President Barack Obama called for a $1.35 billion expansion of his Race to the Top educational reform program today after speaking to students at Graham Road Elementary School in Fairfax County.
The expansion will be in addition to the $4.3 billion in grants already proposed as part of the of fiscal 2011 budget. Race to the Top offers funds for schools committed to the prescribed reform program, which includes instituting more rigorous national academic standards, better evaluations of student knowledge and teacher performance, plans for improving failing schools, and state laws that encourage innovative educational institutions like charter schools.
"We’re going to raise the bar for all our students and take bigger steps towards closing the achievement gap that denies so many students, especially black and Latino students, a fair shot at their dreams," Obama said to sixth-graders at Graham Road.
Five years ago, Graham Road instituted a strategy of student assessment, teacher evaluation, and other policies to increase test scores. Today, though 80 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-cost meals, 96 percent meet the state’s math requirements and 100 percent meet the state’s reading standards. This type of performance is directly supported by Race to the Top, which encourages school districts to compete for grants by demonstrating progress.
The first deadline for grant applications was yesterday; more than 30 states are expected to have applied. Eleven states have initiated Department of Education-mandated reforms to ensure their eligibility for funding in the second round, which will begin in September. Forty-eight states and Washington, D.C. will participate in the development of a common core of educational standards to replace the existing system, which allows for wide variation between states.
