By Susannah Mayhall

As temperatures drop and children and parents settle back into the school routine, the presidential campaign engines are blasting ahead at full force, gearing up for what is sure to be a close race in November. Though not quite as prevalent in the news as big-ticket legislature such as Health Care Reform, educational reform has received significant focus during Obama's first term as President.  A look back at some of the highlights provides an overview of the impact this administration's priorities have had on education grant funding during the last four years.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF)

A one-time push for State Educational Agencies, the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund infused approximately $50 billion into states' education efforts through the Recovery Act.  This program provided funding to advance education reforms aimed at students from early learning through post-secondary education.  It also served to stabilize state and local budgets in order to minimize reductions in education and other public services that would result from vanishing budgets and recession-related strains.  Funding was provided based on formula and could be used to support initiatives from facility modernization to teacher retention. Of the $53.6 billion allocated to the program, $48.6 billion went directly to governors and $5 billion was retained for the competitive Race to the Top and Investing in What Works and Innovation (later Investing in Innovation) programs.

Race to the Top

The Race to the Top program, initiated through the Recovery Act, made $4 billion available through competitively-awarded funds.  During Phases 1 and 2 of the program, states could apply for funding to advance strategic reforms centered around four key areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

Although only two states (Delaware and Tennessee) were awarded during Phase 1, nine states and the District of Columbia were funded later in 2010 during Phase 2.  An additional seven states received awards during Phase 3 in 2011.

Over the past two years, Race to the Top has branched out to include three additional funding arms: the Race to the Top Assessment Program, Race to the Top: Early Learning Challenge, and Race to the Top District Competition. 

Investing in Innovation

Another Recovery Act Program, the Investing in Innovation Fund was developed to provide competitive grants to applicants with a record of improving student achievement and attainment in order to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that are demonstrated to have an impact on improving student achievement or student growth, closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high school graduation rates, or increasing college enrollment and completion rates.

The program, which has awarded nearly $800 million over two years, is divided into three legs:  Development, Validation, and Scale-Up grants, each requiring different levels of evidence supporting the success of the proposed project.  In addition, each competition is divided among absolute and competitive preference priorities designated in the program guidance. Awards have supported projects that focus on improving Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, raising teacher and principal effectiveness, improving achievement, and turning around low-performing schools. 

Other Programs

Promise Neighborhoods Program

The Promise Neighborhoods Program, authorized under the Fund for the Improvement of Education Program, was first funded in 2010 with $10 million in awards distributed in the form of one-year grants to support planning efforts to develop Promise Neighborhoods in 21 communities across the U.S.  Funding for the program has increased dramatically in the past two years, with nearly $30 million available in 2011 and $60 million in 2012.

The purpose of this program is to significantly improve the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth in the most distressed communities, focusing on the following methods of transformation:

1. Identifying and increasing the capacity of eligible entities that are focused on achieving results for children and youth throughout an entire neighborhood;
2. Building a complete continuum of cradle-to-career solutions of both educational programs and family and community supports, with great schools at the center;
3. Integrating programs and breaking down agency “silos” so that solutions are implemented effectively and efficiently across agencies;
4. Developing the local infrastructure of systems and resources needed to sustain and scale up proven, effective solutions across the broader region beyond the initial neighborhood; and
5. Learning about the overall impact of the Promise Neighborhoods program and about the relationship between particular strategies in Promise Neighborhoods and student outcomes, including through a rigorous evaluation of the program.

The initial round of planning grants was followed in 2011 by an additional planning grants competition and the first round of implementation grants.  Thus far, the program has funded Promise Neighborhoods activities in 18 states and the District of Columbia. The program is expected to continue in subsequent years.

What's to Come

While the long-term effects of these programs are yet to be seen, they have generated intense competition for funding and serve as a demonstration of government officials utilizing grant programs to implement policy changes as school districts across the nation make systemic changes to comply with grant regulations.  

The results of the November election will likely have a great impact on the future of these programs and other education reform policies. Among the GOP ticket's education platform highlights are increased parental choice, the development of annual state testing, increasing testing transparency, supporting charter school networks, and increasing state-led reform while decreasing federal oversight.  While the impact this plan might have on grant funding for K-12 schools is unknown, with the plan's emphasis on decreasing federal "micromanagement" and its criticism of the concept that dedicating more money to education is necessary for improving student performance, it seems likely that federal funding for education programs will not increase under a Romney administration, and could possibly decrease. Should Obama win re-election, funding for his key reform initiatives is anticipated to continue, with an emphasis on early learning opportunities, smarter student data systems, college and career-readiness, school modernization, parent engagement, retaining effective teachers, school turnaround, and reforming No Child Left Behind.

Education reform is a hot-button issue and remains a key focus for both candidates. However, with two very different approaches to accomplishing the needed reform looming, the future of federal education funding over the next four years is uncertain.  At any rate, time will tell if the influx of federal support in recent years will yield the anticipated results and lead to greater school performance and a more successful future for America's students.