[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 129 (Tuesday, September 4, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S11046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRATULATING THE BRIDGEPORT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

 Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I speak today to congratulate 
the Bridgeport Public School System, which for the second year in a row 
has been selected as a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban 
Education. The $1 million Broad Prize, the largest education prize 
given to school districts, is awarded each year to honor urban school 
districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and 
improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps for 
poor and minority students.
  That Bridgeport has been nominated for this award 2 years in a row 
speaks volumes about the progress Bridgeport has made educating its 
students. The city's schools serve the highest percentage of low-income 
students in Connecticut, with 95 percent of its students eligible for 
either free or reduced-price school lunches. Yet in 2006, Bridgeport 
students outperformed their peers in demographically similar districts 
in the State in reading and math at all grade levels. In fact, 
Bridgeport is the only one of those school districts to improve in 
reading and math at all grade levels from 2003 to 2006. This 
improvement was seen across all subgroups of students, including low-
income, African-American and Hispanic students.
  The city has also done a remarkable job in closing the achievement 
gap between White and minority students. Bridgeport has reduced 
achievement gaps between Hispanic students and their White peers in 
high school reading and math, as well as in elementary school reading, 
and the district has reduced achievement gaps for African-American 
students in high school math. In addition, Bridgeport has closed the 
Hispanic achievement gap faster than the State average in elementary 
and high school reading and high school math. This is no small feat, 
considering that almost 90 percent of the district's students are 
racial minorities.
  The Broad Foundation has praised the district's willingness to take a 
hard look at the data it collects on student performance, and using it 
to identify where it is succeeding and where it needs to improve. In 
fact, Bridgeport uses this data to put together quarterly assessments 
that are tightly aligned to State standards. Data from these 
assessments is available in real time, allowing for immediate 
diagnostics and subsequent adjustments. Given the proliferation of 
data, administrators and teachers have become more comfortable using it 
and district administrators have reported that school principals have 
been using the data to determine their schools' needs and plans. 
Teachers have also reported that they too analyze the data when meeting 
together in teams to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
  This results-based approach, where the main focus is on student 
performance, has so far been a rousing success. I would like to 
congratulate Superintendent John J. Ramos, Sr., and all the teachers, 
principals, administrators, and other school personnel of the 
Bridgeport public schools not just for the nomination, but for all the 
hard work they have done to provide a better education to their 
students. They have proven that it is possible to give all children a 
fair opportunity to receive a high-quality education. May other 
districts follow their example.

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