Two South Dakota schools garner recognition as National Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Distinguished Schools.
State Department of Education officials say both Ethan and Timber Lake Elementary Schools earned the honor based on the outstanding academic achievement of their students.
“Both Ethan Elementary and Timber Lake Elementary are examples of academic excellence, and can be deservedly called Distinguished Schools,” said Secretary of Education Joe Graves. “One of the keys to their success comes in the form of strong attendance. These pupils are consistently in school.”
According to the state Department of Education, Ethan’s attendance rate is 97 percent; Timberlake’s is 99 percent.
The two schools also boast higher-than-average proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA), math, and science for the 2023-2024 school year. Students at Timber Lake Elementary were 71 percent proficient in ELA, 75 percent proficient in math, and 65 percent proficient in science. Ethan Elementary’s proficiencies were 69 percent, 78 percent, and 79 percent, respectively.
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators recognizes schools that have at least a 35 percent or higher poverty rate and demonstrate exceptional overall performance in academics, close achievement gaps between student groups, or demonstrate excellence in serving special populations.