I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1532 
To provide incentives for States and local educational agencies to implement 
comprehensive reforms and innovative strategies that are designed to 
lead to significant improvement in outcomes for all students and signifi-
cant reductions in achievement gaps among subgroups of students, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2011 
Mr. POLIS (for himself, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, and Mrs. DAVIS of 
California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To provide incentives for States and local educational agen-
cies to implement comprehensive reforms and innovative 
strategies that are designed to lead to significant im-
provement in outcomes for all students and significant 
reductions in achievement gaps among subgroups of stu-
dents, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Race to the Top Act 
of 2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. RACE TO THE TOP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VI of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7301 et 
seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating part C as part D; 
(2) by redesignating sections 6301 and 6302 as 
sections 6401 and 6402, respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after part B, the following: 
‘‘PART C—RACE TO THE TOP 
‘‘SEC. 6301. PURPOSES. 
‘‘The purposes of this part are to— 
‘‘(1) provide incentives for States and local edu-
cational agencies to implement comprehensive re-
forms and innovative strategies that are designed to 
lead to— 
‘‘(A) significant improvements in outcomes 
for all students, including improvements in stu-
dent achievement, high school graduation rates, 
college enrollment rates and rates of college 
persistence; and 
‘‘(B) significant reductions in achievement 
gaps among subgroups of students; and 
‘‘(2) encourage the broad identification, adop-
tion, use, dissemination, replication, and expansion 
of effective State and local policies and practices 
that lead to significant improvement in outcomes for 
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all students, and the elimination of those policies 
and practices that are not effective in improving stu-
dent outcomes. 
‘‘SEC. 6302. RESERVATION OF FUNDS. 
‘‘From the amounts made available under section 
6308 for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve not more 
than 10 percent to carry out activities related to technical 
assistance, monitoring, outreach, dissemination, and prize 
awards (which shall be awarded in accordance with section 
24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.)). 
‘‘SEC. 6303. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
‘‘(a) 
PROGRAM
AUTHORIZATION.—From 
the 
amounts made available under section 6308 for a fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to States, local educational agencies, or both for the 
purposes described in section 6301. 
‘‘(b) GRANT AND SUBGRANT ELIGIBILITY LIMITA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(1) ARRA.—A State that has received a grant 
under section 14006 of division A of the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public 
Law 111–5; 123 Stat. 283) may not receive a grant 
under this part during the period of its grant under 
section 14006 (Public Law 111–5; 123 Stat. 283). 
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‘‘(2) NUMBER OF GRANTS.—A State or local 
educational agency may not receive more than 1 
grant under this part per grant period. 
‘‘(3) NUMBER OF SUBGRANTS.—A local edu-
cational agency may receive a grant and a subgrant 
for the same fiscal year. 
‘‘(c) DURATION OF GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant under this part 
shall be awarded for a period of not more than 4 
years. 
‘‘(2) CONTINUATION OF GRANTS.—In order to 
receive a grant for a full grant period, a State or 
local educational agency under this part shall dem-
onstrate to the Secretary, at such time and in such 
manner as determined by the Secretary, that it is— 
‘‘(A) making progress in implementing its 
plan under section 6304(a)(3) at a rate that the 
Secretary determines will result in the State or 
agency fully implementing its plan during the 
remainder of the grant period; or 
‘‘(B) making progress against the perform-
ance measures set forth in section 6305 at a 
rate that the Secretary determines will result in 
the State or agency reaching its targets and 
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achieving the objectives of the grant during the 
remainder of the grant period. 
‘‘SEC. 6304. APPLICATIONS. 
‘‘(a) APPLICATIONS.—Each State or local educational 
agency that desires to receive a grant under this part shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may reasonably require. At a minimum, each such 
application shall include— 
‘‘(1) documentation of the applicant’s record, as 
applicable, in— 
‘‘(A) increasing student achievement, in-
cluding for all subgroups described in section 
1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II); 
‘‘(B) decreasing achievement gaps, includ-
ing for all subgroups described in section 
1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II); 
‘‘(C) increasing high school graduation 
rates, including for all subgroups described in 
section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II); 
‘‘(D) increasing college enrollment and per-
sistence rates, including for all subgroups de-
scribed in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II); and 
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