Education Funding

Race to the Top Fuels Innovation Push at Hawaii School

By Michele McNeil — December 10, 2013 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The $75 million in federal Race to the Top money that Hawaii received hasn’t always paid for things directly, but has allowed a school to leverage other money and resources to make something happen.

At Keaau Elementary, an 830-student school just outside the city of Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, the school used its status as a Race to the Top “zone of innovation” school to raise money to give every student a computer to use at school. That’s how teachers are delivering a curriculum aligned with the Common Core State Standards. (About one-quarter of the students can take their devices home.)

One day this fall, in a 5th grade classroom, students who might not have computers or Internet access at home used their MacBook Airs to create a digital presentation on the short- and long-term effects of inhalants.

“Levels of engagement are up, as is higher-order questioning” from students, said Principal Chad Keone Farias. “From public perception, to getting the parents engaged, to teacher professional development, the greatest benefit in our 1-to-1 program has been the platform it gave us to implement sweeping change.”

A version of this article appeared in the December 11, 2013 edition of Education Week as Cash Aids Innovation

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Classroom Strategies for Building Equity and Student Confidence
Shape equity, confidence, and success for your middle school students. Join the discussion and Q&A for proven strategies.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Disrupting PD Day in Schools with Continuous Professional Learning Experiences
Hear how this NC School District achieved district-wide change by shifting from traditional PD days to year-long professional learning cycles
Content provided by BetterLesson
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding 4 Ways States Are Trying to Fix How They Fund Schools
Advocates in many places are pushing for reforms that precisely target more robust aid to schools and students in need.
6 min read
one woman and two men with a large calculator and next to large stacks of bills and coins.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Education Funding Pennsylvania School Funding Is Unconstitutional, Judge Says. Here's What Could Happen Next
An appeal could be on the way, but advocates are already gearing up to make the case for funding reform.
6 min read
Stock image of a gavel on top of a pile of money.
iStock/Getty Images
Education Funding 6 Lawsuits That Could Shake Up How States Pay for Schools
Far removed from annual budgets, these lawsuits hold the potential to force states to direct more funds to their schools.
6 min read
Large white hand holding a weighing scale with a bag of money on one side and books with floating letters on the other side showing a balance of knowledge and money
iStock/Getty
Education Funding States Are Rolling in Surplus Cash, But It's Not All Good News for Schools
Some states are ramping up education spending, while others are leaving districts disappointed.
7 min read
Illustration of a man holding oversized money.
Nuthawut Somsuk/iStock/Getty