Title I School Honored for Superior Achievement under National Recognition Program

Jefferson Elementary School in York, S.C., is one of six Title I public schools in that state to be recognized for superior student achievement.

Jefferson, which has been using Classworks for a little over a year, received honorable mention status from the South Carolina Department of Education for "Reducing the Achievement Gap" in October. In addition to the academic distinction, the school received a cash award of $25,000.

The awards are part of the National Title I Distinguished Schools Recognition Program authorized by the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. Title I schools qualify for federal funds that provide extra academic support to students from low-income families. Jefferson Elementary was honored for Reducing the Achievement Gap because they have narrowed the achievement gap between special education and regular education students and African-American and white students in language arts and math over the past two years.

“Classworks is a key piece of the puzzle for us, and I believe it played a role in our recognition,” said Jefferson Principal Jane Wallace, who brought Classworks into her school to aid with Jefferson’s Title I instruction. At-risk students at Jefferson are assigned Classworks instruction to help put them on track to meet basic proficiency on the PACT.

“Children who scored ‘below basic’ on the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT) come to school early one or two days a week for extra instruction on Classworks,” said Wallace. “We meet with every family of a ‘below basic’ student. They have a sort of contract with the school; we lay out what the school is going to do, what the parents are going to do, and what the child is going to do.”

Wallace said that the monetary prize that accompanied the award will be combined with a Toolbox for Education grant from Lowes that will build literacy libraries in the school and classrooms.

Additionally, Jefferson hopes to expand its Classworks use into a new after-school program by partnering with a local church that recently received a 21st Century grant.

Classworks has been used by in Jefferson for a little more than a year, and Wallace said that Jefferson’s students are seeing increases in scores.

“The kids like it,” said Wallace. “They work a little harder on it because they like it.”

Curriculum Advantage is proud of Jefferson's achievement and congratulates the whole school on their continued success in educating all of their students.