Race to the Top Fund

Some $5 billion of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund has been reserved for two competitive grant competitions. States will compete for $4 billion worth of “Race to the Top” grants to improve education quality and student results statewide. Among the areas that applications for these grants must address are whether the state has a longitudinal data system that complies with the requirements of the America COMPETES (America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science) Act. (Click here if you would like to review that law’s requirements.)

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) is expected to provide further details in the coming months, with the first round of applications expected to be due in December 2009, and the first round of grants scheduled to be awarded in March 2010. Applications for the second round of applications are expected to be due in June 2010.

USDOE has already announced that $350 million of the total will be spent to help states develop common, rigorous standards in English and mathematics for students in grades K-12. The department will help states pay for the costs of developing the standards.

Click here for updated information on these programs.