1. Race to the Top: Reformation through Competition
2. “America will not succeed in the 21st century unless we do a far better job of educating our sons and daughters… And the race starts today. I am issuing a challenge to our nation’s governors and school boards, principals and teachers, businesses and non-profits, parents and students: if you set and enforce rigorous and challenging standards and assessments; if you put outstanding teachers at the front of the classroom; if you turn around failing schools – your state can win a Race to the Top grant that will not only help students outcompete workers around the world, but let them fulfill their God-given potential.” -President Barack Obama, July 24th 2009 Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-race-top
3. President Obama proposes a educational reform plan called “Race to the Top.” “Race to the Top” encourages academic improvements through competition for federal funding. American schools, and teaching and learning, will be improved through new reforms and approaches (Fact Sheet 2010). A Revolutionary Proposal for Academic Reformation
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5. “Race to the Top” calls for five specific areas of reform in schools. Through the success of the program, Department of Education officials are “committed to reforming America’s public schools to provide every child access to a complete and competitive education” (Obama 2009). Improvements called for by“Race to the Top”
6. Why is Educational Reform Necessary? With an increasingly competitive job market and “failing” schools, American students are falling behind. Competition from outside the country is growing more problematic as outsourcing increases. College administrators and employers are finding students unprepared for higher educations and careers.
8. Innovative and updated data collection systems that will track performance better and improve instruction. Visionary approaches to improve and save “failing” schools. Academic standards will be set to better prepare students for college and later careers. Improved teacher performance and specialization through renovations and teacher training. Impacts of “Race to the Top”on K-12 Education
9. Source: this is bossi Emphasis and funding for Charter Schools are one of the things addressed by Obama for “Race to the Top.”
10. With the growing problem of unprepared students and failing schools, “Race to the Top” is completely renovating schools. With the hopes of winning federal funding, states are reforming schools and ways of teaching and learning. The incentive of the program not only brings this serious issue to light, but strives to improve it radically. The Effect of “Race to the Top”
11. Source: Center for American Progress The U.S. Department of Education and the Obama Administration are addressing the issue of a poor educational outlook by implementing incentives to reform schools. Addressing the Issue
12. Summation “Race to the Top,” under the Obama administration, seeks to reform schools through competition by states. Winners of “Race to the Top” will receive federal funding. States already are beginning to improve teaching and learning approaches in light of “Race to the Top.”
13. Images: Obama Visiting Elementary School: TalkRadioNews Results of First Round Finalists: The Wall Street Journal Pennsylvania Charter School: this is bossi Department of Education board: Center for American Progress Text: "Fact Sheet: Race to the Top." The White House. The White House, 04/011/2009. Web. 24 Mar 2010. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-race-top>. King Jr., Neil, and Barbara Martinez. "Education Finalists Picked." The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal, 05/003/2010. Web. 24 Mar 2010. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704187204575101553383922336.html?KEYWORDS=Race+to+the+Top>. Sources
Notas del editor
“Race to the Top,” Reformation through Education. It is a current issue in education that will not only effect teachers, students, and administrators in the public schooling system, but the future generation of America. Our future country’s enrichment is dependent on the education of our students.
The following is a quote that President Barack Obama gave while addressing the current issues with ineffective educational standards and repeatedly low test scores and failing schools in our educational system. In this he introduces the “Race to the Top” plan and how its participation and cooperation through schools will help states get education back on track.
President Obama and the U.S. Department of Education formally introduced the “Race to the Top” educational reform plan in July 0f 2009. The purpose of the plan is to encourage reform and improvements in state schools by holding a competition between applicable states in which winning states will win federal funding and grants toward their educational system. By states eagerness to win the federal funding, they will begin adopting these new standards for teaching and learning to help better prepare students for higher education in college, and competition in the job market for future careers. It also seeks to reform failing schools through innovative new tactics and approaches.
Here we see President Barack Obama addressing an elementary school in Falls Church. Educational reform throughout the country has been one of the president’s biggest campaigns since gaining office, and “Race to the Top” hopes to make these improvements possible in schools through the promise of federal funding to winning schools. “Race to the Top” also seeks to encourage other states to reform their educational plans by following the standards of the winning states.
The rules for the “Race to the Top” competition are quite simple. Applicable states, which are all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, are asked to apply using the application set by the U.S. Department of Education. Based on evaluations by judges of test scores, teacher reviews, teacher training programs, and other state improvements following the guidelines, states will be selected as finalists in April 2010 at the end of the first round. The winners will be announced at the end of the second round in September 2010, and winners will receive the federal funding so needed by states for their educational program needs.
These specific five areas of reform have been set down as guidelines for states to follow in the “Race to the Top” competition: *” Designing and implementing rigorous standards and high-quality assessments, by encouraging states to work jointly toward a system of common academic standards that builds toward college and career readiness, and that includes improved assessments designed to measure critical knowledge and higher-order thinking skills. * Attracting and keeping great teachers and leaders in America’s classrooms, by expanding effective support to teachers and principals; reforming and improving teacher preparation; revising teacher evaluation, compensation, and retention policies to encourage and reward effectiveness; and working to ensure that our most talented teachers are placed in the schools and subjects where they are needed the most. * Supporting data systems that inform decisions and improve instruction, by fully implementing a statewide longitudinal data system, assessing and using data to drive instruction, and making data more accessible to key stakeholders. * Using innovation and effective approaches to turn-around struggling schools, by asking states to prioritize and transform persistently low-performing schools. * Demonstrating and sustaining education reform, by promoting collaborations between business leaders, educators, and other stakeholders to raise student achievement and close achievement gaps, and by expanding support for high-performing public charter schools, reinvigorating math and science education, and promoting other conditions favorable to innovation and reform.” (Fact Sheet: The White House 2009).The Obama Administration and the U.S. Department of Education are hoping that through these improvements and reforms, schools will be able to better provide a quality education for every student, to enable them to pursue higher education and compete in an increasingly tough job market and global economy for top quality careers.
For years, America has steadily been falling behind in the world as far as test scores and education systems. Drop out rates continue to increase, professors and employers are finding students unprepared for college and career, and schools continue to cut funding and programs, leaving the schools impoverished and “failing.” As outsourcing is becoming a growing issue and companies are looking elsewhere for cheap and efficient work, American students need to be even more prepared and diligent to become top notch and indispensable workers.
Here are the 16 finalists of the 40 states that applied for the “Race to the Top” program. These finalists were announced at the end of the first round.
The impacts that “Race to the Top” will have on the American public schooling system in states are immense. Great teachers will be placed in classrooms and subjects best suited to them so that only the most effective teachers will be taking control of the classroom. Teacher accountability will also be taken more into account, along with student test scores and performance. Data systems will be implemented to track performance and help suit instruction better fitted to the student’s needs. New and visionary approaches will be taken toward teaching and learning, and especially in saving poor scoring and failing schools. Academic standards will be raised with a greater emphasis on math and science, and greater funding toward charter schools will be supported.
Funding toward Charter Schools such as this one in Pennsylvania are just one of many things encouraged and endorsed by President Obama in the “Race to the Top” plan.
Here, board members of the U.S. Department of Education discuss the proposed “Race to the Top” in an open panel. The plan promises to reform educational standards in the states and provide quality education for all students.
Overall, “Race to the Top” is a unique and innovative plan to actively take action with the problem of failing education systems and increasingly lower academic standards and student retention.
