Race to the Top
Race to the Top (RTTT) is a $4.35 billion competitive grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Education as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (U.S. Department of Education 2009). The program provides monetary incentives for states and school districts to create conditions for education innovation and reform that would significantly improve student achievement (particularly in mathematics and science), narrow learning gaps, increase high school graduation rates, and increase the number of students admitted to college. To achieve these outcomes, RTTT focuses on reform strategies in four core areas:
- Adopting standards and designing assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in a global economy;
- Building data systems that measure changes in student . achievement and informing teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
- Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
- Improving the performance of the lowest-achieving schools.
Since the launch of RTTT in 2009, a total of 18 states and the District of Columbia have won awards. In 2012, the Obama Administration launched an RTTT competition at the school district level. Known as Race to the Top?District, this program focuses on changes within schools and is targeted at supporting locally developed plans for improving classroom practices and resources. As of December 2012, the program made awards to 16 school districts across the nation. Additional information about RTTT