Race to the Top Fund

1/25/2010 8:38:00 PM

Race to the Top Funds will seek new and innovative solutions for school reform. Take poll on left.

The Race to the Top Fund provides competitive grants to encourage and reward states that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform in four specific areas: (1) Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy; (2) Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction; (3) Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and (4) Turning around the lowest-achieving schools.

Missouri’s Race to the Top application’s total budget is $743,451,964, with $354,325,000 going directly to participating school districts and public charter schools. The entire application can be accessed on the Department website at www.dese.mo.gov/rt3

With or without this grant, the Department intends to use the Race to the Top application as a framework for redesigning the Department itself and for driving educational reform over the next decade. Dr. Nicastro, Commissioner of Education, has said that the plan will serve as the catalyst to propel Missouri’s public education system into the Top 10, nationally and internationally.