Long Beach Unified up for urban education award

Long Beach Unified School District—winner of the Broad Prize for Urban Education in 2003—has been named one of five finalists for the prestigious national award this year, the first year it was eligible to compete again.

The Broad Foundation has awarded the prize annually since 2002 to an urban school district in the United States that demonstrates—in the words of the foundation—“the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between high- and low-income students.”

“CSBA congratulates Long Beach Unified for being nominated again for the Broad Prize for Urban Education,” said JoAnn Yee, senior director for Strategy Development, Achievement, Diversity and Urban Affairs. “Students in Long Beach have reaped the benefits of leadership stability in the district and a school board that remains focused on the district’s mission: ‘To support the personal and intellectual success of every student, every day.’

“Despite the tremendous odds facing our schools, our students are expected to reach California’s academic standards, viewed by many as among the most rigorous in the country. Many of our districts, including Long Beach, Garden Grove and San Francisco, are proving that student achievement is on the rise in our urban districts, despite the odds.”

Other finalists for the Broad Prize include the Bridgeport Public Schools in Connecticut; the Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida; the New York City Department of Education; and the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. Results will be announced at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Sept. 18. The winner will receive $500,000 in scholarships for graduating seniors; the four other finalists each will receive $125,000 in scholarship funds.

Criteria used for evaluating districts for the award include:
• Academic performance and improvement on state exams
• Income and ethnic achievement gaps
• College readiness indicators such as graduation rates, SAT and ACT
• District size, urban area and demographic trends