The State Department of Education announced January 31 that Forest Heights Academy of Excellence, Glasgow Middle School and McKinley Middle Magnet School made the statewide 2011 list of High Performing, High Poverty Schools.  This is the third year that Forest Heights and McKinley Middle Magnet made the list. Glasgow Middle School was highlighted for the first time last year.

To earn the High-Performing, High-Poverty (HPHP) designation, schools must meet the following criteria:
• A baseline School Performance Score of 100 or higher for two consecutive years, based on the state's accountability system.
• School Performance Scores (SPS) are determined based on student scores on state assessments, attendance, non-dropout and graduation rates, depending on the grade configuration of each school.
• Schools in Decline are not eligible for the designation, even if their SPS remains above 100.
• Schools in Decline are a label assigned to schools with an SPS below 110 that drop by 2.5 points or more in one academic year.
• At least 65 percent of the site’s population must be enrolled in federally-funded free or reduced-price meal programs. Student participation in those programs is a national indicator used to measure poverty.

Through a partnership with the Board of Regents, the state department is conducting an analysis of the schools to determine what factors contribute to their success. Department officials will make site visits and conduct interviews with members of these school communities in an effort to identify best practices that could potentially be replicated in schools with similar demographics.

The 2011 distinction list totaled 56 schools across the state in 30 districts.  The state Department of Education will honor all schools that made the list in the spring.