MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NAMED BROAD PRIZE FINALIST FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has been named as a finalist for The Broad Prize, an annual $1 million award that honors urban school districts across the country that are making the greatest progress in raising student achievement.  This marks the third consecutive year that M-DCPS has been named a finalist for the award.

The Broad Prize for Urban Education honors urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between high- and low-income students.

"To receive this honor three years in a row is so genuinely encouraging, because it recognizes the progress made by the many support staff, educators, businesses, universities and cultural partners throughout the District," said Schools Superintendent Rudy Crew. "Their sincere efforts toward providing the best education possible for our 340,000 students lies at the heart of this nomination, making us all so very proud of them."

Among the reasons that Miami-Dade was chosen as a Broad Prize finalist:

In 2007:
o   Miami-Dade’s low-income, African-American and Hispanic students outperformed their peers in Florida districts serving students with similar income levels, according to The Broad Prize methodology.  African-American students outperformed their peersin reading at all grade levels (elementary, middle and high school) and in math in middle and high school.  Hispanic students outperformed their peers in reading and math at all grade levels.  Low-income students outperformed their peers in reading and math in middle and high school.  
o   Miami Dade’s Hispanic students achieved higher average proficiency rates than their state counterparts in reading and math at all levels.

Between 2004 and 2007:
o   Miami-Dade increased the percentage of all students who achieved proficiency in reading and math at all grade levels faster than the state.
o   Miami-Dade narrowed achievement gaps between the district’s Hispanic students and their white peers in reading and math at all grade levels.
o   Miami-Dade narrowed achievement gaps between low-income students and their non-low-income peers faster than the state at all grade levels for reading and in elementary and middle school math.
o   SAT, ACT and Advanced Placement exam participation rates for African-American and Hispanic students rose. 

The winner of The Broad Prize, to be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, will receive $500,000 in scholarships for graduating seniors. Each of the four finalist districts will receive $125,000 in scholarships. 

Other finalists this year include Aldine Independent School District, near Houston; Broward County Public Schools, Florida; Brownsville Independent School District, on the Texas-Mexico border; and Long Beach Unified School District, California.