(April 30, 2004) -- 14 LB Unified School District schools have won outstanding 2004 "No Child Left Behind" Title I Achieving Schools Awards authorized by the "No Child Left Behind Act."

The April 27 announcement by CA Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell listed 214 elementary, middle, high, and charter schools statewide as 2004 award recipients...and included 14 LB schools (we list them below). LBUSD's 14 awardees are twice the seven local winners in 2003, a district release said.

Begun in 1984, the Title I Academic Achievement Awards Program honors high poverty, high achieving Title I schools. Award criteria include demographic and academic assessment factors which require the poverty index at an eligible Title I school to equal at least 40% of all students enrolled, not just of those tested.

The CA Dept. of Education web site indicates that each school must have two years of assessment data for school years 2001-02 and 2002-03 in the state accountability system for growth results to be calculated for the Academic Performance Index (API). The school must demonstrate the achievement level of twice the school wide API growth target and twice the API growth target for the socio-economically disadvantaged subgroup for school years 2001-02 and 2002-03, and, must have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as calculated by the California Department of Education (CDE) and defined under NCLB for 2001-02 and 2002-03. Elementary schools must have attained the median 2003 API growth score of 729. Middle schools must have a median 685 API growth score, and high schools a median 668 API growth score.

The CA Dept. of Education says that of the more than 5,000 CA schools that receive Title I, Part A funds, 283 schools met these requirements and had an opportunity to apply for the 2004 Awards; of the 214 that applied (including all of LB's qualifying schools), all were accepted as 2004 award recipients.

Long Beach and Lakewood dominated the middle school category, winning three of the six middle school awards given statewide.

The 14 LBUSD Title 1 awardees are:

School	Grade level	City
Birney	Elementary	Long Beach
Bryant	Elementary	Long Beach
Burroughs	Elementary	Signal Hill
Emerson	Elementary	Long Beach
Gompers	Elementary	Lakewood
Madison	Elementary	Lakewood
Mann	Elementary	Long Beach
Signal Hill	Elementary	Signal Hill
Robinson	K-8	Long Beach
Hudson	K-8	Long Beach
Tincher	K-8	Long Beach
Hill	Middle	Long Beach
Hoover	Middle	Lakewood
Rogers	Middle	Long Beach

"These remarkable schools have shown that great gains can be accomplished by having high expectations of our children, and by teaching to rigorous standards that emphasize math and reading," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell O'Connell of the winners statewide. "These schools, which often face the greatest challenges, should make everyone in the state of California proud of our investment in public education.

"While they clearly have more work to do, they are beating the odds everyday. They prove that the notion that all kids can learn is more than just a slogan, it is a reality in schools throughout California," he added.

LBUSD says each nominated school underwent a rigorous review by the CA Department of Education, including school visits by evaluators from County Offices of Education.

The 214 schools were formally recognized at an April 29 Title I Academic Achievement Awards Conference at the Hyatt Regency Airport Hotel in Burlingame. Staff from LBUSD's 14 winning schools gave formal presentations on their successful practices.

All statewide winners received a plaque and banner...although no dollars for the moment. The CA Board of Education is reviewing the amount of the monetary awards. LBUSD says that if awards comparable to last year's are made, the 14 winning LBUSD schools would receive more than $1.7 million...although CA's current budget difficulties may reduce that amount.

LBUSD cites among its other recent honors and achievements (partial listing):

• Broad Prize for Urban Education -- National Winner
• Education Trust's Dispelling the Myth Award for achievement and improvement
• Education Trust West's All Kids, All Stars Award for serving diverse populations
• Highest-rated Head Start program in U.S.
• Largest number of CA Distinguished School nominees -- 11 schools
• Newsweek's Best High Schools -- two schools
• National Blue Ribbon Schools -- five schools
• 99% percent of LBUSD schools meet or exceed state academic growth targets