For Immediate Release
Friday, May 22, 2009

Contact: Mike Keeney, Aldine ISD, 281-985-6213

Erica Lepping, The Broad Foundation, 310-594-6880

What:

Fifteen high school seniors from four Aldine ISD high schools will be surprised with the news that they have won a collective $250,000 in Broad Prize scholarships.  The school district received the scholarship money because it was a finalist for the 2008 Broad Prize.  

This year, Aldine is again in the running for The Broad (rhymes with “road”) Prize for Urban Education, considered the Nobel Prize in education.  Awarded annually by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, The Broad Prize is the nation's largest education award and honors urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement nationwide while reducing income and ethnic achievement gaps.  

Wednesday's announcement will be made during a press conference held in conjunction with a visit to the school district by national educational experts to gather information about why Aldine students continue to make gains that outpace other urban districts.  The information will inform the decision of which district will win the 2009 Broad Prize.  The other four finalists are Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Gwinnett County Public Schools outside Atlanta, the Long Beach Unified School District, Calif. and the Socorro Independent School District in Texas.

As a finalist again, Aldine is guaranteed another $250,000 in scholarships for 2010 high school seniors and could take home the top prize of $1 million when the winner is announced Sept. 16 in Washington, D.C. by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.  Aldine has been a finalist for The Broad Prize for four years – 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009.

For more information, visit www.broadprize.com.
  

 When:

Wednesday, May 27

10 a.m.

Press conference with Superintendent Wanda Bamberg, a Broad Foundation representative and Broad Prize scholarship winners.  Note: Media representatives should be in place by 9:50 a.m. as the event will start at 10 a.m. sharp.

Where:

Carver High School

2100 S. Victory Street

Houston, TX 77088

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