A new report by the Economic Policy Institute finds big flaws in the Race to the Top program and questions how much the $4 billion spent to spur education improvements in states will improve student outcomes.
The report was released last week by the American Association of School Administrators and the Broader Bolder Approach to Education, a national campaign launched by the institute. Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s signature education improvement tool, led to a fierce competition among states. Eleven states and the District of Columbia shared the original $4 billion.
The report found that states: set goals for improving student achievement that will be nearly impossible to make; encountered numerous delays in implementing teacher-evaluation systems; and, focused on the tested subjects at the expense of others, particularly when it comes to evaluating educators who work in non-tested subjects, such as the arts.
