Road Map Project > Collective Action > Race to the Top

Race to the Top

Introduction

Last fall, seven King County school districts joined forces to compete in the federal Race to the Top competition. On Dec. 11, the U.S. Department of Education announced the region won $40 million! This was a tremendous collaboration that brought together superintendents, education associations, school boards, mayors, educators, community-based organizations and parents in the Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle and Tukwila districts.

The districts actively work together as part of the Road Map Project and leveraged the project’s existing framework and networks to develop the proposal. In recognition of this, the districts dubbed themselves the Road Map District Consortium. Their proposal uses a cradle-to-college approach and is designed to make big improvements along the entire education continuum. Because they worked together, the districts’ application covers 147,000 students, including 36,000 high-need children, and 261 schools across the region.

The consortium was led by the Puget Sound Educational Service District, which is now the grant’s managing entity. Many other partners are also actively involved to ensure kids will be supported by their city governments, housing and health services providers and after-school programs. This is truly a community-wide effort to raise achievement.

Grant implementation – video updates

Work to implement the region’s grant proposal is under way! The following video updates will provide an overview of what’s happened and what’s next.

Video Update 1 | Jan. 11, 2013: Topics include the application budget, filling the Executive Committee, positions to be hired and other details.

Video Update 2 | March 4, 2013: Topics include Executive Committee selections, new Project Director, Washington D.C. trip and “scope of work.”

Race to the Top projects

The region’s Race to the Top grant proposal contains several projects. Please click the links below to read the projects’ Scopes of Work:

Project 1 – Invest in Teaching and Leading
Scope of Work

Project 2 – Develop a Regional Data Portal & Data Sharing Agreements
Scope of Work

Project 3A – Establish a High-Functioning PreK-3rd Grade System Region-Wide
Scope of Work

Project 3B – Investment Fund for PreK-3rd Grade Strategies and Systems at the Community Level
Scope of Work

Project 4 – Expand the Effective Use of Digital STEM Tools
Scope of Work

Project 5 – Create a Regional System for Career Awareness and Exploration
Scope of Work

Project 6 – Create an Integrated System of Middle and High School Advising
Scope of Work

Project 7 – Adopt the College Board College & Career Readiness Pathway
Scope of Work

Project 8 – College & Career Readiness Investment Fund
Scope of Work

Project PE – Program Evaluation
Scope of Work

Project PM – Project Management
Scope of Work

Deep Dive 1 (DD1) – Kent East Hill Partnership
Scope of Work

Project Deep Dive 2 (DD2) - White Center Partnership
Scope of Work

Project Deep Dive 3 (DD3) – Investment Fund to Develop Additional Site-Based Community-School Partnerships
Scope of Work

Commitment 1 – Summer Reading Plans
Scope of Work

Commitment 3 – Next Generation Science Standards Implementation
Scope of Work

Commitment 4 – Double Completion of Algebra or Higher in Eighth Grade
Scope of Work

Commitment 5 – Full Integration of the High School and Beyond Plan
Scope of Work

Grant oversight

As outlined in the grant application, the Road Map District Consortium Race to the Top grant is overseen by a nine-person Executive Committee. This group was selected via nomination and election processes. Here are the members of the Executive Committee:

District Management Leaders Representatives

Rob Neu, Superintendent, Federal Way Public Schools

Alan Spicciati, Chief Accountability Officer, Highline Public Schools

John Schmitz, Principal, Dimmitt Middle School, Renton School District

At-Large Community Organization Representatives

Mary Jean Ryan, Executive Director, Community Center for Education Results

Vu Le, Vietnamese Friendship Association

Teacher Association (Union) Presidents Representatives

Connie Compton, Kent School District

Phyllis Silling, Renton School District

Stacie Hawkins, Highline Public Schools

Puget Sound Educational Service District

John Welch, Superintendent

Also, Jessica de Barros is the Project Director for the Road Map District Consortium Race to the Top grant. de Barros reports directly to the Executive Committee and can be reached at jdebarros@psesd.org. As Project Director, de Barros and the Executive Committee are responsible for the implementation of the four-year, $40 million federal grant. Please click here here to read more about Jessica.

The districts

The school districts included in the grant application are:

Auburn School District
Federal Way Public Schools
Highline Public Schools
Kent School District
Renton School District
Seattle Public Schools
Tukwila School District

The Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) served as the grant’s lead local education agency. The PSESD is now the grant’s managing entity.

This is the first time the federal Race to the Top competition has been open to districts; previously, the grants had only been offered to states.

Grant application summary

Here are summary documents related to the region’s grant application (files are PDFs):

These are facts about the region’s application:

The application is 320 pages, with a 677-page appendix
The grant asked for up to $40 million in federal Race to the Top funds
7 school districts were involved in the process, along with their education associations and school boards
The application covers 261 schools and nearly 150,000 students
21 municipalities commented on the proposal
The application received more than 80 letters of support

Read the application

Click the links below to read the plan (PDFs):

The grant contains three types of elements: federal requirements, additional district commitments and specific funding requests.

1. Minimum federal requirements – these must be met to be eligible for the grant:

Strong focus on personalizing education
Stronger teacher, principal and superintendent evaluations by 2014
Complete implementation of Common Core State Standards by the 2014-15 school year
Transparent reporting of data and school-level expenditures

2. Consortium commitments – these plans go beyond the minimum federal requirements:

Provide all high-need elementary students with a summer reading plan. Community partners would help in this effort, too, so we can more effectively reduce summer learning loss.
Double the number of students taking algebra by the end of eighth grade. Research shows this strategy will help many more students be ready for college and their careers.
Help all eighth-grade students complete the High School and Beyond Plan so that students and parents can plan out high school courses that will be right for them.

3. The application’s major grant funding requests are further organized into three themes, all of which are designed to help the region make significant progress towards specific goals

Start Strong – We know that early learning is critical

This strategy would provide funds to help districts work with their preschools and early learning programs to help thousands more kids be ready to be successful in kindergarten.

Improve math, science and English Language Learner (ELL) teaching and leadership approaches so all students receive high-quality instruction.

STEM Strong – We live in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-intensive region

This plan provides a computer-based math tutoring program for all high-need K-8th grade students that they can use in school and at home to build math skills.

Funds would be provided to help students explore STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers by providing online tools as well as an organized system of STEM speakers, mentors and internships.

Stay Strong – These strategies will help more students enroll in postsecondary education and be successful

Offer all students the opportunity to take the SAT and PSAT in school for free

Expand the Advanced Placement (AP) course selections for students and help more teachers to get AP course training

Improve high school course selection by including more STEM, International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, world language and career certificate options

Offer training for middle and high school guidance counselors and provide counselor assistants to better serve more students

About the Race to the Top – District competition

From the U.S. Department of Education:

The Race to the Top-District competition invites applicants to demonstrate how they can personalize education for all students and is aimed squarely at classrooms and the relationship between teachers and students. The competition encourages transformative change within schools, providing school leaders and teachers with key tools and support in order to best meet their students’ needs.

The Race to the Top competition will provide funds to support school districts in implementing local reforms that will personalize learning, close achievement gaps and take full advantage of 21st century tools that prepare each student for college and their careers. The program sets a high bar to fund those districts that have a track record of success, clear vision for reform and innovative plans to transform the learning environment and accelerate student achievement.

Grantees will be selected based on their vision and capacity for reform as well as a strong plan that provides educators with resources to accelerate student achievement and prepare students for college and their careers. Plans will focus on transforming the learning environment so that it meets all students’ learning abilities, making equity and access to high-quality education a priority. Teachers will receive real-time feedback that helps them adapt to their students’ needs, allowing them to create opportunities for students to pursue areas of personal academic interest – while ensuring that each student is ready for college and their career.

The program also 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, as well as enhance their ability to succeed.

CCER Data Nondisclosure Policy

CCER collects and analyzes education data for only research purposes. Research can be very beneficial to help improve school systems, programs and practices. CCER puts a premium on the protection of student confidentiality and identity. All information about students that CCER accesses is handled in compliance with data-privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA). Strong internal safeguards are in place regarding who can use the information and for what purpose. No unauthorized sharing of information will occur. Only individuals who work directly with CCER to support the Road Map Project’s research and reporting are granted access to the information – and only for that purpose. Research reports to the community and third-parties present the data in a way where no individual students could be identified.