Passing Rates Keep Plummeting as States Race to the Top

July 31st, 2010 by admin

Race to the Top finalists announced on Tuesday is currently the most discussed event on the education agenda. The second round of the competition for $4,3 billion state award yielded positive results but also sparkled the new wave of controversy over the raise of state schools testing standards.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington on Tuesday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced 19 winners of the second round of the Race to the Top Program.

The finalists appeared to be Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina, with each receiving over 400 points in the 500-point evaluating scale.

While round 1 brought victory to only two States – Delaware and Tennessee – the significant increase in Round 2 winners shows their greater involvement in the reform process.

The $4,3 billion award winners – from 10 to 15 states, according to Mr. Duncan – will be announced in September. He stressed the final number will depend on the size of the states winning the most points.

The controversial program received warm responses from many experts, with such think tanks as Achieve Inc. and WesEd (education research groups) calling it viable and coherent. The supporters indicate the program spurs states’ competition for education reform. Since its inception, 23 states have passed reforms aimed at increase of charter schools and amending the teaching staff evaluation system.

The [stimulus package] has unleashed an avalanche of pent-up educational reform activity at the state and at the local level,” Mr. Duncan said.

New York, for example, has more than doubled its number of charter schools and tied teacher evaluations to schools performance. Colorado passed a major overhaul of teacher tenure and evaluation rules, despite staunch union opposition. Louisiana pushed the law that stipulates more rigorous evaluation procedure for teachers.

However, the program is subject to fierce criticism as well. Critics point at its totally wrong timing when state education budgets cannot afford the long-term competition. They also worry that the program lacks strategic thinking and seeks to improve the K-12 system with dubious methods.

“Providing money for education basing upon the competition is a totally wrong move. Especially if this competition is based on methods which are anti-teacher and anti-student by their essence”, – said Matthew Barney, ProfEssays.com economic expert and Race to the Top consistent opponent.

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