The list of 61 finalists for the latest Race to the Top competition shows that the U.S. Department of Education was successful in enticing high-scoring applications from districts in rural America and in states that had not shared in the Race to the Top bounty before. But whether the ultimate winners, which will be announced this month, will be successful in increasing personalized teaching and learning in classrooms--a key priority for this competition--is unclear. Interviews with several of the finalists show that the competition didn't elicit entirely new initiatives from districts, and instead rewarded those already well on their way to tailoring instruction to students' individual needs. While previous Race to the Top competitions have pitted states against each other with a focus on general reform or early-learning initiatives, this latest contest was designed to spur education improvement--particularly in the area of personalized learning--at the district level.