Eye on the Prize

2007 Finalists for $1 Million Broad Prize Announced

The Broad Foundation announced today the five finalists for the 2007 Broad Prize for Urban Education, and we are pleased to share the news with you in this special edition of Eye on the Prize.

This year's five finalists are:

Bridgeport Public Schools, Conn.
Long Beach Unified School District, Calif.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
New York City Department of Education
Northside Independent School District in northwest San Antonio

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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.

The winner of The Broad Prize will be announced on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The winning district will receive $500,000 in scholarships for graduating seniors, and the four finalist districts will each 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."

History-Making Finalist

For the first time since the Broad Prize began in 2002, a previous winner has returned to the competition as a finalist: Long Beach Unified School District, Calif., 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.

"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 Public Schools, Va., 2005
Garden Grove Unified School District, Calif., 2004
Long Beach Unified School District, Calif., 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.

Below is a small sampling of facts about each of this year's Broad Prize finalist districts that helped push them to the top.

Fact #1:

In 2006, each of the 2007 Broad Prize finalist school districts outperformed other districts in their respective states that serve students with similar income levels in reading and math at all grade levels: elementary, middle and high school, using The Broad Prize methodology.

Fact #2:

Between 2003 and 2006, Bridgeport Public Schools improved in reading and math at all grade levels, compared with other Connecticut districts serving students with similar income levels, using The Broad Prize methodology. Similarly, Bridgeport's low-income, African-American and Hispanic subgroups improved in reading and math at all grades levels compared with their counterparts in similar Connecticut districts.

Fact #3:

In 2006, Long Beach Unified School District's low-income, African-American and Hispanic student subgroups outperformed their peers in similar California districts in reading and math at all levels.

Fact #4:

Despite having a larger percentage of low-income and minority students than the state average, Miami-Dade County Public Schools' low-income, African-American and Hispanic students achieved higher average proficiency rates in elementary reading and math than the state average for these subgroups in 2005 and 2006.

Fact #5:

In 2006, the New York City Department of Education's low-income, African-American and Hispanic student subgroups outperformed their peers in similar districts in the state in reading and math at all levels.

Fact #6:

Although Northside Independent School District has a larger percentage of low-income and minority students than the state average, the district's low-income, African-American and Hispanic students achieved higher average proficiency rates in reading and math at all grade levels than their statewide counterparts in 2005 and 2006.

Choosing the Finalists

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
District size, urbanicity and demographic trends

Next Steps

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, please visit www.broadprize.org.

We will continue to share the best practices of previous Broad Prize winners and finalists in future issues of Eye on the Prize. Please let us know what you think about The Broad Prize. Send your comments to broadprize@broadfoundation.org.