Inside Look at Ratings Plan - Michael Stratford, Inside Higher Ed

Inside Higher Ed obtained a copy of the department’s agreement with Research Triangle Institute (also called RTI International) last week after making a Freedom of Information Act request in January. The agreement, signed Dec. 31, expands an existing contract the department had with the firm for other data-related projects. Aside from providing the first glimpse at the direct costs associated with the ratings system -- which the administration has previously declined to disclose -- the document is a snapshot of officials’ thinking about the ratings system as of the end of December. The contract shows, for instance, that the department has considered forming a panel to vet the technical integrity of the ratings system, creating a formal process for colleges to challenge their data and allowing colleges to provide a narrative statement next to their ratings. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/04/20/education-department-signs-4-million-college-ratings-contract-eyes-ratings-appeals