January 5, 2006
State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Nominates Two
Extraordinary California Schools for National Honor
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the nomination of two California public schools for the 2005-06 National No Child Left Behind Title I Distinguished Schools Recognition Award.
The nominees are Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School* in the Los Angeles Unified School District and Lincoln Elementary School in the Oakland Unified School District. All schools nominated by each state will receive the award during the National Title I Conference to be held on January 28-31, 2006 in Dallas, Texas.
"By nominating these two outstanding schools, I want to shine a spotlight on students, teachers, and administrators who are succeeding in spite of difficult circumstances," said O'Connell. "The success these schools have shown is proof that implementing high academic standards can lead to improved student achievement for all children. Congratulations to the students, their parents, and their teachers for all their hard work in helping these kids succeed."
O'Connell nominated the schools based on their 2003-04 and 2004-05 academic achievement data. Francisco Bravo had the greatest percentage of students at or above the proficient level for Adequate Yearly Progress in reading, language arts, and mathematics. Lincoln Elementary made the most progress in closing the achievement gap among numerically significant subgroups in the school.
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 in order to reach proficiency on state content standards as measured by state academic assessments.
The Title I Distinguished School Program is a joint project of the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of State Title I Directors, designed to recognize outstanding Title I schools. The recognized schools are considered to be national models of excellence.
Each state in the nation may nominate two schools, one in each of two categories: (i) for having the greatest percentage of students at or above the proficient level for Adequate Yearly Progress in reading/language arts and mathematics, and, (ii) for making the most progress in closing the achievement gap among numerically significant subgroups. These subgroups consist of students who are poor, minorities, disabled, or have limited English proficiency. California has nearly 5,900 Title I schools. For more information on the awards program, please visit California School Recognition Program.
# # # #
*Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School is also a National Blue Ribbon nominee for 2005-06. For more information, please visit Blue Ribbon School Nominees for 2006 - Year 2005.
