A Web-based newsletter for the staff of Everett Public Schools
May 11, 2010 Special Edition (NewsLinks articles are now archived on Docushare)
MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
During their meeting later today, the school board will discuss Race to the Top. This continues board members’ research and conversation during the April 22 work study session and will help the board determine whether to accept OSPI’s invitation for Everett Public Schools to become a participating district in the state’s Race to the Top grant application.
If the state is a successful Race to the Top (RTTT) grant applicant, very preliminary estimates indicate it could mean $137 million for Washington state over four years and approximately $2 million over four years for Everett Public Schools.
RTTT is a new, competitive grant-based way for the federal government to help fund K-12 education. It has been much in the news of late. The application timeline is very short, and the stakes are high. As a result, there is some confusion, many questions and a good deal of speculation that I’m attempting to clarify for you in this message. The questions and answers below were included in the board’s April 22 discussion and are likely to be part of the conversation again at tonight’s board meeting.
If our school board decides to sign on as a partner district to the state’s grant application for Race to the Top funds, staff involvement will be key. For that reason, EEA President Kim Mead and EASA co-presidents Mark Toland and Cathy Woods attended the board’s April 22 work study session, and the district’s Presidents’ Council of bargaining unit leaders devoted some time to discussing Race to the Top.
If the board were to authorize me to sign as a partner district with the state’s RTTT application, my doing so would not change the district’s direction or focus. It might, however, result in approximately $500,000 more per year for four years to continue the work that is now threatened by state and other federal budget cutbacks.
One could argue reasonably that competitive funding is not an equitable way of funding K-12 schools. However, this competitive grant system is the nation’s educational funding reality now. If the board authorizes me to sign on to the state’s application, I will do so with absolute pride in the work you do every day for students and knowing full well that this district’s dedication to and track record of student success will be a positive addition to the state’s application.
Click on the following links to jump to specific RTTT questions and answers:
· How can I learn more about RTTT and what the school board decides?
· How do local school districts participate in Washington’s RTTT project?
· What has Washington done to prepare for RTTT?
· Delaware and Tennessee “won” Phase 1. How does Washington state’s application compare?
· How many states will be awarded RTTT grants and for how much?
· When are Phase 2 RTTT applications due, and when will grants be awarded?
· What is the timeline for obligating RTTT funds?
· How will the application review process work?
· Who will review the RTTT applications?
· What sections of the RTTT application and reviewer feedback is public?
· Can a state focus its application on just one or “some” of the four education reform areas?
· How much flexibility do states have to innovate under RTTT?
How can I learn more about RTTT and what the school board decides?
The board’s decision about RTTT will be announced in NewsLinks, and their discussion about RTTT will be recorded and available on the school board website along with meeting minutes when minutes are approved on May 25.
Complete details about RTTT are available on the United States Department of Education website. RTTT information specific to Washington state is also on the Web, and Partnership4Learning has a thoughtful analysis of SB 6696 on its website.
The district is also in the process of building an RTTT section on Docushare where we will publish articles and documents you can easily access. When that cache of resources is complete, we’ll send that link to you in an issue of NewsLinks.
You may also want to read the Everett Herald’s editorial of last weekend on the subject.
RTTT is a competitive federal grant program funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), or federal stimulus dollars. Race to the Top encourages and rewards states which are making significant reforms in four areas:
· Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students for success
· Preparing, recruiting, supporting, and retaining effective teachers and principals
· Improving the use of data to inform and improve practices
· Turning around the lowest performing schools
Our state – and each participating school district that signs on to the state’s application – must outline how these four areas will be addressed using RTTT funds.
States are the eligible applicants; an individual school district can become a state participant by signing a Partnership Agreement that is part of the state’s application.
How do local school districts participate in Washington’s RTTT project?
To receive an RTTT subgrant, a local school district must become a “participating school district” by signing a Partnership Agreement that defines both state and local grant responsibilities. Participating districts must agree to implement all required components described in the Partnership Agreement. The expectation is that a participating school district will implement significant aspects of a state’s plan because the reforms are designed to create a comprehensive approach to better teaching and learning.
A copy of the Partnership Agreement is on the Web. Please note Table 1 on page 2 of that document. Those “goals, roadmap and measures of success” are fully compatible with what Everett Public Schools is already doing so well and we have targeted to continually improve student learning.
What has Washington done to prepare for RTTT?
The legislature approved, and Gov. Gregoire signed into law Senate Bill 6696 which makes changes in several sections of RCW 28A, governing public schools. These legally required changes especially impact how teachers and principals are evaluated. Major elements of the SB 6696 mandate:
· Required action procedures for schools and school districts identified as persistently low achieving
· An accountability system that recognizes continuous improvement and requires recognition for schools with exemplary performance
· All state school boards must launch the following changes to teacher and principal evaluations for implementation no later than the 2013-14 school year:
o Revise the criteria for evaluating teachers and adopt a four-level rating system
o Revise the criteria for evaluating principals and adopt a four-level rating system
The new state law extends provisional status for certificated staff from two to three years, with three required observations in year three.
The new state law requires districts to develop a short form for evaluation that emphasizes professional growth.
And finally, the new state law authorizes the Professional Educator Standards Board to accept proposals for teacher preparation programs from community colleges and nonhigher education providers.
Each of the new legal requirements of 6696 are aligned with the requirements in the RTTT application and put the state of Washington in a better position to be awarded federal funds.
Delaware and Tennessee “won” Phase 1. How does Washington state’s application compare?
People at the state level with responsibility for completing the application have studied the applications submitted by Delaware and Tennessee and those states which did not earn RTTT funds in Phase 1. This district’s school board learned at its April 22 study session that Washington will present its own unique application that emphasizes Washington’s own good work and a picture of the state’s distinct composition of students and school districts.
How many states will be awarded RTTT grants and for how much?
The US Department of Education (USDE) hasn’t determined the number of grantees for RTTT. The process is competitive, and the number of grants will depend upon on the quality of the applications and the size of the grants awarded.
Between them, Delaware and Tennessee won about $600 million in Phase 1. About $3.4 billion remain for Phase 2 – out of the original $4 billion the federal government allocated for RTTT.
When are Phase 2 RTTT applications due, and when will grants be awarded?
Phase 2 applications are due in Washington, D.C. by June 1, 2010. (School district commitment to be partners is due to OSPI by May 17.) The federal announcement of state winners is slated for Sept. 30.
This is a very tight timeline for applications. That is why the board held a special work study session on this topic in April and will have another discussion on May 11 – before a decision is due in Olympia by May 17. It was important, even with the tight timeline, for the board to have time for involved conversations before determining whether to become a partner district in the state’s RTTT application.
What is the timeline for obligating RTTT funds?
The USDE will obligate funds by Sept. 30 this fall. Winning states will then have four years to launch their plans and spend the grant money.
How will the application review process work?
The initial step of the two-tier process will be based entirely upon reviews of the written applications. The second tier will be based on reviews of both a state’s written application and an in-person presentation.
Who will review the RTTT applications?
The USDE will select independent reviewers from a pool of qualified educators, scholars, and other individuals knowledgeable in education reform. Selection of reviewers will include screening for conflict of interest to ensure the competition is fair.
What sections of a state’s application and reviewer feedback is public?
At the end of the competition, all materials, including the scoring, will be published on the USDE website.
Can a state focus its application on just one or “some” of the four education reform areas?
No. The USDE will consider only those applications that comprehensively address all four education reform areas specified (see the first question).
How much flexibility do states have to innovate under RTTT?
RTTT offers many opportunities for innovation. The program defines areas of targeted innovation, but does not specify how to do so. The competition is designed to encourage states to draw on their particular strengths and successes to date, and to use those as launching pads for statewide scaling of promising practices. Creativity and innovation are rewarded in this competition.
Everett Public Schools complies with all federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or disability. This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular school activities. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the school district's Affirmative Action Officer, Title IX Officer, ADA District Coordinator, or Section 504 Coordinator. Affirmative Action Officer, Carol Stolz, 3715 Oakes Ave., Everett WA 98201, 425-385-4106, Title IX Officer, Randi Seaberg, 3715 Oakes Ave., Everett WA 98201, 425-385-4104, ADA Coordinator, Kristine McDowell, 202 Alder St., Everett WA 98203, 425-385-5250, Section 504 Coordinator, Becky Ballbach, 4730 Colby Ave., Everett WA 98203, 425-385-4086.
Diane Bradford (previously Lindenstein)
Communications Dept.
Everett Public Schools
425-385-4040
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