Comments on: Random Thoughts on the Race to the Top http://www.quickanded.com/2009/11/random-thoughts-on-the-race-to-the-top.html The Quick and the Ed is an education blog published by Education Sector, an independent think tank in Washington D.C. The Quick and the Ed offers in-depth analysis on the latest in education policy and research. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:36:51 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: Two Helpful Race to the Top Blog Entries on the Web « http://www.quickanded.com/2009/11/random-thoughts-on-the-race-to-the-top.html/comment-page-1#comment-2549 Two Helpful Race to the Top Blog Entries on the Web « Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:35:13 +0000 http://www.quickanded.com/?p=8659#comment-2549 [...] ARRA to obtain this information), and that lack of emphasis on ensuring states implement the plans. Click here to read the entire [...] [...] ARRA to obtain this information), and that lack of emphasis on ensuring states implement the plans. Click here to read the entire [...]

]]> By: 10 things you should know about Race to the Top « Law and Education Blog http://www.quickanded.com/2009/11/random-thoughts-on-the-race-to-the-top.html/comment-page-1#comment-2500 10 things you should know about Race to the Top « Law and Education Blog Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:14:45 +0000 http://www.quickanded.com/?p=8659#comment-2500 [...] implement the wonderful plans that they create once they receive the funding.  One commentator put it very well: I expect the plans to be truly impressive with the level of investment that Gates is making in [...] [...] implement the wonderful plans that they create once they receive the funding.  One commentator put it very well: I expect the plans to be truly impressive with the level of investment that Gates is making in [...]

]]> By: Dee Alpert http://www.quickanded.com/2009/11/random-thoughts-on-the-race-to-the-top.html/comment-page-1#comment-2492 Dee Alpert Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:07:02 +0000 http://www.quickanded.com/?p=8659#comment-2492 How timely! The US DOE's OIG just issued an audit of how the NYS Ed. Dept. (NYSED) will handle ARRA funds. Since NYSED claimed it would use the same programs, procedures and processes as it used for "regular" federal grant program funds, the OIG audited those. The findings should make NYSED ineligible for Race to the Top and all other ARRA funds. In sum, the OIG found that NYSED neither audits nor verifies anything that districts report re Title 1 and IDEA expenditures. A prior federal Single Audit reported that NYSED neither audited nor verified anything that districts reported for Title 1 and IDEA expenditures - and for student-related data. One would have assumed that NYSED was required to clean up its act after that, but apparently wasn't. The OIG's conclusion was that ARRA funds given by USDOE to NYSED, for distribution to districts, would not be protected from fraud or waste. A very bottom line in accountability is that you need legitimate, reliable, verifiable data in order to make intelligent decisions about what works and what doesn't. With data like this, USDOE will never be able to make any such judgment re funds given to NYS. In fact, the only way to insure that ARRA funds, and underlying "regular" federal grant program funds, are spent properly and as per approved grant applications, is to declare it a "high risk grantee" and only allow it to disburse federal funds to districts after a USDOE OIG auditor has signed off on each individual check. The USDOE OIG's bombshell audit can be found here: "New York State System of Internal Control Over American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds," http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/auditreports/fy2010/a02j0006.pdf. It's not one of those audits with pages filled with columns of figures that make your eyes glaze. It's a short, well-written summary of overall OIG findings. And it's in reasonably plain English. How timely! The US DOE’s OIG just issued an audit of how the NYS Ed. Dept. (NYSED) will handle ARRA funds. Since NYSED claimed it would use the same programs, procedures and processes as it used for “regular” federal grant program funds, the OIG audited those. The findings should make NYSED ineligible for Race to the Top and all other ARRA funds. In sum, the OIG found that NYSED neither audits nor verifies anything that districts report re Title 1 and IDEA expenditures. A prior federal Single Audit reported that NYSED neither audited nor verified anything that districts reported for Title 1 and IDEA expenditures – and for student-related data. One would have assumed that NYSED was required to clean up its act after that, but apparently wasn’t. The OIG’s conclusion was that ARRA funds given by USDOE to NYSED, for distribution to districts, would not be protected from fraud or waste.

A very bottom line in accountability is that you need legitimate, reliable, verifiable data in order to make intelligent decisions about what works and what doesn’t. With data like this, USDOE will never be able to make any such judgment re funds given to NYS.

In fact, the only way to insure that ARRA funds, and underlying “regular” federal grant program funds, are spent properly and as per approved grant applications, is to declare it a “high risk grantee” and only allow it to disburse federal funds to districts after a USDOE OIG auditor has signed off on each individual check.

The USDOE OIG’s bombshell audit can be found here: “New York State System of Internal Control Over American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds,” http://www.ed.gov/about/office.....2j0006.pdf. It’s not one of those audits with pages filled with columns of figures that make your eyes glaze. It’s a short, well-written summary of overall OIG findings. And it’s in reasonably plain English.

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