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{{Program | |||
|ProgramName=Race to the Top | |||
|ProgramType=Initiative | |||
|OrgSponsor=Department of Education | |||
|TopOrganization=Department of Education | |||
|CreationLegislation=American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) | |||
|Purpose=RTTT spurred K-12 education reform, rewarding states for bold plans in standards, data, teacher quality, and fixing low-performing schools. | |||
|Website=https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html | |||
|ProgramStart=2009 | |||
|InitialFunding=$4.35 billion | |||
|Duration=Ended in 2015 | |||
|Historic=Yes | |||
}} | |||
{{Short description|U.S. Department of Education competitive grant}} | {{Short description|U.S. Department of Education competitive grant}} | ||
'''Race to the Top (RTTT)''' was designed to spur innovations and reforms in state and local district K-12 education. It aimed to encourage and reward states for implementing ambitious plans in four key areas: adopting standards and assessments, building data systems, recruiting and retaining effective teachers and principals, and turning around low-performing schools. The initiative was part of a broader effort to drive educational change through competitive grant funding. | |||
'''Race to the Top''' ('''R2T''', '''RTTT''' or '''RTT''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html|title=Race to the Top Fund|date=2016-07-19|website=www2.ed.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-10-21}}</ref> was a $4.35 billion [[United States Department of Education]] competitive grant created to spur and reward innovation and reforms in state and local district [[K–12]] education. Funded as part of the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], it was announced by President [[Barack Obama]] and Secretary of Education [[Arne Duncan]] on July 24, 2009. States competing for the grants were awarded points for enacting certain educational policies, instituting performance-based evaluations for teachers and principals based on multiple measures of educator effectiveness (tied to targeted professional development and feedback), adopting common standards (though adoption of the [[Common Core]] state standards was not required), adopting policies that did not prohibit (or effectively prohibit) the expansion of high-quality [[charter schools]], turning around the lowest-performing schools, and building and using data systems.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-03|title=Race to the Top District (RTT-D)|url=https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-district/index.html|access-date=2022-01-04|website=www2.ed.gov|language=en}}</ref> | '''Race to the Top''' ('''R2T''', '''RTTT''' or '''RTT''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html|title=Race to the Top Fund|date=2016-07-19|website=www2.ed.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-10-21}}</ref> was a $4.35 billion [[United States Department of Education]] competitive grant created to spur and reward innovation and reforms in state and local district [[K–12]] education. Funded as part of the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], it was announced by President [[Barack Obama]] and Secretary of Education [[Arne Duncan]] on July 24, 2009. States competing for the grants were awarded points for enacting certain educational policies, instituting performance-based evaluations for teachers and principals based on multiple measures of educator effectiveness (tied to targeted professional development and feedback), adopting common standards (though adoption of the [[Common Core]] state standards was not required), adopting policies that did not prohibit (or effectively prohibit) the expansion of high-quality [[charter schools]], turning around the lowest-performing schools, and building and using data systems.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-03|title=Race to the Top District (RTT-D)|url=https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-district/index.html|access-date=2022-01-04|website=www2.ed.gov|language=en}}</ref> | ||
{{Official URL (simple)|url=https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html}} | |||
== Goals== | |||
*Encourage states to adopt rigorous standards and assessments. | |||
*Build comprehensive data systems to track student progress and teacher effectiveness. | |||
*Improve teacher and principal training, evaluation, and retention practices. | |||
*Support initiatives to turn around the lowest-performing schools. | |||
==Organization== | |||
RTTT was managed by the U.S. Department of Education, with oversight by the Secretary of Education. The initiative was administered through a competitive grant process, where states applied for funding based on their reform proposals. Funding was distributed in phases, with states required to meet specific criteria and outcomes. | |||
==History== | |||
RTTT was established as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)[[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]]. It was launched in response to the economic downturn, aiming to leverage federal funding to drive educational reform. Over its duration, RTTT influenced state policies regarding education standards, teacher evaluations, and school accountability. The program officially ended in 2015, with no direct replacement but with its principles influencing ongoing educational policy, including aspects of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). | |||
== Funding== | |||
The initial funding for RTTT was $4.35 billion, distributed over several rounds from 2009 to 2011. Funding was allocated based on the competitive nature of the grants, where states had to demonstrate their commitment to reform in their applications. Additional funding rounds were part of the initiative, but once the program ended, no further federal funds were allocated under this specific banner. | |||
== Implementation== | |||
Implementation involved states competing for grants by submitting comprehensive plans detailing how they would meet RTTT's criteria. States that won grants were required to implement reforms and report progress, with funds disbursed in phases contingent upon meeting benchmarks. The initiative ended in 2015, with states continuing their adopted reforms independently or through other funding mechanisms. | |||
==Criteria for funding== | ==Criteria for funding== | ||
State applications for funding were scored on selection criteria worth a total of 500 points. In order of weight, the selection criteria were:<ref name="execsummary">{{cite web | State applications for funding were scored on selection criteria worth a total of 500 points. In order of weight, the selection criteria were:<ref name="execsummary">{{cite web | ||
|publisher=[[U.S. Department of Education]] | |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Education]] | ||
| Line 63: | Line 87: | ||
|url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100125/NEWS02/100124021/Vermont-sits-out-first-round-in-Race-to-the-Top-competition | |url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100125/NEWS02/100124021/Vermont-sits-out-first-round-in-Race-to-the-Top-competition | ||
|access-date=February 1, 2010 | |access-date=February 1, 2010 | ||
}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> In order to be eligible, states couldn't have laws prohibiting the use of measures of student achievement growth in teacher evaluations. Some states had banned the use of [[value-added modeling]] in evaluations, but changed their laws to be eligible.<ref name=NYT2010>{{cite news|first=Sam|last=Dillon|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/education/01teacher.html|title=Method to Grade Teachers Provokes Battles|newspaper= | }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> In order to be eligible, states couldn't have laws prohibiting the use of measures of student achievement growth in teacher evaluations. Some states had banned the use of [[value-added modeling]] in evaluations, but changed their laws to be eligible.<ref name=NYT2010>{{cite news|first=Sam|last=Dillon|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/education/01teacher.html|title=Method to Grade Teachers Provokes Battles|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 31, 2010|access-date=September 1, 2010}}</ref> | ||
Race to the Top is one contributing factor to 48 states that have adopted common standards for K-12.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/04/AR2010060404807.html?waporef=obinsite|title=Virginia's stance against national standards is a blow for students|date=June 5, 2010|access-date=June 15, 2010|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Adoption was accelerated by the August 1, 2010 deadline for adopting common standards, after which states would not receive points toward round 2 applications. In addition, the White House announced a $350 million federal grant funding the development of assessments aligned to the common standards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ed.gov/blog/2009/06/higher-standards-better-tests-race-to-the-top/|title=Higher Standards, Better Tests, Race to the Top|date=June 15, 2009|access-date=2010-06-24|publisher=[[U.S. Dept. of Education]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707122620/http://www.ed.gov/blog/2009/06/higher-standards-better-tests-race-to-the-top/|archive-date=July 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-assessment/index.html|title= Race to the Top Assessment Program|date=June 24, 2010|access-date=2010-06-24|publisher=U.S. Dept. of Education}}</ref> The [[Common Core State Standards]], one set of standards adopted by states for Race to the Top, were developed by the [[National Governors Association]] and the [[Council of Chief State School Officers]] with funds from the [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]], the [[Charles Stewart Mott Foundation]] and others.<ref>{{cite news|title=Common set of school standards to be proposed|first=Nick|last=Anderson|newspaper=Washington Post|page=A1|date=March 10, 2010}}</ref> Adoption of the Common Core State Standards, however, was not required by Race to the Top. | Race to the Top is one contributing factor to 48 states that have adopted common standards for K-12.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/04/AR2010060404807.html?waporef=obinsite|title=Virginia's stance against national standards is a blow for students|date=June 5, 2010|access-date=June 15, 2010|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Adoption was accelerated by the August 1, 2010 deadline for adopting common standards, after which states would not receive points toward round 2 applications. In addition, the White House announced a $350 million federal grant funding the development of assessments aligned to the common standards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ed.gov/blog/2009/06/higher-standards-better-tests-race-to-the-top/|title=Higher Standards, Better Tests, Race to the Top|date=June 15, 2009|access-date=2010-06-24|publisher=[[U.S. Dept. of Education]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707122620/http://www.ed.gov/blog/2009/06/higher-standards-better-tests-race-to-the-top/|archive-date=July 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-assessment/index.html|title= Race to the Top Assessment Program|date=June 24, 2010|access-date=2010-06-24|publisher=U.S. Dept. of Education}}</ref> The [[Common Core State Standards]], one set of standards adopted by states for Race to the Top, were developed by the [[National Governors Association]] and the [[Council of Chief State School Officers]] with funds from the [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]], the [[Charles Stewart Mott Foundation]] and others.<ref>{{cite news|title=Common set of school standards to be proposed|first=Nick|last=Anderson|newspaper=Washington Post|page=A1|date=March 10, 2010}}</ref> Adoption of the Common Core State Standards, however, was not required by Race to the Top. | ||
| Line 79: | Line 103: | ||
|date=March 5, 2010 | |date=March 5, 2010 | ||
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | ||
|work= | |work=CNN | ||
|title=Tennessee, Delaware schools to get Race to the Top funds | |title=Tennessee, Delaware schools to get Race to the Top funds | ||
|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/03/29/schools.funding/ | |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/03/29/schools.funding/ | ||
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Although the vast majority of states have competed to win the grants, Race to the Top has also been criticized by politicians, policy analysts, thought leaders, and educators. Teachers' unions argued that state tests are an inaccurate way to measure teacher effectiveness, considering the fact that learning gains on assessments is only one component of the evaluation systems. Conservatives complained that it imposes federal overreach on state schools, and others argued that charter schools weaken public education.<ref>{{cite news | Although the vast majority of states have competed to win the grants, Race to the Top has also been criticized by politicians, policy analysts, thought leaders, and educators. Teachers' unions argued that state tests are an inaccurate way to measure teacher effectiveness, considering the fact that learning gains on assessments is only one component of the evaluation systems. Conservatives complained that it imposes federal overreach on state schools, and others argued that charter schools weaken public education.<ref>{{cite news | ||
|work= | |work=The Guardian | ||
|title=Obama offers 'Race to the Top' contest for schools | |title=Obama offers 'Race to the Top' contest for schools | ||
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/8625198?FORM=ZZNR7 | |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/8625198?FORM=ZZNR7 | ||
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Critics further contend that the reforms being promoted are unproven or have been unsuccessful in the past. Former Assistant Secretary of Education [[Diane Ravitch]], for example, commented that empirical evidence "shows clearly that choice, competition and accountability as education reform levers are not working".<ref name="dianeravitch">{{cite news | Critics further contend that the reforms being promoted are unproven or have been unsuccessful in the past. Former Assistant Secretary of Education [[Diane Ravitch]], for example, commented that empirical evidence "shows clearly that choice, competition and accountability as education reform levers are not working".<ref name="dianeravitch">{{cite news | ||
|work= | |work=Los Angeles Times | ||
|title=The Big Idea -- it's bad education policy | |title=The Big Idea -- it's bad education policy | ||
|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-mar-14-la-oe-ravitch14-2010mar14-story.html | |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-mar-14-la-oe-ravitch14-2010mar14-story.html | ||
| Line 443: | Line 467: | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
== | ==Related==*[[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]] | ||
*[[Every Student Succeeds Act]] | |||
*[[Elementary and Secondary Education Act]] | |||
==External links==*https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html | |||
* [[Wikipedia:Race to the Top|wikipedia:Race to the Top]] | |||
* [http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html Official Race to the Top Fund Website] | * [http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html Official Race to the Top Fund Website] | ||
* [https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/8625198?FORM=ZZNR7 Obama offers 'Race to the Top' contest for schools] | * [https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/8625198?FORM=ZZNR7 Obama offers 'Race to the Top' contest for schools] | ||
* [http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf Race to the Top Program Executive Summary] | * [http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf Race to the Top Program Executive Summary] | ||
* [http://www.corestandards.org/ Common Core State Standards Initiative] | * [http://www.corestandards.org/ Common Core State Standards Initiative] | ||
==References== | |||
== | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf |title=Race to the Top Executive Summary |publisher=U.S. Department of Education |accessdate=2025-02-10}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-awards-4-billion-race-top-and-500-million-race-top-early-learning |title=U.S. Department of Education Awards $4 Billion in Race to the Top and $500 Million in Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grants |publisher=U.S. Department of Education |accessdate=2025-02-10}}</ref> | ||
{{ | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Race To The Top}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Race To The Top}} | ||
[[Category:United States federal education legislation]] | [[Category:United States federal education legislation]] | ||
[[Category:Nudge theory]] | [[Category:Nudge theory]] | ||