During Ohio's gubernatorial race former Governor Ted Strickland's campaign placed Race to the Top funding in the spotlight.? Strickland asserted that Ohio's $400 million in RttT winnings could fall into jeopardy if John Kasich scrapped the ?evidence-based? model of school funding. (We disagreed.)? The dispute lasted for weeks as both Strickland and Kasich discussed the issue with Secretary Duncan and the Department of Education.? Strickland refuted Kasich's claim that Duncan would allow Ohio to keep the money if changes were made to the school funding model, despite evidence that Kasich and Duncan held their own conversation on the issue.
Last week, Ohio's RttT funding came into question again in a blog by Meisha Headen, head of Ohio's Cleveland-based Democrats for Education Reform.? Ms. Headen expressed concern about how much leniency will be allowed before Duncan and the Department penalize Ohio for not adhering to the reform policies outlined in the state's winning application. Luckily for Headen and others still wondering, the Obama Administration recently released guidelines for the RttT grant amendment process.
According to the guidelines, revisions to goals, activities, timelines, budget, or annual targets can be made provided that three conditions are met:
1. Such revisions do not result in the grantee's failure to comply with the terms and conditions of this award and the program's statutory and regulatory provisions.
2. The revisions do not change the overall scope and objectives of the approved proposal.
3. The Department and the grantee mutually agree in writing to such revisions.? The Department has sole discretion to determine whether to agree to such revisions or modifications.
Grant-formality-speak aside, the point is that only changes that significantly alter ?the overall scope and objectives? would be problematic, and even then ? the feds would have a chance to shoot them down before yanking Ohio's money.
The clarification provided by the Obama Administration proves that Ohio can keep the $400 million even if portions of the evidence-based model are scrapped, as long as reform proposals by Governor Kasich remain aligned with the four pillars of RttT.? The four pillars of the program are:
- Developing robust longitudinal data programs
- Producing great teachers and leaders
- Turning around failing schools
- Accountability and assessment of teachers and schools
The ball is now in Governor Kasich's court as his team moves forward with education policy reforms.? Kasich has expressed that his administration shares the core principles for education reform outlined in RttT ? if anything, he's taken a hard-line approach in particular areas like teacher accountability.
Andrew Proctor?is a Policy & Research Intern in Fordham's Columbus, Ohio office.