e-Newsletter
July 2, 2014
Issue No.28
In This Issue
Upcoming Events & Key Dates

7/14 Letters of Intent Due for Deep Dive 3: Community-School Partnerships

7/23 Proposals Due for Project 3B: PreK-3rd Grade Systems

7/29 Read To Succeed Work Team Meeting (Deep Dive 1)

8/22 Proposals Due for Deep Dive 3: Community-School Partnerships 
Quick Links


About the Road Map Region Race to the Top Grant

In 2012, seven King County, Washington, school districts joined forces and won $40 million in federal Race to the Top funds over four years. The participating school districts are Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle and Tukwila. The districts dubbed themselves The Road Map District Consortium, a reference to their participation in the Road Map Project, a community-wide effort in South Seattle and South King County to drive major educational improvement with a focus on personalized learning.

Dear  ,
We are excited to report that the Race to the Top Executive Committee recently issued preliminary awards of $2.9 million for the Project 1 Teaching and Leading Investment Fund! In addition, vendors have been approved to provide online career awareness tools for Project 5. Finally, congratulations to Federal Way for its strong support of summer reading through its mobile FRED program.    
 
$2.9 Million Awarded for Teaching and Leading!
The Executive Committee for the Road Map Region Race to the Top grant recently issued preliminary awards of $2.9 million in Investment Funds for Project 1 (Teaching and Leading) as part of the second round of awards to districts participating in the consortium. Seven of the proposals were continuing or expanding from the first award process and two proposals were new.

A total of $7.3 million will be awarded through Project 1 in three disbursements.  The first distribution of these funds totaled $2.2 million. This second round of awards totaled $2.9 million, which included the following:
  • Auburn School District: Teacher Leadership, $561,706
  • Federal Way Public Schools: Targeting Most Struggling Learners, $491,143
  • Highline Public Schools: Summer STEM Bridge Academy, $237,186
  • Kent School District: Heritage University ELL Academy, $99,608
  • Kent School District: Improving Learning for ALL in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms, $100,362
  • Kent School District: Problem Based Learning, $90,815
  • Renton School District: Math Teaching and Leading Project, $450,329
  • Seattle Public Schools: Seattle Teacher Residency, $355,635
  • Tukwila School District: Supporting ELLs Across the Content Areas, $529,425

Project 1 (Teaching and Leading) is the largest single project in the Consortium's Race to the Top grant. Project 1 creates a fund that districts may access to build teacher and principal content knowledge, to assist in the creation of personalized learning environments in the region's high-need schools.  The emphasis of this fund is on scalable, high impact improvements in math, science and ELL instruction as well as teacher/principal leadership. For more information, please see the full press release.

Federal Way Provides Summer Reading Opportunity through FRED
Federal Way Public Schools has prepared three buses named FRED (which stands for Fun, Read, Eat, Dream) to deliver reading, math and school connections to high-poverty neighborhoods this summer.

There is abundant evidence that summer reading loss is one of the important factors contributing to the reading achievement gap between rich and poor children.  There is also powerful evidence indicating that children from low-income families have more restricted access both in school and out of school than do their more-advantaged peers. To support at-risk students, support staff will reach out with FRED to provide opportunities to read and engage in fun math and technology activities.  

FRED will engage students in reading and writing by providing high-interest and age appropriate books for students of all ages with a STEM focus.  Students will also receive books that they can keep, and math support through technology and games. Each FRED bus is equipped with four touch screen computers, and activities will be coordinated by experienced Early Learning Teachers. FRED will also provide meals for any child up to the age of 18.

FRED is a service of Federal Way Public Schools, in partnership with United Way of King County, The City of Federal Way, Federal Way AmeriCorps, King County Library, and AWE. Please visit the Federal Way Public Schools website for more information.


Digital Career Awareness and Exploration Tools Approved for Project 5
The Executive Committee for the Road Map Region Race to the Top grant recently approved Career Cruising and Kuder as vendors for the online career awareness tools which are a part of Project 5: Create a Regional System for Career Awareness and Exploration.

Project 5 invests in digital career exploration tools and will create a region-wide system for linking students and career exploration opportunities. An RFP was released in April to identify appropriate vendors for the project.  

Race to the Top-District (RTTT-D) Consortium member districts have access to Project 5 funds to purchase licenses to implement the tools beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. For more information, please contact Cheryl Lydon.


Please visit the Race to the Top Website!
Please remember to share the Road Map Region Race to the Top website with friends and colleagues! We regularly update content and add new resources. To access the website click here!

Stay Tuned!
Thank you for taking the time to read the Road Map Region Race to the Top grant e-newsletter! The next e-newsletter will be released later in July. Click "Join Our Mailing List" on the left to receive future e-newsletters!


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