Tennessee to the Top: One State’s Pursuit to Win Race to the Top
Abstract
In 2009, a seldom-used policy lever emerged in the form of a competitive grant program, Race to the Top (RTTT), and sparked a flurry of state-led initiatives as states vied for federal dollars. The current study examines the policymaking context that surrounded these events and propelled Tennessee to the top of the race among the states. Through interviews with legislators and bureaucrats, I analyze the state-level processes instigated by a federal program in which all but four states participated, but fewer than half were winners. My examination details the parallels between the RTTT guidelines, Tennessee’s efforts, including the Special Session in the General Assembly, and the state’s plan for improving education in the state as outlined in their RTTT application.
Faculty Members
- Maida A. Finch - Salisbury University, MD, USA
Themes
- political influences on education
- state-level policy analysis
- educational policy
- educational reform initiatives
- competitive grant programs
Categories
- Higher education and community college administration
- Education leadership and administration
- Education policy analysis
- Education
- Social sciences
- Education research nec
- Public policy analysis
- Higher education evaluation and research
- Political science and government
- Education research
- Educational leadership and administration, general
- Political science and government, general
- Sociology, general
- Sociology, demography, and population studies
- Sociology, demography, and population studies nec