Ms. Simpkins and her first graders in class at Cuba Elementary.

TWO KENTUCKY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE NATIONAL TITLE I DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS

(Frankfort, KY.) –Two Kentucky schools have been recognized as part of the National Title I Association’s National Title I Distinguished Schools program. Schools are chosen in two categories. Beechwood Elementary (Beechwood Ind.) is the state’s category 1 school, a school that has exceeded adequate yearly progress for two or more years. Cuba Elementary (Graves Co.) is the state’s category 2 school, a school that significantly closed the achievement gap between student groups.

The National Title I Association has been selecting examples of superior Title I school programs for national recognition through the National Title I Distinguished Schools program since 1996. Title I is a major component of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The program provides billions of dollars annually to fund supplementary education for the country's most at-risk students.

Based on a combination of academic achievement of their students and the creative and innovative programs that contribute to their success, 67 schools were selected by their individual states as National Title I Distinguished Schools last year.

These schools demonstrate a wide array of strengths, including team approaches to teaching and learning, focused professional development opportunities for staff, individualized programs for student success and strong partnerships between the school, parents and the community.

“What makes National Title I Distinguished Schools’ stories especially powerful are the documented student achievement gains that have resulted from their innovations,” said Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. “Other schools seeking to improve student outcomes can learn from these schools,” he said.
As part of this award, each school attended the association’s national conference last month where they were recognized and had the opportunity to participate in professional learning opportunities.

Editor's Note: I visited Cuba Elementary to read to the kindergarten and first graders.The children and I had a delightful time with No-Count Dog. Traveling from school to school, it is interesting to see that each school has its own personality. Cuba's personality is one of a loving mother for its children.

This is a bittersweet honor for Cuba. The school, set in the middle of rural Graves County, is scheduled to close at the end of this school year. Enrollment dropped to 160 which is just too few to make the school economically feasible in the cash strapped Graves County School System. It is sad to watch this lovely little rural school go the way of so many other rural schools. It's the oldest elementary in Graves County. 

Wishing it were not so will not add enough students to keep it open.