Utah in the Race for $250 Million Federal Education Grant

01.20.2010 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) Utah is applying to get $250 million for public education from an Obama Administration initiative. Tuesday was the deadline for the $4 billion competitive grant program, Race to the Top. State Office of Education Spokesman Mark Peterson says the money would help the state reach its goals outlined in a new vision statement called Promises to Keep.

“We hope to improve student performance and teacher retention and teacher performance, ultimately,” Peterson says. “We want better teachers, better students, better classrooms.”

The administrative staff had two months to complete the more than 600-page grant application. Altogether, forty states plus the District of Columbia are in the running.

Race to the Top is designed to encourage states to address four areas of education reform: improving standards and tests, tracking and using student data, teacher quality and retention, and improving the lowest-achieving schools. Deputy Superintendent Martell Menlove says these goals are closely aligned with the Promises to Keep vision statement the State Board of Education adopted in September.

“I think the alignment with Promises to Keep is a statement that the State Office of Education and the State Board of Education are moving forward with those things that are critical to provide quality education to all of Utah students,” Menlove says.

The state will know in April if it qualified for the first round of grants.  President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that he plans to expand Race to the Top. He’s asking for an additional $1.35 billion in fiscal year 2011.