Recently President Obama joined US Secretary Arne Duncan in announcing the draft application for the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” Fund.
The Race to the Top Fund provides competitive grants to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; implementing ambitious plans in the four education reform areas described in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009(ARRA); and achieving significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps,improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring that students are prepared for success in college and careers.
States that receive a Race to the Top grant must use at least 50 percent of the award to provide subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), including public charter schools identified as LEAs under State law, based upon LEAs’ relative shares of funding under Part A of Title I of theElementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended.
The remaining funds are available to the State for State-level activities and for disbursements to LEAs and other eligible entities under such formulas, competitive processes, or other mechanisms as the State may propose in its plan. LEAs that choose to participate in their State’s Race to the Top proposal must agree to fully implement the State’s proposed plan and to use their funding under this grant in support of that plan.
Timeline:
The Department plans to make Race to the Top grants in two phases. We anticipate that Phase 1 will open for applications late in 2009, and that awards will be made in early 2010. States that need more time may apply in Phase 2, which is planned to open in late Spring of 2010; these awards will be made in September 2010. States that apply in Phase 1 but are not awarded grants may reapply in Phase 2, together with States that are applying for the first time. Phase 1 grantees will receive full-sized awards and thus may not apply for additional funding in Phase 2. The Department will announce specific deadlines for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 in the coming months.
Race to the top is the largest-ever federal investment in education reform. The race is on. Contact your Governor’s office to see what you can do to help win this race.
The People’s Place | The Anita Estell Blog
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