Superintendent Interested in Federal "Race To The Top" Grant

School Superintendent Michael Frechette asked the Board of Education last night for permission to "find out more information" about a new federal grant that would provide "significant dollars, significant exposure, and a change to how we do business." Acknowledging that the Mayor would also have the sign the letter of interest that Middletown wants to send to the State, Frechette commented that "the whole city has to commit" to the requirements of the grant.

The July 29, 2009 Federal Register listed the official announcement of this grant program (click here to see the full article). From that announcement, here's a brief explanation of the grant and its purpose:

Purpose of Program: The Race to the Top Fund, authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), provides approximately $4.3 billion (emphasis added by the EYE) for competitive grants to States 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 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 student preparation for success in college and careers.

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the ARRA, historic legislation designed to stimulate the economy, support job creation, and invest in critical sectors, including education. The ARRA lays the foundation for education reform by supporting investments in innovative strategies that are most likely to lead to improved results for students, long-term gains in school and school system capacity, and increased productivity and effectiveness. The ARRA provides $4.3 billion for the Race to the Top Fund (referred to in the statute as the State Incentive Grant Fund). This is a competitive grant program designed to encourage and reward States that are implementing significant education reforms across four "assurance'' areas. Specifically, section 14006(a)(2) of the ARRA requires States to have made significant progress in the following four education reform areas in order to receive a grant: implementing standards and assessments, improving teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher distribution, improving collection and use of data, and supporting struggling schools. In addition, as required by section 14006(c) of the ARRA, 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 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). 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.

Before the Board of Education would agree to let the Superintendent to investigate this grant, several members expressed concern over what the "strings" would look like. Frechette commented at one point that "we're already doing many of the things the grant is looking for, so we might as well try to get federal funding for it." BOE member Corinne Gill's motion to approve the Superintendent's actions included the requirement that he update the board monthly on the status of the grant as well as provide an assessment of how this grant would impact teacher workloads.

Interestingly, Governor Rell will have to apply for this grant for the state, so the state as a whole will be evaluated under the four reform areas mentioned above. It is still unclear what that will mean for individual towns that agree to be included in the state's grant application. Stay tuned for future updates...