Florida is among 19 states named as finalists for more than $3 billion available in the second round of funding in the Race to the Top program, a release from the U.S. Department of Education stated on Tuesday.
The other finalists are: Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.
U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan said that thirty-five states and the District of Columbia submitted blueprints for reform and peer reviewers identified these 19 finalists as having the boldest plans.
In the first round of competition supporting state-based reforms, Delaware and Tennessee won grants based on their comprehensive plans to reform their schools and the statewide support for those plans.
Florida, while named among 15 states that advanced as a finalists of the Race to the Top competition, was not successful in securing funds in the first round.
The 19 finalists chosen today will travel to Washington during the week of Aug. 9 to present their plans to the peer reviewers who scored their applications. After the state’s presentations and an extended question-and-answer period, the peer reviewers will finalize their scores and comments.
The winners in the second round of the competition are expected to be announced in September.
Race to the Top is the Department’s multi-billion dollar effort to dramatically re-shape America’s educational system to better engage and prepare students for success in a competitive 21st century economy and workplace.
