On Monday Ed Week published an article positing that the priorities outlined in Race to the Top, a $4.35 billion competitive grant program created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, could be a template for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). One former Department of Education official interviewed for the story suggested that these priorities - including improving supports for struggling schools, quality and distribution of teachers, state data systems, and standards and assessments – could become compulsory for states receiving ESEA Title I funds, a wide departure from the current requirements for these funds that focus on equitable distribution of funds.
While the Race to the Top priorities closely reflect the Obama administration’s agenda for education, the administration made it clear from the beginning that they wanted an ESEA that was strong on outcomes but not on methods. One of No Child Left Behind’s greatest weaknesses, they believed, was that it was very strict about methods (i.e. testing and teacher qualifications) but weak on outcomes (i.e. standards and assessments).
In other words, 50 states currently measure student achievement based on 50 different sets of academic standards, resulting in vastly different ability levels across the county. A reauthorized ESEA that mandates the types of activities supported by Race to the Top would be considered exceptionally strict on methods in addition to being potentially strong on outcomes.