The American Recovery

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act Louisianas Game Plan Superintendents
Special Institute Alexandria, LA March 23, 2009
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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

• Purpose
• Spend funds quickly and save jobs
• Advance education reform and long-lasting results
  

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ARRA - Multiple Resources

• Stabilization Funds
• Added to the MFP
• Direct Grants to LEAs
• Title 1
• IDEA
• McKinney Vento
• State Administered Competitive Grant to Districts
  (LEAs)
• Broadband Technology
• Competitive Grants to Districts (LEAs)
• Several Federal Agencies (including USDOE)
• Race to the Top (650M in 2 annual competitions)
• Competitive Grants to States (SEAs)
• Race to the Top (4.35B in 2 annual competitions

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ARRA Focus

• President Obama the Title 1 and IDEA funds
  should be used for
• Rigorous college- and career-ready standards and
  aligned assessments
• Pre-K to college and career data systems
  consistent with the America COMPETES Act
  (benchmarking and formative assessments).
• Improvements in teacher effectiveness and
  equitable distribution of effective teachers.
• Effective supports and interventions for the
  lowest performing schools.

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Transparency and Accountability

• The President and Secretary are committed to
  unprecedented level of transparency and
  accountability.
• The Vice-President is charged with holding us
  accountable. He will identify success and
  failure.
• Therefore, SEAs and LEAs that receive ARRA
  funds should expect to report quarterly on how
  those funds were spent and the results of those
  expenditures.
• Reporting format and medium currently under
  development

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State Level Competitive Grants

• "Race to the Top" State Incentive Grants 4.3
  billion
• Teacher Incentive Fund 200m
• State Data Systems grant program 250m

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District Level Federal Competitive Grants (tent.)

• "What Works and Innovation Fund 650m
• Early Headstart Programs Administration for
  Children and Families
• Weatherization Assistance Dept of Energy
• Medicaid Reimbursements DHHS
• Summer Youth Employment Dept of Labor
• Youth Mentoring Program Dept of Justice
• Qualified Zone Academy Bonds
• Qualified School Construction Bonds

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Race to the Top

• The UDOE will use at least 4.35 billion to make
  competitive grants. Half in 2009 half in 2010.
• Grants will reward States that have made the most
  progress toward the standards and assessments,
  data systems, teacher quality, and school support
  goals.
• Grant funds will allow these States to further
  these successes.
• LA is well poised to compete for these funds.

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Race to the Top

• LDOE will place a significant emphasis on two
  major areas which will impact Districts in LA
• Human Capital strategies for districts which have
  difficulty hiring qualified teachers.
• Intervention and support of schools where more
  than 1/3 to ½ of students are below grade level.
• Your effective use of direct grants (Title 1 and
  IDEA) will be important and integral for you to
  participate in LAs Race to the Top grant.
• We must show synergy between what you are
  spending your direct grants for and our focus for
  Race to the Top.

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Race to the Top Target 1

• Building Human Capital Studying the following
  examples
• Merit Pay
• Effective Professional Development
• Reading
• Math and Science
• RTI and Paraprofessionals

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Race to the TopTarget 2
Approximate of students below grade level
85
65
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70
55
45
75
60
40
80
School Performance Scores
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Collaboration on What Works for Our Children

• Today, we share our ideas on what works for our
  children in LA.
• Over the next six weeks, LDOE will review each
  Districts effective strategies and share them
  with all Districts.
• Over the next six weeks, LDOE will provide an
  outline of the elements of the Race to the Top
  approach.
• In approximately late May/early June, Districts
  must submit plans to LDOE as to how they will use
  Direct Grants.

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We Should Spend on What Works

• President Obama and Secretary Duncan have
  observed that Title 1 and IDEA expenditures have
  produced LITTLE SUCCESS.
• Both have strongly urged State Superintendents
  and Commissioners to produce RESULTS.
• Secretary Duncan has offered to grant waivers for
  expansion of permitted uses.
• Spend your dollars on WHAT WORKS, not just on
  what is permitted.

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Appendix District Plans

• General Topics
• Extended Day/Extended School Year
• Extended Tutoring (After School/Saturday LEAP
  Tutoring)
• Ninth Grade Academies
• RTI Response to Intervention
• School Based Coaching
• Library and Textbook Materials
• Credit Recovery

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Appendix District Plans

• Literacy Numeracy
• Best Practices/Instruction/Materials
• Adolescent Literacy and Ensuring Literacy for All
• Support of Reading First Activities
• Response to Intervention (RTI)
• Reading Interventionists
• Content Coaches
• New Technology High School
• High Schools That Work
• Middle Schools That Work

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Appendix District Plans

• Title I
• Mobile Laptops
• Accelerated Reader Early Reading Intervention
• Fast Forward
• Promethean Boards
• PLATO Primary Literacy Advancement Program

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Appendix District Plans

• Special Education
• Assistive Technology
• Differentiated pay for Special Education teachers
  and other Special Ed. staff
• Training for Inclusion
• Positive Behavior Support
• Co-teaching
• Instructional Coaching
• Help with Inclusion (Instructional Specialists)
• Differentiated Instruction
• Smart Boards
• Parent Training
• Sensory Stimulation for Autistic Students
• Kurzweil Learner Stations
• PASS Programs
• Staff Development for Teachers of Autistic
  Students
• Health Care Plans
• Expanded Gifted and Talented Services

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Appendix District Plans

• Professional Development (for teachers,
  administrators, parents, inclusion teachers and
  substitute teachers)
• Sustained Professional Development
• Positive Behavior Support
• Instructional Coaching
• Differentiated Instruction
• Parent Training
• RTI
• Adolescent Literacy
• Differentiated Instruction

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Appendix District Plans

• Technology
• Empowering Academic Achievement through
  Technology
• Technology Integration Directly Related to
  Instruction
• Technology Expansion (Computer labs, Smart
  Boards, Promethean Boards, Project Lead the Way)
• One-to-One Computer Initiative
• Electronic IEP Monitoring
• READ 180/System 44

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Appendix District Plans

• Pre-K
• Testing and Skill Development
• Materials and Supplies

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Appendix District Plans

• Career Education
• Career Labs
• Career Awareness (Elementary and Middle)

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