Idaho didn't make the list of finalists for billions in "Race to the Top" federal grants, officials announced today. Idaho had applied for $120 million for its public schools, which are facing steep funding cuts next year; state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna had touted the grant program as the state's only shot at increased school funding next year. Luna said Idaho still has a chance in the second round of applications, which will be taken in June; click below to read a full report from AP reporter Jessie Bonner.

Idaho not among 'Race to the Top' finalists
By JESSIE L. BONNER, Associated Press Writer

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho and 24 others states didn't make the cut during the first round of the U.S. Department of Education's "Race to the Top" competition, which will award $4.35 billion in grants for school reform.

The 16 finalists named Thursday include Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee. The winners will be chosen in April, and a second round of applications accepted in June.

Idaho sought $120 million for public schools, which face unprecedented cuts in the coming year.

State lawmakers on Wednesday agreed on a budget that gives schools $128 million less in 2011, saying this is the first year in Idaho history that total public education funding has been cut.

In a memo to school districts after the finalists were named, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said he still believes Idaho has an opportunity during the second round of the Race to the Top competition.

"I am disappointed Idaho has not been awarded in the first round, but from the beginning, I made it clear that I thought Idaho had a 50-50 chance," Luna said. "Still, I thought it was worth the effort to apply."

Applications were read and scored by panels of five peer reviewers. Those with the highest average score were selected to visit Washington later this month to present their proposals. The federal Education Department expects no more than half of the money to be awarded in the first phase of the competition.

States were asked to concentrate their proposals on four areas: adopting standards and assessments to better prepare students for careers and college; getting high-quality teachers into classroom; turning around low-performing schools; and creating data systems to track performance.

About half of Idaho's 115 school districts signed onto the state's application, which proposed spending a large portion of the money on a pilot program to pay teachers based on performance. There was also money for a system to better track student achievement and boost opportunities for high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit.

Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, introduced a bill last month to revise a state law limiting the number of new charter schools to six a year, an attempt to make sure Idaho's current rules didn't hurt its odds under Race to the Top.

The bill lifts limits on charter schools for low-income, minority, at-risk and immigrant student populations, along with kids who have disabilities or are gifted and talented. It was passed by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.

"I can't really say one way or the other why we weren't a finalists," said Melissa McGrath, a spokeswoman for Idaho's Department of Education. "We could understand there were some areas where we wouldn't get the full points."

For example, Idaho is among few states without a longitudinal data system to collect and monitor individual student test scores, attendance and other data from the time they enroll in kindergarten. The state has been working for the past few years to build its system, applying for a federal grant to expand the program to track students through college.

___

On the Net:

Idaho State Department of Education: http://www.sde.idaho.gov

U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

---

---