Prestigious education award shared by schools in Florida, Georgia

By Barbara Liston ORLANDO Fla. (Reuters) - School districts in Florida and Georgia were named co-winners on Monday of the Broad Prize for Urban Education, recognizing top-performing urban schools that are closing the achievement gap among low-income and minority students. Orange County Public Schools, which includes Orlando, and Gwinnett County Public Schools, northeast of Atlanta, will split $1 million in college scholarships for their graduating seniors. "You really have to push on a belief and almost an insistence among your staff that all children can learn - and learn at high levels," said Barbara Jenkins, superintendent of Orange County schools, which serves 187,193 students. The foundation noted that low-income middle school students in Orange County outperformed 80 percent of their peers across Florida on standardized tests. This is the second time that Gwinnett County, with a student population of 169,150, has won the award. The foundation noted it has sustained higher student performance over many years. Seventy-five urban school districts are eligible for the award, sponsored by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which named joint winners for the first time in the award's 13-year history. The nine-member selection panel featured prominent business and former government leaders. After a first round review, the prize board selected only Orange and Gwinnett as finalists, fewer than the four or five districts selected in previous years. The lack of other finalists reflected disappointing progress among urban school systems nationwide, the foundation said. Both winners have similar demographics, the foundation noted. In Gwinnett, 58 percent of students are black or Hispanic, and 55 percent are low-income, while Orange has 63 percent black or Hispanic students and 60 percent low-income. (This story corrects location of Gwinnett County in 2nd paragraph to northeast of Atlanta, not west) (Editing by Letitia Stein and Doina Chiacu)