"These schools deserve high praise for improving student achievement," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. "They have addressed barriers to student success and were able to create a school environment conducive to learning. I congratulate the teachers, staff, paraprofessionals, parents and students who all worked hard this past year to improve. I hold these schools up as models for their success in ensuring that all students without regard to race, economic status, or physical or mental challenges are given the kind of education that allows them to achieve to their fullest potential."

The Title I Academic Achievement Awards are given only to schools receiving federal Title1 funds as authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. To be eligible for the Title I Schoolwide Program, a school must enroll 40 percent or more of socioeconomically disadvantaged students. To meet the criteria for this distinction, the school must demonstrate that all students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California's academic content standards. Additionally, the school's socioeconomically disadvantaged students must have doubled the achievement targets set for them for two consecutive years.

The 200 awardees will be honored at a special award ceremony held in conjunction with the annual California Title I Conference scheduled for April 27-28, 2009, at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel in Anaheim.

Robert Spencer, Capitol Heights’ principal attributes the school’s success to “positive school culture and focused teachers and staff.” Capitol Heights’ API increased 32 points from 757 last year to 789 and has grown 116 points over the past three years. Robert believes his Friday town halls contribute to positive school culture, “our Eagles of the Week are selected for higher than average performance or growth and social behavior. The students give us that Tiger Woods, ‘Yes!’ and everyone high fives them as they walk to the stage.” The award has been a morale booster for Capitol Heights Academy. “Our students and families are proud. It just confirms and affirms that our teachers work is having impact.”

“Strong team work ethic…” fuels CAL Prep’s success, according to Principal Megan Reed, “…and our staff’s willingness to do anything it takes as individuals or for others.” The hard work of CAL Prep students and their teachers led to solid gains on the California Standards Tests for the second year in a row — increasing the school’s API 51 points from 725 last year to 771. In its first year of testing (2006), CAL Prep’s API was 648. While these results are a sign CAL Prep is moving in the right direction, Megan says she and her staff remain grounded. “They’re good, but we still have a lot of work to do. We look for multifaceted measures of success. Are our far below basic students moving? Do our students need our discipline system less and less? We focus on CSTs, but hope our work in all these areas are reflected in those scores.”

As for the students and families, Megan says the award is, “evidence that their sacrifice is worth it – the driving, the homework at night, all of our phone calls. The students feel special. They have tremendous school pride.”

Aspire’s Monarch Academy and East Palo Alto Charter School were selected as Title 1 Academic Achievement schools in 2007-08.

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