Competitive Funds:

Race To the Top:

The "Race to the Top" funds provide a total of $5 billion in competitive grants, which will be awarded to states that are most aggressively pursuing reforms. Race to the Top funds will be judged on how well states advance the core reforms identified by the US Department of Education. These funds include:

·  

• State Incentive Fund: ARRA allocates $4.35 billion for competitive grants for states to fund experimental school improvement programs. State Incentive programs along with Innovation Fund programs (described below) are collectively referred to as the “Race to the Top.”

• Innovation Fund: ARRA allocates $650 million for competitive grants for a local education agency OR one or more schools in partnership with a non-profit organization. Innovation Fund programs along with State Incentive programs (described above) are collectively referred to as the “Race to the Top.”

Additional Competitive Funds:

USED will release competitive applications for the Teacher Incentive Fund, the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant, and Statewide Data Systems.

No additional guidance or definition of program is available at this time. Information is expected to be provided in the Fall of 2009.