(NASHVILLE, TN), March 29, 2010 -- Tennessee is one of two states chosen today as winners for federal “Race to the Top” funds.  Tennessee will receive approximately $500 million and Delaware $100 million to implement their comprehensive school reform plans over the next four years.

     The two states beat out 14 other finalists who qualified to win the first round in the competition, after applicants were initially received from 40 states and the District of Columbia.

     “This is great news for Tennessee," said Speaker Pro Tempore Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville) who was part of the state’s five-member presentation team.  The team travelled to Washington to make the case that Tennessee had adopted significant education reforms and deserved to be one of the winning states.  “It recognizes the bold steps we have taken over the past several years and during our Special Session to improve student achievement in Tennessee.  These reforms help us to ensure Tennessee students are prepared for success in an increasingly global marketplace.” 

     "We received many strong proposals from states all across America, but two applications stood out above all others: Delaware and Tennessee," said U.S. Secretary of Education Anne Duncan in announcing the winners. "Both states have statewide buy-in for comprehensive plans to reform their schools. They have written new laws to support their policies. And they have demonstrated the courage, capacity, and commitment to turn their ideas into practices that can improve outcomes for students."

     The premise of the Race to the Top Competition is to reward states that show the greatest willingness to push innovative ideas to improve student achievement through greater testing standards, improved data collection and better teacher training.  Woodson said Tennessee met all that criteria, especially in the area of data collection as the state has the oldest and most robust student achievement data system in the nation.

     “Our data collection system is a model for other states,” added Woodson, who was Chairman of the Senate Education Committee before becoming Speaker Pro Tempore.  “In addition, we have passed significant, comprehensive education reforms over the last few years in other key areas like public charter schools, as well as implementation of initiatives like the Tennessee Diploma Project to get students ready for college.  It is rewarding to see the state nationally recognized for these efforts.”

     As the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Woodson spearheaded many educational initiatives, such as the reform of Tennessee’s funding formula for K-12 education, the expansion of Tennessee Public Charter Schools, and development of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program.  Most recently, she has been a member of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE); and played an integral part in the passage of legislation in the recent Special Session on Education to transform education in Tennessee. 

     The U.S. Department of Education will have about $3.4 billion available for the second phase of the Race to the Top competition.

###