The US Secretary of Education delivered a message while in Cary Sunday. He said it's time to raise the bar. Arne Duncan said the federal government will spend up to $350 million to create new assessment tests for schools across the nation. He made the announcement during a speech at the governor's education symposium. The test will be part of the Race to the Top program, which is aimed at raising standards in schools so students can compete in the global market place. The money will come from the Federal Education Department's $5 billion fund to reward states that adopt innovations the Obama administration supports.