Race to the Top winners to be announced

The U.S. Education Department is set to announce the winners in the second round of its Race to the Top competition today.

The contest grants a portion of $3.4 billion to states that have provided plans to put their education systems in line with the department's school reform goals. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia turned in applications for the second round. That number was whittled down to 19 finalists a few months ago. The 19 finalists then sent representatives to Washington to make their case in front of a group of peer reviewers and education department officials over the summer.

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. Read the article at CNN.com online,