Race to the Top Moving at Slower Pace for New Jersey

Drama and deadlines marked New Jersey’s bids for funding in the first three rounds of the federal Race to the Top competition. But it has been a slower process putting some of the initiatives in place once the state finally secured the funds.

New Jersey was awarded $38 million in late 2011 on the third try in a competition that cost one state education commissioner his job and ultimately gave the state a late start in several federally funded programs dealing with teacher evaluations, curriculum and testing reforms, and school choice.

Half of the money is to be distributed to school districts through a grant program, officials said. And the state application’s emphasis on revamping teacher evaluation has drawn much attention throughout New Jersey, drawing criticism from some who say the state is moving too fast.

But the bulk of remaining initiatives to help districts review and, if necessary, revamp their curriculum and instruction remain a work in progress, as the state has extended timelines and shifted funds. The state Department of Education under Commissioner Chris Cerf has won three amendments to its application from the U.S. Department of Education in the last year, with the latest approval coming last month.

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