Va. to try again for second round of federal funding

Prince William County, Va. -- Virginia -- and Prince William County -- will have to wait a bit longer for the chance to receive stimulus funds for education.

The U.S. Department of Education named 16 finalists Thursday in the first round of its "Race to the Top" competition, and Virginia wasn't included.

The grant money will deliver $4.35 billion in school reform grants. States will get a second opportunity for federal money in phase II, with a deadline of Aug. 2.

Virginia was asking for $350 million in its application. State Department of Education Superintendent Patricia I. Wright said its application was "solid."

"I look forward to receiving the reviewers' feedback on our Phase-I application and regrouping with Governor [Bob] McDonnell, the Board of Education and our stakeholders to plan for Phase II," Wright stated in a press release Thursday. "I believe our Phase-I application will provide an excellent starting point for the next 'Race to the Top' competition."

The grants are designed to reward states that have adopted and will continue implementing innovative reforms to improve student performance. The money is part of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package, which provided an unprecedented $100 billion for schools.

Much of that has gone toward preventing teacher layoffs and addressing other budget concerns. The $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" fund is targeted specifically for education reform.

Pay for performance

The Prince William County School Board tasked the school division to come up with a pay-for-performance plan in December. The plan would be largely contingent on receiving stimulus money from the Teacher Incentive Fund, which is separate from the "Race to the Top" funds and would go directly to individual school divisions.

Prince William will also likely apply for a slice of the "Race to the Top" funds if Virginia is chosen to receive that grant in phase II. The Teacher Incentive Fund application process hasn't started yet.

'Race to the Top' applications

Applications for "Race to the Top" funds were read and scored by panels of five peer reviewers. Those with the highest average score were selected to visit Washington later this month to present their proposals.

The Education Department said it expects no more than half of the money to be awarded in the first phase of the competition. Duncan said they are setting a high bar in the first phase and anticipate few winners.

"But this isn't just about the money," Duncan said. "It's about collaboration among all stakeholders, building a shared agenda, and challenging ourselves to improve the way our students learn."

The Education Department asked states to concentrate their proposals on four areas prioritized in the Recovery Act: adopting standards and assessments to better prepare students for careers and college; getting high-quality teachers in the classroom; turning around low-performing schools; and creating data systems to track performance.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062. The Associated Press contributed to this report.