January 19, 2010
The Race Is On For Race To The Top Funding
by Brian Kant
The deadline for states to apply for Race to the Top funding is today, but if your state has not submitted an application yet for a slice of the $4 billion federal program to reform schools, it is not too late. The second and final round for applications will end in June.
Looking ahead, President Obama has already begun discussion of expanding the program by $1.35 billion in next year’s budget. If the program is a success, there is also a talk of expanding eligibility beyond states to include individual districts as well.
The aim of Race to the Top is straightforward: improving education by pushing effective reform strategies. States are in direct competition for funds and must present the most innovative ideas in their application. The more states can demonstrate concrete dedication to reform, the more likely they are to get a larger piece of the pie.
Our system can be a useful tool in reaching the objectives outlined by the program: adopting proven standards and assessments which prepare students for success in college and the workplace, building data systems that measure student success and inform schools how they can improve their practices, and turning around low-performing schools.
For example, Spiral Universe is helping the Arizona Charter School Association (ACSA) carry out these goals, improving and augmenting their Race to the Top bid. Charter schools in Arizona are consistently ranked as some of the best in the nation. They embrace a data-driven decision-making model based on Arizona’s standardized AIMS tests. Dubbed the Arizona Growth Model, this statistical tool provides detailed, in-depth analysis of individual students growth which can be combined to provide data for the entire school. The Arizona Growth Model highlights effective schools that achieve the best academic growth rates in students over time. This information helps parents, schools, and policymakers identify schools that exceed academic standards and schools that may need reform.
The ACSA faced a technical problem of administering tests to 100,000 students spread across 500 charter schools and providing immediate analysis and feedback in a way that is efficient and beneficial for all stakeholders. Spiral Universe presented a solution. Working in partnership with the ASCA, Spiral Universe built and online assessment module capable of creating and managing assessments within a school, a district, or a state.
As competition for Race to the Top funds heats up, states and districts must make every effort to employ technology that illustrates their willingness to embrace data-driven reform. As a web-based assessment tool, Spiral Universe represents a turn-key solution that benefits any bid for Race to the Top funding.
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