DEERING — Dawson-Bryant Elementary School has been named as a National ESEA Distinguished School by the state education agency.

According to a news release from the National Association of Elementary and Secondary Education Administrators, Dawson-Bryant is one of up to 100 schools throughout the country that is being nationally recognized for exceptional student achievement in 2021.

A project of NAESPA, the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program publicly recognizes qualifying federally funded schools for the outstanding academic achievements of their students. It highlights the efforts of schools across the country making significant improvements for their students.

The program has been in place since 1996, showcasing the success of hundreds of schools in one of three categories:

CATEGORY 1: Exceptional student performance and academic growth for two or more consecutive years.

CATEGORY 2: Closing the achievement gap between student groups for two or more consecutive years.

CATEGORY 3: Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g. homeless, migrant, English learners, etc.)

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides additional resources for vulnerable students and federal grants to state educational agencies to improve the quality of public elementary and secondary education.

The association is a membership organization made up of state ESEA program administrators, and their staff from each of the states and territories, charged with managing their state federal education program. They ensure compliance with federal regulations, but more importantly work to see that all children — especially those living in economically disadvantaged conditions — have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. NAESPA implements the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program highlight selected schools that have successfully used their ESEA federal funds to improve the education for all students—including economically disadvantaged students.

More information about all National ESEA Distinguished Schools is available on the ESEA Network website at www.ESEAnetwork.org.