The long awaited winners of the second round of Race To The Top were announced yesterday. Race To The Top is about education reform to improve schools and is based on four assurances:

1) Raising standards and improving assessments.
2) Recruiting, retaining and supporting effective educators and ensure equitable distribution of teaching resources.
3) Building robust data systems to track student progress and improve outcomes.
4) Turning around low-performing schools.

The four assurances are necessary to help close the achievement gap, reduce dropout rates and improve graduation rates across the US. I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to mention that SAS EVAAS for K-12 is currently used state-wide in three of the 12 states that won Race To The Top money and at district levels in six.

Across the US, educators are learning how to use data effectively to support student achievement and to measure schooling effectiveness. However, all analyses aren’t the same! SAS EVAAS for K12 offers the most robust and accurate measurements available as validated by the US Department of Education and the US General Accounting Office. Measuring student growth and providing accurate projections to future academic milestones is important as states work to increase the number of STEM graduates and adequately prepare students for college and career readiness. With SAS EVAAS, educators can determine whether all students have plentiful choices and increased opportunities for learning.

So congratulations to those states that are leading the way in education reform and realizing the power and potential of student data.