Last Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education announced the round two Race to the Top winners.  Nine states and the District of Columbia were awarded grants based upon their bold proposals to transform public education. Initial analysis of round two applications yields numerous similarities compared to Delaware’s winning Race to the...

As students, parents, and communities return from summer vacation, they will arrive amidst a flurry of excitement as Delaware begins implementing numerous reforms through Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants.  One aspect that school stakeholders will begin seeing is the influx of nationally recognized organizations with various...

If last week’s Education Commission for the States national forum had a running theme, it was the K-12 to higher education connection.  Almost every panel included a conversation about either “college and career ready” students, or about how higher education can/should support the current round of K-12 education...

With the announcement of the second round Race to the Top winners, we now have a solid foundation for systemic education reform. Twenty years ago, charters were born and comprehensive school reform models like Success For All and Expeditionary Learning broke the mold. In the last decade, big cities like New York and Chicago took up the mantle...