It wasn't first place, but San Diego Unified's Class of 2014 will
still split $150,000 in scholarship money thanks to the The Eli and
Edythe Broad Foundation.
|
Eli Broad, left, Edyth Broad, Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan, Board Pres. John Lee Evans, Supt. Cindy Marten, retired Supt. Bill Kowba |
On
Wednesday morning, the Foundation announced that the Houston
Independent School District was awarded this year's Broad Prize and
$550,000 in scholarship money for its students. Besides San Diego
Unified, other districts nominated were Corona-Norco, located in
Riverside County, and Cumberland County Schools in North Carolina.
"We're
thrilled that San Diego Unified has been recognized as one of the four
best school districts in the United States," said Kevin Beiser, Board of
Education Vice President and Subdistrict B representative. "This is a
big win for the teachers that work constantly with our students to
improve their learning, and a recognition of the hard work done by
support staff in making a great environment for our students."
Superintendent
Cindy Marten and retired Superintendent Bill Kowba -- on whose watch
the nomination was announced -- attended the award ceremony in
Washington, D.C.
"It was an honor to be recognized by The Broad
Foundation," said Superintendent Cindy Marten. "I am grateful to our
team of employees who work every day in-and-out of the classrooms for
our children.
"This honor reaffirms that our community-based
reform efforts and singular focus on student achievement are making a
difference."
Districts do not apply for this prize. Staff
from the Broad Foundation looks at test scores and other data from the
75 largest school districts and picks four finalists. A team of
independent educational experts then analyze the districts and one
winner is selected. Only the four top districts receive scholarship
money.
In its announcement of the award, the Broad Foundation noted San Diego Unified's progress in key areas.
San
Diego Unified has more than 110,000 students-65 percent of whom are
low-income. Among the reasons San Diego schools stood out among the
nation's largest urban school districts:
- San Diego students
outperform students in other California districts with similar poverty
rates. In 2012, proficiency rates for San Diego Unified students
surpassed expectations compared to other California districts given the
poverty level of families in the district. Proficiency rates for San
Diego students were above expected across all subjects (reading, math
and science) and all school levels (elementary, middle and high school).
- San
Diego Unified narrowed achievement gaps. In recent years, San Diego
narrowed the achievement gaps between its Hispanic students and white
students across California at every school level and in every subject.
The district also narrowed the gap between its Hispanic and white
students in elementary, middle and high school reading and science, and
in elementary and high school math. San Diego also achieved a smaller
achievement gap between its low-income students and California's
non-low-income students in elementary, middle and high school science
and in elementary and high school reading and math.
- San
Diego Unified's low-income, Hispanic and African-American high school
students showed more improvement in science than other California
students. In recent years, San Diego Unified was in the top 30 percent
of districts across the state for increasing the percentage of
low-income, Hispanic and African-American high school students
performing at the highest achievement levels on the state science
assessment. Low-income students in San Diego, for instance, increased
their performance by 8 percentage points in high school science between
2010 and 2012, while California overall saw scores increase by only 3
percentage points over the same period.
The
selection jury evaluated quantitative data on the finalists that
consisted of publicly available student performance data compiled and
analyzed by RTI International, one of the world's leading research
institutes. In addition, the jury evaluated the four finalist districts'
policies and practices, compiled following site visits conducted by a
team of education practitioners led by RMC Research Corporation, an
education consulting company. The site visits included classroom
observations and interviews with administrators, teachers, principals,
parents, community leaders, school board members and union
representatives.
Kowba, who retired June 30, said he was "grateful to our San Diego Unified employees for their dedication to our students."
"We
are honored, humbled and grateful to the Broad Foundation for this
recognition," said Kowba, who retired June 30. "We appreciate their
feedback about our past efforts. It will help provide the district with a
road map for future efforts."
The $1 million Broad Prize is the
largest education award in the nation. It recognizes urban school
districts that demonstrate the strongest student achievement and
improvement while reducing achievement gaps among low-income students
and students of color.
The $150,000 in scholarships will go a long way to help the Class of 2014 succeed, said Marten.
"I'm excited for our students who will receive Broad scholarships," she said. "I can't wait to get back to San Diego."
The
75 largest urban school districts in America are automatically eligible
for the award each year.
Houston Independent School District will
receive $550,000 in college scholarships for high school seniors who
will graduate in 2014. San Diego Unified, along with Corona-Norco
Unified School District in Riverside County, Calif., and Cumberland
County Schools in North Carolina, will each receive $150,000 in college
scholarships.
The Broad Prize is awarded by The Eli and Edythe
Broad Foundation. Founded by entrepreneur Eli Broad and his wife Edythe,
both graduates of Detroit Public Schools, The Broad Foundation is a
philanthropic organization that seeks to ensure that every student in an
urban public school has the opportunity to succeed.