COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION APPROVES MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS AWARD RECIPIENT OF THE RACE TO THE TOP ASSESSMENT GRANT

MIAMI- Interim Commissioner of Education, Dr. John L. Winn, approved Miami-Dade County Public Schools as an award recipient for two of seven Race to the Top Assessment Grants to develop assessments and assessment items for hard-to-measure content areas, which include visual arts and physical and health education for K-8 students. 

Each district, including Miami-Dade, is required to submit a revised budget and an amended proposal contingent upon the awarded budget for year one (2011-12) and the evaluation by the peer review. Thereafter, the Race to the Top Assessments Office will send an award letter to the district. The total funding for Miami-Dade County Public Schools is $952,381 in year one, for each of the two projects.  The grants are renewable for two additional years, based on satisfaction of prior year’s performance.  

Florida is eligible to receive $700 million in Race to the Top funding over four years.  According to Florida’s grant application, the funds will be used to increase student achievement; decrease achievement gaps between subgroups in reading/language arts and mathematics; increase high school graduation rates; and increase college enrollment and the number of students who complete at least a year’s worth of college credit that is applicable to a degree within two years of enrollment in an institution of higher education.

The United States Department of Education sponsors Race to the Top to provide $4.35 billion to states that will lead the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling and comprehensive education reform.  Florida was selected as one of 16 finalists for Phase I of the Race to the Top grant, having been awarded the fourth highest number of points for its application. 

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