In March, Tennessee became one of two states to win the federal government's Race to the Top competition, which will award the state an estimated $500 million to pursue education reform and innovation.Race to the Top, education reform, Tennessee, education, Timothy Webb

Timothy K. Webb

English

Research Papers in Economics

ennessee has long struggled with poor
student outcomes and inadequate stan-
dards that do not properly prepare stu-
dents for the demands of college or
work after high school. However, under Gover-
nor Phil Bredesen's leadership, the state has
made fundamental changes — changes that set
Tennessee apart on the national stage.
Three years ago, the Tennessee Department of
Education implemented the Tennessee Diploma
Project, increasing standards and curriculum so
students graduate college- and career-ready
and, in 2007, the state modernized the K-12
funding formula to infuse more state resources
into schools to help those students at-risk.
Last year, Tennessee began putting together its
Race to the Top proposal, which includes the
ultimate in education reforms and initiatives. In
January, we submitted a proposal to the U.S.
Department of Education focused on building
up education in Tennessee through teacher
training, data implementation, curriculum
enhancements, and turnaround initiatives. We
know now that we were successful in the Race
to the Top competition and will be awarded an
estimated $500 million to enact these reforms. 
Through the Tennessee Diploma Project, Ten-
nessee already has a head start implementing
increased standards and has gained national atten-
tion for its speed of implementation. The new
standards, which include four years of math and
increased graduation requirements, aim to pre-
pare students for a globally competitive future.
The use of Tennessee Value-Added Assessment
System data is an asset in the state's Race to the
Top proposal. This data system, which has been
in place for almost 20 years, is an effective tool
for teachers and administrators to increase stu-
dent learning. 
Tennessee's proposal also creates several inter-
ventions for low-performing schools. Persist-
ently low-performing schools are eligible to
enter the Achievement School District, created
through this year's First to the Top legislation.
The Achievement School District is a special
school district designed to help improve results
at chronically failing schools. These schools
could be placed under the control of the Ten-
nessee Department of Education to provide
additional resources to increase graduation rates
and student performance. 
Options are available for the school at this level:
complete governance takeover by the state,
which could include contracting with a non-
profit organization, university, or charter school
to transform the school, or requiring that a spe-
cific reform plan be implemented without a
governance change.
The state has already begun to work with these
schools, their leaders, and the communities they
serve. 
Regardless of any competition, the reforms
already in place in Tennessee schools are a win
for students, and the opportunities for future
innovation have already been established. The
road to reform is wide open. 
Timothy K. Webb is the commissioner of the
Tennessee Department of Education.
In March, Tennessee
became one of two
states to win the
federal government's
Race to the Top
competition, which
will award the state
an estimated $500
million to pursue
education reform
and innovation.
RACE TO THE TOP
STATE PREPARES TO TURN THE PAGE
T
Tennessee’s Business Vol. 19, No. 2 April 2010 3
The fundamental
components of the state's
application addressed
four areas: 
n adopting standards and
assessments that
prepare students to be
successful in college
and the workplace; 
n building data systems
that measure student
growth and using them
effectively; 
n recruiting and training
teachers; and 
n turning around low-
performing schools.
by Timothy K. Webb

Race to the Top: State Prepares to Turn the Page

http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/tnbiz/tennessee/webb.pdf

Race to the Top: State Prepares to Turn the Page

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