The National Association of State Title I Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 31, 2005

Contact: Rich Long, Executive Director
P.O. Box 5320, Arlington, VA 22205
202-624-8911, fax: 703-536-8519
e-mail: info@titleI.org <mailto:info@titleI.org>
www.TitleI.org <http://www.titlei.org/>

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HONORS DISTINGUISHED TITLE I SCHOOLS

            The National Association of State Title I Directors will honor 36 selected Title I schools (representing 21 states) at their annual distinguished schools award breakfast in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, February 1, 2005 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. These academically outstanding schools have raised above obstacles of poverty with the help of the Title I program. These schools were selected for outstanding results in one of two categories: 1- Exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years or, 2-  Closing the achievement gap between student groups.

Dr. Joseph Johnson, Assistant to the State Superintendent, Ohio Department of Education is the keynote speaker. Dr. Johnson specializes in guiding schools to turn research into effective practice to help close the achievement gap. (Prior to his current position he served for a year and a half as Director of Compensatory Education Programs in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education (ED). He has also served as the Director of District Support and Services at the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin where he directed studies of high-performing/high-poverty schools and districts. Dr. Johnson is the author of numerous publications and recipient of several awards recognizing his commitment to typically underserved populations of students.)

Title I is the largest federal-aid program in K-12 education. Schools' efforts at using Title I monies to improve the education of all students in high-poverty Title I schools are bearing much fruit. These winning schools join hundreds of other distinguished schools honored since the recognition program began in 1996.

Since 1965, the Title I program has served over 150 million children in need of extra academic support in reading, writing, and math. At its core, Title I is a reading and mathematics program. But these distinguished schools go beyond that mandate. They work to improve citizenship, character, enjoyment of the arts, and community spirit. They also know the importance of making the school a hospitable hub of the community. Many students served by Title I go on to be the first in their families to graduate high school and college. Some - whose backgrounds include migrant farm work, non-English speaking homes, and extreme poverty - have become teachers, military officers, computer experts, and engineers.

These distinguished schools demonstrate strengths in the following areas:

-  opportunity for all children to meet proficient and advanced levels of performance,

- strong professional development,

- coordination with other programs,

- curriculum and instruction to support achievement of high standards, and

- partnerships among schools, parents and communities.      

 (In addition to the above requirements, each school submits the last three years of achievement data and a one-page school description. This narrative is the basis for each school's story that is included in the annual publication of Title I Distinguished Schools. The book of 2005 winners will be available at the January conference in Atlanta and from the National Association of State Title I Directors.) 

What makes these success stories especially powerful are the documented student achievement gains that have resulted from the schools' innovations. Please feel free to contact these schools to gather additional information. The list of the Distinguished Title I Schools is attached.

Arizona

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Augustus Shaw School
123 N. 13th St
Phoenix, AZ 85034

Principal: Mrs. Shirley Johnson
602-257-3909

California

Category 1 (Exceptional Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Camellia Basic Elementary School
6600 Cougar Drive
Sacramento, CA 95828-1463

Principal: Don Ogden
916-382-5918

Category 2  (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Palo Verde Elementary
9637 Avenue 196
Tulare, CA 93274-9529

Principal: John Manning
559-688-0648

Colorado

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Platte Valley Elementary School
415 West Avenue
Sedgwick, Colorado 80749

Principal: Henry Armknecht
970-463-5477

*Delaware
*(Delaware schools do not appear in the Title I Distinguished Schools book.)

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Frankford Elementary School
RR3 Box 86
Frankford, DE 19945

Principal: Sharon Brittingham
302-732-3808
sbrittingham@irsd.k12.de.us <mailto:sbrittingham@irsd.k12.de.us>

Category 2  (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Colwyck Elementary School
Landers Lane
New Castle, DE 19720-2095

Principal: Ronald N. Brown
302-429-4085
rbrown@colonial.k12.de.us <mailto:rbrown@colonial.k12.de.us>

*Florida
(*Florida schools are not listed in the Title I Distinguished book.)

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Westconnett Elementary School
5610 Westconnett Boulevard
Jacksonville, Florida 32244-1995

Principal: Mike Akers
(904) 573-1140

            (This school was nominated because it has sustained high achievement, as reflected by (a) earning an A grade in the 2001-2002, 2002-2003, and 2003-2004 school years under the Governor's A+ Plan (the state's system for grading schools), (b) making adequate yearly progress in both the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years, and (c) demonstrating learning gains among 80% of its lowest quartile students.)

Category 2  (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Dr. W.J. Creel Elementary School
2000 Glenwood Drive
Melbourne, Florida 32935-5499

Principal: Ms. Kathryn A. Eward
(321) 259-3233

(This school was nominated because it demonstrated the greatest cumulative achievement in closing the achievement gap between Caucasian (C) students and African-American (AA) and Hispanic (H) students in reading and mathematics between the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years.  (Nineteen percent closure between C and AA students in reading, 22% closure between C and H students in reading, 12% closure between C and AA students in math, 26% closure between C and H students in math; cumulative closure of 79%.)

Kansas

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Meadows Elementary School
201 SW Clay
Topeka, KS 66606

Principal: Cathy Kesner
785-291-1500

Louisiana

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Oakshire Elementary School
5459 Vicari Street
Houma, LA 70364

Principal: Carol Davis
985-876-1007

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Lexington Elementary School
1900 Lexington Avenue
Monroe, LA 71201

Principal: Malinda Hodge
318-322-9753

Maine

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Harrington Elementary School
PO Box 77
Harrington, ME 04643

Principal: Ronald Ramsay
207-483-6681

Maryland

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Rock Hall Elementary School
5608 Boundary Ave.
Rock Hall, MD 21661

Principal: Bess Engle
410-639-2265

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Maree Garnett Farring Elementary
300 Pontiac Ave
Baltimore, MD 21225

Principal: Thomas Stroschein
410-396-1404

Massachusetts

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Edgar Hooks Elementary School
300 Crescent St.
Chelsea, MA 02150

Principal: Coralie Kelly
617-889-8450

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Donald McKay School
122 Cottage Street
East Boston, MA 02108

Principal: Almundena Abeyta
617-635-8510

Nevada

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Silver Springs Elementary
3900 Spruce Ave.
Silver Springs, NV 89429

Principal: Claudia Fadness
775-577-5060

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

C.P. Squires Elementary
1312 E. Tonopah,
North Las Vegas, NV 89030

Principal: Marcie McDonald
702-799-7169

New Jersey

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Gladys Cannon Nunery School #29
123 Claremont Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07305

Principal: +Susan Harbace
201-915-6520

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Chelsea Heights School
4101 Filbert Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

Principal: Diane Saunders
609-343-7272 x4096

New York

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Public School 189- The Bilingual Center
1100 East New York Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11212

Principal: Berthe Faustin
718-756-0210

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Foxfire School
1061 North Broadway
Yonkers, NY 10701

Principal: James Colasacco
914-376-8563

North Carolina

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Rutherford College Elementary
PO Box 247
Rutherford College, NC 28671

Principal: Becky Roach
828-879-8870

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

W. M. Irvin Elementary
1400 Gold Rush Drive
Concord, NC 28025

Principal: Katherine Propst
704-782-8864

North Dakota

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Riverside Elementary School
406 S. Anderson St.
Bismarck, ND 58504-5401

Principal: Fran Rodenburg
701-221-3455

Ohio

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Louisa May Alcott Elementary School
10308 Baltic Road
Cleveland, OH 44102

Principal: Maureen Kennedy Berg
216-631-3151

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Garfield Elementary
936 N Fifth St.
Steubenville, OH 43952

Principal: Andrew Standardi
740-282-5112

Oklahoma

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Latta Elementary School
13925 County Road 1560
Ada, OK 74820-0804

Principal: Phillip Shivers
580-332-7669

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Snyder Elementary
921 "C" St.
Snyder, OK 73566

Principal: Carol McPhail
580-569-2136

Rhode Island

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Curvin-McCabe Elementary School
466 Cottage St.
Pawtucket, RI 02861

Principal: Rosemary Choiniere
401-729-6258

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Oakland Beach Elementary School
383 Oakland Beach Avenue
Warwick, RI 02889

Principal: Richard D'Agostino, Ed.D.
401-734-3420

Texas

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Tierra Blanca Primary School
615 Columbia Drive
Hereford, TX

Principal: Sharon Hodges
806-363-7680

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Chamberlain Elementary
300 Crosby Drive
Henderson, TX 75652

Principal: Mr. Kelly Teems
903-657-6559

Virginia

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Ginter Park Elementary School
3817 Chamberlayne Avenue
Richmond, VA 23227

Principal: Cathy  Randolph
804-780-8193

Washington

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Dower Elementary
7817 John Dower Rd. W.
Lakewood, WA  98499

Principal: Kevin Brooks
253-583-5240

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Bridgeport High School
PO Box 1090
1220 Kryger Ave.
Bridgeport, WA  98813

Principal: Steve Pointer
509-686-8770

West Virginia

Category 1 (Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years)

Edgewood Primary School
4215 Wells St
Weirton,WV 26062

Principal: Rhonda Combs
304-748-7676
rcombs@access.k12.wv.us <mailto:rcombs@access.k12.wv.us>

Category 2 (Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups)

Weirton Heights Elementary
160 South Twelfth St
Weirton, WV 26062

Principal: Irwin Stukins
304-748-1950
istukins@access.k12.wv.us <mailto:istukins@access.k12.wv.us>