Fed contest offers states million$ in school aid

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan yesterday announced a federal competition that will have states vying for a slice of $4.35 billion in funding, the largest federal investment in school reform to date.

In a phone conference with reporters, Duncan said that states can apply for the first phase of the Race to the Top competition. Applications are due in January and winners will be announced in the spring, he said.

If chosen for a grant, Pennsylvania and New Jersey would each be eligible for between $200 million and $400 million.

Fewer than half the states are likely to win the money.

The program, funded by the federal stimulus act, is designed to reward states that can demonstrate a record of raising student performance, have built a system to measure student progress, and track teacher and principals' practices.

"It's about changing the status quo," Duncan said. "This is giving every state a chance to lead the country where it needs to go."

The judging panel will evaluate applications on methods used to turn around struggling schools, to increase teacher effectiveness and to achieve equity in teacher distribution.

For weeks Pennsylvania education officials have consulted with lawmakers, superintendents and education advocates to determine the best way to apply, said Michael Race, spokesman for the state Department of Education.

"Until we know exactly what's going in our application, and how much we're given, we won't know how much money we'll be distributing [to school districts]," he said. "We don't know yet what the money is to be used for."

States that don't make the cut the first time can apply for a second round of grants by June. Winners for that round will be announced in September.

Duncan said that the prize money will be doled out incrementally and that winning states will be monitored for their progress.

The contest guidelines also put an emphasis on charter-school growth, a staple in President Obama's vision for school reform, Duncan said. States whose schools impose caps on charter- school enrollment may have a tougher time getting a piece of the pie, he said.

"We want a high bar and we're thinking charter schools are part of the answer," he said. "Where schools are successful, we want more of them."