Mass. Praised For 'Race To The Top' Progress

Massachusetts has received high grades from federal education officials for its first year implementation of "Race to the Top" reforms.

In a report to be released on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education commended the state for progress in developing new curriculum guidelines that emphasize college and career readiness, instituting a new teacher evaluation program and successfully intervening in nearly three dozen low-performing schools.

Massachusetts received a four-year, $250 million federal Race to the Top grant in August 2010.

The 23-page review did note some difficulties the state had in hiring for some key staff positions, but said the delays did not seriously hinder progress in implementing first-year priorities.

The report also said the state still faces challenges in narrowing a persistent student achievement gap.