Academic Achievement Programs
Title I Reward Schools
     
To reward successful schools and school districts for significant progress in improving student achievement and/or significant progress in closing the achievement gap, the Georgia Department of Education (Department) honors K–12 Title I schools and school districts for significant progress in improving student achievement and/or making significant progress in closing the achievement gap.

The Title I Reward Schools program recognizes and honors two categories of Reward Schools: Highest-Performing Reward Schools and High-Progress Reward Schools.

Highest-Performing Reward School   
A Highest-Performing Reward School is a Title I school among the Title I schools in the state that has the highest absolute performance over three years for the all-students group and for all subgroups based on statewide assessments and, at the high school level, is also among the Title I schools with the highest graduation rates. A school may not be classified as a highest-performing school if there are significant achievement gaps across subgroups that are not closing in the school.

Determination of Highest-Performing Title I Schools
  • Count the number of Title I schools in the state for the previous school year.
  • Multiply the number of Title I schools in the state for the previous school year by 5-percent.
  • The resulting value is the number of Title I schools in the state that are to be identified as Highest-Performing Reward Schools.
  • At the school level, aggregate the all-student and subgroup achievement results based on assessment data from the previous three-years for all End-of-Course Tests (EOCTs), all Georgia Milestones Assessments, and Georgia Alternate Assessments (GAAs). For a group (all-students as well as the remaining nine traditional subgroups) to be considered in the calculations, the group must meet the minimum n size of 15, where each member of the group has a valid assessment for each content area.
  • Rank the Title I schools based on the average of their three-year aggregate achievement results from highest achievement to lowest achievement.
  • Remove schools from the list of schools that have been identified as Focus or Priority Schools.
  • Remove high schools from the list that are not among the schools with the highest graduation rates.

Identify the top 5-percent of Title I schools in any given fiscal year as Highest-Performing Reward Schools.

High-Progress Reward School
A High-Progress Reward School is a Title I school among the 10-percent of Title I schools in the state that is making the most progress in improving the performance of the all-students group over three years on the statewide assessments and, at the high school level, is also among the Title I schools in the state that is making the most progress in increasing graduation rates. A school may not be classified as a high-progress school if there are significant achievement gaps across subgroups that are not closing in the school.

Determination of High-Progress Title I Reward Schools
  • Count the number of Title I schools in the state for the previous school year.
  • Multiply the number of Title I schools in the state for the previous school year by 10-percent.The resulting value is the number of Title I schools in the state that are to be identified as High-Progress Reward Schools.
  • At the school level, aggregate the all-student and subgroup achievement results based on assessment data from the previous three-years for all End-of-Course Tests (EOCTs), all Georgia Milestones Assessments, and Georgia Alternate Assessments (GAAs). For a group (all-students as well as the remaining nine traditional subgroups) to be considered in the calculations, the group must meet the minimum n size of 15, where each member of the group has a valid assessment for each content area.
  • Based on aggregate achievement results, calculate progress using the following formula: [(year 1 results – year 2 results) + (year 2 results – year 3 results)]/2 • Rank the schools based on the greatest amount of progress.
  • Remove schools from the list that have been identified as Focus Schools for performance data through 2017.
  • Remove schools from the list that have been identified as Priority Schools for performance data through 2017.

Identify the top 10-percent of Title I schools in any given fiscal year as High-Progress Reward Schools.

    
Timelines
  • Fall/Winter​   Title I Reward Schools are selected by State​
  • Fall/Winter   Title I Reward Schools recommended State BOE
  • Fall/Winter   Schools are officially notified of recognition
  • Fall/Winter   LEA assurances are due to Department
  • June            Recognition at Title Programs Conference
Academic Achievement Awards Resources ​​ Reward Schools
FY18
​FY 17 FY16 FY15 FY14 FY13 Reward Districts
FY17
FY16
FY15​
FY14​
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National Title I Distinguished Schools

FY16
FY15
FY14
FY13
FY12​