Crossing the Finish Line a Winner: Race to the Top
The Department of Education announced yesterday that North Carolina’s Race to the Top proposal is funded for $400 million, to be spent over four years. NC State University’s Friday Institute for Educational Innovation played a major role in the proposal development, including coordinating the overall process.
“North Carolina's success in winning Race to the Top reflects the great teamwork in our state, with more than 150 people from the Governor's Office, the State Board of Education, the Department of Public Instruction, school districts, UNC general administration and several campuses, , professional associations, nonprofits, and the business community involved,” said Dr. Glenn Kleiman, Executive Director, Friday Institute. “It's an important outcome, but we know the hard work lies ahead -- implementing the Race to the Top plan to provide a great teacher in every classroom and a great leader in every school, greatly improve our lowest performing schools, move to internationally benchmarked standards and assessments, and use technology and data to enhance teaching and learning. The continuing collaboration and deep commitment of educators across our state will enable North Carolina to succeed.”
The Governor’s Office, State Board of Education, the Department of Public Instruction provided state-level leadership, and the Friday Institute contributed by coordinating the effort. “We are very proud of Dr. Glenn Kleiman and our team at the Friday Institute for their leadership during the preparation process and our faculty who played an integral part in the development of several initiatives in the proposal,” said Dr. Jayne Fleener, Dean of the College of Education. “North Carolina’s commitment to education was apparent throughout the process and leaders at all levels are to be commended.”
The 18-month process engaged a large cross section of North Carolinians in the proposal development. The state was able to create a strong proposal by leveraging the expertise of a diverse group of stakeholders, with more than 150 people from various education disciplines – including leading efforts by members of NC State’s College of Education, as well as representatives from several other UNC campuses – contributing to produce the final winning 270-page proposal. As a result of the broad cross-sectional participation, all 115 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in the state agreed to participate in implementing the Race to the Top initiatives, making NC one of very few states in which 100 percent of superintendents, local school board chairs, and the presidents of the local teacher associations agreed to partner in this effort.
North Carolina’s proposal, as required, assessed the state’s current education reform efforts and presented a comprehensive plan for improving student outcomes through work in four areas:
• Adopting internationally-benchmarked standards and assessments;
• Developing data systems that measure success and improve instruction;
• Supporting effective teachers and leaders; and
• Turning around low-performing schools.
State leaders have praised the work of NC State, with Governor Beverly Perdue saying: “The Race to the Top funding gives an enormous boost to our plans to ensure that every child who graduates is ready for a career, college, or technical training. We could not have secured this award without the help of Dr. Glenn Kleiman, the Friday Institute, and the NC State College of Education. They were invaluable partners in putting together the Race to the Top application and will continue to be part of its implementation.”
State Board of Education Chairman William Harrison added: “The collaboration between the Governor’s Office, the Department of Public Instruction, and North Carolina State University far surpasses the level of any collaboration in which I have been involved during the 35 years I have worked in education. Glenn Kleiman and his staff at the Friday Institute have been absolutely incredible. As a result of the major role the faculty and staff played in this initiative, NC State University has made a significant contribution to the future of public education in our great state.”
June Atkinson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction commented “the Friday Institute deserves many accolades for helping North Carolina get the Race to the Top grant. It would have been difficult for us to have been successful without the collaborative and intense work of Dr. Glenn Kleiman and the other Institute staff."
Over the coming months, the North Carolina team will work on implementation plans to put the proposal into action. Visit racetothetop.nc.gov for the latest news regarding new initiatives put in place with Race to the Top funds.
To read more about the important role the Friday Institute played in the process read, Education Reform: Racing to the Top.