Race to the Top Applications

Last week the Department of Education announced the names of the thirty-five states that had applied for the second round of Race to the Top grants. Not surprisingly all the states that were finalists on the first round also applied for the second round (except, of course the two winners, Delaware and Tennessee).

Minnesota, in twentieth place on the first round, was the highest-rank state that did not apply. Wisconsin, in 26th place on the first round, managed to gain the endorsement of most of its teachers' unions, which will doubtless add points to its score. But as I suggested in a Journal-Sentinel op ed piece, it is not clear whether Wisconsin has sufficiently improved its plans for the use of student achievement data for decision making.