States Face Delays In Race To Top Implementation

Several States that received a portion of the U.S. Department of Education’s $4.3 billion Race to the Top competition have had to delay plans for implementing significant reforms in their schools due to slow progress, The Associated Press reported.

According to the news outlet, that two of these States may lose money if they don’t get back on track. Officials released State reports on Tuesday that outlined the progress of all 12 winners, finding only three that were on schedule with their reform plans.

The AP reported that another six States are making some progress but facing delays, and three – Hawaii, New York and Florida – are said to have significant issues.

“New York made significant progress through Race to the Top over the last year but has recently hit a roadblock that not only impedes Race to the Top but could threaten other key reform initiatives,” U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement. “Backtracking on reform commitments could cost the State hundreds of millions of dollars for improving New York schools.

Although the reports don’t rank or compare efforts between the States due to differing initiatives, the assessments and comments made by Federal officials suggest Ohio and Massachusetts led the effort, The Columbus Dispatch reported.