Kent’s Martin Sortun Elementary has been named a National Title I Distinguished School by the Washington state department of education.

Martin Sortun is one of up to 100 schools throughout the country nationally recognized for exceptional student achievement in 2016.

A project of the National Title I Association, the National Title I Distinguished Schools Program publicly recognizes qualifying Title I 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 for two consecutive years

• Category 2: Closing the achievement gap between student groups

• Category 3: Excellence in serving special populations of students

Title I is the largest federally funded pre-college education program in the United States and provides funding to school districts across the country to aid in the education of economically disadvantaged students.

The National Title I Association is a membership organization made up of the Title I directors from each state and territories, who are charged with managing their state Title I program to ensure compliance with federal regulations and to ensure that all children – especially those living in economically disadvantaged conditions – have the opportunity to receive a high quality education.

The National Title I Association implemented the National Title I Distinguished Schools Program to highlight selected schools that have successfully used their Title I federal funds to improve the education for economically disadvantaged students. More information about all National Title I Distinguished Schools is available on the National Title I Association website.