State loses out in federal school-funding competition

The competitive program for $4.35 billion was created by President Obama for states that pursue innovative educational improvements and overhauls of failing schools. More than $3 billion remains in the fund. Award amounts are based on a winning state's population. Massachusetts would have qualified for $250 million.

Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan unveiled the program in July 2009, saying the competition "will not be based on politics, ideology, or the preferences of a particular interest group. Instead, it will be based on a simple principle—whether a state is ready to do what works.''

In an interview today, state Education Secretary Paul Reville said he was disappointed that the state was passed over. He said he has not yet been told by US education officials where the state's application may have fallen short.

"We are committed to reworking the application and filing it again," said Reville, who added that he is interested in finding out how the federal government is defining "boldness." "Boldness is always a function of measure and perception."

Reville remained optimistic about the state's chances of being selected in subsequent rounds because of the state's long tradition of having high academic standards, which has often led the state's schoolchildren to score No. 1 on national standardized tests.
"Our track record is second to none," Reville said.

Reville, other state education officials, and Boston Superintendent Carol R. Johnson presented their proposal to a panel in Washington two weeks ago.

Delaware, home of Vice President Joe Biden, won $100 million; Tennessee won $500 million. That leaves about $3.4 billion left in the competition.

The two states secured the highest number of possible points. The US Education Department was vague about what specifically propelled those states' applications to the top, saying that both states have "aggressive plans to improve teacher and principal evaluation, use data to inform instructional decisions, and turn around their lowest-performing schools."

"We received many strong proposals from states all across America, but two applications stood out above all others: Delaware and Tennessee," Duncan said in a statement. "Both states have statewide buy-in for comprehensive plans to reform their schools. They have written new laws to support their policies. And they have demonstrated the courage, capacity, and commitment to turn their ideas into practices that can improve outcomes for students."

Two months ago, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a sweeping proposal, which Patrick signed into law, that aims to close the gap in achievement among different groups of students.

The law gives superintendent extraordinary powers to turn around failing schools, enabling them, for instance, to force teachers and principals to reapply for their positions, regardless of job performance. It also calls for opening more charter schools in school districts with the lowest MCAS scores.