State of Education in Tennessee Executive Summary – 2011-12 | Page 17
SECTION 2: S CORE Card
First to the Top Progress Update
In March 2010, the U.S. Department of Education
selected Tennessee as one of two states awarded a
first round Race to the Top grant. The award, which
will bring more than $500 million to Tennessee over
a period of four years, rewards states that have
committed to ambitious plans for comprehensive
education reform. Tennessee’s ambitious plan for
education reform is embodied in First to the Top, a
body of reforms that the state has committed to that
will dramatically alter the way education is delivered
in order to prepare students for a globally competitive
world. The Race to the Top grant is being used to
support these activities.
As mentioned earlier in this report, 2011 marked the
first year of statewide impleme