3/5: Seven Southern states make finals for education fund

Wall Street Journal: Seven Southern states picked as finalists for education funds

The Obama administration has chosen 16 finalists for extra federal education funds. Included in the $4.35 billion Race to the Top competition are Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The administration defended the surprisingly large number of finalists, saying that all states whose applications cleared a pre-set score automatically advanced to the next round.

Independent evaluators have given especially high marks to three states on the list—Florida, Tennessee and Louisiana—for their accountability standards and for implementing systems to track student performance. All three have also pushed to expand the growth of charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently run.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Legislature overrides veto on TVA funds

ARKANSAS: Legislative session formally ends in Arkansas

FLORIDA: All state lawmakers to sign letter of objection to new NASA plan

GEORGIA: Gov. Perdue chides legislators over proposed college cuts

KENTUCKY: Jobless rate in state is highest in 26 years

LOUISIANA: Sen. Vitter wants probe into deaths of ten living with toxic Chinese drywall

MISSISSIPPI: Meth's huge toll on state will mean move to prescription pseudoephedrine

NORTH CAROLINA: Editorial: State shows signs of slipping

SOUTH CAROLINA: State has a problem with school dropouts

TENNESSEE: Opinion: Tennessee can't afford to opt out of health-care reform

VIRGINIA: Senate panel kills proposal on gun restrictions

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org