Thirteen schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District received some welcome news this month. They have been awarded national monetary awards for high achievement through the Title I No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The schools are expected to use their $129,000 share of the grant money to maintain excellence and serve as models for other schools, especially those designated as Title I Program Improvement Schools – those not meeting specified growth targets and requiring additional assistance. Almost 5,000 schools in California received funds under Title I during the 2002 – 2003 school year. Of those, 157 schools qualified to apply for the high-achievement award. After a rigorous review by state and county office of education staffs, only 115 schools were chosen to win the awards.
Los Angeles Unified School District led all other school districts in awards and District K led other local districts with five schools out of the thirteen receiving grants. Ambler Ave. Elementary School in Carson, Broad Ave. Elementary School in Wilmington, Chapman Ave. Elementary School and 186th St. Elementary School in Gardena, and Normont Elementary School in Harbor City are excited to have the opportunity to continue and expand programs that help socioeconomic children make the academic progress that will allow them to have a chance at a better future.
The 2003 criteria for designation as a Title I “Achieving” or “Honorable Mention” School include:
A 2002 school year Academic Performance Index (API) of 675 or high
A poverty indicator of at least 50%
Achievement of the school’s growth target in the 2000 – 2002 school years
A doubled API growth target for both the entire school and the socio-economical disadvantaged subgroup for two of the previous three years.
