The DeKalb County School District is thrilled to announce that Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School has been selected as a 2023 Distinguished School by the National Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA). This honor is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students, teachers, and staff to provide a world-class education every day.

The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) awards a national honor to two of the highest-performing Title I schools in every state. In Georgia, the top-performing five percent of Title I schools, based on a combined ELA and Math Achievement Rate score, are eligible to apply for this award.

“This is an outstanding accomplishment for Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School! It consistently demonstrates academic excellence, student achievement, and unwavering commitment to our core values, driving our efforts towards confidently Disrupting for Excellence,” DCSD Superintendent Dr. Devon Q. Horton said.

“Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School has made outstanding strides to provide an excellent education for each student it serves,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I sincerely congratulate Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School’s faculty, staff, students, and parents on this well-deserved national honor. I am grateful to them for representing Georgia so well on the national stage.”

Robert Shaw was awarded a $20,000 grant by GaDOE Title I, Part A program. This grant will be utilized to cover the registration expenses of the school team to attend the National ESEA Conference in 2024 and to support the school’s Title I initiatives.

NAESPA has recognized each National ESEA Distinguished School by presenting them with a special award package, a dedicated section on the ESEA Network website, and a special presentation at the National ESEA Conference, which took place earlier this month in Portland, Oregon.

The conference featured select sessions showcasing Stories of Success from Distinguished Schools, highlighting their notable work to improve their students’ education quality significantly. The Distinguished School attendees were celebrated during several exclusive conference events.