Some 129 Texas campuses have been named Title I Distinguished Performance Schools for the school year 2006-07. The 129 campuses are being recognized for consistently strong academic performance and effective Texas Teachers while educating large populations of impoverished students during the three previous school years. Under criteria set by the ‘No Child Left Behind’ division, the schools qualified for the distinction by:

•    Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards under the federal accountability evaluation system
•    Earning the state’s highest accountability rating of exemplary in 2006
•    Earning an exemplary or recognized rating, which is the second highest rating in the state accountability system, during the two previous school years.

Title I, Part A is a federal program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It provides supplemental funding to school districts with high concentrations of students from low-income families. Funds support programs that enable all children to meet the state's student performance standards. The Texas Teachers engaged in these programs must use instructional methods and strategies that are grounded in scientifically based research.

To be called a progress school, a Title I campus serving a population of 40 percent of more low income students in the 2006-07 school year had to meet AYP for both 2005 and 2006, earn an exemplary rating in 2006, be exemplary or recognized in 2005 and have a state accountability rating of either low performing or acceptable in 2004.