The Tennessee Department of Education announced Wednesday it will grant $8 million in state Race to the Top funds to districts that agree to implement specific initiatives that advance the core purpose of Tennessee’s First to the Top plan.
The money will be awarded to 83 districts that have chosen to participate in the First to the Top Scope of Work Supplemental Fund. These districts serve more than half of all students in the state.
In order to opt in to the First to the Top Supplemental Fund, districts chose to implement at least one innovative program or strategy in three categories: Teacher evaluation, implementation of the Common Core State Standards, and student assignment. These areas reflect priorities of the state’s original Race to the Top grant, and the districts’ selections will take effect during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years. For a complete list of district options, please see the attached overview.
“We felt this Race to the Top money would best serve the students of Tennessee at the district level, and we’re excited to see so many districts take advantage of this opportunity,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “These funds will allow more resources to be spent on these critical areas across the state.”
Participating districts have chosen strategies like conducting the February writing assessments online in grades three through 11, using student surveys to count for five percent of a teacher’s evaluation score, and using two observers for at least one of a teacher’s mandatory observations.
Tennessee’s initial $501 million Race to the Top award divided the grant between districts and the state. The $8 million Scope of Work Supplemental Fund comes directly from the state’s Race to the Top portion.
The 2013-14 school year marks the last of the state’s four-year First to the Top grant. Additional information about the First to the Top program is available online here.
For more information, contact Kelli Gauthier at 615 532-7817 or Kelli.Gauthier@tn.gov.
Districts Participating in the First to the Top Supplemental Fund Achievement School District:
Athens City
Bedford County
Bells City
Benton County
Bledsoe County
Blount County
Bradford Special
Bradley County
Bristol City
Campbell County
Cannon County
Carter County
Cheatham County
Chester County
Clay County
Cleveland City
Cocke County
Coffee County
Crockett County
Dyer County
Dyersburg City
Etowah City
Fayette County
Fayetteville City
Fentress County
Giles County
Grainger County
Greene County
Greeneville City
Hamblen County
Hamilton County
Hancock County
Hardin County
Hawkins County
Henry County
Humboldt City Schools
Humphreys County
Jackson-Madison County
Jefferson County
Johnson County
Kingsport City
Knox County
Lake County
Lauderdale
Lawrence County
Lebanon Special
Lenoir City
Lexington City
Lincoln County
Loudon County
Marion County
Marshall County
Maryville City
McKenzie Special
McMinn County
McNairy County
Meigs County
Metro Nashville
Milan Special
Moore County
Morgan County
Murfreesboro City
Newport City
Paris Special
Perry County
Polk County
Putnam County
Rhea County
Roane County
Robertson County
Sequatchie County
South Carroll SSD
Sullivan County
Sumner County
Trenton Special
Trousdale County
Union County
Warren County
Washington County
Weakley County
White County
Wilson County