District Race to the Trough Is Off and Running | Truth in American Education

District Race to the Trough Is Off and Running | Truth in American Education:

District Race to the Trough Is Off and Running

by Shane Vander Hart

The Department of Education announced last week that it is accepting applications for District Race to the Top funds.  They have allocated $400 million for the program with a $25 million award cap.

The grading system has changed compared to what was originally proposed. Education Week reports what the new contest rules and grading system consists of:

In addition to meeting the 2,000-student threshold, to be eligible to compete a district must also implement evaluation systems for teachers, principals, and superintendents by the 2014-15 school year.

Districts must also address how they will improve teaching and learning using personalized “strategies, tools, and supports.”

In fact, this personalized learning component makes up 40 points on the 200-point grading scale. The rest of the grading scale is:

• Prior academic track record and how transparent the district is (such as if it makes school-level expenditures readily available to the public), 45 points;
• “Vision” for reform, 40 points;