SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today is announcing the nomination of two California schools for the national Title I Distinguished School Awards for outstanding student performance.

Camellia Elementary School in Sacramento and Palo Verde Elementary in Tulare will be recognized at the National Title I Conference on February 1, 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia . All nominees will receive an award from the Association.

"Congratulations to the students, their parents, educators, and volunteers at both schools for helping these children make dramatic improvements in their scores," said O'Connell. "Their accomplishments demonstrate yet again that with hard work and dedication, they not only can succeed but exceed expectations."

Title I is part of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The provision is designed to give socioeconomically disadvantaged children equity and access to a high-quality education and reach proficiency on state academic assessments. The Title I Distinguished School Program, which is a joint project of the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of State Title I Directors, is designed to recognize outstanding Title I schools. Each state in the nation nominates two schools, one in each of two categories: (i) for high Academic Performance Index scores and for exceeding the Adequate Yearly Progress target for two or more consecutive years, and, (ii) for significantly closing the achievement gap among numerically significant subgroups. These subgroups consist of students who are poor, minorities, disabled, or have limited English proficiency.   

O'Connell selected Camellia Elementary School for the first category because of exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years and achieving the highest two-year average for socioeconomically disadvantaged and other subgroups of students at the school. The school's 2003 Academic Performance Index score for 2003 was 872, and 881 for 2004. Camellia also achieved the highest two-year average scores for disadvantaged and other subgroups of students. This is the second time since 2002-03 that Camellia has received a national award for its accomplishments.

O'Connell selected Palo Verde Elementary for the second category because it exceeded Adequate Yearly Progress for two or more consecutive years. Palo Verde students made the most progress in significantly closing the achievement gap among subgroups, and increasing scores in English language arts and math for 2002-03 and 2003-04.

"The reason we chose Palo Verde is because the staff worked closely together to create a holistic learning environment for the students, while Camellia's staff carefully analyzed the school's assessment data, provided researched-based programs in language arts and math, and adjusted instruction specifically to improve student learning," added O'Connell. "These award winners serve as excellent models for other schools to emulate."