Delaware Race to the Top

Delaware Race to the Top was a comprehensive educational reform initiative launched by the state of Delaware in response to the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) program established by the Obama administration in 2009. The program aimed to drive significant improvements in student achievement, teacher quality, and school leadership across Delaware's public education system through competitive grants and accountability measures. Delaware was selected as one of the initial winners of Race to the Top funding in 2010, receiving approximately $100 million to implement sweeping reforms in curriculum, assessment, and educator evaluation systems. The initiative represented one of the most significant educational policy shifts in Delaware history, fundamentally reshaping how schools operated, how teachers were evaluated, and how student progress was measured throughout the state.

History

The federal Race to the Top program emerged from the Obama administration's comprehensive education reform agenda and created a competitive process in which states could apply for federal grants tied to specific educational reform priorities. When the program was announced in 2009, Delaware's Department of Education, under the leadership of Secretary Lillian Lowery, recognized the opportunity to secure substantial federal funding while simultaneously advancing the state's own educational improvement goals. The state submitted a comprehensive application that addressed four key reform areas: adopting college and career-ready standards, implementing new assessment systems, improving teacher effectiveness through reformed evaluation systems, and turning around the lowest-performing schools. Delaware's application was notably collaborative, involving input from the state's professional educator associations, school administrators, and district leaders, which contributed to its competitiveness and ultimate selection as a grantee state.

Following Delaware's selection as a Race to the Top winner in August 2010, the state received its first installment of federal funding and immediately began implementation efforts. The initiative was structured across four fiscal years, with Delaware responsible for meeting specific benchmarks and demonstrating progress toward its stated reform goals. The state established a Race to the Top office within the Department of Education to coordinate implementation efforts across all 19 school districts. Major early actions included adopting the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and mathematics, piloting new teacher evaluation systems in volunteer districts, and developing plans for comprehensive assessment reform. Teachers and administrators expressed both enthusiasm and concerns about the rapid pace of change, leading to ongoing dialogue between state officials and school districts about implementation timelines and support mechanisms.

Throughout the mid-2010s, Delaware continued to invest in the various components of its Race to the Top initiative even as federal funding declined. The state prioritized development of new assessment systems designed to measure deeper learning and college readiness, moving away from traditional standardized testing toward more sophisticated evaluation methods. Professional development for teachers became a central component, with extensive training programs designed to help educators implement new standards and evaluation methods effectively. By the time the formal grant period concluded, Delaware had invested not only the federal dollars but also significant state resources to sustain momentum on the reform agenda. The legacy of Race to the Top remained evident in Delaware's education policy landscape well into the 2020s, with many of the standards, assessments, and accountability measures implemented during this period continuing to shape educational practice.

Education

The Race to the Top initiative directly transformed Delaware's approach to K-12 education through multiple interconnected reform areas. The adoption of Common Core State Standards represented a foundational change, replacing Delaware's previous state standards with nationally-benchmarked standards in English language arts and mathematics. This shift aimed to ensure that Delaware students were prepared for college and career pathways while maintaining alignment with rigorous national benchmarks. The transition required substantial curriculum development work, creation of new instructional materials, and comprehensive professional development for teachers. Educators reported that the new standards demanded more rigorous instruction and deeper student understanding, though implementation challenges emerged as teachers adjusted to new pedagogical approaches and assessment methods.

The teacher evaluation reform component of Delaware Race to the Top represented one of the initiative's most consequential and controversial elements. The state implemented a new teacher evaluation system that incorporated multiple measures including classroom observations, student growth data, and other performance indicators, replacing a previously less rigorous evaluation framework. This comprehensive system was designed to provide teachers with more detailed feedback about their instructional practice while also creating meaningful distinctions between performance levels. The implementation of value-added modeling to measure teacher effectiveness generated significant professional discussion and debate within Delaware's education community, with some educators expressing concerns about relying on student test score growth as a primary measure of teacher quality. Nevertheless, the system became entrenched in state policy, influencing hiring, retention, and professional development decisions across the state's school districts.

Delaware's commitment to school improvement and turnaround efforts under Race to the Top included targeted support for low-performing schools identified through state accountability systems. The initiative provided additional funding and technical assistance to schools struggling to meet performance targets, with state officials working directly with building principals and teachers to implement improvement plans. Some schools received designation as "priority schools" requiring comprehensive intervention, while others received support through less intensive improvement models. Results from these turnaround efforts were mixed, with some schools showing significant gains in student achievement while others continued to struggle despite intensive support. The experience highlighted both the potential for targeted intervention and the persistent challenges associated with raising achievement in high-poverty communities.

Assessment reform represented another critical dimension of Delaware's Race to the Top work. The state moved toward more sophisticated assessment systems designed to measure college and career readiness, moving beyond traditional multiple-choice testing. Delaware developed new assessments aligned to Common Core standards and invested in technology infrastructure to support computer-based testing. The state also participated in the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, which created common assessments used across multiple states. These assessment changes required significant investment in technology and assessment literacy for educators, but proponents argued that the new systems provided more meaningful measures of student learning and college preparedness than previous assessments.

Notable People

Lillian Lowery served as Delaware Secretary of Education during the crucial years when the state developed and submitted its successful Race to the Top application. Lowery brought extensive experience in education policy and reform, having previously worked in the charter school sector and in education administration roles. Her leadership was essential in building the collaborative approach that characterized Delaware's application and subsequent implementation efforts, working to balance the ambitions of state reformers with the concerns and input of practicing educators. While Lowery eventually transitioned to other roles, her influence on Delaware's education policy agenda extended well beyond her tenure in the secretary position.

Tom Shanahan, a prominent education policy leader in Delaware, worked extensively on implementing Race to the Top initiatives within the state's school districts. His work on teacher evaluation reform and standards implementation helped shape how these complex policies were operationalized at the school and classroom level. Shanahan's involvement in professional development and educator engagement reflected the recognition that successful implementation of major reforms required sustained engagement with the teaching profession itself.

Economy

The federal Race to the Top funding represented a significant economic investment in Delaware's education system and broader economy. The approximately $100 million in federal grants over the initial grant period provided resources that enabled substantial reform efforts that the state might not have otherwise undertaken with limited state education budgets. This funding supported hiring of additional personnel within the Department of Education to coordinate reform efforts, professional development for teachers and administrators, development of new assessment systems and materials, and technology infrastructure investments. The economic stimulus effect extended beyond the education sector, as professional development providers, assessment developers, and educational technology companies benefited from increased demand for their services.

The longer-term economic rationale underlying Race to the Top emphasized that improved educational outcomes would strengthen Delaware's economy by creating a more competitive workforce better prepared for skilled employment. Proponents argued that the investments in teacher quality, college-ready standards, and improved student achievement would yield returns through increased workforce productivity and earnings potential for graduates. While demonstrating direct causal links between specific education reforms and economic outcomes proved challenging, the initiative reflected a policy consensus that education quality directly influenced regional economic competitiveness and growth potential.