Updated at 2:08 p.m.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the finalists in the second and last round of Race to the Top funding during an education speech to the at the National Press Club today.
Iowa didn’t make the list.
Instead, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina are in the running for $3.4 billion in federal dollars.
Iowa was among 35 states and the District of Columbia to apply for the second round of federal funding.
The state wasn’t named a finalist in the first round, either.
“While we were not chosen as a finalist, Iowa has a vision for reform that centers on students and preparing them for the many opportunities that await them beyond high school,” Iowa Department of Education Acting Director Kevin Fangman said. “As a result of this collaborative grant application effort, Iowa has developed a bold plan for the future of Iowa education. It is now time for us to look at the resources and partnerships we already have in place to move forward.”
Duncan said the 19 finalists were identified as having the “boldest plans,” but stressed that every state that applied will benefit from the ”process of collaboratively creating a comprehensive education reform agenda.”
“Much of the federal dollars we distribute though other channels can support their plan to raise standards, improve teaching, use data more effectively to support student learning, and turn around underperforming schools,” Duncan said.
Race to the Top was introduced last year as a way to reward the states that support reforms supported by the Obama administration. This includes lifting the limits charter schools, tying teacher evaluation to student performance and adopting rigorous learning standards.
Iowa was vying for up to $175 million in federal grant money.
From the beginning, Iowa educators and lawmakers were divided on Race to the Top’s mission. About 60 percent of Iowa’s 361 school districts signed agreements for the state’s first application. When Iowa failed to make the list of 15 finalists, it was hinted that the lack of support hurt the state.
Nearly 70 percent of the Iowa’s districts signed on for the second round of funding, including its eight largest school districts — Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Sioux City and Waterloo – but there were still reservations.
Cedar Rapids Superintendent Dave Benson stressed in his recommendation to support the program that Iowa’s application won’t require districts to adopt one of four models developed by the U.S. Department of Education to turn around its persistently lowest-achieving schools. Instead, districts will design their own school improvement plans. If a plan can’t be agreed upon during that time, the district can opt out of the program without penalty.
Some lawmakers say the state’s unwillingness to completely support Race to the Top’s guidelines hurt Iowa’s chances to advance in the competition.
“It should come as no surprise that Iowa was not selected as a finalist for the national ‘Race to the Top’ grant program considering Governor Culver and legislative democrats submitted an application that failed to meet the essential guidelines laid out by the Obama Administration,” Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, said in a released statement. “Senate republicans attempted to improve Iowa’s chances by advancing key areas regarding pay for performance, student achievement and charter schools among others but Culver and his allies chose to listen to their union bosses and instead ignore the needs of our students.”
Race to the Top’s first round of funding resulted in two winning states — Delaware and Tennessee. Combined, the states will receive $600 million.
Duncan expects to award grants to 10 to 15 states in the second round.
The 19 finalists will make formal, in-person presentations before a judging panel in next month. Winners will be named in September.
