Best Practices Case Studies

2006 Broad Prize for Urban Education Winners

The Broad Prize is an annual award that honors the nation's urban school districts making the greatest improvements in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between high- and low-income students.

Boston Public Schools

A fifth-time finalist for The Broad Prize, Boston Public Schools has a student population that is 86 percent minority and 73 percent low-income. Boston's achievements include:

• In the 2004-2005 school year, Boston students at all grade levels demonstrated significantly higher than expected proficiency in reading and math compared with other districts in the state that serve similar low-income populations.
• From 2002-2005, Boston students made greater gains in elementary and middle school reading and math proficiency than the state average.

Bridgeport Public Schools

First-time Broad Prize finalist Bridgeport Public Schools serves a student population that is 90 percent minority and 96 percent low-income. Among Bridgeport's achievements:

• In the past three years, Bridgeport has significantly reduced achievement gaps between African-American and Hispanic students and their white counterparts in elementary and high school reading and math.
• Bridgeport performed higher than expected in reading and math at all grade levels (2004-2005) given its poverty level.

Jersey City School District

This is the first year Jersey City School District is a finalist for The Broad Prize. The district has a student population that is 90 percent minority and 71 percent low-income. Jersey City's achievements include:

• For the last two years, the district has narrowed achievement gaps in elementary reading and math between low-income students and their higher-income peers and between African-American and Hispanic students and their white counterparts.
• Compared to other districts in New Jersey that serve students with high poverty levels, Jersey City performed higher.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

First-time finalist Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth largest district in the country and serves a student population that is 90 percent minority and 64 percent low-income. Miami-Dade's achievements include:

• Students in the district -- particularly low-income, African-American and Hispanic students -- demonstrated strong improvement in math performance between 2002 and 2005.
• The district has narrowed achievement gaps between low-income and higher-income students and between African-American and Hispanic students and their white counterparts in elementary and middle school reading and math.

New York City Department of Education

This is the second year New York City has been a finalist for The Broad Prize. The largest school system in the country, New York City Department of Education serves more than 1 million children, with a student population that is 85 percent minority and 68 percent qualifying for free or reduced price lunch. New York City's achievements include:

• Students at all grade levels have shown a marked increase in math proficiency since 2003.
• Elementary and middle school students perform better than expected in reading, and middle school students perform better than expected in math than students in other districts in the state with similar levels of poverty.

For more information about The Broad Prize and this year's finalists, please visit www.broadprize.org.