New York confirmed as ‘Race to the Top’ winner in school reform grant competition

New York named winner of ‘Race to the Top’ grant

ALBANY, N.Y. — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says New York will win millions of dollars in federal education funding when “Race to the Top” program grants are announced Tuesday.

The amount of the award hasn’t been disclosed. It is expected to be announced along with the full list of winning states in the afternoon.

The competition has instigated a wave of reforms across the country, as states passed new teacher accountability policies and lifted caps on charter schools to boost their chances of winning.

The aim of the historic program is to reward ambitious changes to improve schools and close the achievement gap.

Tennessee and Delaware were named winners in the first round of the competition in March, sharing $600 million. The states named winners Tuesday will share a remaining $3.4 billion.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Education Department is expected to name the winners of the second round of its $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” school reform grant competition.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia were named finalists in July.

The competition has instigated a wave of reform across the country, as states enacted new teacher accountability policies and lifted caps on charter schools to boost their chances of winning.

The aim of the historic program is to reward ambitious reforms to improve schools and close the achievement gap.

Tennessee and Delaware were named winners in the first round of the competition in March. The states named winners on Tuesday will share a remaining $3.4 billion.