Laura Orr

Schools in Dalton, Ga., garnered the lion's share of federal funding among Northwest Georgia schools in the latest round of the state's Distinguished Title I Schools awards.

An $11,772 chunk of Dalton's $36,740 total award will boost Roan Elementary School's parent-involvement programs, literacy and technology upgrades, principal Cindy Parrott said.

"Our big focus here is parent involvement so we'll use some of the money for our parent involvement nights," she said.

Title I schools have a significant population of poor students who receive federal assistance. Consideration for the funding is based on scores from the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test and the Georgia High School Graduation Test, state officials said.

Schools that met average yearly progress goals for three years running under the federal No Child Left Behind program received a certificate, while those that met goals for four years or more got money.

Ms. Parrott said Roan met progress goals the past 11 years and has earned monetary awards for nine straight years.

All six of Dalton's elementary schools -- Blue Ridge, Brookwood, City Park, Park Creek, Roan and Westwood -- got Title I awards this year. Similarly sized Rome City Schools, just south of the state's Northwest corner, netted even more at $46,012, records show.

Laura Orr, Dalton's Title I director, said the federal money pays for services and programs -- like tutoring -- that schools often can't afford otherwise.

"One of the things we've used our regular allotment for is to provide literacy coaches to each of our elementary schools," she said. "That is something we would not be able to do with just state and local money."

Staff Photo by Matt Fields-Johnson
Irene Perantatos, substitute teacher at Roan Street Elementary School in Dalton Ga., helps third-graders read aloud during a small group session.

Continued funding helps make sure school systems' poorest students get the help they need to succeed, she said.

At Roan, part of this year's award will fund an online study supplement called "Study Island" that includes equipment to allow teachers to see test responses on a computer as students answer, she said.

Across the state, the top four Title I Distinguished District awards went to Henry County, Marietta , Brooks County and Chattahoochee County school systems. Each of those systems got a $50,000 federal award.

The state's 896 Title I award recipients for 2009 "don't accept excuses," Georgia schools Superintendent Kathy Cox said.

"These districts are a prime example of the impact high expectations, hard work and collaboration can have on student achievement," Ms. Cox said.