19 states are finalists in Race to the Top

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced that 18 states and the District of Columbia are the finalists for more than $3 billion available in the second round of funding in the Race to the Top program.

"Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia submitted bold blueprints for reform that bear the signatures of many key players at the state and local level who drive change in our schools," Duncan said Tuesday, July 27, at the end of a major speech at the National Press Club.

The 19 finalists are: Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. For more, visit the U.S. Department of Education website.