Last week the Department of Education released the proposed requirements for the new round of Race to the Top (RTT) grants (not to be confused with the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge, which is a separate competition). This year, $200 million is up for grabs, with only the finalists from the last round invited to participate. These states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
The application process will likely take place in two parts. In part one, states will submit their applications along with an assurance that they 1) are dedicated to school reform in general and to improving STEM education in particular; and 2) still meet the base conditions for reform laid out in their phase two applications.
Part two of the process will include notifying states of the final amount of funds they are eligible for, and will require applicants to submit a detailed narrative and budget describing how they will use the funds, and demonstrate in particular that a “meaningful share” of its award will go towards advancing STEM education in the state.
The amount of funding available to each eligible state depends on their share of the national population of school-age children. Colorado, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Kentucky are eligible for $12.25 million each; Arizona for $17.5 million; Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey for $28 million; and California for $49 million. If a state does not apply or does not meet the requirements, its share will be divided among the others.
Comments on the proposed requirements are invited until October 11. The final requirements and application package are scheduled to be available in mid-November, with applications due in mid-December and awards announced in late December.
For more information, please visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html
