Office of Elementary Secondary Education Overview Information Race to the Top Fund (ARRA) CFDA 84.395 | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Race to the Top Fund (ARRA), CFDA 84.395, is a major U.S. Department of Education competitive grant program created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to push state-level education reform. With an estimated total funding level of $4.35 billion, the program is set up to encourage and reward States that are not only proposing reform ideas, but also putting real systems and policies in place that make large-scale innovation and improvement possible. It is categorized as a discretionary grant program, does not require cost sharing or matching, and sits within the broader Education Recovery Act funding activity category.

The central focus of the opportunity is on four core reform areas that States are expected to address through ambitious, coherent statewide plans. First, States are asked to adopt internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that better prepare students for success after high school, especially for college and the workplace. Second, States must strengthen how they recruit, develop, retain, and reward effective teachers and principals, with the clear expectation that educator effectiveness becomes a meaningful lever for student outcomes. Third, the program emphasizes building and improving statewide data systems that track and measure student success over time, and that provide actionable information educators and school leaders can use to adjust instruction and improve practice. Fourth, States are expected to take decisive action to turn around their lowest-performing schools, targeting the campuses where persistent low performance and inequity are most entrenched.

The grant opportunity frames these reform areas as a path toward three overarching goals. The Department is explicit that it wants substantial gains in student achievement, not incremental changes. It also prioritizes improving high school graduation rates while ensuring students leave high school ready for college and careers. A third major goal is closing achievement gaps, meaning States must show how their reforms will improve outcomes for historically underserved student groups and reduce disparities in performance and opportunity.

Eligibility is primarily limited to States as defined in Section 14013 of ARRA: the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Awards are made directly to States as required by ARRA (Section 14006(a)(2)). While the applicant is the State, the program is structured so that the funding flows meaningfully to local implementation. Any State that receives a Race to the Top award must use at least 50 percent of its grant to provide subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), including public charter schools that are treated as LEAs under State law. Those subgrants must be distributed based on each LEA's relative share of Title I, Part A funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reinforcing the program's intent to reach high-need communities and to align with existing federal equity formulas.

The Department planned to run the competition in two phases to account for different levels of state readiness. Phase 1 was intended to open in late 2009 for States prepared to apply quickly, while Phase 2 was intended to open in spring 2010 for States needing additional time to develop stronger applications or build the needed policy foundation. States that applied in Phase 1 but did not receive an award would be allowed to apply again in Phase 2 alongside first-time Phase 2 applicants. However, States that won in Phase 1 would not be eligible to apply for additional Race to the Top funding in Phase 2. Specific submission deadlines were to be announced later through additional notices inviting applications.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number ED GRANTS 072909 002 and was posted on September 2, 2009. At the time reflected in the listing, the formal closing date information referenced a Federal Register notice published July 29, 2009, which invited public comments on proposed priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria. That comment period closed on August 28, 2009, and the Notice of Proposed Priorities is provided through the Department's Federal Register documentation. The listing also provides contact points for access and program questions, including a Grants.gov systems administrator contact and a program manager contact within the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a large-scale, performance-oriented federal investment meant to motivate statewide policy change and rapid implementation, with clear expectations that funds translate into measurable improvements in student outcomes, stronger educator effectiveness, modern data capacity, and aggressive intervention in the lowest-performing schools.

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