Written by Michele McNeil and cross-posted from Politics K-12
The U.S. Department of Education today kicks off the second Race to the Top contest for districts, in which $120 million will be up for grabs to those with the best ideas for improving education at the local level.
Once again, the focus will be on personalized learning. The complete rules and application can be found on the department’s website. In the first round, 16 districts split $383 million last year.
Applications are due Oct. 3. The Education Department asks that districts that intend to apply notify the department by Aug. 23. (These “intents to apply” aren’t binding, and mostly just serve as a planning tool for the department.) Individual grants will range from $10 million to $40 million, depending on the enrollment of the school district. Winners (there are only expected to be between 5 to 10) will be announced by the end of the calendar year.