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
Schools exhibiting exceptional student performance and academic growth
CATEGORY 2
Schools that have closed the achievement gap between student groups
CATEGORY 3
Schools that show excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g. homeless, migrant, English learners, etc.)
HOW SCHOOLS ARE 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 (may use the state’s average poverty rate to qualify a school if below 35%)
- Demonstrated high academic achievement (which may include high academic growth)
- Met or exceeded state-determined accountability criteria
- Must be federally funded by one or more ESEA programs
The school selection process will reopen in Fall 2025.
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
