New RTTT competition announced, targets Early Learning
The majority of the Obama administration’s remaining 2013 Race to the Top funds – some $370 million – will be available for states looking to develop successful early learning programs for children, according to an announcement Tuesday.
While $250 million will be used to fund a second Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant competition, $120 million will be made available as part of a second round of the Race to the Top-District competition, which supports locally-developed plans to personalize student learning, improve achievement and the close achievement gap.
“Expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities is simply one of the best investments we can make in our country, and these funds can help states develop and strengthen programs that serve America’s youngest learners,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement.
The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge is a key part of President Barack Obama’s comprehensive early learning agenda. The program is jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the two agencies are working closely together on new initiatives to expand and improve services for children from birth through age 5.
California was a winner last year in the first round of the competition, earning a $53 million grant it is using to create a