Students at Harlem Success Academy in East Harlem. (Chris Hondros/Getty)By Jordan Heller
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — New York State is a finalist in the "Race to the Top" competition, which could mean up to $700 million in federal funds for New York's troubled schools, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Tuesday.
The news comes just four months after New York State was eliminated from the first round of the program, which was created by the Obama administration to encourage education reform in several areas, including improving data systems that measure academic standards, appropriately rewarding effective teachers and adopting standards that properly prepare students for college.
US Dept. of Ed. Secretary Arne Duncan announced the finalists in the Race to the Top competition on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Drew Angerer)In the months since New York missed out on the first round of funding, Albany has focused on passing laws necessary to improving its "Race to the Top" application.
“By passing legislation to raise the charter cap, reform charter schools, improve teacher evaluation, and invest in tracking educational outcomes, the Senate Democratic Majority helped give New York the competitive advantage it needed to become a finalist in the Race to the Top," New York State Senator John L. Sampson said in a statement Tuesday.
Among the bills passed was legislation allowing test scores to be used in teacher evaluations and raising the number of charter schools from 200 to 460.
Representatives for New York, along with 18 other finalists, will travel to Washington during the week of August 9 to present their plans for state-based reforms.
After evaluating the presentations, the Department will announce the winners of the competition in September, and distribute up to $3.4 billion in federal funds.
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