Race To The Top is an education funding program that was established with the 2009 recovery act. Race To The Top uses a point system to determine who should get a portion of the $4 billion budget. Funds could be disbursed after two rounds of competition, and only states with education plans that earn enough points could be given funds. Round 1 funding has been declared, and many states are desperate in hopes of getting some of the same day cash loans of round 2 Race To The Top funding.
The basic operation of Race To The Top
The Race To The Top educational reforms are based on a 500-point scoring system for state educational
systems. Most state education policy reforms are worth between 10 and 40 points, with the maximum being 58. If the state “makes education funding a priority” they get 10 points. Showing a progressively closing achievement gap is worth 30 points. Creating statewide academic standards is worth 40 points. There are 10 states that have opted to compete in Race for the Top. The Department of Education has the final say on winners, and the awards are based on both points and the number of
students.
Winners of Race To The Top: Round 1
Only two states met the federal government’s needs for round 1 of Race To The Top. Race To The Top cash will be going to Delaware and
Tennessee.
The Delaware education budget will get a $ 107 million increase, and Tennessee stands to receive up to $ 502
million. Many states are being left out of the funding, admitted Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education. However, he also stated that he hopes it will “light a fire” in statehouses across the nation. The determining factors for Delaware and Tennessee included the support of teachers unions and projects to increase student
achievement.
Scrambling for
Round 2 Race To The Top
Despite the fact that they created the program,
Congressional members left it with relatively few rules and regulations. Arne Duncan has created a “judged”
point system that weighs a state’s own reforms with the point system created for Race To The Top. Attaching student achievement to a principal or teacher’s performance is one worry of many states. Many other states have said they are very concerned that with so much money to lend, the government is still sentencing state education budgets to suffer. With huge spending budget deficits, most states cut education funding
first. There is still over $ 3 billion in the Race To The Top fund, and Round 2 “winners” could be declared in June.
