WASHINGTON — Seven states won a share of $200 million in federal “Race to the Top” money to improve K-12 education programs, the Education Department announced Thursday.
The winners are Arizona, $25.1 million; Colorado, $17.9 million; Illinois, $42.8 million; Kentucky, $17 million; Louisiana, $17.5 million; Pennsylvania, $41.3 million; and New Jersey, $37.9 million.
The Obama administration has awarded billions of dollars in such competitions to encourage changes in education that it favors. The seven states competing in this round were all runners-up last year, and the Education Department has said it wants to encourage them to finish and carry out many of the changes proposed in their earlier applications.
Competing states committed to make changes such as improving principal and teacher evaluation systems and turning around under-performing schools. They also were asked to show how they would improve science, technology, engineering and math instruction.