As it winds up its post-election “lame duck” session, Congress faces several unfinished education appropriation decisions of interest to Connecticut. Among them is a proposed extension of the “Race to the Top” (RTTT) grant program, which rewards states for their progress on teacher quality, academic achievement, and school improvement. Despite passing a major education reform law in 2010, Connecticut received no money in the first two rounds of the RTTT competition.
Because Congress has not passed any appropriations bills for the 2011 federal fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2010, programs are funded at 2010 levels under a series of continuing resolutions, the latest of which expired on December 21. Even if Congress approves it, third-round funding will be lower than the $4.3 billion already awarded. The administration requested $1.35 billion and, in the initial appropriations bills, the House approved $800 million and the Senate, $675 million. After those bills failed to pass, a House-approved “extender” appropriated $550 million for RTTT Round 3. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pulled the appropriations bill from the Senate floor because of a disagreement over earmarks, leaving RTTT Round 3 funding on hold probably until at least mid-February or March.
Funding for other major competitive education grants is looking less likely. These include an Early Learning Challenge Fund designed to encourage states to improve early childhood education and funded in the House extender at $300 million, and a new round of “i3” (Investing in Innovation) grants intended to spur innovative practices for improving student achievement and closing achievement gaps and funded in the House extender at $240 million.
