The Department of Education named the Christa McAuliffe School as a “Distinguished School” based on the high academic achievement of its students.

The Concord elementary school takes its place alongside around 100 schools across the United States – including Sunset Heights Elementary School in Nashua – to be honored for student achievement in 2024 under the National Elementary and Secondary Education Act Distinguished Schools Program.

The Christa McAuliffe School received recognition as a Category 1 school, indicating “exceptional student performance and academic growth, as determined by each state,” according to award guidelines. The recognition seeks to highlight school usage of federal funding to improve education for all of its students.

“Our teachers and special educators have focused on aligning and integrating the NH-SAS (Statewide Assessment System) modules into their lessons to help students prepare for the content and question types. Increasing familiarity with the assessment has helped our students to feel more comfortable and confident with the overall testing experience,” said Principal Kristen Gallo in a Wednesday press release. “We are extremely proud of the work of our staff at Christa McAuliffe School.”

The school will receive a $7,500 grant to allow for two school leaders to attend the National Elementary and Secondary Education Act Conference in Texas in February and receive the award.

Schools considered for the award must also meet certain requirements, according to Kimberly Houghton at the Department of Education. In addition to being federally funded, schools must receive Title I funding, have tested at least 145 students, and have a free and reduced meal percentage rate of 35% or higher.

The Christa McAuliffe School’s performance on standardized testing resulted in a 75.9% proficiency rate for English Language Arts, with 158 students tested.

“The National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program highlights selected schools that have successfully used their Elementary and Secondary Education Act federal funds to improve the education for all students – including economically disadvantaged students,” education commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a Wednesday press release. “NHED is pleased to recognize Christa McAuliffe and Sunset Heights for their hard work and dedication to student performance.” 

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com.