Race to the TopAbout MDE : Minnesota Department of Education

Race to the Top
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Race to the Top

Minnesota's Race to the Top

NEW! Governor Pawlenty and Commissioner Seagren Announce State Will Not Apply in Second Round
Minnesota will not apply for round two funding from the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grant because the Legislature did not pass the reforms necessary to strengthen the state’s application. In fact, after four months in session, they did not even pass an education reform bill. “While the rest of the country races to the top, the DFL-controlled Minnesota Legislature got stuck in pit row, with the teachers union letting the air out of the tires by stopping any real reform," commented Pawlenty.  Read news release on the Governor's Website.

Race to the Top Phase II offers the opportunity for Minnesota schools to compete for millions of dollars in grant monies from the U.S. Department of Education. Leaders from K-12 education, higher education, business and the minority community worked together on Minnesota’s Phase I application which was submitted in January 2010. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced on March 29, 2010, that Delaware and Tennessee won grants in the first phase of the Race to the Top competition. Read the U.S. Department of Education Phase I press release.

Minnesota Educators, Legislators Evaluate Race to the Top Application
Governor Tim Pawlenty, Education Commissioner Alice Seagren, educators and Minnesota Legislators met April 6, 2010, to evaluate Minnesota’s Race to the Top (RTTT) application compared to Delaware and Tennessee’s successful RTTT applications. The Governor and Commissioner called on educators and legislators to enact the reforms necessary to help Minnesota be competitive for the Race to the Top grant funds. Read the news release on the Governor's Website.
  
View the Race to the Top PowerPoint presentation, which includes a review and analysis of the successful Tennessee and Delaware applications and offers ideas to enhance a potential Minnesota Round II application. More than $3 billion remains in the fund for RTTT Round II.

Read Minnesota's Phase I Application.  Access the Appendix.  View the list of Minnesota's Persistently Lowest Achieving Schools.

The application for Race to the Top requires states to meet the following six assurances:

  • State Success Factors - Have a well articulated and supported reform strategy in place with a sound implementation plan that includes past success in raising student achievement and closing the achievement gap;
  • Standards and Assessments - Adopt internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
  • Data Systems to Support Instruction - Build data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practice;
  • Greater Teachers and Leaders - Recruit, develop, retain and reward effective teachers and principals;
  • Turning Around Struggling Schools - Turn around our persistently lowest-performing schools; and
  • General Selection Criteria - Make education funding a priority, ensuring successful conditions for charters and other innovative school models and demonstrate other reform conditions.

In addition, a separate competitive grant program for states’ efforts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Minnesota’s recent efforts in STEM also make the state well-positioned to win this competition. (Minnesota received all 15 of the available points in this category.)

In the News
Follow local news stories about Minnesota's Race to the Top.


Send In Your Comments
Send Comments about Minnesota Race to the Top proposal at any time through our online Comments form at mde.rttt@state.mn.us

Past Events
Several events have been held online and throughout the state to share information and solicit input about Race to the Top.


 

Minnesota Race to the Top Phase application pdf icon 1Mb (4/14/2010)