Lessons from Phase 1 of Race to the Top
Now that we have announced the phase one winners of Race to the Top, it is worth stepping back and analyzing why our two winners, Delaware and Tennessee, did so well. The attached spreadsheet lists the scores of all 16 finalists in each of the key reform categories. The non-finalists can compare their own scores – which are also publicly posted — to the winners.
The data confirm that no single factor can make or break any particular application but rather a combination of a successful track record, bold reforms, broad buy-in and statewide impact is the key to success. It is easy to be bold if no one buys in and it is easy to get buy-in if you are not bold. Neither matter much at all if you are not successful in reaching the kids in the classroom, and the bottom line is you must show results. To win Race to the Top you need it all and that requires courage, commitment and capacity.
Both of the winning states built on their unique strengths and track records, rather than trying to manufacture a reform agenda from whole cloth. In the case of Tennessee, their value-added assessment system is the foundation for their reforms, while Delaware is building on its Vision 2015 blueprint. Both states also secured broad support through a combination of changing their state laws and coalition building among school districts, unions, businesses, advocacy groups, and local philanthropies.
The bottom line is that we had many strong applications but every state has room to improve – including the two winners. The point of Race to the Top is to challenge ourselves and each other to get better – not in one or two areas of reform that can lead to incremental improvements – but in every area of reform simultaneously.
In a global economy where jobs and investment are not restricted by borders, America is in a race for our long-term economic security. The single most-important investment we can make as a nation is to ensure that every child gets the best education possible. We have no time to waste. The Race to the Top continues.
Secretary Arne Duncan
The data confirm that no single factor can make or break any particular application but rather a combination of a successful track record, bold reforms, broad buy-in and statewide impact is the key to success. It is easy to be bold if no one buys in and it is easy to get buy-in if you are not bold. Neither matter much at all if you are not successful in reaching the kids in the classroom, and the bottom line is you must show results. To win Race to the Top you need it all and that requires courage, commitment and capacity.
Both of the winning states built on their unique strengths and track records, rather than trying to manufacture a reform agenda from whole cloth. In the case of Tennessee, their value-added assessment system is the foundation for their reforms, while Delaware is building on its Vision 2015 blueprint. Both states also secured broad support through a combination of changing their state laws and coalition building among school districts, unions, businesses, advocacy groups, and local philanthropies.
The bottom line is that we had many strong applications but every state has room to improve – including the two winners. The point of Race to the Top is to challenge ourselves and each other to get better – not in one or two areas of reform that can lead to incremental improvements – but in every area of reform simultaneously.
In a global economy where jobs and investment are not restricted by borders, America is in a race for our long-term economic security. The single most-important investment we can make as a nation is to ensure that every child gets the best education possible. We have no time to waste. The Race to the Top continues.
Secretary Arne Duncan
