Race to the Top: money and projects

all districts MUST:

• implement statewide teacher evaluation framework
• align curriculum to Common Core standards 
• strengthen climate, conditions, and school cultures ("we think a major part of this has to be management and unions working together"
• create near-real-time accesss to data "by implementing the Schools Interoperability Framework"
• one additional project

Chester "to ensure effective educators in every school and classroom" "that the students that most need the effective teachers" have them

all Title 1 in FY09 (regular Title 1 plus ARRA): whatever percent of the state's total you got, that's what you got of the RTTT money (of the half that goes to districts) was how the allocation of RTTT was allocated:

 Boston getting $31,877,912

Springfield getting $13,712,496
14 districts (including Worcester) getting between $1 and $10 million
13 districts are receiving $0 but have commited to participating
(note that allocation is by Title 1 allocations; Springfield has a greater Title 1allocation than Worcester does, 'though Springfield is a smaller district. Springfield is nearly 90% free and reduced lunch.)

half of allocation goes directly to districts; state has half for allocation according project (wraparound zones, AP pipeline prep)
Chester, again on teacher evaluation:"in my opinion, we do not provide teachers and administrators with high quality feedback in" what people are doing right
The state then has put together a sample district with district plan: what they're required to do, what they're opting to do, how much they're planning on spending each year on the plan
 
Board adopted Common Core in July, specifying augmenting standards as needed
The group that looked at augmentation received a caution from state not to add too much more
"focused system...hopeful there won't be too many more added on to what's already there"
2012-13 year as when we need to move to new Common Core standards
state says they realize that everyone then wonders "what is MCAS going to be covering?"
"we're going to be sure that anything that MCAS covers, you've had a chance to cover with your students"

this coming year, current
next year, intersection (current standards AND Common Core: what they have in common)
spring 2013, Common Core standards

state will be putting together workshops and forums for staff on how to use and implement Common Core
"crosswalk": what's new, what's going to be dropped, what's already there?
PARCC: through-course assessment system: multiple points in the year, tested
What needs to be covered when, a curriculum map