Dubuque Community School District_Race to the Top Grant
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Dubuque Community School District Race to the Top Grant Application
DATE: October 11, 2012
I have spoken with Dubuque Community School District Superintendent Stan
Rheingans about the Dubuque Community School District Race to the Top Grant
application. He is seeking an expression of support from the City of Dubuque for the
grant application.
The District is applying for $20 million to create learning environments that are designed
to significantly improve learning and teaching through the personalization of strategies,
tools and support for students and educators that are aligned with college and career
ready standards.
I respectfully recommend Mayor and City Council approval of a show of support for the
grant application.
/7AAh kt1&1
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Stan Rheingans, Dubuque Community School District Superintendent
Dubuque Community School Board
Overview 10/8/2012
Race to The Top- District
Absolute Priority 1:
Create learning environments that are designed to significantly
improve learning and teaching through the personalization of
strategies, tools, and supports for students and educators that are
aligned with college- and career -ready standards ;
• Accelerate student achievement and deepen student learning
by meeting the academic needs of each student;
• Increase the effectiveness of educators;
• Expand student access to the most effective educators;
• Decrease achievement gaps across student groups; and
• Increase the rates at which students graduate from high
school prepared for college and careers.
• Amount of money for the grant is determined by district size:
DCSD would be awarded 20 million dollars over a 4 -year period.
• 900 Districts indicated they were applying through a letter of
intent.
• 5 Districts in Iowa indicated they were applying.
• The application must be reviewed by the Department of
Education. Comments welcome.
• The application must be reviewed by the Mayor. Comments
welcome.
• As of Thursday of last week, we were the first district to approach
the DE for a review of the grant.
Goal 1: Creation of a
• Learning
Goal 1 Measurement:
high performance data
Management
• All students will use
culture...continuous
System (LMS)
a data dashboard to
improvement for all
• Data Dashboard
monitor their
students.
• Assessment for
learning
Learning
• All parents will use
• Process initiated
the data dashboard
through our DINA
to monitor student
plan oin
learning.
collaborative
• All teachers will use
inquiry
the data dashboard
to monitor and
adjust instruction.
Goal 2: Highly effective
• NWEA Skill Pointer
Goal 2 Measurement:
teachers and
• Assessment for
• Standardized Scores
administrators motivate
Learning
ITP, MAP
each and every student
• Authentic
• Measurement of 21st
to achieve accelerated
Intellectual Work
Century skills
learning
• Project -based
• Measurement of the
Learning
Teaching and
• 21st Century Skill
Administrator
Chart
Standards
• Evaluation Systems
Goal 3: Personalized
• 21st Century Skill
Goal 3 Measurement
Learning Environments
Chart
• College and Career
for all students that
• Assessment for
Readiness
require 21st century
Learning (AFL)
Assessment
College and Career
• Project -based
• ITP College and
Ready Thinking and
Learning (PBL)
Career Readiness
Work
• Learning
Measure
Management
• National Student
Systems (LMS)
Clearinghouse Data
• Data Dashboard
• Common
• Response to
performance
Intervention (RTI)
measurements built
• Systemic issues
around 21st century
around length of day
and school calendar
learning