Race to the Top Introductory Video Dr. Atkinson Hi, I’m North Carolina State Superintendent June Atkinson, here with Bill Harrison, Chairman of the state Board of Education. We were very excited to learn that our great state was one of only 11 nationwide, along with the District of Columbia, to win federal Race to the Top funding. Harrison We know that this funding will be instrumental in our College and Career: Ready Set Go! Initiative, which aims to have all students graduate and prepared for college and the working world. Race to the Top means $400 million for our state to provide truly effective resources for our teachers, along with meaningful support that will help our students to perform better in the classroom. Dr. Atkinson That’s right, Bill. Race to the Top is one race that North Carolina can win! We are providing our local school districts with the support they need to better prepare teachers and principals, raise standards and assessments, turn around our lowest achieving schools and provide a data system that will improve overall instruction. VO The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction seeks to encourage local school districts to be innovative in creating plans to help students succeed. Local school districts have developed plans specific to the needs of their schools and students. These plans will support the four “pillars” of Race to the Top’s work: •
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Great Teachers and Principals (VO: This includes performance incentives for educators at the state’s lowest-­‐achieving schools, along with effective professional development and targeted recruiting efforts) Quality Standards and Assessments (VO: This includes new curriculum standards and a fine-­‐tuned accountability model) Turnaround of Lowest Achieving Schools (VO: This includes new technology to enhance all reform areas, plus an Education “Cloud” which will provide a rich variety of web-­‐based resources for educators) Data System to Improve Instruction (VO: This includes local capacity building, redesigned schools and the expansion of early college high schools) How will we know when we have “won” the Race to the Top? When all of our students are ready to take the next step … graduating and fully prepared to attend two-­‐ or four-­‐year colleges or universities, or to enter the work force with the skills they need to succeed. Jennifer Facciolini, NC Teacher of the Year Implemented into a lot of the Race to the Top programs are capacity-­‐building things that are going to leave us with long-­‐range effects that we’re going to see in the classroom and that we’re going to see at the building level. We all know that the two biggest factors in student achievement are the quality of teacher in the classroom and the principal of that school. And Race to the Top targets both of those -­‐-­‐ Capacity building, teacher leadership and development. But it also targets looking for the qualities in teacher-­‐leaders that are going to make them great principals and great school-­‐wide leaders and district-­‐
wide leaders, and kind of building in those measures to put great teachers in those spots, and then move them up into different ways. And, 10 to 20 years from now, we have this great system in place. VO Just how does $400 million translate to better schools and communities across our state? First and foremost … For our students, Race to the Top will provide: • Curriculum that is based on the latest competitive national and international standards • Better and more frequent feedback to ensure students stay on course • More effective teachers • Access to technology to support learning In order to deliver these services to students and their families, RttT funding will give our teachers, principals and other educators: • Strong professional development to ensure student engagement • Increased capacity to meet needs of students • Fair and research-­‐based evaluation system for individual practitioners and schools Dr. Jesse Dingle, Principal One of the reasons that I’m excited about Race to the Top funding is because it’s going to provide an opportunity for teachers to receive professional development. Our teachers do really need to be able to help support students, as well as become better at what they do in the classroom. Race to the Top funding will help us to do that. For example there’s a new teacher professional evaluation instrument that’s new for a lot of teachers. And if we’re then to truly understand what that means for them and how that impacts what they do on a daily basis and how that impacts students as well, that’s going to be crucial for them to have that understanding of what that looks like and how it affects them. The other piece is that teachers really do need to know more about classroom management. How do we help students understand what happens in that classroom. Working with technology…we have to work with 21st century skills, understanding as a classroom teacher how to incorporate and integrate technology into my classroom on a regular and daily basis. They’ve had the training in school, and so now it has to transition to classrooms as they go from a four-­‐ or five-­‐year teacher to a veteran teacher. How do we support those things that they need? Carla Taylor, Principal The Race to the Top funding is important because it will help schools facilitate professional development as it relates to technology and differentiating instruction. We’re trying to integrate technology so it’s not technology for the sake of technology, but the children are using technology as a tool for learning – to facilitate student learning. VO What’s in it for our communities and businesses? • Better prepared students entering colleges, universities and the workplace • Higher skilled graduates for science, mathematics and technology careers • Increased graduation rates •More meaningfully involved future citizens Andre Peek, NC Business Committee for Education We see Race to the Top as a tremendous win for North Carolina. Our businesses in North Carolina depend on a strong, motivated and talented workforce in order for us to be competitive in today’s global economy and to succeed. The idea that North Carolina’s going to have the tools and resources and investments required for us to continue to be strong and competitive is just a terrific win for both businesses and our communities in North Carolina. We are excited to have young people to be better prepared to join the workforce. One of the things that we have learned is that a motivated employee is a successful employee, and one of the ways to be motivated is to understand exactly what you want to accomplish – the context of education, how that actually prepares you to be in the workforce. And that gives you the tools and motivation needed in the jobs that we have available for employees. Dr. Atkinson The Race to the Top will be a big win for everyone in our state. All we have to do is make the wisest use of our resources to ensure that we are providing the very best for our students , educators and ultimately, our communities. For more information on Race to the Top Visit www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt