Race to the Top
Education news, analysis, and opinion about the federal grant program to states that encouraged education reform from 2010 to 2013
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We are no longer updating this page
See also: Federal Policy, Department of Education
Families & the Community
From Our Research Center
Households With Kids See Continued Educational Hurdles as Pandemic Drags On
Interactions with teachers, ed-tech access, and postsecondary plans remain sources of stress, monthly U.S. Census Bureau data shows.
Special Education
What Employers Can Teach Schools About Neurodiversity
The benefits of neurodiversity have gained traction in business, but college and career support for students with disabilities falls short.
College & Workforce Readiness
Fewer Students in Class of 2020 Went Straight to College
First-year college enrollment dropped steeply last year, a study finds, and the declines were sharpest among poorer students.
Law & Courts
U.S. Supreme Court Is Asked to Take Up Harvard's Consideration of Race in Admissions
Lower courts rejected claims by Students for Fair Admissions that the Harvard policies discriminate against Asian-American applicants.
Federal
Betsy DeVos: My COVID-19 Competitive Grants Aren't Like Race to the Top at All
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos tells EdWeek opinion blogger Rick Hess her new competitive grants are "not even a little bit" like the Obama administration's Race to the Top program. Let's examine that claim.
College & Workforce Readiness
California State University Wants to Raise Admissions Standards. Will It Shut Out Black and Latino Students?
The nation’s largest public university is pushing to raise minimum standards for freshman admissions—a move that has galvanized opposition from advocates and some districts that argue it puts more roadblocks in the path of students who already struggle to meet current requirements.
College & Workforce Readiness
Does Higher Ed Really Pay Off? New Gates-Funded Commission Aims to Find Out
As the cost of college rises and students go deeper into debt, families are increasingly asking whether higher education is worth the cost. A new commission is tasked with helping to answer that question.
Education Funding
Report Roundup
Early Childhood
Early-childhood-education programs increasingly use quality rating systems, but it's not clear how much the ratings are helping them to improve, finds an evaluation by the research firm Mathematica.
College & Workforce Readiness
4 Things You Need to Know About 'Free College' Proposals
"Free college" proposals are multiplying like rabbits as Democratic presidential candidates jump on board with the idea. But these plans vary widely. And most don't make college "free."
College & Workforce Readiness
140-Plus College Admissions Deans Pledge to Prioritize Service, Ethical Character
Deans of admission at more than 140 colleges and universities pledged to abide by principles designed to reduce "excessive achievement pressure" in admissions and promote ethical character among parents and students.
College & Workforce Readiness
National College Fraud Scheme Highlights Flaws in Admissions Process
Federal prosecutors charged 33 parents, along with two SAT/ACT administrators, an exam proctor, nine coaches and three organizers with involvement in a college admissions fraud scheme on Tuesday.
College & Workforce Readiness
Selective Colleges Report Gains Enrolling More Low-Income Students
A group of elite colleges and universities reports modest progress in enrolling more lower-income students.
College & Workforce Readiness
Guaranteed Admission Helps High-Achieving Low-Income Students Make Good College Match
Guaranteeing college admission to highly qualified students can have a big influence on whether low-income students pick an appropriately challenging college, a new study finds.
College & Workforce Readiness
College Advising Is in Short Supply in U.S. High Schools, Study Finds
Only a third of the country's public high schools have a counselor devoted to helping students get prepared for college, and the problem is even worse in high-poverty schools.