The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 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 acheivement 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 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.
In order to fulfill our responsibilities for programmatic oversight and public reporting, the Department has developed a Race to the Top Annual Performance Report (APR) that is tied directly to the Race to the Top selection criteria and priorities previously established and published in the Federal Register. The report is grounded in the key performance targets included in grantees' approved Race to the Top plans. Grantees will be required to report on their progress in the four core education reform areas and in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This reporting includes narrative sections on progress and key performance indicators. As was the case in the completion of the Race to the Top applications, grantees will coordinate with LEAs to collect and report on school and district-level data elements.
In order to robustly fulfill our programmatic and fiscal oversight responsibilities, it is essential that we gather this data from Race to the Top grantees and subgrantees. In the first year of the grant, the APR was collected through an emergency clearance approval. In order to allow for a comprehensive assessment of progress for the remaining grant period to both update the public and Congress about Race to the Top and pinpoint areas requiring technical assistance, we are requesting a three-year clearance with this form.
Additionally, through the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (FY 2011 Appropriations Act), the Department made a total of $200 million in grants to seven additional States in Phase 3 to invest in a portion of their plans from the Phase 2 competition. The Department is requesting these States, who will complete a sub-set of the APR based on their approved plans, be included in the three-year clearance with this form.
PL:
Pub.L. 111 - 5 14006
Name of Law: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009
This is a reinstatement without change of a previously approved request. This collection was discontinued in January 2012, therefore the inventory for this request is zero. This request reflects a program change of 1,845 hours and 19 responses based on the average upper and lower ranges explained in question A.12.A. There was an increase in the number of grantees from 12 to 19 and an additional 69 burden hours.
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.
Race to the Top Annual Report
Supporting Statement for the Race to the Top Annual Performance Report 6 25 12.docx
Race to the Top Annual Report