Midway Elementary and Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School recognized as National ESEA Distinguished Schools

Two Georgia public schools, Midway Elementary School in Pierce County and Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School in DeKalb County, have been recognized as 2023 National ESEA Distinguished Schools, reports the Georgia Department of Education. This is a national honor awarded by the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) to two of the highest-performing Title I schools in every state. In Georgia, the top-performing 5% of Title I schools, based on a combined ELA and Math Achievement Rate score, are eligible to apply. “Midway Elementary and Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School have made outstanding strides to provide an excellent education for each student they serve,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I sincerely congratulate the faculty, staff, students, and parents of both schools on this well-deserved national honor. I am grateful to them for representing Georgia so well on the national stage.” A total of 78 Title I Distinguished Georgia schools from 40 school districts were eligible to apply for this annual recognition. These honorees were selected based on academic achievement and written responses describing initiatives implemented that resulted in outstanding achievement among traditionally underserved subgroups of students. Each winning school received a $20,000 grant from the GaDOE Title I, Part A program to support registration for the school team to attend the 2024 National ESEA Conference and to support the school’s Title I initiatives. NAESPA honored each National ESEA Distinguished School with a commemorative award package, a dedicated section on the ESEA Network website, and a special presentation at the National ESEA Conference last week in Portland, Oregon. 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.