The ED expressed the critical need to assemble panels of qualified individuals with expertise in personalized learning environments, district reform and school level operations, application review and evaluation, serving rural students or in rural areas, serving high-needs students, and the four core educational assurance areas – including college-and career-ready standards and assessments, data systems to improve instruction, great teachers and leaders, and turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

 As a RTT-D reviewer, Dr. Johnson-Leslie travelled to Washington DC for an intensive 2 day training October 22-23. She then reviewed 8 applications off-site (from 350-800 pages) and 2 on-site in Washington D. C November 27 to December 1. It was on November 29, 2013 meeting in DC that Dr. Johnson-Leslie had the opportunity of meeting Secretary Arne Duncan. Not willing to give up such an opportunity of a lifetime, she posed 2 Socratic questions to him during the Q & A session and got a photo opportunity as a result.

 In order to protect the integrity of the peer review process, ensure objectivity and a "level playing field" for all applicants, and to avoid even the appearance of bias all reviewers had to protect the confidentiality of the process from start to finish. We do hope this is the start of a strong relationship between the Department of Education in DC and the College of Education at Arkansas State University.