Sixteen Race to the Top finalists requesting $6.5 billion in federal funds, when there's only $4.3 billion available - sounds more like a traffic jam, than a "race," to NCTQ. So, as the states' teams gather in Washington, DC, this week - to make their final pitches to the U.S. Department of Education - we're hoping to help out by serving as a traffic light of sorts. NCTQ's Navigating the Race to the Top Traffic Jam, an analysis of the teachers section of the finalists' applications, recommends which states should be given green, yellow, and red lights.

Assessments of the 16 finalists are included in the report, which focuses specifically on proposals for improving teacher quality. Covering such topics as recruitment, evaluation and compensation, we spotlight promising plans and sketchy ideas. We also encourage you to read our brief and pass it along to fellow educators and policymakers.

To view the report, visit their website.