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NEWS ROUND-UP

Illinois Misses Out on Race to the Top
The U.S. Department of Education just announced that Illinois was not selected to receive a grant in the Race to the Top competition. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia were finalists for this second phase, with nine states and D.C.  being awarded grants.

Advance Illinois, though disappointed, is still hopeful. State leaders and lawmakers should be proud of their hard work, smart leadership, and extensive reform that they implemented over this past year. Read more...

Dr. Patricia Watkins Speaks on Illinois' Fight for Education Funding
Advance Illinois board member Dr. Patricia Watkins, the CEO of Target Area Development Corporation, talked recently with FOX Chicago about Chicago Public Schools' battle to solve its budget deficit. Read more...

"Race to the Top" Roundup
Get the latest media coverage of the U.S. Department of Education's $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" competition, including how other states are working to position themselves here in our Education News section. Read more...

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RESEARCH ARTICLES

How Bold is Bold
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) provides a unifying framework and practical strategies that will enable states to respond to Race to the Top with a bold and coherent teacher effectiveness agenda.  TNTP believes top applications will differentiate themselves by placing a strong emphasis on teacher effectiveness in two of the four key assurance areas:  great teachers and leaders and turning around struggling schools.  Many of the strategies are in line with Advance Illinois’ belief and stance on improved data systems, teacher evaluations, and increasing human capital pipelines to Illinois most struggling schools.