Ridgewood Awarded Race to the Top Funding

The will be receiving over $10,662 in federal funds through the Race to the Top program, according to the state.

Superintendent Daniel Fishbein in an e-mail Friday afternoon said the money will be used for professional development.

A total of 372 districts applied for Race to the Top program, procuring $38 million for the state, which plans to use half of the money to advance reforms.

Four objectives were sought in gaining Race to the Top funding, the state said Friday. They are:

1. Development of model curriculum and assessments for all core content subject areas to support the adoption of the Common Core State Standards
2. Development and rollout of an online Instructional Improvement System (IIS) that will serve as a platform for teachers to access the model curriculum and other supports like formative assessments and instructional tools
3. Implementation of the state’s new teacher evaluation system and the creation of a principal evaluation pilot program
4. Expansion of high-quality school options by strengthening the Department’s charter authorizing practices

“We are glad to see that so many districts and charter schools have signed up to participate in the state’s reform agenda,” said Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf.  “These funds can be used for a number of purposes that will support student learning such as training for teachers on the new teacher evaluation system and the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.”