By Kathy Amoroso
April 23, 2007

The Broad Foundation on April 4 announced the five urban school districts that are finalists for this year’s Broad Prize for Urban Education. An annual $1 million award is given to urban school districts making the greatest progress in raising student achievement nationwide.

This year’s five finalists are:

• Bridgeport Public Schools;

• Long Beach Unified School District;

• Miami-Dade County Public Schools;

• New York City Department of Education; and

• Northside Independent School District in northwest San Antonio.

The Broad Prize for Urban Education honors urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between high and low income students.

“It is a distinct honor for the Bridgeport public school system to be recognized two years in a row by the Broad Foundation,” said Bridgeport Mayor John M. Fabrizi. “We continue to focus on closing the achievement gap and improving the performance of all our students. Being named a finalist again clearly demonstrates that we are headed in the right direction in reversing the downward trends with which so many urban districts are struggling. As a former public school teacher, I am incredibly proud of our district and the progress we continue to make as validated by the prestigious Broad Award.”

“Mayors know that better schools make better cities,” said Conference of Mayors Executive Director Tom Cochran in response to the announcement. “As they work to more effectively align city policies and programs that affect children and families, mayors are taking on an increasingly stronger leadership role on issues related to public schools. That’s why we’ve included increased mayoral involvement in No Child Left Behind Reauthorization as part of the Mayors’ 10-Point Plan – our action agenda for the 110th Congress and beyond. I’m delighted these strong mayors have been selected as finalists for this recognition in educational achievement.”

The winner of The Broad Prize, to be announced September 18 at the Library of Congress in Washington (DC), will receive $500,000 in scholarships for graduating seniors. Each of the four finalist districts will receive $125,000 in scholarships.

“After decades of decline, American public education continues to struggle compared with other industrialized nations, yet these five urban school districts have proven that with hard work, it is possible to raise student achievement in our inner cities,” said Eli Broad, founder of The Broad Foundation. “Other urban districts nationwide can learn a great deal from what is working in these five districts.”

For the first time since the prize began in 2002, a former winning district has returned to the competition as a finalist: Long Beach (CA) Unified School District, which won The Broad Prize in 2003. Under the rules of the competition, a winning district is not eligible for three years following its win, making this year the first year that Long Beach has again been eligible.

"The Long Beach Unified School District continues the high standards of academic excellence that brought us recognition from the Broad Foundation as the top urban school district in the country,” said Mayor Bob Foster. “I applaud the effort of the teachers, students and administrators that have once again brought honor to Long Beach."

“Every year, The Broad Prize highlights urban school districts whose commitment to raising achievement for all students is helping more children reach and realize their potential,” says U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. “These districts are proving that every child, regardless of race, income, or zip code can learn and achieve to high standards. By shining the spotlight on such worthy examples, The Broad Prize helps show that progress in our most challenging, inner city schools is not only possible but already occurring all across the nation.”

Past winners include:

• Boston Public Schools, 2006

• Norfolk (VA) Public Schools, 2005

• Garden Grove (CA) Unified School District, 2004

• Long Beach Unified School District, 2003

• Houston Independent School District, 2002

This is the third consecutive year that the New York City Department of Education has been a finalist and the second year in a row for both Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Bridgeport Public Schools.

This year, 100 of the largest urban school districts nationwide were eligible for The Broad Prize. The five finalist districts were selected based on a rigorous national review of data compiled and analyzed by MPR Associates, Inc., a leading national education research consulting firm. A review board of 14 prominent educational leaders evaluated the data and selected five finalist districts that stood out among large urban districts in areas such as:

• academic performance and improvement on state exams compared with other districts in the state with similar low-income student populations;

• income and ethnic achievement gaps;

• college readiness indicators such as graduation rates, SAT, ACT and Advanced Placement exam data; and

• district size, urbanicity and demographic trends.

Over the next two months, teams of educational researchers and practitioners will conduct site visits in each finalist district to gather qualitative information, interview district administrators, conduct focus groups with teachers and principals, and observe classrooms. The teams will also talk to parents, community leaders, school board members and union representatives. A selection jury of 14 prominent individuals nationwide from business, industry, education and public service will then review both the performance data and the qualitative site visit reports to choose the winning school district.

For more information about The Broad Prize, this year’s finalists and the review board, go to the website www.broadprize.org.