2011-12 Federal Budget: Department of Education Overview PDF - Provides an overview of the 2011-12 federal education budget, identifies programs that experienced significant funding changes from last year’s budget, and breaks out 2011 vs. 2012 appropriations for key federal programs. (Emily Workman, ECS, January 2012)...

Race to the Top Round II Winners PDF - Today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced 10 Race to the Top (RttT) round II winners. Almost $3.4 billion remains in RttT federal funds and should be awarded to the 10 winning round II applicants by October. Two states, Delaware and Tennessee won grants in round I of the competition earlier this year. Secretary Duncan stated in that "[w]e’re very hopeful there will be a Phase 3 of Race to the Top and have requested $1.35 billion dollars in next year’s budget" to continue the grant competition. (Molly Ryan, Education Commission of the States, August 2010)...

Pay for Performance Proposals in Race to the Top Round II Applications PDF - The Education Commission of the States reviewed all 36 Race to the Top (RttT) Round II applications. Each of the 36 states that applied for Round II funding referenced pay for performance under the heading of "Improving teacher and principal effectiveness based on performance." The majority of states outlined pay for performance initiatives to be implemented upon receipt of RttT funds. Key takeaways from the 36 applications are reviewed in this paper. (Stephanie Rose, July 2010)...

Proposed Cuts in Race to the Top Funding: Potential Impact on States MS Word PDF - This briefing memo summarizes recent Race to the Top developments and breaks down the remaining funds available to round II applicants before and after the House’s proposed $500 million budget cut. ECS estimates the number of states that could receive round II funding, and the potential impact on states of the proposed budget cut. (Stephanie Rose, Education Commission of the States, July 2010)...

Investing in Innovation Fund PDF - ...

Proposed State Uses of Stabilization Funding PDF - This ECS Alert examines stabilization funding and includes information on front-loading of funds versus actual spending, splitting education funds and state variation on planned expenditures of government service issues. (Mike Griffith, Education Commission of the States, November 2009)...

Investing in Innovation Fund PDF - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently announced the proposed priorities for grants under the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund (i3 grants). Although these funds are directed toward individual school districts or groups of school districts, this Alert presents ways in which states could assist districts or consortiums with their grant applications. (Molly Ryan, Education Commission of the States, October 2009)...

An American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding Opportunity: Redesigning Remedial and Developmental Education MS Word PDF - This ECS Alert describes the various sources of ARRA funds and offers suggestions for how states and postsecondary institutions might use this funding for one-time investments in education technology and curriculum development. Such investments would help meet the education and training needs of the growing dislocated worker population while also increasing the long-term level of institutional productivity. (Bruce Vandal, Education Commission of the States, June 2009) ...

Maximizing Education Reform in the Stimulus Bill: Enhancing Summer Learning Programs MS Word PDF - A joint paper from the Education Commission of the States and the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University identifies how states can use summer learning programs to maximize new federal funds while also increasing their chances of receiving additional federal funding through the Race to the Top awards program. (Jeff Smink and Mike Griffith, Education Commission of the States and National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University, April 2009)...

State ARRA Web Sites MS Word PDF - The following table provides links to ARRA education-related Web pages developed by state executive branches (governor's office or a delegated agency) and state education agencies (SEA). Where states have two ARRA-related Web sites — both sites are listed. (Jennifer Dounay, Education Commission of the States, April 2009)...

Race to the Top: Promising State Models MS Word PDF - Through the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the U.S. Department of Education will conduct a national competition among states for a $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" incentive program designed to push states to improve education quality and results. The Race to the Top fund will help drive substantial gains in student achievement by supporting states that make dramatic progress on four reform goals outlined in the ARRA. Race to the Top grants will be awarded in two rounds — fall 2009 and spring 2010. This overview document provides links to legislation and other state sources highlighted in ECS’ March 2009 "Race to the Top" Briefing Memos on Goals 1, 2, 3 and 4. (Jennifer Dounay, Education Commission of the States, March 2009)...

Maximizing Education Reform in the Stimulus Bill: Building State Innovation Funds PDF - As states prepare for the disbursement of billions of dollars from the stimulus’ stabilization fund, many state officials are grappling with how to best simultaneously shore up district budget deficits and maximize the opportunity to reform policies and practices that impede student achievement. Education Commission of the States (ECS) and Teach for America (TFA) have produced an idea paper for states to consider as each begins this important work. (Michael Griffith, Education Commission of the States, March 2009)...

Federal Barriers to Innovation - This paper identifies three fiscal requirements of Title I and IDEA Part B that they assert encourage the status quo, instilling in districts a deference for existing staffing and spending patterns. The report recommends a number of reforms to make federal programs more favorable to innovation: closing the Title I comparability loophole, streamlining its supplement-not-supplant requirement, and instituting a challenge waiver system for IDEA Part B maintenance of effort. (Center on Reinventing Public Education, November 2012)...

School Improvement Grants: Analyses of State Applications and Eligible and Awarded Schools - Since passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, two cohorts have received School Improvement Grants (SIG), implementing them in 2010 and 2011. This Ed. Dept. analysis of the two groups found most applications in Cohort II were new lists and most planned refinements of practices used the year before by Cohort I. Both cohorts tended to favor the transformation model; they tended to be high-poverty, high-minority, and urban. However, Cohort II was smaller, featured a higher percentage of elementary schools, a higher percentage of Hispanic students and a lower percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. (National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, October 2012)...

Unequal Education: Federal Loophole Enables Lower Spending on Students of Color - According to this report, "students of color are being shortchanged across the country when compared to their white peers." The author asserts that there is, on average, 40% variation in school funding within districts, and that inequality in school funding does not stem from disparities in property tax bases, as is commonly assumed. The report analyzes newly available data on school spending to make the case that the so-called "comparability loophole" should be closed. (Center for American Progress, August 2012)...

What Impact Did Education Stimulus Funds Have on States and School Districts - This report from the Center on Education Policy (CEP) examines the impact education stimulus funds have had on states and school districts. The report synthesizes findings across six reports published by CEP from December 2009 to February 2012, and distills themes and conclusions based on a retrospective look at the effects of ARRA on K-12 education. (CEP, July 2012)...

State Implementation and Perceptions of Title I School Improvement Grants under the Recovery Act: One Year Later - Based on a winter 2011-12 survey of state directors of the federal Title I program, this report examines the first year of state implementation of the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program. It focuses on state processes for renewing the SIG awards made for school year 2010-11, state assistance to schools, and general perceptions of the ARRA SIG program requirements. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia participated in the survey. (Center on Education Policy, March, 2012)...

Competing for School Improvement Dollars: State Grant-Making Strategies - This paper takes a closer look at state grant-making strategies for federal school improvement dollars. Further, it reviews the way in which state funding practices for school improvement have changed as a result of the updated School Improvement Grant program (SIG) requirements and how states have used their flexibility to implement a competitive grant process. Specifically, this paper details the approach that three states have taken in administering their grant competitions. These states illuminate the spectrum of competitiveness in the state grant-making process that has emerged as a result of the new school improvement regulations. (Center for American Progress, March 2012) ...

After the Stimulus Money Ends: The Status of State K-12 Education Funding and Reforms - This report, which is based on a fall 2011 survey of state education agency officials, finds that state spending cuts for K-12 education seemed to have bottomed out in many states, although some states are still strapped for funds. The report also examines states’ efforts to implement the four school reforms they promised to address in their applications for federal stimulus funds. (Center on Education Policy, 2012) ...

The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund and Higher Education Spending--Part 2 of 4 - This report explores how states distributed federal education stimulus funds and illuminates where stimulus money helped hide major state budget cuts to higher education. The report also identifies the states where major battles over college funding are emerging. (New America Foundation, May 2011)...

Evaluating ARRA Programs and Other Educational Reforms: A Guide for States - This guide provides straightforward strategies to help integrate evaluation into educational reform efforts. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided states and districts with important opportunities to strengthen efforts to improve educational outcomes for all children by implementing new comprehensive reform initiatives or expanding existing innovative programs. (American Institutes for Research and Mathematica Policy Research, April 2011)...

More to Do, But Less Capacity To Do It: States' Progress in Implementing the Recovery Act Education Reforms - This report, based on an October 2010 survey of state education officials, discusses state education budgets, implementation of initiatives to support the four American Recovery and Reinvestment Act reform assurances, state education agency capacity, and Race to the Top. The authors found that while federal stimulus funds have helped states build momentum for school reform, state budget woes threaten to stall progress. (Center on Education Policy, February 2011)...

The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund and Higher Education Spending in the States - An examination of available state budget information can help address whether the stabilization fund was successful in supporting state higher education spending or if it enabled states to make larger cuts to their higher education spending than they otherwise would have. This paper is the first in a four-part series examining the stabilization fund's effect on state spending for higher education. (New America Foundation, December 2010)...