The Georgia Department of Education is releasing its 2021-2022 list of Title I Distinguished Schools – a designation that recognizes the highest-performing Title I schools in Georgia. Seventy-one schools earned the recognition this year.

“Congratulations to each of Georgia's 2021-2022 Title I Distinguished Schools!" State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “This honor recognizes the hard work of teachers and school staff to provide an excellent education to each and every student in their care. I commend the school leaders, teachers, parents, and communities of each school as they overcome barriers, meet challenges, and open up opportunities for their students."

The Distinguished Schools designation recognizes Title I schools that ranked in the top 5% based on a combined ELA and Math Achievement Rate score from FY2021 College & Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Content Mastery data. While a full CCRPI report was not available in 2021 due to data limitations resulting from the pandemic and an associated federal waiver, Content Mastery data was available since students took state assessments in 2021.

Schools must be Title I to be eligible for the Distinguished School designation and must not currently be identified for Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI) or Targeted Support & Improvement (TSI).

Each Georgia Title I Schoolwide Distinguished School may apply for the FY22 National ESEA Distinguished School Award, which publicly recognizes two schools from each state for their outstanding achievements in education each year. Georgia's National Distinguished School representatives will receive a monetary award of $20,000 from GaDOE's Title I, Part A funds. A portion of this funding will be used for a school team to be recognized by the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) at the National Distinguished Schools awards ceremony during the National ESEA Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana in February.