Smyrna Elementary School and West Seaford Elementary School are among a host of U.S. schools that have been named a 2023 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the extraordinary success of their students. The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA), formerly the National Title I Association, has been selecting examples of superior, federally funded school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools program (formerly the National Title I Distinguished Schools program) since 1996.

Smyrna Elementary School, in the Smyrna School District, is being recognized as a National ESEA Distinguished School for Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups, and the academic progress that the students made during the 2022-2023 school year on standardized achievement tests.  Cynthia McNatt is the school’s principal.

West Seaford Elementary School, in the Seaford School District, is being recognized as a National ESEA Distinguished School for Excellence in Serving Special Populations, and the growth and progress towards English Language proficiency that the multilingual learners made during the 2022-2023 school year.  Laura Schneider is the school’s principal.

The 2023 National ESEA Distinguished Schools will be honored February 7-10, 2024, at the 2024 National ESEA Conference in Portland, Oregon.  More information about all National ESEA Distinguished Schools is available on the NAESPA website: www.ESEAnetwork.org/awards.

 

Sixteen Additional Schools Recognized Locally as DE Recognition Schools

Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Holodick is pleased to commend and recognize 16 additional schools from across the state for their growth and progress in three categories.  Awards are given for Exceptional Student Performance and Growth on the state’s assessment for grades 3-8, Academic Growth and Closing the Achievement Gap between student groups on the grade 3-8 assessment, or Excellence in Serving Special Populations where multilingual learners showed exceptional growth toward meeting proficiency on ACCESS tests.

Thirteen schools that are named 2023 Recognition Schools will receive an $8,000 award, a certificate, and a banner to hang in their building.  Three schools are being recognized as Schools of Continued Excellence and will also receive a certificate and a banner. These schools also were recognized last year for their outstanding performance and are not eligible for the financial award in this consecutive year.

 

2023 Recognition School Award Winners for Exceptional Student Performance:

• Claymont Elementary School, Brandywine SD
  • Principal – Eryn Smith
• Lake Forest East Elementary School, Lake Forest SD
  • Principal – Jeffrey Sheehan
• Phillip C. Showell Elementary School, Indian River SD
  • Principal – Christy Kerr

2023 Recognition School Award Winners for Closing the Achievement Gap:

• Benjamin Banneker Elementary School, Milford SD
  • School Leader – Chad Luzier
• Lake Forest North Elementary School, Lake Forest SD
  • Principal – Erin Dotson
• Etta J. Wilson Elementary School, Christina SD
  • Principal – Mabel Boutte

2023 Recognition School Award Winners for Excellence in Serving Special Populations:

• Brookside Elementary School, Christina SD
  • Principal – Eric Stephens
• Harry Eisenberg Elementary School, Colonial SD
  • School Leader – David Distler
• Milton Elementary School, Cape Henlopen SD
  • Principal – Clara Conn
• North Georgetown Elementary School, Indian River SD
  • Principal – Sarah Green
• Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, Woodbridge SD
  • Principal –  Zachary Huber
• Seaford Central Elementary School, Seaford SD
  • Principal – Chandra Phillips
• South Dover Elementary School, Capital SD
  • Principal –  Lenita McIntyre

2023 School of Continued Excellence:

• Blades Elementary School, Seaford SD
  • Principal – Christy Parsons
• Rehoboth Elementary School, Cape Henlopen SD
  • Principal – Doris Person
• Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center, Woodbridge SD
  • Principal – Dane Sears

 

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

Secretary of Education Mark Holodick commends 12 schools from across the state for their students’ growth and progress toward English language proficiency.

 

Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center in the Woodbridge School District is among a host of U.S. schools that have been named a 2022 National ESEA Distinguished School for the extraordinary success of their students. The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA), formerly the National Title I Association, has been selecting examples of superior, federally funded school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools program (formerly the National Title I Distinguished Schools program) since 1996.

 

The 2022 National ESEA Distinguished Schools will be honored February 1-4, 2023, at the 2023 National ESEA Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

 

Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center, which will receive $11,500 as a financial award, also is among 10 Delaware schools named a Recognition School for Excellence in Serving Special Populations for the growth and progress toward English language proficiency that their multi-language learners made during the 2021-2022 school year. The students showed exceptional growth toward meeting proficiency on ACCESS tests.

 

The nine other Recognition schools each will receive an $8,000 award, a certificate and a banner to hang in their building.  Two schools also are being recognized as Schools of Continued Excellence and will receive a certificate and a banner. Schools of Continued Excellence are schools that have qualified as a Recognition School for the second consecutive year so are ineligible for the Recognition award this year.

 

“Congratulations to our multi-language learners and the families and educators whose support helped them make the gains that have earned their schools this recognition,” Holodick said. “This is a celebration of their entire school communities.”

 

 

2022 Recognition Schools

• Academia Antonia Alonso, Charter School
  • School Leader – Mercedes Alonso
• Austin Baltz Elementary School, Red Clay Consolidated School District
  • Principal – Amy O’Neill
• Claymont Elementary School, Brandywine School District
  • Principal – Tamara Grimes-Stewart
• Harry Eisenberg Elementary School, Colonial School District
  • School Leader – David Distler
• Laurel Elementary School, Laurel School District
  • Principal – Matt Brady
• Lewes (formerly known as Richard Shields) Elementary School, Cape Henlopen School District
  • Principal – Kimberly Corbidge
• Pleasantville Elementary School, Colonial School District
  • Principal – Renee Griffith
• West Seaford Elementary School, Seaford School District
  • Principal – Laura Schneider
• Kathleen Wilbur Elementary School, Colonial School District
  • Principal – Elizabeth Howell
• Woodbridge Early Childhood Center, Woodbridge School District
  • Principal – Dane Sears

 

 

2022 Schools of Continued Excellence

• Blades Elementary School, Seaford School District
  • Principal – Kirsten Jennette
• Rehoboth Elementary School, Cape Henlopen School District
  • Principal – Doris Person

 

 

More information about all National ESEA Distinguished Schools is available on the NAESPA website: www.ESEAnetwork.org

 

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

Fourteen schools across the state are being recognized for their English learner students’ proficiency growth.

 

“In a school year when our schools faced extraordinary challenges, including remote and hybrid learning, these students still made extraordinary progress. I am so proud of these school communities for how they rallied to support student needs. This recognition is well deserved,” Secretary of Education Susan Bunting said.

 

Seaford School District’s Blades Elementary School is among a host of U.S. schools that have been named a 2021 National ESEA Distinguished School for the extraordinary success of their students. The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA), formerly the National Title I Association, has been selecting examples of superior, federally funded school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools program (formerly the National Title I Distinguished Schools program) since 1996.

 

Blades is being recognized as a Recognition School for Excellence in Serving Special Populations for the growth and progress toward English language proficiency that the school’s English learners made during the 2020-2021 school year.  Kirsten Jennette is Blades Elementary School’s principal.

 

The honor comes with a $10,500 award.

 

The 2021 National ESEA Distinguished Schools will be honored February 16-19, 2022, at the 2022 National ESEA Hybrid Conference both online and in person in New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

Bunting also is pleased to commend and recognize 13 other schools from across the state for their growth and progress towards English language proficiency.  The English learners showed exceptional growth toward meeting proficiency on ACCESS tests.

 

Each of the 12 schools named a 2021 Recognition School will receive an $8,000 award, a certificate and a banner to hang at the building.  One school is also recognized as a School of Continued Excellence and will receive a certificate and a banner. This school, which continued to show impressive growth, was honored last year as a Recognition School; the award cannot be won in consecutive years.

 

2021 Recognition School Award Winners:

• Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School (Charter)

• • School Leader – Mercedes Alonso

• Eisenberg Elementary School (Colonial School District)

• • Principal – David Distler

• Forest Oak Elementary School (Red Clay Consolidated School District)

• • Principal – Ann Marie Swift

• Las Americas Aspira Academy (Charter)

• • School Leader – Margie Lopez-Waite

• Long Neck Elementary School (Indian River School District)

• • Principal – Kathleen Wilson

• Mispillion Elementary School (Milford School District)

• • Principal – Teresa Wallace

• Anna P. Mote Elementary School (Red Clay Consolidated School District)

• • Principal – Lauren Young

• North Georgetown Elementary School (Indian River School District)

• • Principal – Samantha Lougheed

• Phillis Wheatley Elementary School (Woodbridge School District)

• • Principal – Brandon Snyder

• Lulu Ross Elementary School (Milford School District)

• • Principal – Cynthia McKenzie

• West Seaford Elementary School (Seaford School District)

• • Principal – Laura Schneider

• Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center (Woodbridge School District)

• • Principal – Kim Benton

 

2021 School of Continued Excellence:

• Frederick Douglass Elementary School (Seaford School District)

• • Principal – Carol Leveillee

 

More information about all National ESEA Distinguished Schools is available on the NAESPA website: www.ESEAnetwork.org

 

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

Secretary of Education Susan Bunting recognized 17 schools from across the state for their students’ academic achievement today.

 

The students showed exceptional performance on state tests or made remarkable progress in closing the achievement gaps between student groups, including those from low-income families, racial minority groups and students with disabilities.

 

Each building named a 2019 Recognition School will receive an $8,000 award. Funding for the awards comes from the state’s school improvement funds. Two buildings were named a School of Continued Excellence because they earned Recognition School honors last year and had outstanding performance again this year. Those schools are not eligible for a financial award again until 2020. Two buildings also will be recognized as National ESEA Distinguished Schools.

 

The Recognition School awards were created by legislation passed by the Delaware General Assembly in 2009.

Representatives from all of the honored schools gathered at Capital School District’s North Dover Elementary School this afternoon for the award ceremony. A description of each principal’s reflections on his or her school’s success is attached. Find photos here.

 

2019 winners:

• Beacon Middle School, Cape Henlopen School District, Recognition School

o   Dave Frederick, principal

• Christiana High School and Middle School Honors Academy, Christina School District, National ESEA Distinguished and Recognition School

o   Eunique Lawrence, principal

• John M. Clayton Elementary School, Indian River School District, Recognition School

o   Allisa Booth, principal

• Frederick Douglass Elementary School, Seaford School District, Recognition School

o   Carol Leveillee, principal

• Forest Oak Elementary School, Red Clay School District, Recognition School

o   Erin NeCastro, principal and Shane Rifenburg, acting principal

• Allen Frear Elementary School, Caesar Rodney School District, Recognition School

o   Julie Lavender, principal and Barbara Miklus, acting principal

• Georgetown Middle School, Indian River School District, Recognition School

o   David Hudson, principal

• Love Creek Elementary School, Cape Henlopen School District, Recognition School

o   Lisa Morris, principal

• R. Elisabeth Maclary Elementary School, Christina School District, Recognition School

o   Bartley Dryden, principal

• Joseph M. McVey Elementary School, Christina School District, Recognition School

o   David Wilkie, principal

• Milton Elementary School, Cape Henlopen School District, Recognition School

o   Beth Conaway, principal

• North Dover Elementary School, Capital School District, Recognition School

o   Shani Benson, principal

• Rehoboth Elementary School, Cape Henlopen School District, National ESEA Distinguished and Recognition School

o   Amanda Archambault, principal

• Lulu M. Ross Elementary School, Milford School District, Recognition School

o   Cynthia McKenzie, principal

• Star Hill Elementary School, Caesar Rodney School District, Recognition School

o   Katie Fitzgerald, principal

• West Park Place Elementary School, Christina School District, School of Continued Excellence

o   Tracy Novack, principal

• Etta J. Wilson Elementary School, Christina School District, School of Continued Excellence

o   Natalie Birch, principal