The Race to the Top program is built on the framework of comprehensive reform across the four education reform areas. Since education is a complex system, sustained and lasting instructional improvement in classrooms, schools, local educational agencies (LEAs), and States will not be achieved through piecemeal change. Race to the Top requires that reform occur as part of a comprehensive approach but acknowledges that there is no one path to reform. States and LEAs need to take into account their local context and design and implement the most effective and innovative approaches that meet their needs. The Race to the Top Annual Performance Report (APR) is a valuable tool that permits the U.S. Department of Education (Department), grantees, and the public to follow grantees’ progress in implementing comprehensive education reform plans and meeting ambitious goals for student outcomes, including increasing student achievement and closing achievement gaps. In the Year One APR, grantees provided quantitative and qualitative data and narratives that show their progress in the first year of implementation of this four year grant. Learn more about the APR.