The Orange County district received $500,000 in scholarship money for posting the best gains of any urban district it the nation in terms of student achievement and closing the academic gap between white and minority students.

The district was credited at a ceremony in Los Angeles with showing marked improvement in math and reading at every grade level, and in meeting federal "No Child Left Behind" goals in nearly every school in the district.

The other finalists in the nationwide competition were: Boston, Norfolk, Charlotte-Mecklenberg and the Aldine Independent School District in Houston.