Public Information - Press Release

Release Date: Immediate
Contact: (PIO) Alan Trudell (714-663-6503)

GGUSD in Running for Public Education's Richest Prize

For the third time in as many years, the Garden Grove Unified School District has been chosen as one of five national finalists for the $1 million Broad Prize for Urban Education, the Los Angeles-based Broad Foundation announced Tuesday, April 6. This prestigious education award combines the spirit of the Pulitzer Prize and the reward of the Nobel Prize in recognizing the most outstanding urban school district in America.

The Broad Prize, the largest award in public education today, showcases urban school districts across the U.S. with the greatest success in raising overall test scores while at the same time reducing achievement gaps across ethnic lines and between high and low income students. The winner, to be announced in the fall, will be awarded $500,000; and each of the four finalists will receive $125,000 to fund student scholarships for college or other post-secondary training.

The other 2004 district finalists are Boston Public Schools, Norfolk Public Schools in Virginia, Aldine Independent School District in Texas, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina.

“On behalf of the Board of Education, we want to express our congratulations to the teachers, administrators, and the support employees who have made this national recognition possible for the third consecutive year,” stated Linda Reed, President. “Their team efforts leading to sustained growth in student achievement is the reason for the district’s selection as a repeat finalist for the Broad Prize.”

The finalists are chosen by a review board of 18 prominent education leaders from across the country following an analysis of performance indicators such as test scores, dropout rates, and information on teacher experience from 100 urban school districts. The Foundation staff and experts at the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA) in Austin, Texas, carried out the evaluations over a period of months.

As part of the exhaustive review process, researchers from the Broad Foundation and evaluators from the NCEA will conduct site visits to the district in May to gather additional information, interview school board, parent, community, and school representatives, as well as leaders from employee organizations and the district administration. A selection jury comprised of leaders in business, government, and philanthropy will meet this summer to review the information collected from the site visits and information considered by the review board to choose one district as the Broad Prize winner.

In addition to the scholarship awards, the best instruction and management practices of the five finalist districts will be spotlighted so that proven, successful strategies can be adopted by other urban school systems.

As a finalist for the inaugural award in 2002 and in 2003, the GGUSD was presented with $125,000 for scholarships for graduating high school seniors. The top award last year of $500,000 in scholarships was presented to Long Beach Unified School District.

Students chosen to receive scholarships from the 2003 award will be named next month by the Broad Foundation.

The Broad Foundation is a Los Angeles-based grant-making organization, established in 1999 by Eli and Edythe Broad. The Foundation’s mission is to dramatically improve K-12 urban public education through better governance, management, and labor relations.

PR #345

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