Gwinnett schools are finalist for top national award

A prestigious education foundation has named Gwinnett County Public Schools as a finalist in its search for the nation’s best urban district.

The state’s largest school system is the first in Georgia to be selected as a contender for the $2 million Broad Prize for Urban Education. The award is presented to urban school districts with a strong academic record that show marked gains in student performance and a reduction in the achievement gap among low income and minority children.

School officials were notified of the recognition on Thursday by representatives of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which supports programs that focus on excellence in education nationwide.

“We are elated, this is something that all of Gwinnett County can celebrate,” said Sloan Roach, spokesperson for Gwinnett Schools. “This just validates everything we have been doing and all of the teaching and learning that goes on in our classrooms everyday.”

As a Broad finalist Gwinnett Schools will receive a $250,000 grant to fund student scholarships for the Class of 2010. The district will move on to compete for the $1 million grand prize grant for scholarhships, which will be announced in September.

Gwinnett is competing against four other finalists for the recognition, which also will receive $250,000 in scholarship funds for their students.

The other districts are the Aldine Independent School District and the Socorro Independent School District in Texas; Broward County Public Schools in Florida; and Long Beach Unified School District in California.

Gwinnett Schools Superindent J. Alvin Wilbanks sent an e-mail to his administrative staff alerting them of the good news Thursday:

“I want to personally congratulate all of our employees on this achievement … Being a finalist for the Broad Prize is a significant accomplishment in which all employees played a part and of which we all can be proud.”

Gwinnett, which has more than 157,200 students, continues to beat state and national test benchmarks despite is yearly growth and changing demographics. The “majority minority” system of diverse students had a 4.2 percent jump in kids qualifying for discounted meals this school year. Thousands are served by classes for limited English speakers.

About 96 percent of Gwinnett schools met student adequate yearly progress goals in 2007-08 mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Several Gwinnett schools also received awards for consistently increasing student performance.

The district’s graduation rate climbed from 74 percent in 2005-06 to 79 percent last school year, with fewer college students needing remedial support. The average SAT score is 1,521, higher than national and state averages.

On the Georgia Criterioned-Referenced Competency Test, Gwinnett’s black, Asian and Hispanic students showed some gains but still lagged behind whites in some areas.

“While all urban school systems across this country face enormous challenges, Gwinnett shows us what a successful public school district can accomplish,” said Eli Broad, foundation founder in a statement. “All involved, from Gwinnett’s teachers to administrators to the district’s leadership, can be proud that their hard work to raise student achievement has paid off for students and indeed, the entire community.”