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While preparing for a visit by a local news reporter, Oak Park Elementary Principal Shirley Wilson wanted to make sure that everybody knew of the Music Conservatory's latest honor.
"Make sure we talk about Oak Park winning the Title I Academic Achievement Award," she said.
And it's a point of pride for 11 other schools in the district, having received 2007-08 Title I Academic Achievement Awards from the California Department of Education.
Elementary schools honored are: Dewey, Ericson, Euclid, Jackson, Fletcher, Florence, Jones, Miller, Oak Park and Perry. High schools honored are the Kearny Complex School of Digital Media and Design and School of International Business.
To be eligible, schools must satisfy several criteria, including surpassing the growth target in Academic Performance Index (API) test scores, as well as meeting the targets in 2005-06 and 2006-07. The elementary schools all had API scores of at least 758 and high schools topped 646. The Index is one of the measures required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Title I schools receive federal funding based on the economic levels of their students. The funding is designed to help schools with the most economically disadvantaged students.
"This is an outstanding honor for these schools," said Deputy Superintendent Geno Flores. "The state Department of Education selects these schools very carefully.”
"We salute the hard work done by the teachers, principals and especially students at these schools." For more information about the awards, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/aa/index.asp