Secretary Duncan and the Department of Education have announced
a new Race to the Top District competition, one that is aimed squarely at the
classroom level with a focus on the relationship between teachers and students.
The proposed competition offers nearly $400 million in grants
and invites school districts to create plans for individualized classroom
instruction aimed at closing achievement gaps and preparing each student for
college and career.
The proposal offers competitive preference to applicants that form
partnerships with public and private organizations to sustain their work and offer services that help meet students
academic, social, and emotional needs, and enhance their ability to succeed.Click here to learn more regarding eligibility criteria and application requirements for the grant.
Additional Highlights
The new competition asks
districts “to show us how they can personalize and individualize education for
a set of students in their schools,” noted U.S Secretary of Education Arne
Duncan. “We need to take classroom learning beyond a one-size-fits-all model
and bring it into the 21st century.”
The 2012 competition proposal will be available for public comment
until June 8, and the Department of Education plans to release the application
in July with an October submission deadline. Awards will be announced by the
end of the year.
The size of the awards will depend on how many students are in
the applicant's mix. The department anticipates giving out about 15 to 20
four-year grants, of up to $25 million each. Applicants
serving 2,500 to 5,000 students can get $15 million to $20 million; those
serving between 5,001 and 9,999 can get $17 million to $22 million, and those
serving 10,000 students or more can get from $20 to $25 million. That's similar
to the state round of Race to the Top, in which the size of the awards was
based in part on population. And all applicants will have to spell out how they
plan to continue their work once the money goes away.
Congress appropriated $550 million for Race to the Top this year. In addition to the district-level competition, $133 million of that money is going to another round for the states that very nearly missed getting a piece of the $500 million Early Learning Challenge Fund.
Stay tuned for more updates as details on the competition and
application are released.
