According to Long County School’s Superintendent Dr. Robert Waters, Walker Middle School and Smiley Elementary School were both recognized recently by the Georgia Department of Education as Title I Distinguished Schools for the 2008-09 school year.
“This is quite an achievement. With AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), the benchmark is continually moving up, and that’s what I’m most proud of. Neither of these schools is resting on what they did last year, but they are continually striving to do better each year,” Waters said.
To be recognized as a Title I Distinguished School, a school must meet Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind law for three consecutive years.
Walker Middle School has met or exceeded these standards for the previous four years and also was recognized as a Title One Distinguished School last year.
“I’m very proud of everyone at my school — the students, the parents, the teachers, the support staff, everyone. They do a great job, and all I can say is that we will keep trying to do a good job,” said WMS Principal Dr. Vicky Wells.
Smiley Elementary School has met or exceeded the AYP standards for nine consecutive years and has been recognized as a Title I Distinguished School for the previous six years.
“We have excellent teachers, and an excellent support staff. We are committed and will stay committed to providing the best education we can for all of our students, and we will always encourage as much parental involvement as we can,” said SES Principal David Edwards.
In addition to receiving award certificates, both schools also received an $840 monetary award from the Georgia Department of Education.
SES includes kindergarten through third grade, and WMS includes fourth through eighth grades.
“This is quite an achievement. With AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), the benchmark is continually moving up, and that’s what I’m most proud of. Neither of these schools is resting on what they did last year, but they are continually striving to do better each year,” Waters said.
To be recognized as a Title I Distinguished School, a school must meet Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind law for three consecutive years.
Walker Middle School has met or exceeded these standards for the previous four years and also was recognized as a Title One Distinguished School last year.
“I’m very proud of everyone at my school — the students, the parents, the teachers, the support staff, everyone. They do a great job, and all I can say is that we will keep trying to do a good job,” said WMS Principal Dr. Vicky Wells.
Smiley Elementary School has met or exceeded the AYP standards for nine consecutive years and has been recognized as a Title I Distinguished School for the previous six years.
“We have excellent teachers, and an excellent support staff. We are committed and will stay committed to providing the best education we can for all of our students, and we will always encourage as much parental involvement as we can,” said SES Principal David Edwards.
In addition to receiving award certificates, both schools also received an $840 monetary award from the Georgia Department of Education.
SES includes kindergarten through third grade, and WMS includes fourth through eighth grades.