WHAT IS THE NATIONAL ESEA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS PROGRAM?
The National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program is a project of NAESPA that publicly recognizes qualifying federally-funded schools for positive educational advances and the outstanding academic achievement of their students.
Established in 1996, the program showcases hundreds of schools identified by the State Education Agency for their success in one of three categories:
CATEGORY 1
Exceptional student performance and academic growth, as determined by each state
CATEGORY 2
Closing the achievement gap between student groups, as determined by each state
CATEGORY 3
Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g., homeless, migrant, English learners, etc.)
HOW ARE SCHOOLS SELECTED?
Schools are named by their State Education Agency (up to two schools per state) and collectively exhibit the following common characteristics:
- A poverty rate of at least 35% for the selected year
- Demonstrated high academic achievement for two or more consecutive years
- Met or exceeded state standards of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for at least two consecutive years
HOW SCHOOLS ARE HONORED?
All National ESEA Distinguished Schools are honored with a commemorative award package, a dedicated section on the ESEA Network website, and a special presentation at the National ESEA Conference. Throughout the National ESEA Conference, select sessions feature Stories of Success from Distinguished Schools, highlighting the notable work they have done to make significant improvements for their students. Distinguished School attendees are celebrated during several exclusive Conference events.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS USING THE INTERACTIVE MAP BELOW
