(FRANKFORT, KY) – The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) honored two Kentucky schools as 2018 National ESEA Distinguished Schools on Thursday, Jan. 31, during the 2019 National ESEA Conference in Kansas City, Mo. The Kentucky schools are among 68 schools nationwide to receive the honor.

Perryville Elementary School (Boyle County) was recognized for exceptional student performance for two consecutive years. Gamaliel Elementary School (Monroe County) was recognized for significantly closing the achievement gap between student groups.

The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators – formerly the National Title I Association – is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high-quality education. NAESPA implemented the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program to highlight schools that have effectively used their ESEA federal funds to improve education outcomes for students. The program acknowledged the success of hundreds of schools in one of three categories:

  • Category 1: Exceptional student performance for two consecutive years
  • Category 2: Closing the achievement gap between student groups
  • Category 3: Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g. homelessness, migrant, English learners, etc.)

Title I is the cornerstone of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and is the largest federally funded pre-college education program in the United States. Together with other federal education programs of the ESEA – which are jointly focused on student equity and access – they provide funding to school districts to aid primarily in the education of economically disadvantaged students.

More information about all National ESEA Distinguished Schools is available on the NAESPA website. Click here to download the list of 2018 schools. States not listed did not participate in 2018.