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Race to the Top and Personalized Learning: A Report Card

In 2012, the federal Race to the Top district competition awarded 16 school districts, educational cooperatives, and charter school districts with more than $350 million in total grant funding to support efforts to personalize learning and improve student achievement.

Race to the Top and Personalized Learning: A Report Card

In 2012, the federal Race to the Top district competition awarded 16 school districts, educational cooperatives, and charter school districts with more than $350 million in total grant funding to support efforts to personalize learning and improve student achievement.

A year and a half later, districts are beginning to see the outcomes from those efforts, ranging from upgraded professional-development programs to technological overhauls. Education Week contacted all the districts, listed here by the size of the grant awarded, for progress reports on how they have used the grant funding, and what their plans are for the road ahead.

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Green River Regional and Ohio Valley Educational Cooperatives

  • Bowling Green, Ky., and Shelbyville, Ky.
  • Enrollment: 590,000 across 22 local districts
  • Racial/ethnic profile: No available average for combined districts
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 61 percent
  • Race to the Top award: $41 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Puget Sound Educational Service District

  • Renton, Wash.
  • Enrollment: 390,000 across 35 local districts and over 200 private schools. (The seven grant districts have a combined enrollment of 147,000.)
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 33 percent white, 24 percent Hispanic, 20 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 14 percent African-American, 3 percent Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander, 1 percent American Indian/Alaskan Native, 8 percent other
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 35 percent
  • Race to the Top award: $40 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Guilford County 69´«Ă˝

  • Greensboro, N.C.
  • Enrollment: 72,400
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 41 percent African-American, 37 percent white, 12 percent Hispanic, 6 percent Asian, 4 percent multi-racial
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 59 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $35.2 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


IDEA Public 69´«Ă˝

  • Based in Weslaco, Texas
  • Enrollment: 19,500
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 91 percent Hispanic, 4 percent white, 2 percent African American, 1 percent Asian, 1 percent American Indian or Native Alaskan
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 87 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $31 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Miami-Dade County Public School

  • Miami, Fla.
  • Enrollment: 353,000
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 67 percent Hispanic, 23 percent African-American, 8 percent white, 2 percent other
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 81 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $30 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Harmony Public 69´«Ă˝

  • A district with charter schools across the state. Grant applies to middle and high schools only.
  • Based in Houston
  • Enrollment: 28,500(Middle and high school enrollment is 14,600)
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 48 percent Hispanic, 19 percent African-American, 18 percent white, 14 percent Asian
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 59 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $30 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


New Haven Unified School District

  • Union City, Calif.
  • Enrollment: 12,700
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 37 percent Hispanic, 23 percent Asian, 20 percent Filipino, 8 percent African-American, 7 percent white, and 3 percent Pacific Islander
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 46 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $29.4 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Metropolitan School District of Warren Township

  • Indianapolis
  • Enrollment: 12,100
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 48 percent African-American, 32 percent white, 12 percent Hispanic, 7 percent multiracial
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 72 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $28.6 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Iredell-Statesville 69´«Ă˝

  • Statesville, N.C.
  • Enrollment: 21,000
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 69 percent white, 14 percent African-American, 11 percent Hispanic, 3 percent Asian, 3 percent other
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 44 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $20 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Middletown School District

  • Middletown, N.Y.
  • Enrollment: 7,300
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 51 percent Hispanic, 27 percent African-American, 20 percent white, 2 percent Asian
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 75 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $20 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Charleston County School District

  • Charleston, S.C.
  • Enrollment: 48,500
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 45 percent white, 43 percent African-American, 8 percent Hispanic, 4 percent other
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 53 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $19.4 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


St. Vrain Valley 69´«Ă˝

  • Longmont, Colo.
  • Enrollment: 30,000
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 65 percent white, 28 percent Hispanic, 7 percent other
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 38 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $16.6 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Carson City School District

  • Carson City, Nev.
  • Enrollment: 7,500
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 50 percent white, 42 percent Hispanic, 3 percent multiracial, 2 percent American Indian/Alaskan Native, 2 percent Asian, 1 percent African-American
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 50 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $10 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP, DC

  • A charter school system.
  • District of Columbia
  • Enrollment: 4,500
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 99 percent African-American, less than 1 percent white, Hispanic, or Asian/Pacific Islander
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 80 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $10 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Lindsay Unified School District

  • Lindsay, Calif.
  • Enrollment: 4,100
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 90 percent Hispanic, 10 percent other
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: between75 percent and 90 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $10 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼


Galt Joint Union Elementary School District

  • Galt, Calif.
  • Enrollment: 3,800
  • Racial/ethnic profile: 58 percent Hispanic, 35 percent white, 7 percent multiple ethnicities or declined to state
  • 69´«Ă˝ qualifying for free and reduced-price meals: 63 percent
  • Race to the Top Award: $10 million

Learn more about this district’s goals related to personalized learning, the challenges faced in reaching them, and positive outcomes. Read more ▼

Source: Education Week | Design & Visualization: Deanna Del Ciello

Coverage of personalized learning and systems leadership in Education Week and its special reports is supported in part by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.