Education Grants: Race to the Top

With the Race to the Top (RttT) government grant money about to start flowing in educators and grant recipients alike are revealing what they’re planning to spend their free money on. State education grants are being rolled out by the millions in accordance with the Obama Administrations education reform plan.

North Carolina is using a portion of their grant money for education to buy iPads for students and teachers in the Durham Public School system . The district is set to receive over $4 million in federal funding over four years. Other proposed changes include adding an extra hour to the school day and implementing a summer camp program in the disciplines of math and science.

The state of Georgia received nearly $400 million in education grant money. Of the 180 school districts in the state only two dozen applied for the federal funding grant. Educators will find out in mid-December whether their plans for spending their share of the money will be approved. Their goals, timelines and budgets were due to the U.S. Department of Education last week.

A little over $1 million of Georgia’s money has already been committed to a program that will allow 10th graders to take the PSAT for free.

Disbursement of any amount over $50,000 has to be signed-off on by the state Board of Education and must target one of the programs main objectives.

The Race to the Top main objectives include:
• Standards and assessments. Creating and implementing a system of academic standards that will be consistent from state to state to prepare students both for college and for the workforce. That includes better assessments for measuring essential knowledge and critical thinking.
• Teacher and Leader quality. Attracting and sustaining strong leaders in classrooms by providing more support to teachers and principals; revising teacher prep time; reforming evaluation procedures, compensation, and retention policies for teachers; and placing the better teachers in schools where their talent is most needed.
• Data collection and tracking. Implementing a common data system and using said data to improve instruction.
• Turnaround low-achieving schools. Make low-achieving schools a top priority by using innovative and effective approaches to improving education.
• Education Reform. Encouraging partnerships between educators, business leaders and other interested parties to increase student achievement, promote innovation, and boost reform.

Providing higher quality education to young American’s is the main goal of the RttT. When President Obama presented the reform in 2009 the idea was designed to stimulate learning in the classroom. The reform, backed my millions of dollars in government grant money, is aimed at increasing graduation rates by allowing students to reach their full potential. More federal funding and more money directed toward educations grants means a greater opportunity for success for many young Americans .