Posted on April 5, 2007

print  e-mail

Broad Foundation Announces 2007 Finalists for Urban Education Prize

The Los Angeles-based Broad Foundation has announced the finalists for this year's Broad Prize for Urban Education, a $1 million award given annually to the nation's outstanding urban public school district.

The prize honors districts that are making the greatest improvements in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between high- and low-income students. The winning district — to be announced later this year — will receive $500,000 for college scholarships for graduating seniors, while each of the other four finalists will receive $125,000. This year's finalists are Bridgeport Public Schools in Bridgeport, Connecticut; the Long Beach Unified School District in Long Beach, California; Miami-Dade County Public Schools; the New York City Department of Education; and the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio.

For the first time since the program was launched in 2002, a former winning district — Long Beach USD, which won in 2003 — has been named a finalist a second time. And for the third consecutive year, New York City is a finalist; Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Bridgeport Public Schools were finalists last year.

"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 Broad Foundation founder Eli Broad. "Other urban districts nationwide can learn a great deal from what is working in these five districts."

“The Broad Foundation Announces 2007 Finalists for $1 Million Broad Prize.” Broad Foundation Press Release 4/04/07.

Primary Subject: Education
Secondary Subject(s): Elementary and Secondary Education
Location(s): Bridgeport, California, Connecticut, Florida, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New York City, San Antonio, Texas

FC010295