U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as the winners of the prestigious Broad Prize on Tuesday.

The $1 million prize is an annual award that honors the four large urban school districts that demonstrate the strongest student achievement and improvement while narrowing achievement gaps between income and ethnic groups.

"Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a model for innovation in urban education,” said Duncan. “It has taken on the tough work of turning around low-performing schools, created a culture of using data to improve classroom instruction, and put a laser-like focus preparing students for college and careers."

CMS will be awarded $550,000 in college scholarships for its high school seniors. The three other finalists -- Broward County Public Schools and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, both in Florida, and the Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, Texas -- will each receive $150,000 in college scholarships.

Mayor Anthony Foxx said the announcement that CMS won the prize highlights “the reality that all children can succeed if given the chance.”

Educators say the award represents all the hard work that they, the students and their parents have been putting in over the years.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg was a finalist for the Broad Prize in 2004 and 2010.

So what made CMS stand out this year from other school districts across the nation? Click here to find out.

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