Race to the Top Finalists Announced

Applications from 41 states and the District of Columbia were judged by 60 anonymous peer reviewers from across the US, including policy experts, former teachers, and lawyers to determine the “Race to the Top” finalists. States competing for the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” stimulus grant were asked to document past reform successes, as well as outline plans to: embrace common academic standards; improve teacher quality; create educational data systems; and turn around their lowest-performing schools.

Here is the full list of finalists as announced by the Obama administration:

• Colorado
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee

The first round of winners will be announced in April.