Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Since 2003, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has formally recognized eligible Title I schools that have demonstrated success in educating students from low-income families. This year, 107 Wisconsin schools received awards.
Normally, this annual honor is presented by the DPI to schools leveraging federal Title I funding to provide additional resources and services to students who are economically disadvantaged during a formal ceremony at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Due to the current “Safer at Home” order in these unprecedented times, the ceremony will not take place.
“The schools honored with this award stand out for their progress in making sure every student has access to the resources and educational rigor they need, no matter their background,” State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor said. “These students and their teachers have remained dedicated, and together they have accomplished so much.”
Many of this year’s Schools of Recognition are going above and beyond to support not only their students but their larger communities during this time.
For example, in the Slinger School District, 3D printers from the high school and elementary schools are being used to print masks for medical professionals. Slinger Elementary School was named a 2020 “High Achieving School” this year.
Like so many school districts in the state, the School District of Wisconsin Dells provides several options for meal pick-ups. Lake Delton Elementary School, a 2020 “High Progress and Beating the Odds School” is one of several meal pick up sites in the district for parents to secure meals for their children.
The Three Lakes School District has an additional method for making sure children receive meals. Several staff members, including the librarian, deliver the meals on students’ bus routes. Three Lakes Elementary, a 2020 “High Progress School,” also serves as a meal pick-up site.
Depending on access to the internet or devices, many school districts have turned to virtual learning options. Students from the Rufus King International School – High School Campus in Kelly O’Keefe-Boettcher’s English classes have come together virtually to keep a social and academic routine going.
These schools and all Title I Schools of Recognition deserve to be recognized for the work that the students, parents, teachers, administrators, and school staff members have done to break the link between poverty and low academic achievement.
For more information on selection criteria for the Schools of Recognition Awards, visit the DPI Schools of Recognition web page.