The four finalists for the 2013 Broad Prize in Urban Education are the Corona-Norco and San Diego school districts in California, the Houston Independent School District, and the school system in Cumberland County, N.C.
Both San Diego, the second largest district in California with 132,000 students, and the 53,000-student Cumberland County district, are newcomers to the finalist round for the Broad Prize. Corona-Norco, a 53,000-student district in Southern California’s Riverside County, was a finalist in 2012, as was Houston, which won the first ever prize in 2002.
The four finalists were selected from a pool of 75 of the largest urban districts in the nation because of academic gains they have demonstrated for Hispanic, African-American, and poor students. A review board pored over achievement data before selecting the finalists, according to a press release from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which sponsors the annual prize.
The winner of the prize will be announced on Sept. 25 in Washington and will win $550,000 in college scholarships for its students. The three finalists each will receive $150,000 for scholarships.
Over the next few months, researchers will gather qualitative data on each school district and present them to a selection jury, which will choose the winner.
Miami-Dade’s school system was last year’s winner.