The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is honoring several Gwinnett County public schools for student performance on statewide assessments. Harris Elementary School, Partee Elementary School, Paul Duke STEM High School, and Pharr Elementary School are 2023 Title I Distinguished Schools. Title I Distinguished Schools are Title I schools that rank in the top 5% Schoolwide Program and top 5% Targeted Assistance Program schools in the state. They also have the highest absolute performance for the all-students group based on content mastery of the current statewide assessments. The four Gwinnett County schools are among a select group of 78 that earned the designation.

In addition, Central Gwinnett High School, Duluth High School, Paul Duke STEM High, and Rosebud Elementary School are 2023 Title I Reward Schools. Title I Reward Schools rank in the top 5% of Title I schools in the state, making the most progress in improving the performance of the all-students subgroup by comparing content mastery scores from the two most recent years of reported data on the statewide assessments. These four Gwinnett County schools are among a select group of 75 that earned the designation.

Dr. Al Taylor, Gwinnett County Public Schools’(GCPS) chief of schools, says the recognition is the result of the hard work and dedication of GCPS educators and administrators. “We are proud of what is going on at these schools,” Dr. Taylor shares. “The results show that high expectations and effective educators in the building produce outstanding student achievement. It is evident that these schools are focused on academic achievement, looking beyond barriers and challenges that come with serving high numbers of economically disadvantaged students.”  

Each of the seven schools will receive a certificate, recognition flag and will be listed on the GaDOE’s website. They are also eligible to apply for the National NSEA Distinguished School Award. Each year, the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) recognizes two schools from each state receiving Title I federal funding for their outstanding achievements in education. Qualifying schools receive $20,000 from state Title I funds to facilitate participation in the NAESPA conference and participate in the National ESEA Distinguished Schools recognition ceremony.