Federal Foundation Assistance Monitor

(EDUCATION) Funding Process for Race to Top, What Works Coming Soon

At the 2009 Governors Education Symposium in Cary, NC, Education Dept. (DoEd) Secy. Arne Duncan offers insights into the funding processes for the $5 billion in Recovery Act (PL 111-5) funding for the Race to the Top Fund and Invest in What Works & Innovation Fund.

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DoEd will offer the RFP this fall for its $4 billion Race to the Top Fund to improve education quality and results statewide, DoEd staffers tell us.

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The Race to the Top Fund will support states' effort to drive substantial gains in student achievement. These grants will focus on four reform goals:

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  • Using data to drive instruction.
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  • Raising standards.
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  • Turning around historically low-performing schools.
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  • Improving teacher and principal quality-as described in the Recovery Act.
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Race to the Top grants will be made in two rounds. Secretary Duncan lays out a course to the "Race" as follows:

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  • Late July–The Department will publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register, inviting public comment for 30 days on the proposed grant application and the criteria for evaluating them.
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  • October – Notice inviting applications will be published in the Federal Register.
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  • December – Phase 1 applications will be due.
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  • March 2010 – Phase 1 grants awarded, winners announced.
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  • June 2010 – Phase 2 applications will be due.
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  • September 2010 – Phase 2 grants awarded, winners announced.
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'What Works' funding process to begin in July

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The Recovery Act allocates $650 million for the Invest in What Works and Innovation Fund. The money will be awarded to school districts and nonprofits with strong track records of results. Guidelines and applications for the competitive funds will be posted on the Federal Register in July.

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$350 million goes for rigorous assessment

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In total, the Race to the Top Fund receives $4.35 billion from the Recovery Act. The remainder ($350 million) will go to support states in the creation of rigorous assessments linked to the internationally benchmarked common standards being developed by states, Duncan says.

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At the symposium, Duncan applauds the 46 states and three territories that agreed this month to develop common standards as a means to prepare American students to compete and succeed in the global market place.

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Currently, each state sets its own academic standards, and many of those standards fail to prepare children for college or careers, DoEd staffers tell us.

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The Nat'l Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers are committed to leading an effort to create common standards in English language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. These standards will be research- and evidence-based, internationally benchmarked, aligned with college and work expectations, and include rigorous content and skills.

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Duncan says DoEd will help states pay for the development of assessments aligned to the standards because that will ensure the success of the effort.

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Secretary Duncan will give two more major policy speeches leading up to the request for proposals. He will speak about school turnarounds on June 22 at the Nat'l Charter School Conference in Washington DC, and he will discuss teacher quality July 2 at the Nat'l Education Assn. annual meeting in San Diego.

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Info: For more on the funds, please visit http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/implementation.html

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