States face delays in implementing Race to the Top

The reports released Tuesday come four months after Chiefs for Change, a coalition of education leaders, wrote a letter encouraging Mr. Duncan to hold all winners accountable for improving achievement and implementing proposals.

“I think what you’re seeing now is implementation challenges,” said Eric Smith, Florida’s former education commissioner. “As with any reform effort … as you get into the weeds on some very challenging issues, there are adjustments that need to be made.”

The Race to the Top competition sought to reward states for agreeing to undertake ambitious education reforms. Dozens changed laws, introduced new teacher evaluation systems and lifted caps on charter schools in order to compete for the funds. The National Council on Teacher Quality issued a report in October that noted even several states that didn’t win funds have moved forward with reforms. It also noted that some Race to the Top states have not succeeded with legislative or regulatory changes to improve teacher effectiveness.

“In terms of teacher evaluations, I think most of the Race to the Top states really have their noses to the ground and are really moving ahead,” Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the Washington-based research and policy groups said. “There are certainly challenges. It’s a very heavy list they are trying to undertake.”

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest education union, said the delays aren’t surprising.

“States that applied for Race to the Top did so because they were cash strapped and looking for money anywhere, from any source to help kids,” she said. “And then what they tried to do is try to figure out how to take that money and apply it for the purposes intended and realize it’s a lot more complicated.”

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