehensive reforms across four key areas: • Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace • Recruiting, rewarding and retaining effective teachers and principals • Building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices • Turning around the lowest-performing schools

3. With an overarching goal of: • Driving substantial gains in student achievement • Improving high school graduation and college enrollment • Narrowing achievement gaps

4. Competition Timeline • Race to the Top—Phase 1 • Nov. 18, 2009 Notices published in the Federal Register • January 19, 2010 Application deadline for Phase 1 • April 2010 Winners announced for phase 1 Feedback provided to applicants who do not win

5. Race to the Top Phase 2 • June 1, 2010 Application deadline • September 2010 Winners announced

6. Eligibility Requirements • Approved for State Fiscal Stabilization prior to RTTT award • No legal barriers at state level to linking student achievement data to teachers and principals for purposes of evaluation

7. Selection Criteria • State success factors (125 points) • Standards and assessments (70 points) • Data systems to support instruction (47 points) • Great teachers and leaders (138 points) • Turning around the lowest-achieving schools (50 points) • General (55 point)

8. Some Important Definitions • Alternative Routes to Certification: Pathways to certification that are authorized under the state’s laws or regulations, that allow the establishment and operation of teacher and administrator preparation programs in the State, that have the following characteristics:

9. Alternate Routes • Can be provided by various types of qualified providers, including both institutions of higher education and other providers • Are selective in accepting candidates • Provide supervised, school-based experience and ongoing support such as effective mentoring and coaching

10. Alternate Routes • Significantly limit the amount of coursework required or have options to test out of courses; and • Upon completion, award the same level of certification that traditional preparation programs award upon completion

11. Definitions • Effective Principal: a principal whose students, overall and for each subgroup, achieve acceptable rates (e.g., at least one grade level in an academic year) of student growth.

12. Definitions • Effective Teacher: a teacher whose students achieve acceptable rates (e.g., at least one grade level in an academic year) of student growth. • Highly effective principal: a principal whose students, overall and for each subgroup, achieve high rates (e.g., one and one-half grade levels in an academic year) of student growth.

13. Definitions • Highly effective teacher: a teacher whose students achieve high rates (e.g., one and one-half grade levels in an academic year) of student growth. • Student growth: the change in student achievement for an individual student between two or more points in time.

14. Where we are now • Currently MDE is • Working on SFSF and RTTT grant applications with assistance from outside consultants • Working with Legislature to get needed laws to be eligible for funding consideration