Georgia Title I Distinguished Schools and Districts Awarded‏

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox officially named Georgia's four Title I Distinguished Districts, two National Title I Distinguished Schools and 896 Georgia Title I Distinguished Schools at the State Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.

"These districts and schools are a prime example of the impact high expectations, hard work and collaboration can have on student achievement," Superintendent Cox said. "I'm thrilled 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 and receive federal money to assist with the education of these students. The two National Title I Distinguished Schools are among the total 896 Georgia Title I Distinguished Schools. Title I Distinguished Schools have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) at least three years in a row.

"These 896 schools don't accept excuses," Superintendent Cox said. "There are high standards for students and high expectations for teachers. These schools are focused and determined -- and they are getting results."

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. The number of Title I Distinguished Schools has grown significantly since 2003, when 116 schools were recognized.

Title I Distinguished Districts

The Title I Distinguished District award is given to four 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 2009 Title I Distinguished Districts are:

* Large District: Henry County
* Medium: Marietta City
* Small District: Brooks County
* Very Small District: Chattahoochee County

The winning districts will each receive $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: Echols County Schools (9-12), Echols County
* Meets and Exceeds Performance: Gainesville High School, Gainesville City

Each of these schools will receive $15,000 in federal funds.

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Unique Scholarship Helps People Affected by Epilepsy Fulfill Life Ambitions

GE Note: Congratulations to the Georgia students who are recipients of this scholarship.

/PRNewswire/ -- UCB, The Epilepsy Company(TM), will honor 31 recipients of the 2008 UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship(TM) at a reception in Seattle, WA on Sunday, December 7 during the American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting. The scholarship is awarded to inspiring people whose lives have been affected by epilepsy, and who seek personal growth through higher learning.

Each year, the UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship is offered to people living with epilepsy, their caregivers and family members to provide financial support for academic and personal achievement. This year, UCB awarded a total of $150,000 to 31 recipients; twenty-one recipients are people living with epilepsy, and the remaining 10 are family members or caregivers of someone living with epilepsy.

The scholarship money can be used toward tuition at any United States-based center for higher learning, including colleges, graduate schools and technical schools. Since 2005, UCB has awarded over half a million dollars in scholarships to qualified recipients.

"There are many people living with epilepsy who continue to have a positive impact on their families, schools and communities. The UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship allows us to recognize their achievements by making higher education more attainable for deserving recipients," said Rich Denness, Vice President and General Manager of CNS at UCB. "This scholarship is one of several innovative patient programs that demonstrate UCB's commitment to improving the lives of people living with epilepsy."

The American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting is an international conference where medical experts convene to share research findings and discuss relevant topics in the field of epilepsy and other seizure disorders. This year the meeting will occur in Seattle, WA from December 5-9, 2008.

2008 Scholarship Recipients:

The winners of this one-time award were selected from a pool of 588 applicants. Each recipient was considered based on their application, personal essay and letters of recommendation.

2008 recipients and their selected learning institution include:


-Crystal Armstrong Columbus State Community College
-Paul Babbitt Pitzer College
-Lindsey Beth Brewer University of West Alabama
-Steffanie Chamburs Seattle Pacific University
-Thomas Ciccone Binghamton University
-Kaycee Damm Albion College
-Jordan De Jong Mitchell College
-Christa Desjardins New England Culinary Institute
-Courtney DiPersico Palm Beach University
-Jacqueline Hayden University of Phoenix
-Chelsea Henline Townson University
-Cheyenne Hettel Southern State Community College
-Rebecca Huang California State University Dominguez Hill
-Melissa Kielbus Rochester Institute of Technology
-Patrick Masterton Iowa State University
-Samantha McCrary Ball State University
-Jennifer Mitchell Chattahoochee Valley Community College
-Meghan Monhollen Northern Kentucky University
-Trevor Nuener Modesto Junior College
-Allison Rellar University of Cincinnati
-Ryan Schuster University of Toledo
-Lakischa Stewart Thomas Jefferson University
-Erin Vachon-Vierra Northern Arizona University
-Brittany Wagner-Frederick Shenandoah University
-Claire Willeford Georgia State University
-Leigh Ann Youngblood-West Troy University
Note: Some recipients requested to remain anonymous.

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Chattahoochee Students Raise Scores After One Year With SRA/McGraw-Hill's Imagine It! Reading and Language Arts Curriculum

PRNewswire/ -- Reading scores are on the rise at the Chattahoochee County Education Center after only one year with SRA/McGraw-Hill's researched-based elementary reading and language arts program Imagine It! On average, scores increased by nearly 12%.

Teachers implemented Imagine It! in Grades K-5 in the fall of 2007. One year later, reading scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) rose across the board. Grade 1 increased the percentage of students meeting or exceeding reading standards on the CRCT from 78% in 2007 to 91% in 2008. Grade 2 rose from 84% to 90%, and Grade 3 jumped from 71% to 82%. The best results occurred in Grade 4, where scores rose by more than 28%.

Principal Tabitha Walton said Imagine It! works because Chattahoochee educators implement it with fidelity.

"Our teachers focus on accountability, and not just at state testing time," she explained. "They know they are accountable for their students' progress every day. For example, they routinely turn in their benchmark scores so we can focus on what needs to improve or change. I'm also in and out of their classrooms daily so I can provide feedback."

Walton said one of the program's key strengths is its comprehensive nature, which means all components work together and complement each other.

"All the materials are right there in front of you, like Differentiated Instruction," she said. "If teachers want to customize a lesson, they don't have to dig for information and conduct research on their own. The components are right there for them."

One way Chattahoochee teachers provide Differentiated Instruction is through the program's workshops. Walton said workshops are advantageous because they give teachers an opportunity to do two very important things.

"First, they can pre-teach concepts they know students might struggle with. When they introduce the concept again the next day, students are already beginning to understand it. Second, teachers use workshops to target struggling students. Many kids need that extra one-on-one time with the teacher to practice concepts," Walton said. "Differentiated Instruction is very powerful in a workshop. In fact, workshops work so well with our children that we're carrying the concept over into our math program."

Walton said another of the program's key strengths is consistency from grade level to grade level.

"We're really looking forward to students' reading scores in 2009 because they will reflect two solid years with the program," she said. "Overall, we're very pleased with Imagine It! This program will work if you carefully and diligently 'work' it."

About Chattahoochee County Education Center

This Title I school serves nearly 300 students in Grades Pre-K-5: 58% of students are Caucasian, 34% African American, 1% Hispanic, 1% Asian, and 6% multicultural. Seventy-five percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. For more information, please visit chattahoochee.k12.ga.us. (http://www.chattahoochee.k12.ga.us/)

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