The American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides $4.3 billion for the Race to the Top
Fund (referred to in the statute as the State Incentive Grant
Fund). This is a competitive grant program. The purpose of the
program is to encourage and reward States that are creating the
conditions for education innovation and reform; achieving
significant improvement in student outcomes, including making
substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps,
improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring student
preparation for success in college and careers; and implementing
ambitious plans in four core education reform areas: (a) adopting
internationally-benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare
students for success in college and the workplace; (b) building
data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and
principals in how they can improve their practices; (c) increasing
teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher distribution;
and (d) turning around our lowest-achieving schools. The U.S.
Department of Education (the Department) will collect this data
from the 12 Race to the Top grantee states to inform its review of
grantee implementation, outcomes, oversight, and accountability.
The Department will use these forms to inform on-site
visits,
As work on the protocols
evolved, the Department concluded that it was more efficient and
effective to have a few common questions that would apply to all of
the grantees. Due to this unanticipated result of the protocol
development, the Department is requesting that the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) clear the monitoring protocol on an
emergency basis. This is the first year of implementation of a $4
billion dollar program, the largest discretionary grant program
ever administered by the Department. As a result, the program
continues to generate high public interest both for the Department
and the Administration. Delays in finalizing this collection would
also impede our ability to use this data to inform our technical
assistance (TA) efforts in the first year of program implementation
when support is critical. Additionally, as it is our intention to
use much of the data gathered through this monitoring protocol to
inform the on-site monitoring process, delay of clearance of this
document will also hinder our on-site monitoring process.
PL:
Pub.L. 111 - 5 14006 Name of Law: American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009
The number of respondents and
burden are adjusted here by 36 less respondents and 814 more hours
of burden. This adjustment reflects an incorrect number of
respondents and burden initially reported in the original
clearance, although the original supporting statement language did
correctly state the hours per respondent.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
RTT Protocols 83 C to update burden 5 19 11.pdf
REVISED Progress Update 4 20 11 highlighted.docx
OMB Change Worksheet.doc
Race to the Top Program Review Protocols