In its second attempt to win as much as $400 million for education, Pennsylvania again has been named a finalist in the federal Race to the Top competition.

Pennsylvania was among 18 states and the District of Columbia that were chosen as finalists out of 36 applicants in the second round. The finalists were announced Tuesday by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

All will send teams to Washington, D.C., to pitch their plans. Pennsylvania's date is Aug. 11.

Mr. Duncan expects 10 to 15 winners to be named in September.

Nearly $3.4 billion is available in this round, but the 19 finalists are seeking a total of $6.2 billion.

In addition to Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, the other finalists are Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.

In a news release, Gov. Ed Rendell called the state's status as a finalist "a real testament to the hard work we've already done in implementing targeted reforms that help our students to achieve and succeed."

Pennsylvania, like some other states, plans to go ahead with various changes -- including new academic standards recently approved by the state Board of Education and efforts to implement performance-based teacher pay in some districts.

But if it wins the federal money, Pennsylvania would be able to "raise student achievement and do it faster and higher than we would without Race to the Top money," said acting Education Secretary Thomas Gluck.

While state officials say the plan benefits all students in Pennsylvania, 122 of the state's 500 school districts and 69 charter schools specifically committed to the strategies.

Competition appears even tougher this time than in the first round when Pennsylvania ranked seventh.

Pennsylvania scored 420 points the first time, with the only two winners, Delaware and Tennessee, scoring 454.6 points and 444.2 points, respectively.

Mr. Duncan said that he took some criticism for choosing only two states the first time around, but he said part of the reason was "to create incentives for states to drive reform."

As a result, he said, there has been an "explosion" of innovation nationwide.

He said 29 states -- including Pennsylvania -- have adopted the Common Core State Standards for math and language arts, which were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

In addition, he said 13 states have changed their laws to better foster charter schools.

Both the standards and charter schools were worth points in the competition.

Mr. Duncan said unions and school boards have collaborated in many states.

"This isn't just about the money," he said. "This is about working together and putting the needs of children ahead of everyone else. The entire process has moved the nation and advanced education reform."

Mr. Duncan made the formal announcement at the end of a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. He made one reference to Pittsburgh in his speech, saying that in dozens of districts, including Pittsburgh, "union leaders and administrators are moving beyond the battles of the past and finding new ways to work together."

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