"The New Jersey Department of Education offered a glimpse yesterday into its strategy to win up to $400 million in federal Race to the Top stimulus funds.
Highlights include expanding the use of technology and student and teacher assessments to aid instruction and track progress, developing and rewarding outstanding teachers, turning around low-performing schools through support and intervention, and possibly closing those that continue to fail.
Those goals - consistent with federal guidelines for the $4.35 billion mega-pot of education aid - were discussed yesterday in Trenton by state education officials and close to 600 administrators, school board members, and union officials from about 200 districts."