Race to the Top
Colorado Ready for Race to Top Work
The Race to the Top Fund provides competitive grants to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; implementing ambitious plans in the four education reform areas described in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA); and achieving significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring that students are prepared for success in college and careers.
Draft Guidelines, Co-Chairs Announced July 24, 2009
Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien and Education Commissioner Dwight Jones say the Colorado Race to the Top team members are ready to roll up their sleeves and work on a proposal that could result in millions of dollars for Colorado’s education system.
Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien and Education Commissioner Dwight Jones say the Colorado Race to the Top team members are ready to roll up their sleeves and work on a proposal that could result in millions of dollars for Colorado’s education system.
Draft federal guidelines for the Race to the Top competitive grant process were released earlier today by the U.S. Department of Education. Lt. Gov. O’Brien and Commissioner Jones both said there were no big surprises in the guidelines. States will be competing for $4.35 billion in federal funding for education reform.
Colorado has organized four work groups, which will be headed by a combination of Colorado Department of Education and community leaders. The proposal is due at the end of the year.
“Colorado is ready to go to work on the proposal. We are pleased to have connected our partners at the Department of Education with so many high-level, thoughtful people to help us craft an innovative proposal to move Colorado’s education system forward,” said Lt. Gov. O’Brien.
“The energy, enthusiasm and new ideas for Colorado’s education system are exciting. The Race to the Top opportunity will provide a boost to the strong reform engine already driving change across the educational landscape in our state,” said Commissioner Jones.
Colorado’s long-term commitment to quality education reform will also help its Race to the Top proposal. Despite the economic downturn, Gov. Bill Ritter made the strategic investment of $10 million in discretionary recovery funds to restore funding to improve and compensate quality teachers, completion of new international standards, and improve quality and access to data.
The co-chairs announced today for each work group are:
Teacher Effectiveness:
George Sparks, President and CEO of Denver Museum of Science & Nature
Nina Lopez, Director of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Colorado Department of Education
Low-Performing Schools:
Monte Moses, former superintendent of Cherry Creek Schools
Jesus Salazar, senior manager of Credera, a technology services and consulting company
Jeanette Cornier, Assistant Commissioner for the Colorado Department of Education
Standards & Assessments:
Michael Hancock, Denver City Council
Jo O’Brien, Assistant Commissioner for the Colorado Department of Education
Longitudinal Data Systems:
Annette Quintana, CEO of Istonish, an information technology services and consulting company
Rich Wenning, Associate Commissioner for the Colorado Department of Education
The work groups first meetings will be as follows:
August 12 from 1-5 p.m.
- Standards and Assessments Work Group at Blair Caldwell Library, 2401 Welton Street, Denver
- Longitudinal Data Systems at the Old Supreme Court Chambers, Colorado State Capitol, 200 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver
August 14 from 1-5 p.m.
- Low Performing School Work Group at the Old Supreme Court Chambers, Colorado State Capitol, 200 E Colfax Avenue, Denver
- Teacher Effectiveness Work Group at the Auraria Campus Tivoli Center, 6th Floor, Zenith Room, 900 Auraria Parkway, Denver
U.S. Department of Education Race to the Top Fund - Draft Guidelines (7/24/09)