A State grant is any grant issued by the District of Columbia, any state, possession or territory of the United States. Race to the top is also a state grant or education reform that any current administration promotes. The states of all countries are receiving funding for better changes in public education to benefit all students of all states. According to some people, this funding program is in its early stage of success, while some think it is not working as it should.
Overview of the race to the top program
Race to the top program as a competitive fund was introduced in 2009 by President Obama to promote the improvements of schools at local and state levels. According to the Washington Post, at that time, about $4.35 billion was funded by the White House, known as the biggest federal investment in education. The state government said to submit your plans for funding programs for educational reform.
All states of the U.S had a chance to submit their plans. The education departments are keeping four criteria in education reform for funding. When this program has introduced then, about 45 to 50 states were those who submitted their plans, or in these states, several are those who received this funding.
Aims of the race to the top program
States promised to increase students’ performance, so they adopted more academic standards or rated principals and teachers partly on students’ performance. States also ban or limit charter schools, improve teachers’ preparation programmes, or open more routes for teacher certification.
The aim of this programme at that time was:
- Reward or encourage states to create more conditions for education reform and innovation.
- Achieve crucial improvements in outcomes and achievements of students.
- Close the gaps of achievement.
- Improve the education rates of higher school graduation.
- Ensure that all students are prepared for their success in school, college, and the future.
These plans are usually entailed in the educational reform in four areas:
- Adopting good assessments and standards.
- A data system is built to measure students’ progress or inform the principals and teachers on how to improve their teaching.
- Developing, recruiting, retaining, or rewarding effective principals and teachers.
- Focus on the schools that have lower achievements.
The public impact on the race to the top program
The result concluded that in 2014 the states that were winning adopted educational policies for about 88 per cent, the losing states adopted policies for about 68 per cent and the states that didn’t participate adopted policies for about 56 per cent. So the public impact is this program’s qualified or best success. However, according to overall results, this program meaningfully impacted the production of more education policies in the United States.
Impacts of the race to top on the education
The race to the top program has positively and negatively impacted education for many years. So here we will discuss both impacts of this program.
- The positive impacts
The following positive impacts of the race to top program on education include schools or students’ achievements.
- The data teams are helping students who are struggling or encouraging the collaboration of teachers:
Data was a basic reform in the race to top programs. It includes the efforts like introducing more data systems, data teams for schools at levels, data coaches, etc.
- Mentoring benefits for all new teachers and statewide induction
Race to top program commitment to developing develop leaders and great teachers. It establishes mentors for new teachers or designed professional development to enhance the retention and effectiveness of teachers.
- The academic reviewing teams are providing valuable support to the principals:
The states are required to develop for all schools an academic reviewing team under a race program to comprise the school administration and teachers. This team will help the management and planning committee review the data performance, set strategies, monitor or manage practices, or target school resources and supports.
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Negative impacts of race on top program
There are the following negative impacts of this program that are:
- Race doesn’t have an impact on the achievement of students, or in some areas, it also negatively impacts
It is thought that the achievements of students continue to improve. It is in the early stage of improvement that it starts.
- Most teachers and principals think that race is not making any specific difference.
According to a survey, about 37 per cent of teachers or principals, 26 per cent felt that this program is providing positive impacts. But then, 62 per cent of teachers and principals do not favour this program. It shows that the race program does not provide any specific difference in the improvements of schools or students.
- According to schools, race creates workload or reduces the time for critical functions.
Schools have stated that race impacts negatively on the staff schools because it increases the workload. Or the time that fixes critical functions is reduced, or now more time requires to adopt educational practices or strategies.
Race impacts black students.
Black students are impacted a lot due to racism. These are:
- Black students have less access to ready college courses than white students.
- The black students are not having proper access to AP classes or honours.
- The staff of black schools predominately do not have properly qualified teachers.
- The non-black teachers do not have expectations from these students compared to black teachers.
- Black students have more chances of being suspended than white students without getting education services.
- The black students are experiencing censoring and micro-aggression from white peers.
- The black students are not asked anyone to take my online class for me like white students.
- These are experiencing the most negative narratives that are less worthy or capable than white students.
- The black students are reacting with self-censorship or exhaustion.
However, it shows that the race to top programs negatively or positively impacts education. In some ways, tie improved the quality of education or, at some points, lowered it. The students of one country indeed have equal rights to getting the educational opportunities for a better future.