(Frankfort, KY.) – The National Title I Association will honor two Kentucky schools as 2017 National Title I Distinguished Schools on Feb. 9 during the 2018 National Title I Conference in Philadelphia. The Kentucky schools are among 63 Title I schools nationwide to receive the honor.

The National Title I Distinguished Schools Program publicly recognizes qualifying Title I schools for exceptional student performance, significantly closing the achievement gap between student groups or excellence in serving special populations of students.

Murray Middle (Murray Independent) will be recognized for exceptional student performance for two consecutive years. Phelps Elementary (Pike County) will be recognized for significantly closing the achievement gap between student groups.

Title I is the cornerstone of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It is the largest federally funded pre-college education program in the United States and provides funding to school districts to aid in the education of economically disadvantaged students.

The National Title I Association implemented the National Title I Distinguished Schools Program to highlight schools that have successfully used their Title I federal funds to improve the education for economically disadvantaged students. The program has been in place since 1996.

More information about National Title I Distinguished Schools is available on the National Title I Association website.