Iowa's Race to the Top hopes dashed -- for now

Iowa didn't make the shortlist of the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top finalists. Instead, the federal government chose Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

These states earned the highest scores from peer reviewers, who awarded points based on a 500-point grading scale. The scales evaluated states' commitments to improve teacher effectiveness, data systems, academic standards, and low-performing schools.

Forty states and the District of Columbia submitted applications in the to the federal program.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in January that states in which all parties are committed to working together for education also will fare well. That statement put Iowa's application in question.

About 60 percent of the state's 361 school districts signed a memorandum of understanding, supporting the state's involvement in the program. The Iowa Association of School Board released an e-mail urging school board members to not sign the memorandum. Those who didn't said there wasn't enough information available at the time to have confidence in the program.

Only one of the state's eight  Urban Education Network of Iowa school districts - Iowa City - signed the memorandum of understanding. Even then, Superintendent Lane Plugge said it was done so reluctantly.

The 16 state finalists will send a five-person team to Washington, D.C. the week of March 15 to make a presentation to the peer reviewers. The winners will be announced in April.

States that don't receive money in the first round will have their applications returned to them with “specific” comments and suggestions. Those states can try again during the program's second application round.

The second round of applications are due June 1.