School’s Out for Summer

Congratulations to teachers, students, families, and administrators on a successful 2009-10 school year.  As we race to beaches, pools, and parks for fun in the sun, it’s important to remember that the work to improve our schools never takes a vacation.  And, work will continue this summer as Delaware gears up to implement the new student assessment system, the Common Core standards, and other Race to the Top initiatives.  We will keep you informed through our summer e-newsletters. 

Race Recap 

Earlier this month, 35 states plus the District of Columbia submitted their Race to the Top applications for “Round Two” of the competition (Delaware and Tennessee were the only winners in Round One). Only five Round Two applicants - Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana and Nevada – did not file applications during Round One.  Many states looked to the ideas set forth in Delaware’s and Tennessee’s plans and successfully pursued similar significant changes in their respective states.  Click here to see what other states are doing.

Here in the First State, districts and charter schools are completing their RTTT “Scopes of Work” that will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Education by the end of this month for final approval.

More exciting news for Delaware – the U.S. Dept of Ed announced that Delaware was awarded $119 million in Race to the Top Funding, more than the $107 million requested in the state’s initial application.  Additional funding was provided to support the Delaware Automated System for Education Reporting, a data-tracking system that is a key part of the state’s Race to the Top proposal.  The program will allow the state to track a child beyond test scores.  Click here to read more.

Also underway is a significant ramp-up of statewide professional development initiatives to build crucial skills among teachers and leaders that will be necessary for successful reform. This is a centerpiece of Delaware’s Race to the Top strategy that will cover three areas: using data to inform instruction, assessing educator performance and development needs, and providing instructional leadership.

Join the Team

Gearing up for the challenging work ahead, the Delaware DOE is recruiting talented professionals to help lead the reform effort generated by the Race to the Top grant.  To see an up-to-date list of open positions, click here.

Research

Education Week recently released its 2010 Diplomas Count report.  Delaware’s graduation rate of 65% dropped below the national average of 68.8%.  Hispanic and African American males in our state were even farther below the national average, graduating at a rate of only 50%. 

Click here for an executive summary of the report.

Vision-aries

News articles and bloggers across the country are buzzing with the effect that Race to the Top has had stimulating education reform on multiple fronts.  Many note that teachers unions are embracing and becoming leaders on many efforts.

As Diane Donohue, President of the Delaware State Education Association said of Delaware in a recent New York Times article, “This is a culture change that has been happening over the years and came to a head with Race to the Top.”