FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007

CONTACT: Mary Stadick Smith, Department of Education, (605) 773-7228, mary.stadicksmith@state.sd.us

 

 

PIERRE, S.D. – Hitchcock Tulare Elementary recently was honored as a Distinguished Title I School. Sixty-four schools representing 36 states received the recognition during the National Title I Conference in Long Beach, Calif. Four teachers from Hitchcock Tulare attended the event.

 

“Title I is the cornerstone of No Child Left Behind,” said Rick Melmer, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education. “It targets high-poverty schools by providing instructional support to students in reading and math. We commend Hitchcock Tulare Elementary for this honor.”

 

Title I schools with a poverty level of 35 percent or higher are eligible to receive the honor. In addition, the schools have demonstrated significant sustained academic improvement. Winners are chosen in one of two categories: 1) Exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years, or 2) Closing the achievement gap between student groups.

 

Hitchcock Tulare was selected in the first category. Ninety-five percent of its students were proficient or advanced in math in 2006, and 93 percent in 2005. Ninety-five percent of its students were proficient or advanced in reading in 2006, and 97 percent in 2005.

 

The district was formed three years ago with the consolidation of the Hitchcock and Tulare schools.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Photos available upon request.