FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ayan Islam (202) 316-1841; [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Education announced the 16 winners in the Race to the Top-District grant competition. Among the 16 applicants representing 55 school districts across 11 states and D.C., and out of 372 initial applications, KIPP DC was awarded a four-year Race to the Top-District grant which will support the expansion of Capital Teacher Residency, a teacher-training program run in partnership with E.L. Haynes Public Charter School. The $10 million grant will fund the program’s expansion to train 415 teachers over the next four years.
“Congratulations to KIPP DC on being a Race to the Top-District award recipient,” said Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “We appreciate grants supporting collaborative initiatives to develop quality teachers in our school system. These efforts are crucial to our goal of creating a world-class education system for our students and residents.”
“OSSE congratulates KIPP DC on winning the Race to the Top-District grant,” said State Superintendent Hosanna Mahaley Jones. “Improving teacher-training programs is vital to the success of our student growth and achievement, and we are fully committed to supporting KIPP DC and our local education agencies to ensure quality education statewide.”
“We are thrilled that KIPP DC has won the Race to the Top District Competition. Their plan to expand the Capital Teacher Residency training program will provide a much-needed cadre of qualified teachers that will only improve student achievement in the city,” said Scott Pearson, Executive Director, DC Public Charter School Board.
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About Race to the Top-District Competition
The Race to the Top-District competition builds on the success of the Race to the Top state grant program by supporting classroom-level reform efforts that encourage transformative change within schools. The winning districts will share nearly $400 million to support locally developed plans to personalize and deepen student learning, directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness, close achievement gaps, and prepare every student to succeed in college and their careers. These 16 grantees will build on those principles at the classroom level to support localized plans that will directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness.
About Race to the Top
Created by the U.S. Department of Education to support states that demonstrate strong plans for education reform, Washington, D.C. received $75 million in Race to the Top award funds in 2010 over four years and in year one, engaged 90% of the District’s K-12 population while directly impacting nearly 59,000 students and 200 District schools. Race to the Top emphasizes four key goals: transitioning to enhanced standards, enhancing the access and use of data, improving teacher and principal effectiveness and turning around the lowest achieving schools.
For more information about OSSE, go to: www.osse.dc.gov; www.twitter.com/OSSEDC; www.facebook.com/OSSEDC