Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent

Title I Distinguished Schools and Districts Awarded
868 Schools Made AYP Three Consecutive Years or More
MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358,
mcardoza@gadoe.org
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January 20, 2011 -- State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge officially
named 868 Georgia Title I Distinguished Schools and four Title I
Distinguished Districts at today's State Board of Education meeting.

"These schools have shown that high expectations, hard work and
collaboration do improve student achievement," Superintendent Barge said.
"I'm so pleased to recognize the educators, students and parents in these
schools and school districts."

Title I schools have a significant population of students who are
economically disadvantaged. These schools receive federal money to assist
with the education of their students. There are two National Title I
Distinguished Schools among the total 868 Georgia Title I Distinguished
Schools. Title I Distinguished Schools have made Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) at least three years in a row.

"These 868 schools could make excuses, but they don't," Superintendent
Barge said. "The teachers and students are focused and the consistent
results prove it."

Title I Distinguished Schools that have made AYP for three consecutive
years are awarded a certificate, while those who have made AYP four or
more years receive a monetary award, paid for out of federal funds.

TITLE I DISTINGUISHED DISTRICTS
There are also four Title I Distinguished Districts, which is given to
school systems in four different size categories -- Large District, Medium
District, Small District and Very Small District. The awarded districts
have closed the achievement gap the most between economically
disadvantaged students and students who are not economically disadvantaged
in each category. The results of the reading, English language arts and
mathematics portions of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT)
and the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) are used to determine
achievement.

The 2010-2011 Title I Distinguished Districts are:
- Large District: Clarke County
- Medium: Peach County
- Small District: Dublin City
- Very Small District: Glascock County

The winning districts each received $50,000 from federal funds.

NATIONAL TITLE I DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS
The National Title I Distinguished Schools program recognizes two schools
that receive Title I funding. One school is recognized for closing the
achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and students
that are not economically disadvantaged. The other school is recognized
for exceeding the benchmarks required to make AYP. The CRCT and GHSGT
results in reading, English language arts and mathematics are used to
determine the winning schools.
The two National Title I Distinguished Schools are:
- Closing the Gap: Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary - Clayton
County
- Meets and Exceeds Performance: Fourth District Elementary - Appling
County
Each school received $15,000 in addition to their FY11 Title I
Distinguished Schools allocation.
Distinguished Schools List:
https://webmail.appling.k12.ga.us/owa/redir.aspx?C=d95a467de5d848ecb17382ac2bb1e733&URL=https%3a%2f%2feboard.eboardsolutions.com%2fmeetings%2fAttachment.aspx%3fS%3d1262%26AID%3d275291%26MID%3d17974

It is with great pride that we welcome everyone to the new 2011-2012 school year in Appling County.  This is truly and honor and privilege for me to open this new year for the first time as your Superintendent.  I am looking forward to continue working with the students, staff, parents, and community in all capacities.  The focal point of this important work should rest on the Mission and Vision which serves as a guide for our school system.  Our Mission states, "We are committed to providing a quality education that promotes maximum individual achievement and social responsibility" and our Vision implies, "Appling County Schools will be a System of Excellence for All Learners".   Partnering together with students, parents, staff, and community, we will build strong educational ties that will continue to achieve this mission and vision of our school system. 

In this partnership parents play a vital role.  Your encouragement and support of your students educational journey is paramount.  It is important that you communicate often with your respective school and their teacher(s) as to the student's educational progress.  Ensuring regular attendance is also a crucial component.  Parents may also find it beneficial to visit the school system's website in order to view your school's handbook, academic calendar, the parent portal, and other needed information.  We feel these resources will provide guidelines that will help you and your student to meet the standards in academics, conduct, and co-curricular activities within the school district.

Our faculty and staff are another set of partners that is paramount to our success as a school system.  I am extremely proud that we have a professional, knowledgeable, and caring staff on board in Appling County.  They are committed to our students and want to ensure that they lead them to their highest educational potential.  They are to be commended for their expertise and dedication to our most precious resource, our students.

Our third partner is our community.  Our community is extremely important in the operations of our school system in numerous ways.  The community serves on the system wide stakeholders committee, school councils, participates in school career events, Red Ribbon Week activities, and countless other means.  We hold our community in high regards and appreciate your partnership in our school district.     

Again, we welcome you to a new and exciting year with Appling County School System!  This year will be educational journey that we will choose to partner together in order to soar our system to new and greater heights.  It is indeed a privilege to share this wonderful experience with all of you as we begin our journey partnering to build a bright, promising future for all.

Together in Education,

Scarlett Miles Copeland
Superintendent