California made the list of finalists for the second round of Race to the Top funding. It was among 18 states to do so.
This week, state education officials will defend the application before U.S. Department of Education peer reviewers. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said all finalist will be awarded grants. Final award announcements to share the $3.4 billion remaining will be made in September.
We lost the bid for the first round and scrambled to reinvent education policies to appease standards set by Duncan. Three conditions are:

  • Use student data to improve academic achievement.



  • Place the best teachers and principals in the neediest schools.