The Government Accountability Office has published a progress report on Race to the Top, the U.S. Department of Education's highest-profile competitive grant program funded by the economic stimulus law. (Hat tip to Ed Money Watch over at the New America Foundation, which has an informative post summarizing the report.) The report examines, among other topics: (1) what states did to compete for the grants; (2) how winning states plan to use their share of the money; (3) challenges in implementing state reform efforts; and (4) the DOE's support and oversight of states’ use of Race to the Top funds.

As you'll recall, the Race to the Top winners were Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Tennessee. According to the report, they plan to use the largest share of their winnings to improve educator effectiveness. Of the $2 billion that the states can spend themselves (rather than pass on to districts to spend), $654 million, or a third, is going toward improving teacher and leader effectiveness.

States are using the second-largest slice, $478 million or nearly a quarter of the $2 billion pie, on efforts to turn around their lowest-performing schools. Next down the spending list comes expanding student data systems, at $353 million, and enhancing standards and assessments at $312 million.  

There are lots more useful details in the report, including an easy-to-read chart on where winners are in drawing down their federal dollars. This brief report offers a handy way to get smart fast on where states stand on the Race to the Top program and how states view the Education Department's performance in overseeing it.