In as little as a month, Hawaii is expected to know whether its $75 million Race to the Top grant remains at risk of being lost.

A team of federal reviewers wrapped up a weeklong visit Friday aimed at finding “compelling evidence” that Hawaii has made substantial progress on meeting key education reform goals in its Race to the Top plan.

The federal team’s visit came as the teachers union announced that negotiations aimed at ending a months-long labor dispute with the state will resume next week.

Hawaii State Teachers Association President Wil Okabe told members Thursday night that the state has offered to meet April 5 to “resume bargaining.” The union has long asked for negotiations to resume, and said the invitation is a “positive sign.”

“Getting back to the bargaining table is only half the battle,” Okabe said in a letter to members. “Getting a fair contract is the real challenge. We must continue pressing for a negotiated settlement.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education would not comment on what its team found during the visit. Sources said results of the review will likely be released in late April or early May.

“Our team has had very productive conversations and meetings throughout the week,” Liz Utrup, U.S. DOE assistant press secretary, said in an email statement. “We will continue working remotely with Hawaii officials on any outstanding areas and follow up on any additional details needed to gauge their Race to the Top accomplishments thus far and challenges moving forward.”

During the week, the four-person team met with state Department of Education leaders, Board of Education members, legislators, union officials and others.

Stephen Schatz, who heads up the DOE Office of Strategic Reform, said in a statement that the department “looks forward to hearing back from the U.S. Department of Education about the progress we’ve shown.”

He added, “We are happy to have had the opportunity to show the federal review team that we are moving forward on all of our projects.”

Hawaii’s Race to the Top grant, aimed at improving schools, raising student achievement and boosting teacher effectiveness, was placed on “high-risk” status in December, and the Obama administration warned the grant could be lost if more progress wasn’t made.

State officials contend Hawaii has secured significant gains since being put on notice, but acknowledge a host of challenges remain, not least of which is a months-long labor dispute with teachers that has stalled progress on key elements of the state’s Race plan.

Teachers continue to work under the terms of a “last, best and final” offer unilaterally implemented in July when negotiations fell apart.

There has been little progress on the labor front since teachers overwhelmingly rejected a proposal in voting Jan. 19. The contract offer included several elements of Hawaii’s Race to the Top plan, including a transition to performance-based teacher compensation and tenure rules.

While it wasn’t the only reason the grant was put on “high-risk” status, the long labor dispute has been considered among the greatest concerns federal officials have about the state’s ability to live up to its ambitious education pledges.

Okabe met with the federal reviewers Tuesday, alongside DOE leaders, in part to reassure the federal government that the union was committed to “collaboratively work together” with the state.

All of the meetings with the federal team were closed to the public, and the state would not release the agenda it had planned for the reviewers.

The visit by the federal team is the second time reviewers have been to Hawaii to analyze progress. The first was last June.

While the visits are scheduled to take place annually, Hawaii’s review this year was prioritized because of its high-risk status. The reviews are part of a push by the Obama administration to hold states accountable for the pledges they made to get the Race to the Top grants.

Hawaii was one of 10 winners — nine states and the District of Columbia — to get a grant in a second round of awards in August 2010.