Model Elementary School has been recognized as a 2021-2022 Title 1 Distinguished School!
The Georgia Department of Education released its 2021-2022 list of Title I Distinguished Schools – a designation that recognizes the highest-performing Title I schools in Georgia. Seventy-one schools earned the recognition this year.
“Congratulations to each of Georgia’s 2021-2022 Title I Distinguished Schools!” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “This honor recognizes the hard work of teachers and school staff to provide an excellent education to each and every student in their care. I commend the school leaders, teachers, parents, and communities of each school as they overcome barriers, meet challenges, and open up opportunities for their students.”
The Distinguished Schools designation recognizes Title I schools that are ranked in the top 5% based on a combined ELA and Math Achievement Rate score from FY2021 College & Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Content Mastery data. While a full CCRPI report was not available in 2021 due to data limitations resulting from the pandemic and an associated federal waiver, Content Mastery data was available since students took state assessments in 2021.
Schools must be Title I to be eligible for the Distinguished School designation and must not currently be identified for Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI) or Targeted Support & Improvement (TSI).
Each Georgia Title I Schoolwide Distinguished School may apply for the FY22 National ESEA Distinguished School Award, which publicly recognizes two schools from each state for their outstanding achievements in education each year. Georgia’s National Distinguished School representatives will receive a monetary award of $20,000 from GaDOE’s Title I, Part A funds. A portion of this funding will be used for a school team to be recognized by the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) at the National Distinguished Schools awards ceremony during the National ESEA Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana in February.
Aimee Hays, Principal of Model Elementary School, shared the work that has contributed to their success.
“As learning losses were being felt across the nation over the past several years as a result of COVID-19; the administration at Model Elementary worked closely with teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth to identify and support all students across the learning spectrum. High expectations for teaching and learning are catalysts for excellence in our classrooms.”
“As our mission states, “We are Model. We are passionate about fostering relationships, community, character, and academic excellence.” The words of our mission and vision are much more than a section on a page or a check within our strategic plan. Fostering positive relationships with our students and community creates the foundation of our culture at Model Elementary in addition to our robust instructional cycle that has supported our academic achievement as reflected by our overall content mastery.”
“The pursuit of continued academic growth and student achievement drove our instructional decision-making in order to assure that we maintained adequate academic advancements even during school closures, excessive absences, and staffing issues as a result of COVID-19 quarantines and isolations. Everyone at Model Elementary School from the classroom teachers, to the office staff, our bus drivers, custodians, and nutrition staff worked alongside our administration to assure that student learning remained at the forefront. Meeting our students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and academic needs became the North Star of our school improvement process. As national reports indicated that student performance was declining across the nation as a result of the impacts from COVID-19, Model Elementary identified focus areas in learning capacity, resource capacity, leadership capacity, professional learning needs, prioritized school climate needs, family engagement needs, and conducted regular data reviews in order to achieve academic advancements through the initiatives described below that have supported our academic successes.”
John Parker, Assistant Superintendent of Floyd County Schools said, “ MES is an incredible school and this recognition is indicative of the hard work and dedication of their staff and students. They continue to defy the odds and achieve at the highest levels.”
