NJ Takes New Route in Latest 'Race to the Top' Funding Application

The federal Race to the Top competition brings to mind the contest that helped fuel new standards, testing and teacher evaluations in schools across New Jersey and elsewhere.

But a lesser-known aspect of the process aims to improve preschools and early childhood education as well.

The Christie administration is making its second try for the early childhood money through the Race to the Top program, this month filing an application for $44 million over four years that would fund and expand new standards and training for preschools and child-care centers serving low-income students.

The application – filed jointly by the state Education, Human Services, Health, and Children and Families departments – builds on the 2011 application rejected by the federal Department of Education, proposing to set up a new rating system for programs to help spur the improvements.

Working with Advocates for Children of New Jersey, the state nonetheless started a small pilot in three cities involving 56 programs. It now seeks the grant money to expand that initiative to include nearly 1,800 programs statewide.

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