“The Excellence in Urban Education awards acknowledge that many educators in urban schools are accomplishing amazing results,” said Dr. Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., executive director of NCUST.  “As a nation we give lots of attention to those schools that are in need of improvement, but there’s far too little attention paid to the schools that are serving children exceptionally well.”  This will be the third year for the award which, with this year’s schools, will have honored 47 schools from across the country as finalists and winners.
Schools could apply for NCUST award if the majority of their students met low-income criteria, the school was located in an urban area, and the school did not use any selective admissions criteria.  In addition, achievement results had to exceed state averages and had to exceed the average for 90 percent of schools with similar demographics.  The schools had to meet and exceed all No Child Left Behind (NCLB) adequate yearly progress requirements.  They had to maintain high student attendance rates and low suspension rates.  Additionally, schools were considered only if they exhibited success with every demographic group of students they served (including each racial/ethnic group, students from low-income homes, English learners, and students with disabilities).  As well, schools had to show other indicators of academic and non-academic success, including school-wide awards, high percentages of students in advanced courses of study, and high graduation rates.
Fifty-three schools met the award criteria and were placed on the NCUST 2008 Honor Roll.  The Honor Roll includes many National Blue Ribbon Schools, National Title I Distinguished Schools, and schools that have earned multiple state-level distinctions.  The Center compared data from the Honor Roll schools to identify 20 award finalists.   All 20 finalists received on-site visits from teams of researchers and educators.  “Every finalist school should be congratulated for demonstrating to the nation the outstanding potential of urban educators who work together to change children’s lives,” commented Dr. Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., executive director of NCUST.
Visiting teams found that winning schools had learning environments in which students were learning challenging academic content.  Students were being challenged to learn reading, writing, science, mathematics, and social studies content and skills to a level that often exceeded typical grade level expectations.  At the same time, however, students benefited from excellent support structures that helped ensure they had the opportunity to succeed in learning the challenging content.  In the winning schools, visiting teams found many examples of engaging instructional methods that helped students perceive learning as interesting, exciting, relevant to their lives, and fun.  Many schools offered outstanding programs in art, music, drama, foreign language, and physical education that helped students become enthusiastic about school.   Often, these programs were implemented in ways that helped reinforce the concepts and skills learned in core academic subjects.  As well, in every winning school, students, teachers, support staff, and parents felt valued, supported, and appreciated. 
Winners will receive an award check for $1,000 and a large banner for their school, as well as a commemorative photo album, a profile on the NCUST website, and complimentary travel and registration for two people to the 2008 NCUST Symposium to receive their award. “By celebrating and learning from these schools, we build a national, professional learning community,” said Johnson.  “We help each other learn from our best practices in educating urban children and youth.”
Representatives from each winning school—along with several finalists—will present their strategies for success at the 2008 symposium. As well, district leaders from selected schools will present sessions that detail the role school districts can play in supporting and encouraging academic excellence in urban schools.   The Symposium will take place at the Westin Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego.  For further information on the Excellence Award, the 2008 finalists, the 2008 Honor Roll Recipients, or the 3^rd Annual NCUST Symposium, please visit http://www.ncust.org/ or call (619) 594-7905.
NCUST is a component of the QUALCOMM Institute for Innovation and Educational Success at San Diego State University.  By identifying, studying, and promoting the best practices of high-performing urban school, NCUST strives to support urban districts nationwide as they work to transform their schools into institutions that promote academic proficiency, foster enthusiastic learning, and prepare students for a successful, productive future.